Comparison

McMaster vs Matco Tools

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Extensive product catalog
  • Order from mobile
  • Plant and facility supplies
  • Over 800,000 products
Features
Read full description

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

About

Matco Tools

Access your local tool distributor 24/7 for professional automotive tools. Purchase tools, check inventory, submit warranty claims, and manage payments. Exclusive deals and promotions are also available.

Highlights
  • 24/7 distributor access
  • Real-time inventory checks
  • Tool purchases
  • Warranty claim submission
  • Account payment management
  • Order history
  • App-exclusive deals
Features
Read full description

The patented Matco Tools App gives you 24/7 on-demand access to your Matco Distributor, over 13,000 of the highest quality professional automotive tools and so much more!​ - Connect real-time with your local Matco Tools distributor! No need to wait until your weekly stop, you can stay connected anytime in between tool truck visits.​ - In the middle of a job and realize you're missing something? Quickly and easily purchase the tools you need and see real-time tool truck inventory without waiting for your next truck visit. ​ - Break a tool? Submit warranty requests for broken tools directly from the app! ​ - Easily manage your weekly truck account payments and view order history from both the Matco Tools App and the tool truck all in one place!​ - Get in the know with app exclusive deals, products and promotions through the Patented Matco Tools app.​ ​ Since 1979, the mission of Matco Tools has been to provide professional mechanics and auto enthusiasts with all the premium tools, storage and equipment they need to get the job done, while also offering best-in-class service and customer support.​ ​ Service. Trust. Results.®​ Pat. No. 11,023,849​ *Tool Truck integration features are only available to users who have a Matco Tools distributor. To find your local Matco distributor, please visit https://www.matcotools.com/find-a-distributor/.

Screenshots

McMaster4 screens
Matco Tools4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: McMaster at 68% against Matco Tools's 35%. McMaster also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Matco Tools's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (5.1K vs 220). 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

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

Matco Tools holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Matco Tools has 5.1K ratings behind it against 220, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 68% of McMaster's written reviews are positive against 35% of Matco Tools's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

McMaster ships an update every 5 weeks, Matco Tools every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
McMaster versus Matco Tools: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMcMasterMatco Tools
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (220 ratings)4.7 (5.1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews68.5% of reviews — better34.7% of reviews
Number of ratings2205.1K — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeks — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB32 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMcMaster-Carr Supply CompanyMatco Tools

Customer experience

McMaster

All ratings220 ratings
Positive81.8%
Neutral6.8%
Negative11.4%
Written reviews73 reviews
Positive68.5%
Neutral8.2%
Negative23.3%

Matco Tools

All ratings5,137 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral2.7%
Negative4.4%
Written reviews118 reviews
Positive34.7%
Neutral11.9%
Negative53.4%

User reviews

McMaster

From 220 App Store ratings

What 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

Matco Tools

From 5.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐ Great app
  • 💳 Easy payments
  • 🛒 Convenient tool browsing
  • 🤝 Helpful reps

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
  • ⏱️ Slow performance
  • 🔑 Login/account issues
  • 📊 Lack of payment history and account visibility

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
Show 20 more
  • 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 more
  • 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

Matco Tools

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Catalog not loading properly
  • Payment issues and errors
  • Unexpected logout and login problems
  • Overlapping UI elements

Requested features

4 requests
  • Wishlist/favorites feature
  • Improved catalog browsing
  • Seamless integration with online account
  • Ability to make payments directly in the app

In-app purchases

None

McMaster

No in-app purchases

None

Matco Tools

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is McMaster free?
McMaster is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Matco Tools free?
Matco Tools is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, McMaster or Matco Tools?
Matco Tools is rated higher. McMaster averages 4.3 out of 5 from 220 ratings, while Matco Tools averages 4.7 from 5.1K ratings.
Do McMaster or Matco Tools have ads?
Neither McMaster nor Matco Tools shows ads.
Which is updated more often, McMaster or Matco Tools?
McMaster ships an update every 5 weeks, and Matco Tools every 6 weeks. Most recently, McMaster was updated on September 17, 2026 and Matco Tools on September 22, 2026.

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