McMaster vs Harbor Freight Tools
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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
Harbor Freight Tools
Discover the latest coupons, instant savings, and exclusive deals for members. Browse tools, check local stock, and create wish lists. Scan barcodes in-store for more product information.
- Latest coupons and instant savings
- Inside Track Club member deals
- Browse tools and watch videos
- Check in-stock availability
- Create and sync wish lists
- Barcode/QR scanner for product info
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HARBOR FREIGHT COUPONS Find the latest coupons, instant savings, Inside Track Club member deals, and more with the Harbor Freight Tools app. SHOP Browse the latest tools, watch them in action with our Harbor Freight videos, check in-stock availability in your area, and create a wish list for your next in-store visit. You can also use the Barcode/QR scanner in-store to quickly learn more about our tools. ACCOUNT ACCESS Sign in to your Harbor Freight Tools account and sync your product wish list across different devices. INSIDE TRACK CLUB MEMBERS Stay up to date with all the latest Inside Track Club Member deals. Save your Inside Track Club deals to your wish list for your next in-store visit. ABOUT US Harbor Freight Tools is America's leading retailer of quality tools at the lowest prices. Harbor Freight carries over 7,000 products, specializing in air compressors, automotive tools, drills, generators, hand tools, saws, tool storage, welding supplies, wrenches, and more. Most Harbor Freight products are sourced directly from manufacturers and are all tested in our own quality assurance facility in the United States. Harbor Freight is known for our compellingly low prices on quality tools, all of which meet, or beat, the quality of the brand name competitors. Harbor Freight has over 1600+ stores nationwide. Our Harbor Freight Tools stores stock a full selection of hardware, tools, and accessories in categories including automotive, air and power tools, storage, outdoor power equipment, generators, welding supplies, shop equipment, hand tools, and more. All of Harbor Freight’s hand tools come with a lifetime warranty. Whatever you do, do it for less at Harbor Freight. FAQ Have questions or feedback? Email us at: appcs@harborfreight.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Harbor Freight Tools at 4.8 against McMaster's 4.3. Harbor Freight Tools also leads on ratings volume (235K vs 220) and review sentiment (93% vs 68%). On price, update cadence, 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.
Harbor Freight Tools holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Harbor Freight Tools has 235K ratings behind it against 220, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of McMaster's written reviews are positive against 93% of Harbor Freight Tools's.
McMaster ships an update every 5 weeks, Harbor Freight Tools monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | McMaster | Harbor Freight Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (220 ratings) | 4.8 (235K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 68.5% of reviews | 93.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 220 | 235K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | #84 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 43 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | McMaster-Carr Supply Company | Harbor Freight Tools |
Customer experience
McMaster
Harbor Freight Tools
User reviews
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
Harbor Freight Tools
From 235K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Helpful customer service
- 💡 Exclusive app-only deals
- 🚀 Intuitive search
- 👍 Instruction manuals included
Room to improve
- 🐛 Constant logout issues
- 🐛 Refreshes when switching apps
- 🐛 Inaccurate in-store inventory
- 🔍 Missing product listings
- 👎 Frustrating navigation when viewing items
Bugs and requests
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
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- 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
Harbor Freight Tools
Reported bugs
4 issues- Constant logout issues
- Refreshes when switching apps
- Inaccurate in-store inventory
- Navigation issues when viewing items
Requested features
3 requests- Ability to link account and sync 'My List'
- Display aisle locations for items
- Improved offline functionality and caching
In-app purchases
McMaster
No in-app purchases
Harbor Freight Tools
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is McMaster free?
Is Harbor Freight Tools free?
Which has better reviews, McMaster or Harbor Freight Tools?
Do McMaster or Harbor Freight Tools have ads?
Which is updated more often, McMaster or Harbor Freight Tools?
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