Comparison
CheckBadges vs Connecteam
Choose CheckBadges if checks belong to machines rather than people: a sticker on each machine, no account for operators, a history per machine, and problems emailed with photos and shown to the next operator. Choose Connecteam if your team already lives in its phones and you want scheduling, time tracking, chat and checklists in one employee app — it's free for 10 users and inexpensive after that.
The short answer
CheckBadges is QR code equipment checklists: operators scan a sticker on each machine with their own phone and do its pre-use check in the browser — no app, login or per-user seat. Connecteam is an all-in-one app for deskless teams — time clock, scheduling, chat, forms and checklists — where each employee uses the Connecteam app with their own account.
CheckBadges vs Connecteam at a glance
| CheckBadges | Connecteam | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | The operator opens the Connecteam app, signs in, finds the checklist or form and fills it in. |
| Does each operator need an app or login? | No. No app, account or password: operators type their name, or a 4-digit PIN if you turn PINs on. | Yes. Each operator needs a Connecteam account and the app; forms and checklists live inside it. It's free for up to 10 users. |
| QR codes on equipment | Every machine gets its own printed QR sticker, 8 to a page. A lost sticker is reissued in a click. | Not found: checklists are opened inside the Connecteam app rather than from a code on each machine. |
| When a check finds a problem | Emails you what's wrong with photos the moment it's submitted, flags the machine, and warns the next operator until it's marked fixed. | Submissions reach managers in the app; we found no per-machine defect status or warning for the next operator. |
| Free plan | Free for up to 3 machines, with every feature and unlimited operators. | Free for up to 10 users. |
| 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. | Free for up to 10 users. Operations Hub Basic is $35 a month billed monthly ($29 yearly) for the first 30 users, plus $1 ($0.80) per extra user; Advanced and Expert cost more. |
| Monthly cost, 10 machines, 20 operators | $19.50/mo | $35/mo |
| Monthly cost, 25 machines, 50 operators | $42/mo | $55/mo |
| Monthly cost, 50 machines, 100 operators | $79.50/mo | $105/mo |
Connecteam's costs use Operations Hub Basic at $35 a month for the first 30 users plus $1 per extra user, billed monthly, counting every operator as a user (it's free up to 10 users). CheckBadges is billed monthly. Prices were checked in October 2026 and change, so check Connecteam's site before you buy.
What it costs a month
10 machines, 20 operators
25 machines, 50 operators
50 machines, 100 operators
The biggest difference: an employee app vs a machine sticker
Connecteam organizes your people; CheckBadges organizes your machines. Connecteam is an employee app: each person has an account, and their schedule, time clock, chat, forms and checklists all live in it. A forklift check is one more form in that app, found by the operator and filed as their submission.
CheckBadges starts from the machine. The sticker on forklift 3 opens forklift 3's checklist in the phone's browser, the check is filed under forklift 3, and if it fails, the next person who scans forklift 3 sees the open problem before starting. Operators don't need an account at all.
Side by side
Here's how an equipment check works in each:
| CheckBadges | Connecteam | |
|---|---|---|
| Operator needs | Phone camera and browser | A Connecteam account and the app |
| Starting a check | Scan the machine's sticker | Open the app and find the form |
| Records filed by | Machine | Submission |
| Problem found | Email with photos; machine flagged; next operator warned | Submission reaches managers in the app |
| Scheduling, time clock, chat | No | Yes |
| Free plan | 3 machines, unlimited operators | 10 users |
Price, honestly
Connecteam is inexpensive. It's free for up to 10 users, and Operations Hub Basic is $35 a month billed monthly ($29 yearly) for the first 30 users, then $1 per extra user ($0.80 yearly). CheckBadges charges by machine instead: free for 3 machines, then $9 a month plus $1.50 per machine after 3.
Which costs less depends on how many people you have per machine:
- 10 machines, 20 operators: CheckBadges $19.50; Connecteam Basic $35.
- 25 machines, 50 operators: CheckBadges $42; Connecteam Basic $55.
- 20 machines, 8 operators: CheckBadges $34.50; Connecteam free.
If a small crew shares lots of equipment and everyone already uses Connecteam, its free plan is hard to beat.
Where Connecteam is stronger
Connecteam does scheduling, time tracking and team chat as well as checklists, and it's built for teams that use their phones all day. If you want one app for your whole team, it's a strong pick. If the problem is getting every machine checked by whoever runs it — including people who'll never install your app — CheckBadges fits better. See how to get operators to do pre-use checks.
Connecteam: what it does well, and where it falls short
Strengths
- Free for up to 10 users, and Basic covers 30 users for $35 a month.
- Scheduling, time clock and chat alongside forms and checklists.
- One app for everything a deskless team does.
- Inexpensive at scale: $1 a user a month past 30 on Basic.
Drawbacks
- Every operator needs an account and the app, so temps and agency staff must be onboarded.
- Not machine-centric: no per-machine status or history page.
- No per-machine QR flow found.
- A lot of app to roll out if all you need is pre-use checks.
Choose CheckBadges if…
Choose CheckBadges if checks belong to machines rather than people: a sticker on each machine, no account for operators, a history per machine, and problems emailed with photos and shown to the next operator.
Choose Connecteam if…
Choose Connecteam if your team already lives in its phones and you want scheduling, time tracking, chat and checklists in one employee app — it's free for 10 users and inexpensive after that.
Frequently asked questions
How much do CheckBadges and Connecteam cost?
For 10 machines, 20 operators, CheckBadges costs $19.50/mo and Connecteam costs $35/mo; for 25 machines, 50 operators it's $42/mo against $55/mo. Connecteam's figures use Operations Hub Basic at $35 a month for the first 30 users plus $1 per extra user, billed monthly, counting every operator as a user (it's free up to 10 users), checked in October 2026. CheckBadges is free for up to 3 machines; Pro is $9 a month for the first 3 plus $1.50 per machine after that, with unlimited operators.
Do operators need an app or login for Connecteam?
Yes. Each operator needs a Connecteam account and the app; forms and checklists live inside it. It's free for up to 10 users.
What's the main difference between CheckBadges and Connecteam?
Connecteam is an all-in-one app for deskless teams — time clock, scheduling, chat, forms and checklists — where each employee uses the Connecteam app with their own account. CheckBadges does one job: every machine gets a QR sticker, and operators scan it with their own phone to do that machine's pre-use check in the browser — no app, account or per-user seat — while problems email you with photos and warn the next operator.
Is Connecteam free?
Connecteam is free for up to 10 users. Past that, Operations Hub Basic is $35 a month billed monthly ($29 yearly) for up to 30 users, plus $1 per extra user.
Does Connecteam have equipment inspection checklists?
Yes, as forms and checklists inside the Connecteam app, filled in by employees with accounts. We didn't find a QR code flow that opens a specific machine's checklist, or a per-machine history.
More comparisons
- Connecteam alternativesLooking for a Connecteam alternative? 6 options compared on price, how operators do checks and whether they need an app or login. Checked October 2026.
- vs SafetyCulture (Mitti)CheckBadges vs SafetyCulture: how operators do pre-use checks, whether they need an app or login, and what 10, 25 or 50 machines cost. Checked October 2026.
- vs Google FormsCheckBadges vs Google Forms: how operators do pre-use checks, whether they need an app or login, and what 10, 25 or 50 machines cost. Checked October 2026.
- vs JotformCheckBadges vs Jotform: how operators do pre-use checks, whether they need an app or login, and what 10, 25 or 50 machines cost. Checked October 2026.
- The best equipment inspection apps in 2026The best equipment inspection apps of 2026 compared: how operators do checks, whether they need an app or login, and what 10, 25 or 50 machines cost a month.
Switching from Connecteam? Your machines could be checked by QR code 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.