On this page
The options
| Tool | Price | Built for |
|---|---|---|
| Cheqroom | See their site | Shared equipment pools with self-service booking |
| Sortly | Free for 100 items, then $49 a month list | Inventory and stock levels |
| Booqable | From $29 a month billed yearly | Rental businesses with online booking |
| Rentman | €39 a month plus modules by power user | Event and rental warehouses with crew planning |
| Current RMS | $84.50 a month for the first user | Rental warehouses |
| Cutvey | Gear on every plan from Solo $49 a month. Renting out from Pro $99 a month | Production companies, with gear tied to the job |
| A spreadsheet | Free | A small kit and one careful person |
Prices checked November 2, 2026 on each seller's own pricing page. For Cheqroom, see their site.
How we chose
Each of these is a real product that production companies and rental houses use for camera, lighting and grip. We read each seller's pricing page in November 2026 and left out any figure we could not read there. We make Cutvey, so read that pick with it in mind. Where another tool is better at something, this page says so.
What to look for
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Is a check-out a booking with dates? | "Who has it now" is half the question. "Is it free on the 14th" is the other half |
| Does a kit count as its items? | Otherwise the case is free while its lens is out |
| Do old stickers keep scanning after a move? | Relabeling a full package costs a weekend |
| Who gets the overdue reminder? | It should be whoever holds the item |
| Can an item be in for repair? | A broken light should never be bookable |
| Can you rent it out, and bill for it? | Many studios earn from kit between jobs |
| Is the money side private? | Purchase prices and values are not for every crew member |
Sortly
A friendly inventory app with folders, quantities, low-stock alerts, purchase orders and a phone app that works offline. The free plan covers 100 items for one user, and Advanced covers 500 items for two. It counts well, and booking by date is not its focus. Cutvey and Sortly.
Booqable
Rental software with a hosted booking page and live availability on every plan, unlimited inventory and orders, and add-ons for a rental website, barcode scanning, deliveries and point of sale. The pick when renters should book online. Cutvey and Booqable.
Rentman
Built for event and rental companies that schedule crew as well as equipment. The platform fee is listed in euros, with modules for inventory, crew and quoting priced by power user, and extra warehouses as an add-on. Strong at scale, and more system than a small studio needs.
Current RMS
Rental management with warehouse tools and barcodes, priced by user, with a 30-day trial. Like Rentman, it suits a rental house more than a production company.
Cutvey
Gear inside the production software. Items, kits, places and bulk items carry labels with a QR code and a Code 128 barcode. Every check-out is a booking that is checked for clashes, a bulk item's quantity and a kit's contents included, and the holder gets due and late reminders, whether they are on your team or your crew. Service tickets take an item out of use. Stock-takes move nothing until you finish them. The money side stays with the seats that can see money.
On Pro and up you can rent gear out: a frozen quote the renter signs, a deposit invoice held as a liability, a rental invoice, and late and damage charges drafted from the return. The import reads Cheqroom, Sortly and Booqable files and keeps your old barcodes scanning.
What it lacks: an online storefront for renters, a self-service kiosk, offline scanning and warehouse tools. How it works: set up your gear inventory, book and check out gear and import your gear.
A spreadsheet
For a kit that fits in one van, looked after by one careful person, a shared spreadsheet with a column for who has what is enough, and many studios start there. It breaks down when two people book the same light for the same day without seeing each other's row, when nobody remembers who has the second charger, or when the insurer asks for serial numbers and values. Each tool above answers one of those problems. Pick the one whose problem you have.
Stay on Cheqroom if
- Many people borrow from one shared pool, and self-service matters most.
- You run a school, a broadcaster or a large in-house team.
- You rely on maintenance checklists and work orders.
Frequently asked
What is the cheapest Cheqroom alternative?
A spreadsheet costs nothing, and Sortly's free plan covers 100 items. Past that, compare what you pay per item and per user.
Which alternative is best for renting out camera gear?
Booqable, if renters should book online. Cutvey, if you rent your own kit between shoots and want the rental to clash-check against your jobs and bill through your own invoices.
More on this: Cutvey and Cheqroom, run the business.