W.W. Grainger, Inc. vs McMaster
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
W.W. Grainger, Inc.
Access industrial supplies and manage inventory on the go. Quickly search for items, check real-time availability at branches, and scan barcodes to add products to your cart. Get expert help and track orders and pending approvals.
- Real-time item availability
- KeepStock inventory management
- Barcode scanning for cart addition
- Branch locator for pickup
- Chat with experts
- Manage pending orders and lists
- Order history tracking
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The Grainger app for iPhone is designed to deliver all that Grainger.com® has to offer no matter where the job takes you. Use the app to quickly narrow down your search, check account pricing, check item availability at a nearby branch, or manage costs with the Grainger KeepStock® inventory management solution. More Real-Time Availability — Get an expected arrival date or find out if your item is available at a nearby branch. KeepStock – Manage, track and control your inventory costs on an agile inventory management system. Barcode Scanning — Scan a product and drop it right into your cart. Find a Branch — Locate your nearest branch for quick pickup. Chat With an Expert — Have questions? Upload a photo and get answers from a specialist on the spot. Pending Orders — Keep track of all the orders waiting for your approval. Lists — Access lists on Grainger.com® for quick reordering. Order History — Check the status of a current order, or go back to previous orders over the last 18 months. It doesn't matter how you ordered. OMS: Simplify your order flows using our Order Management System. Saved for Later: Save away products from your shopping cart if you're not quite ready to buy. Need Help? Contact us at 1-800-472-4643. Grainger, Grainger.com and KeepStock are trademarks of W.W. Grainger, Inc.
McMaster
Access a vast catalog of industrial and maintenance supplies from your mobile device. Browse and order over 800,000 products for your plant and facility needs.
- Extensive product catalog
- Order from mobile
- Plant and facility supplies
- Over 800,000 products
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McMaster-Carr is the complete source for everything in your plant. Order over 700,000 products from the palm of your hand. Terms and Conditions: https://www.mcmaster.com/#terms
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: W.W. Grainger, Inc. at 4.8 against McMaster's 4.3. W.W. Grainger, Inc. also leads on ratings volume (27K vs 220) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 weeks). McMaster's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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.
W.W. Grainger, Inc. holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: W.W. Grainger, Inc. has 27K ratings behind it against 220, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 65% of W.W. Grainger, Inc.'s written reviews are positive against 68% of McMaster's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
W.W. Grainger, Inc. ships an update fortnightly, McMaster every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | W.W. Grainger, Inc. | McMaster |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (27K ratings) — better | 4.3 (220 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 65.2% of reviews | 68.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 27K — better | 220 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 5 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 93 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | W.W. Grainger, Inc. | McMaster-Carr Supply Company |
Customer experience
W.W. Grainger, Inc.
McMaster
User reviews
W.W. Grainger, Inc.
From 27K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Improved search function
- 👍 User-friendly app
- 🚀 Efficient ordering and pickup
- 👍 Helpful and knowledgeable staff
- 🚀 Wide product selection and availability
Room to improve
- 🐛 Buggy app with crashes and login issues
- 🔍 Difficult to find products, poor search
- ⚠️ Inconsistent order tracking and notifications
- 💰 High prices compared to competitors
- 🕰️ Slow performance and navigation
McMaster
From 220 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 🚀 Fast search and filtering
- 💡 Excellent catalog and product descriptions
- ⭐ Great company and customer service
- 📦 Quick shipping and delivery
Room to improve
- 🐛 App is broken/only header loads
- 🐛 App freezes and becomes unresponsive
- 🐛 Navigation is confusing and awkward
- 🐛 App is not phone-friendly
- 🐛 Font size cannot be increased
Bugs and requests
W.W. Grainger, Inc.
Reported bugs
4 issues- Orders not showing up in order history
- Repeated crashes and login issues
- Inability to select shipping options for pickup orders
- Inconsistent behavior when adding/removing items from cart
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to search order history and personal lists
- Clearer pricing and shipping cost information
- Improved product details and recommendations
- Seamless integration between app and website
McMaster
Reported bugs
25 issues- Payment method stays loading indefinitely
- Only header loads
- App is broken
- Navigation tools are in awkward locations and don't work half the time
- Screen shifts slightly
Show 20 moreShow fewer
- Occasionally freezes and doesn't respond to touch
- App is a little buggy
- Latest update won't load
- No estimate of shipping costs before completion of purchase
- App hijacks clicked URLs
- App will not open
- Shows 'No internet connection' when using the app
- Checkout screen has bugs
- Asks to enter ship to address even if shown
- Cannot enter credit card information
- Placing an order is a real pain
- Kept asking for the same things to be entered over and over
- Cart is terrible, no clear way to view items
- Shipping methods don't have predetermined options
- Forward parts request doesn't work
- Cannot save a copy on phone
- App doesn't show saved orders from website
- Missing order history and tracking
- Cannot print item page
- App doesn't show saved orders
Requested features
11 requests- Re-optimize app for phone use
- Add Apple Pay as a payment option
- Add a toolbar or ribbon for easier navigation
- Make navigation buttons at the top left like other apps
- Add a "is this page helpful?" link
Show 6 moreShow fewer
- Add links for CAD files like on the website
- Add general search functionality
- Add ability to print
- Add order history and tracking
- Add PDF drawing download
- Add access to saved orders
In-app purchases
W.W. Grainger, Inc.
No in-app purchases
McMaster
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is W.W. Grainger, Inc. free?
Is McMaster free?
Which has better reviews, W.W. Grainger, Inc. or McMaster?
Do W.W. Grainger, Inc. or McMaster have ads?
Which is updated more often, W.W. Grainger, Inc. or McMaster?
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