FRED by BWT vs Softbase Service
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
FRED by BWT
Manage industrial equipment maintenance tasks from your mobile device or desktop. Track equipment data and analyze performance with optional handheld scanners and barcode labels.
- Industrial equipment maintenance management
- Mobile field use
- Desktop platform for data analysis
- Optional handheld scanner
- Equipment barcode labels
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FRED is an application which can help you manage necessary maintenance tasks for industrial equipment. The application can be used on a mobile device in the field with optional handheld scanner and equipment barcode labels available through BWT as well as a desktop platform where you can access and analyze data gathered through the mobile app.
Softbase Service
This business application enables technicians to manage work orders dispatched from a desktop system. It supports online and offline modes, allowing users to clock in/out, add comments, collect signatures, track parts, and access equipment history.
- Clock in/out of work orders
- Enter work order comments
- Collect customer signatures
- Add parts used
- Populate inspection sheets
- Look up equipment history
- Online and offline modes
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We are pleased to offer the Softbase Mobile Service free of charge to all Softbase users! When you first launch the application, tap Preferences and fill out your api details before attempting to login. For information on how to get up and running, contact your companies IT staff for api and login details. Softbase Service is a mobile application that allows technicians to perform their day-to-day work on Work Orders that are dispatched to them via Softbase 3.0 Desktop. The mobile application works in an online or offline mode and allows technicians to perform the following functions and many more. - Clock in and out of Work Orders - Enter comments about the Work Order - Get customer signature for approval of work - Add Parts used on Work Orders - Populate Inspection Sheets - Look up Equipment History
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Softbase Service at 3.4 against FRED by BWT's 2.8. FRED by BWT's advantage is review sentiment (33% vs 0%) and iOS requirement (12.2 vs 15.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Softbase Service holds the better App Store score, 3.4 against 2.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 10 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 33% of FRED by BWT's written reviews are positive against 0% of Softbase Service's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
FRED by BWT ships an update every 5 weeks, Softbase Service monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | FRED by BWT | Softbase Service |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.8 (11 ratings) | 3.4 (10 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 11 — better | 10 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.2 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 37 MB | 56 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Battery Watering Technologies | Adam Madsen |
Customer experience
FRED by BWT
Softbase Service
In-app purchases
FRED by BWT
No in-app purchases
Softbase Service
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is FRED by BWT free?
Is Softbase Service free?
Which has better reviews, FRED by BWT or Softbase Service?
Do FRED by BWT or Softbase Service have ads?
Which is updated more often, FRED by BWT or Softbase Service?
Other comparisons
