Free inspection app
A free equipment inspection app that isn't a trial.
CheckBadges is a free equipment inspection app for up to 3 machines, with every feature, unlimited operators and unlimited checks, and no time limit or card. Each machine gets a QR sticker that operators scan with their phone's camera to do the check in the browser, with no app or login. Past 3 machines, Pro costs $9 a month plus $1.50 per extra machine.
- Your operators need
- Their phone's camera. No app, account or password.
- On each machine
- A printed QR sticker that opens its checklist.
- Checklists
- Ready-made for forklifts, lifts, loaders and vehicles, or your own.
- When something's wrong
- You get an email with what's wrong and photos.
- Price
- Free for 3 machines. Then $9/mo + $1.50 per machine.
- Records
- Every check, by machine. Print it or export a CSV.
What's free, exactly
Everything, for up to 3 active machines. The free plan isn't a cut-down version or a trial that runs out:
- A QR sticker for each machine, reissued free if it's lost or damaged.
- Unlimited operators and unlimited checks.
- The checklist builder, every ready-made template and every question type.
- Problem alerts by email with photos, and the warning shown to the next operator who scans.
- Operator PINs, the today dashboard, history by machine, printable records and CSV export.
There's no card to enter and no time limit. If you run three machines (a forklift, a scissor lift and a pickup, say), CheckBadges stays free.
What free plans of inspection apps usually limit
Most inspection tools with a free tier cap one of a few things, and it's worth knowing which before you roll one out to a crew.
| Free plans often cap | Why it matters for equipment checks |
|---|---|
| Users or seats | Every operator who does a check counts, so a two-shift fleet outgrows it fast |
| Templates or forms | A forklift, a lift and a vehicle need three different checklists |
| Submissions per month | A daily check on 5 machines is 110 to 150 checks a month |
| Assets or vehicles | The number that actually grows with your fleet |
| Time | Many "free" offers are 7- to 30-day trials of a paid plan |
CheckBadges' free plan is capped by machines only, because that's how it's priced. Operators and checks are never counted.
Free ways to run equipment checks, compared
| CheckBadges free plan | Paper checklists | Google Forms | Free tiers of inspection apps | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | $0 for 3 machines | Printing | $0 | $0 within the caps |
| Operators need | Their phone's camera | A pen | A link or QR code, and a Google sign-in to add photos | The app and a login |
| Knows which machine | A sticker per machine | If written down | If you build a form per machine | Yes |
| Problem alerts | Email with photos | No | With add-ons or scripts | Usually |
| Next operator warned | Yes, until fixed | No | No | Varies |
| What's limited | Machines | Nothing | Nothing | Users, forms, submissions or assets |
If you want paper, it's free too: print any of our free equipment inspection checklists or make your own with the checklist maker. And if you're weighing up a Google Form, the Google Forms equipment checklist guide shows how to build one and where it runs out.
How to start free
- Add your business and up to 3 machines at start free. No signup yet.
- Pick a starting checklist for each machine and edit it if you like.
- Scan a sticker off your screen with your phone and do a real check.
- Make an account when you're happy, and everything you set up is kept. Then print the stickers and put them on the machines.
When you'll need Pro, and what it costs
You need Pro when you want a fourth active machine. Pro is $9 a month for the first 3 machines, plus $1.50 a month for each machine after that, so 4 machines cost $10.50 a month, 10 cost $19.50 and 25 cost $42. Archive a machine you've sold or returned and it stops counting, while its history is kept. Pro is month to month with no contract, and it adds no features: the free plan already has them all. See pricing.
When a free app isn't enough
Even on Pro, CheckBadges doesn't do some things that bigger platforms charge for:
- Offline mode. Checks need a data connection when they're submitted.
- Maintenance work orders, preventive-maintenance schedules and parts.
- Telematics, GPS or machine data.
- Enterprise features such as single sign-on, an API or integrations.
If you need those, the free tiers of the bigger platforms are mostly a way to try the paid product. The best free inspection apps roundup compares what each one's free plan really includes.
Frequently asked questions
Is CheckBadges really free?
Yes, for up to 3 active machines, with every feature, unlimited operators and unlimited checks. There's no time limit and no card is needed. You only pay if you want more than 3 machines at once.
Is there a free forklift inspection app?
Yes. CheckBadges is free for up to 3 forklifts, with a ready-made forklift daily checklist, problem alerts with photos and a history for each truck. Operators scan the QR sticker on the truck with their phone, so there's no app for them to install.
What happens when I add a fourth machine?
You're asked to upgrade to Pro: $9 a month for the first 3 machines plus $1.50 for each one after that, so $10.50 a month for 4. Or archive a machine you no longer use to make room; it keeps its history.
Do free inspection apps charge per user?
Many do once you pass the free tier, and some cap the number of users on the free plan itself, which counts every operator who does a check. CheckBadges never charges per user: operators are unlimited on both plans.
Can I use Google Forms as a free inspection app?
Yes, for a machine or two. A public form opens from a QR code with no login, but it doesn't know which machine is being checked unless you build a form per machine, it won't warn the next operator about a problem, and respondents must sign in to Google to upload photos.
Keep reading
- The best free inspection apps for equipment in 2026The best free inspection apps for equipment in 2026, and the real limit on each free plan: machines, users, templates or submissions. Compared for small fleets.
- Pricing
- All checklists
- Checklist makerMake your own equipment inspection checklist: start from a forklift, lift, loader or vehicle checklist, edit the items, then print a daily sheet or weekly log.
- Google Forms equipment checklistMake an equipment checklist in Google Forms with a QR code per machine using pre-filled links, and its limits: one sheet, editable machine field, photo sign-in.
- Forklift inspection appA forklift inspection app your operators don't install: they scan a QR sticker on the truck to do the daily check. Defects email you and warn the next shift.
Every machine checked, with one scan.
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.