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ToolPool.Garden vs Lend Engine
Lend Engine and ToolPool.Garden both help people borrow stuff, but they're set up pretty differently. Lend Engine works best for a library with a building and a shared collection, and ToolPool.Garden works best when the stuff stays at people's houses. Here's how they compare, so you can pick the one that fits your group.
The short version
If your library has a building and a shared collection, Lend Engine is a solid pick. If your group's stuff lives at people's houses, ToolPool.Garden is probably the easier way to start.
Side by side
| Question | ToolPool.Garden | Lend Engine |
|---|---|---|
| Where the stuff lives | Wherever it already is, like your garage, a closet or whatever. | Every item belongs to a site you've set up, and loan periods follow that site's opening hours. |
| Who can borrow | People in your pool. You see who's asking and decide whether to lend. | Members with an active membership. You can require email confirmation first. |
| Pickup and return | You and the borrower work it out in the chat, whenever you're both around. | Staff check items out at the desk, or a member reserves a future date and gets a confirmation email. |
| Late returns | You sort it out with the borrower in the chat. | You set a per-day late fee, and Lend Engine suggests it when an overdue item gets checked in. |
| Memberships and deposits | Joining a pool is free. If you want a deposit for something, you and the borrower agree on it. | You can make as many membership types as you need, each with its own fee and length. Refundable deposits start on Starter, and paid self-serve memberships go through Stripe. |
| Barcodes and labels | People search the pool and ask about the listing they want. | Barcode labels and scanning are on Plus and Business. Label printing works with the Dymo LabelWriter. |
| After hours | Pickup happens whenever you and the borrower pick a time. | Members can pick up after hours with a PIN, using lockers and a kiosk tablet. Self-serve lockers are listed with prices TBA. |
| What you pay | Your first month is free, and so is any month your pool is up to 20 members and 250 listings. After that it's a flat $4.99 a month for the whole pool, and a pool of 400 pays the same $4.99. | Free covers up to 100 items. Starter is $12.50 a month for 500 items, Plus is $25 for 2,000, and Business is $50 for 10,000. New signups get a 30-day trial of Plus. |
When Lend Engine is the better pick
If you've got a building, opening hours and volunteers at a desk, Lend Engine was built for that. It handles memberships, late fees, deposits and barcode scanning, and on Plus or Business the library can even run on your own domain.
It's also a good fit for toy libraries, since every plan can record child information. If you want members picking up after hours, it supports lockers with a PIN too.
When ToolPool.Garden fits better
ToolPool.Garden is better for a group of people who all want to pitch in. Nobody needs a building or a desk, since everybody's stuff is already at their house.
In a pool, the drill stays in your garage until somebody asks for it. You see who's asking, and your name stays off the listing until you decide to reveal yourself. Pickup gets worked out in the chat.
It's also not just tools. People can list supplies, offer a skill they'd teach, or post a request for something nobody's listed yet.
Questions people ask
Is ToolPool.Garden a good Lend Engine alternative?
Yep, if your group's stuff lives at people's houses. If you're running a library with a desk and a shared collection, Lend Engine is probably the better fit.
Is Lend Engine free?
Yep, for up to 100 items. Paid plans run from $12.50 to $50 a month as your collection grows.
Do I need a building to use ToolPool.Garden?
Nope. Everybody keeps their stuff at home, and borrows get worked out in the chat.
Is ToolPool.Garden free?
Yes! It's free for your first month and any month your pool stays at 20 members and 250 listings or fewer. After that it's $4.99 a month for the whole pool.