The best free asset tracking software is AssetTiger, offering users a useful alert system, unlimited cloud storage, and an unlimited number of users. However, it is for fixed assets only and allows for a maximum of 250 assets.

Opting for free asset tracking software comes with pros and cons. The pro is obvious – no costs. The downside is that features tend to be limited. On a positive note, the best providers usually offer free trials that last for a few weeks.

Overall, Samsara is the top asset tracking provider, combining reliable service, great prices, and industry-leading features. We've included it at the top of this list as it has a 30-day free version, but after this you'll need to pay. Fortunately, you can get a free Samsara quote to see if it fits your budget.

The benefits of paying (even a little) can't be ignored – you'll receive stronger security, support, data backups, offline access, and add-ons that could save your business thousands, like maintenance alerts for powered assets. We have a tool that lets you compare price quotes from across the asset tracking industry to fully understand your options.

Best Free Asset Tracking Software in 2024

Here's a quick look at all the top free asset tracking systems to consider:

Asset Management Software Overview

Asset tracking software allows business managers to monitor their assets. The assets might be as small as desk lamps or as large as shipping containers. This software might log assets in lists or groups, and tracks details such as asset names, conditions, last-used dates, and other data.

Unless you're manually entering all that data, asset tracking software usually requires hardware in the form of asset tags. These tags come in three different types: Barcodes, QR codes, and GPS. Of these, GPS is the most powerful and the best for tracking powered assets like construction equipment or refrigerated units. In addition to sending location data in real time, GPS tags can flag engine problems or temperature changes in the assets.

1. Samsara – Best Overall

Scoring a solid 4.7/5 in our impartial research, Samsara is the best asset tracking company overall and beats any other option on this list. It's one of the biggest names in movable asset tracking for a reason and we've included it here as it offers a free 30-day trial. 

What we liked most is that it's completely wireless, feature-rich, and allows you to track assets of any size. Its software is one of the most widely trusted names in the business and, having explored the platform, it's not difficult to see why. Samsara's features help you to track the activity of powered assets, compile billable hours for your clients, schedule travel, and more.

Samsara features

Samsara offers a range of hard-wearing GPS tracking units that support geofencing, reporting, and alerts, and come with industry-leading weatherproofing to protect against inclement weather. Reporting and analytics are also two of Samsara's strongest core features, while its alerts will keep managers aware of geofencing violations, maintenance needs, and authorized usage.

Take a look at some of Samsara's best features below, or read our full Samsara review.

• Asset tag type: GPS
• Geofencing alerts
• Automatic updates
• Historical data
• Maintenance tracking and alerts
• Inventory reporting
• Auto-generated reports

Network coverage includes North America, the EU, and the UK. Features will vary depending on which unit you choose, with some allowing you to track engine hours, diagnostics, and fault codes.

“If my generator or backhoe isn’t where it’s supposed to be and I need to find it, it only takes two clicks for me to track my machines down,” says Victor Miral, Service Manager at Ghilotti Bros.

The units also offer a range of customizable check-in rates, from real-time GPS updates to twice-a-day updates. Samsara stands out in this guide due to the active tracking that GPS hardware allows, providing you with more information about the location and activity of your assets than FreshService, AssetTiger, or any service that relies on barcodes or manual data entry.

Installation is fast and easy with the Samsara asset tracking GPS device. Image source: Samsara.

FreshService features

Like AssetTiger and Snipe-IT, FreshService uses barcodes and QR codes to log assets, with support for 3G connectivity. Users won't get automatic alerts for usage, but you can manually create an incident report. The system allows users with admin access to assign assets to other agents in the organization, allowing for work order support. FreshService also lets users calculate depreciation in three modes: declining balance, straight line, and sum-of-the-years' digits.

Here are some of FreshService's key features:

• Asset tag type: Barcodes, QR codes
• Barcodes, QR codes
• Work orders
• Incident reports
• IT knowledge base
• 21-day free trial

Examples of asset lists within the FreshService system. Image source: FreshService.

Is FreshService software really free?

While FreshService does not have a permanently free plan, it does offer a free 21-day trial. Paying users can choose from four plans, but only Growth ($49 per agent, per year), Pro ($95 per agent, per year), and Enterprise ($119 per agent, per year) include asset tracking. Plus, these plans only manage up to 100 assets; additional tags will cost $75 per month per 500 assets, or $1,500 per month for unlimited assets.

Try our free asset tracking quotes comparison for more information on the best options, or read more in our Freshservice review.

3. AssetTiger – Best for Small Companies

AssetTiger (4.5/5) offers a permanently free, stripped-down service that tracks your fixed assets. The free plan is capped at 250 assets, with paid plans supporting more assets. Each cloud-based account allows for unlimited users, who will each receive their own permissions level. Managers can track assets on the go via a mobile app (available on iOS and Android). Notifications can be set to remind users when maintenance is needed, which is an uncommon feature among free services. Barcode tags are heatproof, but there is no GPS functionality (Samsara remains our top pick for GPS tracking).

AssetTiger features

Our team of researchers found that AssetTiger offers a decent set of asset tracking features when compared with other providers on this list. From the software's dashboard, users can easily view a list of assets, add an asset; or sort through contracts, employees, customers, funding, insurance, users, and “groups” (the term for different sets of user permissions). Alerts can also be managed with a checklist featuring different types of alerts to activate. Alerts can be triggered when contracts, warranties, or insurance policies are about to expire, when an asset needs maintenance, or when an asset is past due. Check out our quick summary of AssetTiger's features below:

• Asset tag type: Barcodes, QR codes
• Mobile barcode creation and scanning
• Maintenance tracking
• Email alerts and notifications
• Contract tracking
• Great security features with customizable permissions
• iOS app rating: 3.3 stars
• Android app rating: 4.2 stars

While AssetTiger doesn't offer the detailed depreciation tracking offered by FreshService, it does support scheduled maintenance alerts.

However, the provider does have a few downsides. Several customer reviews have mentioned difficulty in locating the AssetTiger features they needed, and there is no significant billing or facility management included – but you do have access to a technical support team via phone and email if needed. It is worth noting that this system is aimed at fixed assets, not movable ones, so facility and billing management aren't essential.

We've found it to be a smart choice for small operations with fewer than 250 assets, because then it will be totally free and every other aspect of the service is useful – unlimited users, unlimited cloud storage, and mobile compatibility are all great perks.

Read our full AssetTiger review to learn more.

Scanning an asset tag with AssetTiger on mobile. Image source: AssetTiger.

Is AssetTiger software really free?

AssetTiger's asset tracking software is completely free, but this service is capped at 250 assets. If you need to track more, its paid plans start at $120 per year for up to 500 assets, with tiers rising as high as $1,600 per year for 250,000 assets. The tags themselves are sold separately, and buying enough at once will earn businesses a free year of tracking software: $180 of tags will cover a year of tracking for up to 500 assets, for instance.

AssetTiger is a good offer, and our highest-rated system to come with a completely free plan, since both Samsara and FreshService only offer free trials. We'd recommend you compare asset tracking software to ensure you are linked with a platform that's best suits the needs of your business.

4. Snipe-IT – Best for Customization With an Open API

As a web-based open source platform, Snipe-IT (4.2/5) is a great choice for users who are comfortable adding third-party integrations to help build the asset tracking software needed for their business. What we like most about the Snipe-IT's asset tracking software is that it's very secure and receives regular updates – a huge boon for any open source program. It's worth noting that you'll need to manually update it each time.

The software's list of assets makes data easily viewable and sortable by device image, asset tag, serial number, model, category, status, and which user the asset is checked out to. Each individual asset page gives you access to more data, from the purchase date, cost, and the supplier name to the level of depreciation and the final date at which the asset is considered fully depreciated.

Snipe-IT features

Snipe-IT, like FreshService and AssetTiger, is another barcode-based tracking system, although neither FreshService or AssetTiger have an open API. Snipe-IT works with standard USB or Bluetooth barcode scanners.

A plus is that it offers unlimited assets and users, making it a great option for operations on a tight budget. However, you'll need a software programmer or two to take full advantage of the open API. There's no mobile app, but the mobile-friendly software is accessible from the web.

See Snipe-IT's best asset tracking features below:

• Asset tag type: Barcodes, QR codes
• Easily import and export assets
• Ability to group asset models by common features
• Customizable fields for additional asset attributes
• Pre-marked assets can be requested by a user
• Full history including checkouts, check-ins, and maintenance
• Optional digital signatures on asset acceptance
• Email alerts for expiring warrantees and licenses
• Open API
• Fast and easy asset auditing

Snipe-IT for IT Asset Tracking

Snipe-IT is suitable for handling IT assets and for use in work orders while offering users pretty basic functionality. While Snipe-IT tracks assets and licenses well, there aren't any bells and whistles: limited alerts, no maintenance other than manually-entered data, and no network connectivity.

The service's ability to track which assets have been checked in or out makes it a perfect fit for an IT department that supplies laptops or other equipment to workers on a rotating basis. Email alerts can be set for expiring warranties and licenses (though little else), while the customizable fields can accommodate unique features. Each asset's maintenance history is tracked but, unlike FreshService and AssetTiger, no proactive maintenance alerts are available.

Assets can be viewed by status, tag number, or who has checked it out. Image source: Snipe-IT.

Is Snipe-IT asset tracking software really free?

Yes, the Snipe-IT asset tracking software is free, but it also offers affordable hosting packages to businesses that also need support and security features. A paid tier with Snipe-IT starts at $39.99 a month (credit card subscriptions only), and includes server maintenance, automated backups/upgrades, and access to a support team.

While the paid version doesn't include any features that aren't found in the free version, having access to a support team and security upgrades will be important for most businesses. See how Snipe-IT compares to others by using our free asset tracking comparison tool.

Spiceworks features

The type of tracking offered is more limited than many others in this guide: Spiceworks doesn't support scannable barcodes or RFID tags. Instead, users will have to manually enter data or upload spreadsheets. One feature allows users to scan their subnets for all hardware with an IP address, letting them automatically add computers, routers, switches, and printers.

No alerts are offered, but users will get an email notification if resources are down or unreachable from remote sites. Barcoding is supported via the linkIT app but we've fouund that Spiceworks is best for office managers who need to keep track of documents and software as much as (if not more than) their physical assets.

• Asset tag type: Manual entry (Barcodes with integration)
• Web-based, self-hosted platform
• Automatically updates as devices are added and removed
• Reporting, auditing, and compliance tools
• Detects and tracks cloud service assets
• Great for tracking software licenses and mobile devices

Spiceworks for IT Asset Tracking

Unlike Samsara's GPS asset tracking system, Spiceworks is designed primarily for IT asset tracking, from laptops to software licenses and warranties.

It offers two benefits for IT assets: help desk integration and network monitoring. The former means that support tickets can be easily tied to specific assets, while the latter allows Spiceworks to automatically find any assets connected to your network, log details, and categorize them — this includes workstations, servers, routers, switches, printers, and phones. Did we mention it's free?

Email alerts can be toggled on or off within Spiceworks. Image source: Spiceworks

Is Spiceworks asset tracking software really free?

Spiceworks asset tracking software is completely free and you can choose between two types of free asset tracking. One option lets users download it and run a self-hosted version, keeping all data on their network and server. The other option is the cloud-based version, which requires an internet connection but is fast and easy to set up and maintain.

Just like FreshService, Spiceworks offers help desk software to handle work tickets and centralize your operation. It also offers access to troubleshooting forums.

6. GLPI Asset Tracking – Best for Simple Open-Source Tracking

GLPI asset tracking is designed for manual data entry rather than barcodes or RFID tags, but it does support large volumes of information. It is worth noting that it only has fields for the manufacturer, model, type, serial number, the technical manager who controls the asset, users of the station, and specifications including power supply and firmware.

In addition to community support, GLPI's FAQ page offers pages of detailed advice if you need help with troubleshooting. Both on-site and cloud versions are available. Free users won't gain access to consultations or aid for the installation process beyond the installation manual, which can be found on its FAQ page.

GLPI features

The open source, web-based GLPI lets you manage IT expenses, budget, IT assets, and a service desk. You'll be able to log computers, printers, network equipment, devices, and phones. With the right plugins, you can add non-IT assets like vehicles or other tools. You'll also have access to the complete historical data on every asset modification, and assets can be tracked right down to their connections and network ports.

As with Spiceworks, users must manually enter asset information to track its use. However, GLPI does not support barcode integration, like Spiceworks.

You can also manage licenses, contracts, and documents related to each asset, and users can track work orders as well as maintenance needs.

See a full list of GLPI's best asset tracking features below:

• Asset tag type: Manual entry
• Asset inventory: computers, screens, printers, network equipment, and mobile devices
• History of modifications for each asset
• Operating system management (name, version, edition, kernel, license, etc)
• Inventory and management tracking of installed software
• Management of internal components
• Asset lifecycle management (from stock to withdraw)
• Virtualization
• Inventory or OCS Inventory plugins

GLPI supports languages including French. Image source: GLPI

Is GLPI asset tracking software really free?

Yes, but there's no support or warranties – unless you opt for one of the paid plans. If you sign up for a paid plan, you'll get a 45-day trial period, with plans starting at €19 per month (about $20.50 per month). That's right, it's in Euros, as the software hails from across the pond. It's a good pick for an international business.

Since it's an open source service, the occasional bug or hiccup should be expected. Like Snipe-IT, GLPI has a paid version available for those who may need tech support. If you need a reliable version of GLPI, our testers recommend paying for a warranty that ensures a “stable and predictable performance” thanks to a team of techs ready to help customers navigate and understand the system.

While the free version tracks unlimited assets, while the paid versions will give you access to warranty and support but includes asset caps. For more information, read our GLPI review, or see how GLPI compares to other providers with our free asset tracking comparison tool.

7. Asset Panda – Best for Office Equipment Only

Asset Panda's tracking software relies on barcode scanning to log and manage assets. It specializes in a series of industries, including non-profits, hotels, healthcare, and small businesses.

A robust mobile app is used for scanning, as well as automatically tracking each asset scanned via GPS. Reports can be generated automatically using custom templates – in fact, pretty much everything within the asset tracking software can be customized, from the interface to the role-based security permissions of each user.

However, it won't work for live-tracking your powered assets or movable, high-value items. Asset Panda is designed for relatively low-value assets, including any type of fixed asset as well as tools, phones, computers, office furniture, important documents, or artwork. Asset Panda even notes that a client has used their service to track livestock.

Asset Panda features

This solution is best for businesses that need to avoid double purchases of office items, or who have assets that need to be maintained to ensure a long service life. It supports customizable fields and actions, so managers can set up a tailored routine for workers to properly schedule maintenance, transfers, or disposals.

Take a look at its best features below:

• Asset tag type: Barcodes, QR codes
• Purchase/lease information
• Compliance tracking
• Maintenance tracking and alerts
• Funding source tracking
• Asset photo tagging
• Insurance tracking
• Reporting and analysis
• Work orders

One key perk with Asset Panda is the historical data available for each asset. Each scan is logged, and the entire lifecycle – from purchase to disposal – is viewable for better accountability during audits. Users can upload photos, documents, and videos to a central hub that allows other users to see the latest updates.

As with Samsara and FreshService, it also only offers a free trial. You'll have access to the full features for 14 days before you need to move onto a paid plan. Read our complete Asset Panda review for more on its features.

Asset Panda's software is available for desktop, tablet, and mobile. Image source: Asset Panda

Asset Panda for IT Asset Tracking

Like FreshService, Asset Panda's emphasis on office equipment barcoding makes it a great IT tracking system. IT assets can be sorted and searched for by category, who they're assigned to, current location, last calibration, or audit history. An option for unlimited attachments allows users to connect an asset with its visual repair histories, warranty information, receipts, or related manuals.

Through the same customizable fields that track hardware assets, software information can be stored in the platform as well. Users can set renewal notifications to be alerted when subscriptions or licenses are about to expire. Each subscription can be sorted by the users who have access.

Is Asset Panda software really free?

Asset Panda offers a 14-day free trial, but users will have to move onto a paid plan once this ends. However, it's not exactly clear how much you'll have to pay.

What's New: As of our late 2023 research update, Asset Panda offers custom quotes for all plans, which can start at just 250 assets, with unlimited support reserved for those with 500 or more assets. This is a change from earlier in 2023 when its prices were still public. When billed annually, the cost used to be $125 for 500 assets, increasing on a sliding scale to $191.42 for 1,000, and $324.25 for 2,000. A few years prior, Asset Panda charged $500 per 1,000 assets, so the most recent numbers are a reduction in cost.

If you feel this is out of your price range but still want high-quality asset tracking software, use our free asset comparison tool to find a provider that is within your budget.

8. Zoho Asset Tracking – Best for Integrating With Other Zoho Apps

Zoho's IT Asset Tracker app can be found within the Zoho Creator platform. Like Asset Panda, it allows you to manage all your computers and software licenses from a central location. Three tabs let you manage assets by type: machines, software, and hardware. A limited but useful list of third-party integrations includes Google Drive, OneDrive, and WordPress.

This solution depends on manual data entry and not scannable barcodes, making it more useful for tracking intra-office assets than for tracking actual asset locations. But if you need to know who has checked out the laptop you need, this app offers a simple way to find out.

Zoho IT Asset Tracking features

Zoho's IT asset tracking service is customizable, with updatable user profiles and asset reports that can be configured and grouped by time or department. Screenshots can be attached to verify that assets are at a location. Since the app is built using a low-code platform, most updates can be made with a drag-and-drop interface and any additional tweaks come with relatively little coding.

See Zoho's best IT asset tracking features below:

• Asset tag type: Manual entry
• Mobile-friendly, allows you to manage your assets and reports on the go
• Easy drag-and-drop interface
• Good third-party app integrations, including Excel and GSuite
• Customizable profiles and reports
• Integrates with all Zoho products, including Books and Zoho CRM

The Zoho suite of apps includes additional business software, from Books to CRM and SalesIQ. The Zoho IT Asset Tracker integrates with all of them, so it's easy to cover your auxiliary needs. If you don't currently use Zoho, you might not want to start using its asset tracking software — it's more of an all or nothing deal, since it integrates well with so many of its own business software apps. This makes Zoho a great choice for a new startup that wants it all.

FreshService fills a similar niche, offering additional tools beyond tracking assets (like your own company knowledge base and ticket support).

Software statistics can be viewed by software, OS, or machine type. Image source: Zoho

9. SysAid IT Asset Tracking – Best for On-Premise Hosting

SysAid IT asset tracking software allows you to manage all of your IT assets from your service desk, with the intention of helping you resolve issues faster. With SysAid you can keep all the asset data and records you need inside each ticket, while easily taking stock of your hardware and software assets.

While other SysAid software (SysAid Mobile) supports barcode scanning, the asset tracking application does not. As with Spiceworks, GLPI, and Zoho, you'll need to manually enter the assets.

Check out our SysAid for IT review for more information

SysAid features

SysAid's asset tracking reporting and analytics features are comprehensive, letting users generate reports to cover asset details, assets that haven't been updated, and any asset changes by date and group. The service is mobile-friendly, but does not have an iOS or Android app.

Key SysAid features include:

• Asset tag type: Manual entry
• AI service desk
• Service automation
• Task automation
• Workflow automation
• Incident management
• Service orchestration
• BI analytics

SysAid for IT Asset Tracking

The system handles license management in addition to physical hardware, making this a potential management solution for offices with documentation that's tied to their assets. Like all non-GPS options on this list, SysAid doesn't have active tracking, so it can't send many alerts. However, IT managers can receive email and SMS notifications to track CPU, disk space, and memory usage.

Like FreshService and Zoho, SysAid’s core product is designed to let businesses set up and manage a service desk for their customers, so the asset tracking solution integrates well with the SysAid help desk solution. If your business uses both, you'll be able to manage assets directly from the service desk, keeping everything in an efficient, centralized location.

SysAid offers an easy-to-operate user interface, pictured here. Image source: SysAid.

Is SysAid asset tracking software really free?

SysAid asset tracking used to be free for on-site installation only, which was capped at 100 assets (well below AssetTiger's 250 asset cap). Today, the service sells both the on-premise and cloud-based versions, though it does not make the prices public. Free trials are available for both.

The on-premise version is likely less expensive, but you'll need to install the software on your local servers, and you will be responsible for keeping it debugged and running smoothly. If you opt for the cloud, prices still aren't public, but sources indicate it will cost around $1,200 per 500 assets per year, with support for five users.

Use our free asset tracking comparison tool to see how SysAid asset tracking compares with other top providers.

Is Free Asset Tracking Software Worth It?

Free asset tracking software is only the right choice for a small company with no room in the budget for this addition. If you can afford to pay, you'll receive better tools that will save you much more money in the long run. Almost half of small companies (43%) are using ineffective tracking techniques – or none at all. Investing in a tracking software will help you streamline communication, ensuring you do learn valuable data immediately, rather than months after the fact.

Free asset tracking software often lacks features like data backups, which can restore your information if it's lost in a power failure. Samsara and FreshService offer backups or data exports, while others do not. Offline access is also important, since it prevents downtime during an internet failure, while asset caps or user caps are another limitation to watch for. Many free options lack support or hosting, (increasing time spent on administration tasks) and may not even provide GPS tracking for movable assets. Even open source software – as flexible as it is – will likely be too unwieldy, since it requires more in-depth IT knowledge to operate.

Best Free IT Asset Tracking Software

When it comes to free all-around IT asset tracking, our research team has uncovered plenty of options:

• Asset Panda – Every asset entry has a customizable field that allows unlimited attachments to ensure any history or related documents are on hand. Renewal notifications automate the process of keeping software licenses updated.
• Snipe-IT – Basic functionality that includes email alerts for expiring software. Assets can be checked out and back in, so this is a good asset tracker for a business that frequently rotates assets.
• Spiceworks – The help desk integration ties support tickets to any required assets, making it easy to designate devices or software to the worker requesting them. Plus, network monitoring will automatically find any assets connected to a network. Asset details will be auto-logged in reports.

All of these are reviewed in more detail above, and each comes with a different catch as to how “free” they really are.

Check out our BLE tracking guide for more information

Best Paid Asset Tracking Software

Here's what sets each of the best paid IT asset trackers apart:

• Samsara – A large and high-quality range of features including powered and non-powered assets of any size, travel scheduling, driver monitoring, billable client hours, geofencing, and maintenance tracking. It also tracks inventory, so retailers can keep products safe as well.
• Tenna – While Samsara and Verizon offer GPS tracking, Tenna offers RFID and barcodes as well as GPS, making it the versatile pick. Features include maintenance tracking, historical data, geofencing, custom fields, work orders, and a well-rated mobile app for iOS and Android.
• Verizon Connect – GPS powered asset tracking with weatherproof, battery-powered devices suitable for equipment, trailers, and other high-value assets. It integrates with other Verizon software, so field service and fleet management can be included in one package.

Some IT asset tracking solutions are stripped down while others are feature-rich, and either option might be for you. You'll want to pick the one that fits the specific needs of your business, and that integrates well with the software and processes that you already use.

How Does Asset Tracking Work?

Asset tracking systems use a combination of software and hardware to log and manage the location of a business's assets.

There are three main types of asset tracking: barcoding, GPS units, and RFID. Barcodes are passive trackers that must be physically found and scanned, GPS units are active trackers that will broadcast data anywhere in the world via satellite signal, and RFID tags send data a short distance. Barcodes are useful for tracking assets that stay in one place, such as computers and fax machines, while GPS units are best for tracking powered assets like backhoes or lawnmowers.

What Are the Benefits of Asset Tracking?

The right asset tracking software bundles up all your equipment management needs, allowing you to keep an eye on their locations and upcoming maintenance from a central space. It's becoming a more regular fixture of more industries now, too – along with freight and fleet companies, even educational facilities now track assets with dedicated software.This makes a lot of tasks easier, including:

• Theft deterrence
• Insurance claims
• Employee habit tracking (for powered assets, this may include travel times, engine hours, and unauthorized use)
• Reporting, data insights and asset tracking spreadsheets
• Efficiency
• Scheduled maintenance

The truth of running an asset-heavy business is that you'll need to remember to keep track of all those tasks anyway. With asset tracking software, you just have to log in and take a look at your schedule to remember what tasks are coming up.

How We Test Asset Tracking Software

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