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ToolPool.Garden vs myTurn
myTurn and ToolPool.Garden both help people borrow stuff, but they're set up pretty differently. myTurn works best for an organization tracking equipment it owns, and ToolPool.Garden works best when members are lending each other their own stuff. Here's how they compare, so you can pick the one that fits your group.
The short version
If your organization owns the gear and needs to track who has it, myTurn is made for that. If the stuff belongs to the people in your group, ToolPool.Garden is probably the better fit.
Side by side
| Question | ToolPool.Garden | myTurn |
|---|---|---|
| Who it's for | Groups of people lending each other their own stuff. | Businesses, universities, municipalities and lending libraries tracking items they loan to students, staff, employees or members. |
| Where the stuff lives | Wherever it already is, like your garage or your hall closet. | With the organization, tracked as its assets. |
| Who can borrow | People in your pool. You see who's asking and decide whether to lend. | People who sign up start as contacts, and they can't check anything out until you give them a membership type that allows it. |
| Pickup and return | You and the borrower work it out in the chat, whenever you're both around. | Staff handle checkout, and there's a self-serve kiosk you can turn on. It's off by default. |
| Size limits | Free up to 20 members and 250 listings. Past that, there's no cap on the $4.99 plan. | Each plan caps users and items, from 200 users and 550 items up to 2,500 users and 7,250 items. |
| 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. | After a 30-day free trial, plans are $25, $50, $60 or $100 a month, or $250 to $1,000 a year. Enterprise pricing is by request. |
When myTurn is the better pick
If your organization owns the equipment and needs to know where every piece is, myTurn is built for that. It works for a campus lending laptops or a city running a library of things.
If you've got multiple locations or need security reviews and integrations, their Enterprise plan covers that.
When ToolPool.Garden fits better
ToolPool.Garden is better for a group of people who all want to pitch in. Nobody has to own a shared collection, since everybody's stuff stays 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.
People can also 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 myTurn alternative?
Yep, if the stuff belongs to your members instead of an organization. For tracking gear your organization owns, myTurn is probably the better fit.
Is myTurn free?
Nope. There's a 30-day free trial, and plans start at $25 a month after that.
Does ToolPool.Garden charge more as my group grows?
Nope. A pool pays the same $4.99 a month whether it has 21 members or 400.
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.