Comparison

Next Gear vs itel NOW

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Next Gear

Manage your property restoration business on the go with a comprehensive suite of tools. Streamline job management, track equipment, handle accounting, and improve customer communication. Gain insights with custom reporting to grow your business.

Highlights
  • Job Management
  • Equipment Tracking
  • CRM
  • Custom Reporting
  • Homeowner Communication
  • Job Costing
  • Estimates & Invoices
Features
Read full description

Manage your restoration business on the go. Grow your business with custom reporting, job management, accounting, equipment tracking, and sales enablement—all in one app! Easily create jobs, upload photos, and increase your bottom line. Get the leading platform for property restoration now. Next Gear is the restoration software app that brings together all the tools you need to run your restoration business. Your business essentials are now in one place, from job management and costing to equipment tracking and real-time reporting. Join the 85 thousand restoration contractors that trust Next Gear Solutions to help them reach their goals. Next Gear provides these core features and more: * Calendars and Scheduling Built-in job scheduling functionality keeps your teams on track and on time, no matter how complicated the work calendar gets. * Integrated CRM Build customer relationships and easily track leads with an automated system that keeps teams focused on the right sale at the right time. * Equipment Tracking Keep tabs on every piece of expensive equipment in your inventory with built-in equipment tracking capabilities. * Mobile Job Management Create jobs, track equipment, upload photos, get push notifications, and speak notes directly into the job file to instantly update your team. * Homeowner Communication Close the communication gap with homeowners. Upload photos, track on-time arrivals and get instant feedback on every job. * Business Intelligence (BI) Reporting Unlock the power of job data to provide deeper insights into business performance, identify opportunities, and fine-tune your game plan. * Additional features include: Job Costing Estimates Invoices Contracts Photo Uploading Voice to Text Notes Compliance Manager Calendar Offline Functionality Push Notifications Workflow Builder Real-time Data Vpass Scoring Budgeting Photo and PDF Annotation Tool Accounting Integration Electronic Signatures 24/7 Live Support Online Training Unlimited Customer and Subcontractor Access Unlimited Document and Photo Storage Easy Installation Data Security ABOUT NEXT GEAR SOLUTIONS Not all companies are made equal, and at Next Gear Solutions, this adage could not be more true. The team at Next Gear Solutions has reimagined restoration job management for contractors in a modern world and helps insurance carriers codify their best practices into actionable solutions. Restoration contractors and adjusters work in extreme conditions to service their customers, and we believe it's our responsibility to help any way we can, so our tools are as mobile as the phones they carry. We offer more than just software: we start with feature-rich products and back those up with five-star service and support. FROM NEXT GEAR SOLUTIONS, LLC The Next Gear mobile app is part of a suite of restoration software that includes DASH restoration job management, LuxorCRM, ProAssist, and MICA water restoration software. To learn how Next Gear Solutions works to protect your privacy, please visit https://www.nextgearsolutions.com/privacy-policy/ By installing or using Next Gear, you agree to our Terms: https://www.nextgearsolutions.com/terms-and-conditions/ Next Gear currently connects to US and Canadian restoration companies only.

About

itel NOW

This app streamlines the process of submitting photos and measurements for lab analysis of flooring and building materials. It offers video guidance, progress feedback, and the ability to test materials directly within the app.

Highlights
  • Streamlined claims workflow
  • Video guidance for photo and measurement submission
  • Checklist and icons for photo review
  • Progress feedback on test submissions
  • Intuitive navigation
  • In-app material testing (carpet, wood, vinyl, siding, roofing)
  • Option to send physical samples
Features
Read full description

itel NOW takes the feedback received from users of the original itel NOW and integrates it into a more intuitive and responsive user interface. The new UI is combined with the same back-end software systems and accurate lab analysis process, so you’ll still receive lab reports in under 30 minutes. We’re confident you’ll find itel NOW a progressive step forward in claims app technology. itel NOW guides you through taking the necessary photos and measurements for upload to our lab, where every test is performed by an analyst. New features include: • Streamlined claims workflow • Video help to show you how to perform each step • Checklist and at-a-glance icons to help you review your photos • More feedback on the progress of your test submission • More intuitive navigation • Test carpet, wood, laminate, vinyl flooring, siding, and roofing in the app and skip sending the sample • You can also send a sample using the app If you have any feedback or encounter issues, we can help you immediately! Call 800-890-4835 or support@itelinc.com. Live support is available Monday-Friday, 8AM-9PM Eastern Time.

Screenshots

Next Gear3 screens
itel NOW4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: itel NOW at 4.1 against Next Gear's 2.6. itel NOW also leads on ratings volume (2K vs 367). Next Gear's advantage is review sentiment (43% vs 18%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 weeks). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

itel NOW holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: itel NOW has 2K ratings behind it against 367, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 43% of Next Gear's written reviews are positive against 18% of itel NOW's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Next Gear ships an update every 3 weeks, itel NOW every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Next Gear versus itel NOW: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNext Gearitel NOW
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.6 (367 ratings)4.1 (2K ratings) — better
Positive reviews42.6% of reviews — better17.6% of reviews
Number of ratings3672K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size274 MB149 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNext Gear Solutions LLCITEL Laboratories, Inc.

Customer experience

Next Gear

All ratings367 ratings
Positive37.6%
Neutral5.7%
Negative56.7%
Written reviews155 reviews
Positive42.6%
Neutral6.5%
Negative51.0%

itel NOW

All ratings1,970 ratings
Positive74.6%
Neutral4.5%
Negative20.9%
Written reviews51 reviews
Positive17.6%
Neutral5.9%
Negative76.5%

Bugs and requests

Next Gear

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App freezes when trying to upload multiple photos
  • Notes and descriptions not displaying properly
  • Inconsistent performance on different devices
  • Sync issues causing data loss

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to edit and delete photos/notes
  • Offline access and better connectivity
  • Improved calendar and job scheduling features
  • More customization options for users

itel NOW

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Next Gear

No in-app purchases

None

itel NOW

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Next Gear free?
Next Gear is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is itel NOW free?
itel NOW is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Next Gear or itel NOW?
itel NOW is rated higher. Next Gear averages 2.6 out of 5 from 367 ratings, while itel NOW averages 4.1 from 2K ratings.
Do Next Gear or itel NOW have ads?
Neither Next Gear nor itel NOW shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Next Gear or itel NOW?
Next Gear ships an update every 3 weeks, and itel NOW every 6 weeks. Most recently, Next Gear was updated on November 1, 2026 and itel NOW on November 1, 2026.

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