Comparison

PlugGuide vs Hardtack

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

Head to head
About

PlugGuide

This app provides detailed information on central, decentralized, and unit-based ventilation systems. It offers tailored content for architects, installers, planners, property managers, owners, tenants, and wholesalers.

Highlights
  • Central ventilation systems
  • Decentralized ventilation systems
  • Unit-based ventilation systems
  • Tailored information for professionals
  • Information for homeowners and tenants
Features
Read full description

Informieren Sie sich über zentrale, einheitszentrale und dezentrale Wohnraumlüftungssysteme. Der PlugGuide stellt maßgeschneiderte Informationen für Architekten, Installateure, TGA-Planer, Wohnungswirtschaft / Bauträger, Eigentümer & Mieter sowie den Großhandel zur Verfügung.

About

Hardtack

Features
Read full description

Hardtack is the calm, reliable, offline-first home inventory app. Catalog your household reserves (water, food, first-aid, tools, energy, documents) and see at a glance how many days of self-sufficiency your home really has. Pay once. Own forever. No account, no cloud, no ads, no usage telemetry. Your data stays on your device. WHAT HARDTACK DOES • Home inventory, your way Add items with quantities, units, unit costs and notes. Organize by category and by location: pantry, garage, cellar, vehicle, kit bags and your own custom places. • Add by barcode Scan a product and its details fill in automatically: name, brand, nutrition values, net weight and the product image once it is recognised online. Works with UPC and EAN codes. Once a product is identified, its name and nutrition values stay available offline on your device. Manual entry remains available as a fallback. • Expiry date tracking An item can carry several dates, each with its own quantity: a product bought more than once stays one item, and the scanner reopens it for the new purchase's date. Local notifications warn you 7 days then 1 day before each date, and a removal eats into what expires soonest first. Nothing slips through forgotten. • Days of self-sufficiency A clear dashboard computes your days of water, calories and key reserves from your household composition. Add household members and their needs for a personalized estimate. • Ready-made kits, and kits of your own Start from proven checklists: 72-hour bag, vehicle kit, blackout kit, earthquake kit, basic first-aid, infant and pet kits, with visual completion progress. Hide the ones that do not apply, rename, reorder, edit line by line, duplicate, or build your own. • Smart rotation & restocking A first-in-first-out view surfaces what to use next. Items below your minimum threshold flow into an automatic shopping list you can export. • Stock removal & spending tracking Take a quantity out in one gesture, without deleting the item, or scan your products as you go. Keep an eye on what your reserves cost, with a breakdown by category. • Privacy controls built in Optional app lock (Face ID / Touch ID / PIN), item-name obfuscation and a decoy view keep your inventory private on a shared or lost device. • Local sharing, no cloud Share an inventory snapshot with family as an encrypted QR code, scanned on the other device, imported locally. No server in the middle. • Export and back up Export to CSV or JSON and save a local backup through the native share sheet to Files, Drive or iCloud Drive. Your data, in your hands. BUILT TO LAST Hardtack is a one-time purchase, not a subscription treadmill. The free version covers your whole household, expiry reminders and an overall self-sufficiency score, capped at 10 items, 1 storage location, 1 kit template (Bug-out 72h), 1 theme and 1 accent color. The full version lifts these caps and unlocks the detailed self-sufficiency breakdown (water, calories, medication), custom kits, privacy controls, scan-out mode, export and local sharing, all for a single one-time purchase. Localized in English, French, German and Spanish. Questions or feedback? Reach us at atech.contact@proton.me.

Screenshots

PlugGuide3 screens
Hardtack4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PlugGuide at none against Hardtack's 1. PlugGuide also leads on iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). Hardtack's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). On price, ads and device support 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. Hardtack sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. PlugGuide asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PlugGuide ships an update every 2 months, Hardtack weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 5 level
PlugGuide versus Hardtack: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlugGuideHardtack
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB44 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPluggit GmbHAurore Troubat

In-app purchases

None

PlugGuide

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Hardtack

One-time1
  • Hardtack Pro$17.99

Questions

Is PlugGuide free?
PlugGuide is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Hardtack free?
Hardtack is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PlugGuide or Hardtack have ads?
Neither PlugGuide nor Hardtack shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PlugGuide or Hardtack?
PlugGuide ships an update every 2 months, and Hardtack weekly. Most recently, PlugGuide was updated on November 2, 2026 and Hardtack on October 25, 2026.

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