Inventory · App comparison
Tool inventory apps compared: what each one does, as of November 2026
A dated, sourced look at apps tradespeople use to record tools, serials and receipts: free limits, prices, export, crews and privacy. Plus where Show Your Stack fits, and where it doesn't yet.
Short answer: there is no single best tool inventory app. Solo tradespeople who want a theft and insurance record have several small iOS apps to pick from. Where a listing states a free tier, it covers 5 to 20 tools, and paid plans run from about $5 to $15 a month, or a one-time purchase. Contractors tracking tools across crews are a different market, served by business tools priced per month. Show Your Stack is not on the list yet as a working option: it has not launched. Every fact below is dated November 2026 and linked to the listing or pricing page we checked.
This is a comparison by a company with its own app in the works, so read it with that in mind. We have tried to stick to what each maker publishes, and we left out anything we could not check.
What to look for
- Serials, photos and receipts. The three things police and insurers ask for. Our tool theft inventory guide explains why.
- Export. CSV for a spreadsheet, PDF for an insurer. If you cannot get your data out, your record is only as safe as the app.
- Free limit. Count your batteries and chargers. A 20-tool limit goes fast.
- Crews. Do other people need to see or check out tools?
- Privacy. Account or no account, what is collected, where your data lives.
The comparison (as of November 2026)
All facts come from the App Store listing or the maker’s pricing page, checked 2026-11-10. We checked iOS listings for the app-only products; we did not check Google Play. “Not stated” means the listing does not mention it, not that the feature is missing.
| App | Free tier | Paid (US, as listed) | Serials, photos, receipts | Export | Crews |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ToolTracked | Up to 20 tools | Pro $4.99/mo; annual shown as $39.99 in the purchase list and $49.99 in the description | Yes | Insurance PDF (Pro); CSV import | Not stated |
| ToolStack | 7-day trial | $4.99/mo | Yes, plus mark as stolen | Police and insurance PDF | Not stated |
| Snapproof | First 5 tools | Pro $9.99/mo or $79.99/yr in the purchase list; the description says $14.99/mo or $99/yr | Yes, with AI photo and receipt reading | Claim PDF; tax-year export | Not stated |
| ToolMark | Up to 10 tools | Pro $9.99 one-time | Yes | CSV and PDF reports | Not stated |
| Tool Cache | Free download | Contractor Pro $14.99/mo or $149/yr; Team $59/mo or $590/yr | Yes, plus warranty | Reports and exports with serials | Yes (“People”, Team plan) |
| Milwaukee ONE-KEY | Free | Free app; tracking needs compatible tools | Records, receipts, purchase info | Spend reports, inventory audits | Guest logins, assign to employees |
| Sortly | 100 items, 1 user | Advanced $49/mo, Ultra $149/mo, Premium $299/mo (annual discounts listed) | General inventory | Not stated on pricing page | Yes, by plan |
| ShareMyToolbox | Free plan up to 100 tools | Business $100/mo for the first admin, then $10 per user in blocks of 5 | Tool and asset tracking | Import and export on paid plans | Yes, built for it |
Sources, checked 2026-11-10: ToolTracked· ToolStack· Snapproof· ToolMark· Tool Cache· Milwaukee ONE-KEY· Sortly pricing· ShareMyToolbox pricing
Where a listing shows two different prices, we show both. Check the price at checkout; that is the one that counts.
Notes on each
ToolTracked is an iOS app for solo tradespeople: serials, photos, values and AI tool identification, with an insurance PDF in Pro that includes photos, serials, receipts and values. The free tier covers 20 tools.
ToolStack adds a “mark as stolen” flag and police and insurance PDFs. The listing offers a 7-day free trial and a monthly plan. Its most recent version in the listing is dated September 2025.
Snapproof reads brand, model and serial from photos and does receipt OCR and warranty tracking, with a combined claim PDF. The free tier is the first 5 tools.
ToolMark is local-only: the listing says no required account, no backend, no cloud sync and no subscription. Pro is a one-time purchase. Local-only is good for privacy, but it means your backup is up to you, so use the export.
Tool Cache organizes tools by location (job sites, trailers, shops) and adds job planning, warranty tracking, cloud sync and a team plan. It sits between the solo apps and the business tools.
Milwaukee ONE-KEY is free and, per its listing, accepts inventory items from any brand. Its location tracking and remote lock features work with ONE-KEY-compatible tools. The listing notes that tracking relies on other app users passing within Bluetooth range, and that background GPS use can reduce battery life.
Sortly and ShareMyToolbox are business inventory tools. Sortly is general-purpose inventory with iOS and Android apps. ShareMyToolbox is built for contractors tracking tools across employees, with barcode and QR scanning on all plans. If you run a crew, start here; if you are one person with a van, they are likely more than you need.
Privacy questions to ask
Your serials, receipts and tool values are a shopping list for a thief. Before you enter them anywhere, ask:
- Does it need an account? ToolMark says it does not. Check the listing or sign-up screen for the others.
- What does the privacy label say? As of November 2026, the developer-provided labels say: ToolTracked does not collect data; ToolMark collects usage data not linked to you; ToolStack links contact info and a device ID to you; Snapproof links purchase history, name, email, photos and a user ID to you for app functionality. Apple notes these labels are provided by the developer and not verified by Apple.
- Can I export everything? Including photos and receipts, not just a list.
- Is anything public? If the app has a social side, check that serials, prices and locations never show on shared pages.
- What happens if the app shuts down? Small apps come and go. Keep your own copy.
Where Show Your Stack fits, and where it doesn’t
Show Your Stack is pre-launch. There is no app to download today. Here is what that means, plainly:
- Today: you can browse sample stacks in 3D on this site and download our free tool inventory template (CSV). The sample stacks are examples we built, not real users’ kits.
- Planned for launch: a free app where you build a 3D copy of your storage stack, fill each drawer with the tools that are in it, and share the layout. Serial numbers, receipts and purchase prices are planned as private fields that never appear on public stacks or share pages. See how Show Your Stack works.
- Planned for later, not available: an insurance and theft PDF export, serial and receipt scanning, and Show Your Stack Pro. Several apps above already offer export and scanning today.
Where Show Your Stack may fit: if you want your inventory to live inside a picture of your actual stack, drawer by drawer, and you like sharing setups with other people who care about this stuff. The idea is that a record you enjoy opening is a record you keep up to date.
Where it doesn’t: if you need a theft and insurance PDF this month, pick one of the apps above that offers it now. If you manage tools across a crew, with check-in and check-out, business tools like ShareMyToolbox are built for that and Show Your Stack is not. If you want everything on your phone and nowhere else, a local-only app like ToolMark is a closer fit.
Whatever you use, the fields matter more than the app. Start with the inventory guide and the template, and you will have a record worth moving into any app later.
Milwaukee® and ONE-KEY™ are trademarks of their owners. Other app names belong to their developers. Show Your Stack is independent and not affiliated with any company listed here.
Questions
What is the best tool inventory app?
It depends on the job. A solo tradesperson recording serials for theft and insurance needs something different from a contractor tracking who has which tool. Compare free limits, export options, crew features and privacy against what you need.
Do I need an app to keep a tool inventory?
No. A spreadsheet with brand, model, serial, photos, purchase date, price and receipt works. Apps make photos, receipts and exports easier.
Can I use ONE-KEY for non-Milwaukee tools?
Milwaukee's App Store listing says ONE-KEY supports unlimited inventory items from any brand. Its tracking and lock features need ONE-KEY-compatible tools.
Does Show Your Stack export an insurance PDF?
Not yet. Show Your Stack has not launched. An insurance and theft PDF export, serial scanning and Show Your Stack Pro are planned for a release after launch and are not available today.
Are app store privacy labels reliable?
They are a starting point. Apple shows them as provided by the developer and notes they are not verified by Apple. Read the app's privacy policy too.