The best HVI (Heavy Vehicle Inspection) alternatives in 2026
By the CheckBadges team · Updated
The short answer
The best HVI (Heavy Vehicle Inspection) alternative for pre-use equipment checks is CheckBadges: every machine gets a QR sticker and operators scan it with their own phone to do its checklist in the browser — no app, login or per-user seat — free for 3 machines. Other strong options: Whip Around, Simply Fleet, Fleetio, MasterCheck, SafetyCulture (Mitti).
Why people look for a HVI (Heavy Vehicle Inspection) alternative
Getting every operator onto another app and login.
Unclear pricing: which plan, and per what.
Wanting operators to start a check by scanning the machine with any phone.
Wanting the next operator warned about an open problem.
The 6 best HVI (Heavy Vehicle Inspection) alternatives
1
CheckBadges
Our pick for pre-use checks
QR code equipment checklists: every machine gets a printed QR sticker, operators scan it with their own phone's camera and do its pre-use check in the browser, and problems email the owner with photos straight away. Best for: Anyone whose people run machines that need checking before use — warehouses, construction, rental yards, plants, farms and fleets — who wants checks done and recorded without rolling out an app.
How an operator does a check
Scan the QR sticker on the machine with the phone's camera, answer that machine's checklist in the browser, submit. About a minute.
Operator needs an app or login
No. No app, account or password: operators type their name, or a 4-digit PIN if you turn PINs on.
Free plan
Free for up to 3 machines, with every feature and unlimited operators.
Pricing
Free for up to 3 machines. Pro is $9 a month for your first 3 machines, plus $1.50 a month for each machine after that. Operators and checks are unlimited on both.
Whip Around is fleet inspection and maintenance software, best known for vehicle DVIRs, where drivers do inspections in its mobile app and defects flow through to repairs. Best for: Vehicle fleets — especially DOT-regulated trucks — that want DVIRs, a defect-to-repair workflow, maintenance and fuel in one system.
How an operator does a check
The driver opens the Whip Around mobile app, logs in (username and password, or an SMS login link), scans the vehicle's QR code in the app or picks the vehicle, and completes the inspection — even without cell coverage.
Operator needs an app or login
Yes. Drivers use the Whip Around mobile app and log in with a username and password or an SMS login link. Users are unlimited, so there's no per-driver fee.
Free plan
No free plan; a 7-day free trial of Pro, with no card needed.
Pricing
Billed per asset with unlimited users, monthly or annually, with special pricing for trailers, machinery and equipment. We couldn't confirm dollar prices on Whip Around's own site in October 2026; a third-party comparison from March 2026 lists it from $5 per asset a month.
10 machines: Not confirmed · 25 machines: Not confirmed · 50 machines: Not confirmed
Simply Fleet is low-cost fleet management software for vehicle fleets, with inspections, issues, maintenance tracking and a driver app, priced per vehicle with unlimited users. Best for: Small and mid-size vehicle fleets that want inexpensive fleet management — inspections, issues and maintenance — with a free plan to start.
How an operator does a check
The driver opens the Simply Fleet app, signs in, identifies the vehicle (the app can scan barcodes to identify assets), completes the inspection and signs it.
Operator needs an app or login
Yes. Drivers use the Simply Fleet mobile app with their own user login. Paid plans include unlimited users; the free plan allows 3.
Free plan
Free for 5 vehicles and 3 users, with 6 months of data storage.
Pricing
Free for 5 vehicles and 3 users. Essential is $3 per vehicle a month and Advanced $5 (or $30 and $50 per vehicle a year), with a 5-vehicle minimum and unlimited users; its page announced pricing changes from 15 September 2026.
Fleetio is fleet maintenance software that tracks vehicles and equipment, work orders, parts and fuel, with inspections done in its Fleetio Go app. Best for: Fleets that need a full maintenance system — work orders, parts, fuel and telematics integrations — with inspections as one part of it.
How an operator does a check
The driver or operator opens the Fleetio Go app (or the web app), signs in, chooses the vehicle or scans its label, and submits the inspection form. A public link can also take submissions without a login.
Operator needs an app or login
Usually yes: inspections are done in the Fleetio Go app or web app by users with permission to submit them. Fleetio's Public Inspection Submission Link lets anyone with the link submit without an account, but it's one link per form and every submission is recorded as a single Guest User.
Free plan
No free plan; a free trial.
Pricing
Billed per vehicle or asset each month on Essential, Professional and Premium plans. We couldn't confirm Fleetio's October 2026 dollar prices on its own site.
10 machines: Not confirmed · 25 machines: Not confirmed · 50 machines: Not confirmed
MasterCheck is a Canadian forklift inspection app: operators do daily checks in its iOS or Android app, priced per forklift with unlimited operators. Best for: Forklift fleets that want a dedicated forklift app with offline checks, accident and near-miss reports and hour-based maintenance reminders, and can get every operator onto it.
How an operator does a check
The operator opens the MasterCheck app on a phone or Android handheld, signs in with a username and the company password, and completes the forklift's inspection; it works offline and syncs later.
Operator needs an app or login
Yes. Each operator installs the MasterCheck app and signs in with a username and a company password from their supervisor. Operators are unlimited, so there's no per-seat fee.
Free plan
No free plan; a 30-day free trial on the annual plan, with a card required.
Pricing
$39.99 per forklift (or other unit) a year on the annual plan, or $6.99 per unit a month on the monthly plan, with unlimited operators, supervisors and inspections.
SafetyCulture, rebranded in 2026 as Mitti (and long known for its iAuditor app), is a large inspection and operations platform where each person who does inspections uses its app with their own seat. Best for: Safety and operations teams that run many kinds of audits and inspections, want scheduling, actions and training in one place, and have people who will all use the app.
How an operator does a check
The operator opens the Mitti app (or the web app), signs in, picks the inspection template or scans the asset's code inside the app, and completes it — online or offline.
Operator needs an app or login
Yes. Each operator signs in to the Mitti (SafetyCulture) app or web app with their own seat: free for up to 10 seats, then $29 a seat a month. The pricing page also lists free guest seats, but we couldn't confirm whether guests can complete inspections.
Free plan
Free for up to 10 seats, with 5 active inspection templates.
Pricing
Free for up to 10 seats and 5 active templates. Premium is $29 a seat a month billed monthly, or $24 billed annually, according to Mitti's pricing page; Enterprise is quoted.
No. No app, account or password: operators type their name, or a 4-digit PIN if you turn PINs on.
Yes. Drivers use the Whip Around mobile app and log in with a username and password or an SMS login link. Users are unlimited, so there's no per-driver fee.
Yes. Drivers use the Simply Fleet mobile app with their own user login. Paid plans include unlimited users; the free plan allows 3.
Usually yes: inspections are done in the Fleetio Go app or web app by users with permission to submit them. Fleetio's Public Inspection Submission Link lets anyone with the link submit without an account, but it's one link per form and every submission is recorded as a single Guest User.
Yes. Each operator installs the MasterCheck app and signs in with a username and a company password from their supervisor. Operators are unlimited, so there's no per-seat fee.
Yes. Each operator signs in to the Mitti (SafetyCulture) app or web app with their own seat: free for up to 10 seats, then $29 a seat a month. The pricing page also lists free guest seats, but we couldn't confirm whether guests can complete inspections.
QR codes on equipment
Every machine gets its own printed QR sticker, 8 to a page. A lost sticker is reissued in a click.
Yes, inside the app: you generate a QR code for each asset on the web, and drivers scan it from the Whip Around app to start that asset's inspection.
Its app scans barcodes to identify assets; QR codes on equipment weren't specifically mentioned.
You can print asset labels or link your own barcodes and QR codes, which are scanned in the Fleetio Go app. The public submission link is per form, not per machine.
Not mentioned on MasterCheck's site or FAQ; checks start in the app.
Inside the Mitti app: assets can carry QR codes or barcodes that the app scans to start an inspection. The phone's own camera doesn't open a check without the app and a login.
Free plan
Free for up to 3 machines, with every feature and unlimited operators.
No free plan; a 7-day free trial of Pro, with no card needed.
Free for 5 vehicles and 3 users, with 6 months of data storage.
No free plan; a free trial.
No free plan; a 30-day free trial on the annual plan, with a card required.
Free for up to 10 seats, with 5 active inspection templates.
10 machines, 20 operators / month
$19.50/mo
Not confirmed
$30/mo
Not confirmed
$69.90/mo
$580/mo
25 machines, 50 operators / month
$42/mo
Not confirmed
$75/mo
Not confirmed
$174.75/mo
$1,450/mo
50 machines, 100 operators / month
$79.50/mo
Not confirmed
$150/mo
Not confirmed
$349.50/mo
$2,900/mo
Monthly list prices for each fleet on the cheapest plan that runs equipment checks, assuming two operators per machine (two shifts), checked in October 2026. Each comparison page shows the exact plan used. Annual billing is cheaper with most vendors.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best HVI (Heavy Vehicle Inspection) alternative?
The best HVI (Heavy Vehicle Inspection) alternative for pre-use equipment checks is CheckBadges: every machine gets a QR sticker and operators scan it with their own phone to do its checklist in the browser — no app, login or per-user seat — free for 3 machines. Other strong options: Whip Around, Simply Fleet, Fleetio, MasterCheck, SafetyCulture (Mitti).
Is there a free HVI (Heavy Vehicle Inspection) alternative?
Yes. CheckBadges is free for up to 3 machines with every feature and unlimited operators. Whip Around: No free plan; a 7-day free trial of Pro, with no card needed. Simply Fleet: Free for 5 vehicles and 3 users, with 6 months of data storage. Fleetio: No free plan; a free trial. MasterCheck: No free plan; a 30-day free trial on the annual plan, with a card required. SafetyCulture (Mitti): Free for up to 10 seats, with 5 active inspection templates.
How much does HVI cost?
HVI's pricing page lists $3.99, $6.99 and $9.99 a month ($2.99, $5.25 and $7.49 billed annually) across its Inspection, Maintenance and HVI One plans, with a discount above 200 units. It doesn't clearly label which price is which plan, so confirm with HVI before you buy.
Does HVI send alerts for missed inspections?
Yes. HVI advertises an emailed report on missed inspections. CheckBadges doesn't send missed-check reminders; its dashboard shows which machines haven't been checked today.
Stick a QR code on every machine and operators do the pre-use check on their own phone — no app, no login. Free for up to 3 machines; try it with your real machines before you sign up.