Test & Tag Software Comparison: Free vs Paid
When buying a portable appliance tester in today's market, there have never been so many different features to compare and models to look at. Because there's such a vast range to evaluate, a lot of decision-making needs to go into this before you make your PAT tester choice.
In this blog post, we take a closer look at one of the most critical features - PAT software, the essential component for advanced testing and tagging.
In the test and tag world, you have two choices: you can either use paid software or, if you prefer, take advantage of free versions that are available. Let's break down everything you need to know about test and tag software.
| Software | Price | Compatibility | Testers' Brands | Features |
| PAT Software | Free | PC Only | Metrel Seaward Wavecom |
Basic single report and limited use time before needing a full purchase |
| PAT Guard 3 Elite | $1,499 | PC only | Seaward |
|
| PATLink | $100 | Android Devices | Metrel |
|
| aPAT | $250 | Android Devices | Metrel |
|
Feature Comparison
Some portable appliance tester manufacturers offer their own software, while others are third-party. The cost and functionality of these various options can range from "free and basic" to "expensive and feature-rich".
As you would expect, the free software doesn't have a lot of frills or features but generally provides a basic single report that is often adequate for most people's needs. But if you want to store data as a record of your tests, then you need something more.
The ease of use and the degree of customisation of these free offerings varies across all manufacturers, so it is worth finding out what the software can and can't do before purchasing the portable appliance tester.
Paid software, such as PATGuard Elite (used for Seaward testers) or PATlink and aPAT (for Metrel), will generally have more features and offer various reporting formats and customisation.
For example, with the PATGuard 3 Elite, you can send customers reminders via email when retesting is due, which is typically something you won't be able to do with free versions.
There will also be more options around how your testing data is managed, stored, and retrieved. But again, it's advised to see what it can and can't do before committing to a particular make or model of the tester.
Most paid software options will have a trial version available, so we certainly recommend taking advantage of this to see exactly what functionality it has to offer.
Device and Software Compatibility
Currently, manufacturers supply PAT software that is predominantly PC-based. Unfortunately, this is not the case for Mac users, which is a common pain point for our customers who are more accustomed to Macs. Some third-party options are browser-based but require manual input of information.
This is also the case with mobile device applications currently only available on Android due to Apple's security restrictions. Most mobile applications have a free DEMO mode, and the user can choose to purchase a one-time licence to remove the DEMO MODE message.
The Bottom Line
There are almost as many options for PAT software as for actual PAT testers. And more often than not, you will surely get what you pay for – either "cheap and basic" or "expensive and feature-rich". Other than pure dollars, effectively, your choice also depends on your work requirements.
Our recommendation is if you're just starting in the test and tag industry, an appliance tester with free software would most likely do the job for you. But if you're testing numerous items, you might want to consider one of the paid versions.
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