Smarter TracksBest Tool Checkout System for Contractors (2026)
Last updated: October 23, 2026 · Written by Brock Coburn, founder of Smarter Tracks
About the author: Brock Coburn has worked across the HVAC trade, from hands-on pre-apprentice field work to office operations and sales. He built Smarter Tracks first for a mechanical contracting business, to fix its tool tracking.
Short answer: a tool checkout system tells you who has each tool, since when, and on which job. The right one depends on how you want crews to check tools out.
- Best for large contractors with tags and gateways: Hilti ON!Track.
- Best for barcode/QR checkout with unlimited tools: ShareMyToolbox.
- Best no-tag option with flat pricing: Smarter Tracks. Crews check tools out and in on their phones with nothing to label or scan, and one monthly price covers the crew (no per-user fees).
- Best for QR tags with GPS on scan: GoCodes.
- Best free option for Milwaukee tool fleets: Milwaukee ONE-KEY.
- Best for tool cribs and warehouses: ToolWatch by AlignOps.
- Best for tool and stock inventory together: Sortly or EZOfficeInventory.
We make Smarter Tracks, so weigh our view accordingly. Prices and hardware details are from each vendor's own website (checked October 2026).
What a contractor tool checkout system should do
- Record every hand-off with the person, the time, and the job or truck it went to.
- Show who had it last when something goes missing or comes back broken.
- Work from a phone on the jobsite, not only at the shop or crib.
- Make returns and damage obvious, so broken tools don't get sent out again.
- Let you audit quickly: what each person or truck should have, versus what's actually there.
Checkout vs inventory vs tracking: which do you need?
- Tool checkout (custody): who has each tool right now and who had it before. This is the core need for most contractors, because tools move between people, trucks and jobs every day.
- Tool inventory: how many of each item you own, plus consumables and reorder points. Sortly and EZOfficeInventory are inventory-first. ShareMyToolbox covers consumables too.
- Location tracking: where a tool physically is. Hilti ON!Track and ONE-KEY use Bluetooth tags. Smarter Tracks offers optional cellular GPS trackers for a few high-value items. They use cell service, not Bluetooth.
Quick comparison
| System | Best for | How crews check tools out | Hardware to buy | Pricing (as listed, Oct 2026) | Per-user fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilti ON!Track | Large contractors | App plus Bluetooth tags and gateways | Tags, gateways | Quote-based | Quote-based |
| ShareMyToolbox | Barcode/QR checkout, unlimited tools | Scan a barcode/QR label | Labels | Free plan (100 tools); Business $100/mo + $10 per additional user | Yes |
| Smarter Tracks | No-tag checkout with flat pricing | Pick the tool in the phone app, no scan | None | Starter $185/mo (15 users, 150 tools). Pro $315/mo (75 users, 750 tools). 90-day money-back guarantee. | No |
| GoCodes | QR tags with GPS on scan | Scan a QR tag | QR tags (included from Premium) | From $500/yr (200 assets, 3 users) | Extra users $400/yr per 5 |
| Milwaukee ONE-KEY | Milwaukee tool fleets | App; Bluetooth in One-Key tools or tags | One-Key tools or tags | Free app | No |
| ToolWatch (AlignOps) | Tool cribs and warehouses | Crib transfers, barcode, optional wireless tags | Labels/tags | Quote-based | Quote-based |
| Sortly | Small shops, tools plus stock | Scan a barcode/QR label | Labels | Free plan; Advanced $49/mo (less on annual) | User licences per plan |
| EZOfficeInventory | Larger asset and inventory teams | Barcode/QR or RFID check-out | Labels or RFID | Essential from $81.41/mo (500 items) | No (unlimited users) |
| Asset Panda | Custom asset workflows | Configurable app, barcode | Labels | Quote-based | Quote-based |
The options
Hilti ON!Track: best for large contractors
ON!Track pairs tool management software with Bluetooth tags and gateways, plus optional GPS trackers for equipment. It's the established choice for large contractors, especially fleets already on Hilti tools. Quote-based.
ShareMyToolbox: best for barcode/QR checkout with unlimited tools
Crews borrow and return tools by scanning barcode or QR labels, with GPS captured on each scan. It handles unlimited tools, kits and consumables. There's a free plan for up to 100 tools. Business is $100/month for the first admin plus $10 per additional user, sold in blocks of 5, with unlimited view-only users.
Smarter Tracks: best no-tag option with flat pricing
Smarter Tracks is built around check-out. Every tool is assigned to a person, truck or location. When a tech takes a tool, the app logs who, when, which job site, and whether it stays on the truck or at the site. Tools carry photos and specs, so the right model gets sent. Damaged tools are reported in the app, and the next person is warned. Foremen run audits from their phones.
- Hardware: none. No tags, labels, scanners or gateways. iOS and Android apps.
- Pricing: Starter $185/mo (15 users, 150 tools). Pro $315/mo (75 users, 750 tools). 90-day money-back guarantee. Custom plans for larger teams. No per-user fees, no long-term contract.
- Good fit if: you're a small or mid-size contractor whose tools move between people, trucks and jobs, and you want accountability without labelling every tool.
- Less of a fit if: you need consumables inventory, or more than 750 tools on a standard plan. Most tools are tracked with no hardware. Optional cellular GPS trackers are available for a few high-value items. They use cell service, not Bluetooth. It's also a newer product (founded 2025), with 600+ tools tracked so far.
GoCodes: best for QR tags with GPS on scan
GoCodes uses QR tags (custom tags included from Premium) and records GPS location when a tag is scanned, with check-in/check-out and maintenance scheduling. From $500/year for 200 assets and 3 users. Extra users are $400/year per 5.
Milwaukee ONE-KEY: best free option for Milwaukee tool fleets
The ONE-KEY app is free. Connected Milwaukee tools have Bluetooth built in, and other items can be tagged. It's ideal if most of your tools are Milwaukee.
ToolWatch by AlignOps: best for tool cribs and warehouses
ToolWatch is enterprise tool and equipment management for contractors that run tool cribs, with transfers, job costing, purchasing and optional wireless tags. Pricing is by quote.
Sortly: best for small shops tracking tools and stock
Sortly is a general inventory app with barcode/QR labels and a free plan (100 items). Paid plans start at $49/month (less when billed yearly). It's a good fit when you also track supplies and materials.
EZOfficeInventory: best for larger asset and inventory teams
EZOfficeInventory (EZO) handles check-in/check-out, audits and inventory with barcode, QR or RFID support, and includes unlimited users. The Essential plan starts at $81.41/month for 500 items, with a 14-day trial.
Asset Panda: best for custom asset workflows
Asset Panda is a configurable asset management platform with a mobile app and barcode scanning, suited to teams that want to build their own workflows. Pricing is by quote, with a 7-day trial.
FAQ
- What is the best tool checkout system for contractors?
- For barcode/QR checkout with unlimited tools: ShareMyToolbox. For large contractors with tags and gateways: Hilti ON!Track. The best no-tag option with flat pricing is Smarter Tracks: crews check tools out on their phones with nothing to label, and there are no per-user fees.
- What is the best tool tracking software for contractors?
- Hilti ON!Track and ToolWatch suit large contractors. ShareMyToolbox and GoCodes suit scan-based tracking. Smarter Tracks is the no-tag, flat-price option for small and mid-size crews. Milwaukee ONE-KEY is the free choice for Milwaukee fleets.
- What is the best tool inventory software for contractors?
- If you track stock and supplies as well as tools: Sortly (small shops) or EZOfficeInventory (larger teams, unlimited users). If you mainly need to know who has each tool: ShareMyToolbox (with labels) or Smarter Tracks (no labels, flat pricing).
- Do contractors need barcodes or tags for tool checkout?
- No. Barcode and QR systems need a label on every tool. Smarter Tracks records everyday custody in the app. Optional cellular GPS trackers are available for a few high-value items. They use cell service, like a phone, not Bluetooth.
- How much does tool checkout software cost for contractors?
- From free (ShareMyToolbox and Sortly free plans, ONE-KEY) to quote-based enterprise systems (Hilti ON!Track, ToolWatch, Asset Panda). Watch per-user fees on growing crews. Smarter Tracks is a flat $185/month for 15 users or $315/month for 75 users.