Softwr

Inventory · head to head

Quartzy vs UpKeep

Quartzy logo

Quartzy

Inventory

Lab inventory and ordering software funded by the supply marketplace attached to it

From
$50/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
UpKeep logo

UpKeep

Inventory

Mobile-first maintenance management

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only UpKeep has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Quartzy the vendor earns margin on supplies bought through its own Shop, so the recommended purchasing path is not necessarily the cheapest one for a university that already holds negotiated supplier contracts.; UpKeep offline mobile mode limited to Professional tier and above
  • They diverge on capability: Quartzy covers Inventory tracking, UpKeep covers Work order management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Quartzy and UpKeep actually diverge.

Attributes where Quartzy and UpKeep differ
AttributeQuartzyUpKeep
Starting price$50/monthFree
Pricing modelPer month by user tierUnknown
Free tierNoYes
FoundedUnknown2014

Identical on both: platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Inventory).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Quartzy

  • Inventory tracking
  • Request and approval
  • Quartzy Shop
  • Order tracking
  • Spend reporting
  • Barcode scanning
  • PunchOut
  • Vendor catalogues

Only in UpKeep

  • Work order management
  • Preventive maintenance
  • Asset management
  • Mobile-first
  • SAP
  • Oracle
  • Salesforce
  • QuickBooks

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Quartzy

  • An academic lab of three postdocs replacing a shared freezer spreadsheet that nobody updates after a reagent runs outnot UpKeep
  • A small biotech that wants requests approved by a lab manager before any money is committednot UpKeep
  • A principal investigator tracking consumable spend against separate grant codes for reportingnot UpKeep
  • A growing company standardising ordering across two lab sites so duplicate reagent purchases stopnot UpKeep

UpKeep

  • Preventive and reactive maintenance schedulingnot Quartzy
  • Work order management across multiple locationsnot Quartzy
  • Asset lifecycle tracking and compliancenot Quartzy

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Quartzy

  • The vendor earns margin on supplies bought through its own Shop, so the recommended purchasing path is not necessarily the cheapest one for a university that already holds negotiated supplier contracts.
  • Seat limits are tight, at three users on Academia and five on Industry, and exceeding them pushes you into a quoted Enterprise contract rather than a predictable per seat increment.
  • It is not a LIMS: there is no sample workflow, instrument integration, electronic lab notebook or 21 CFR Part 11 audit trail, so a lab moving toward regulated work will need a second system.
  • Prices are billed annually, so the USD 250 Industry plan is a USD 3,000 upfront commitment for a five-person team, which is significant for an early-stage company.
  • Supplier catalogue coverage and pricing accuracy vary by region, and labs outside the United States frequently find their usual distributors missing or their contract pricing not reflected.

UpKeep

  • Offline mobile mode limited to Professional tier and above
  • Per-user pricing model; costs scale significantly with team size
  • Free trial available but tier details not documented; duration unspecified

Pricing, plan by plan

Quartzy

$50/month
  • Academia$50/month
    • Billed annually
    • Up to 3 users
    • Inventory tracking and request workflow
  • Industry$250/month
    • Billed annually
    • Up to 5 users
    • Everything in Academia
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Quoted pricing
    • Unlimited users
    • PunchOut integration with institutional procurement

UpKeep

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the UpKeep review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Quartzy if

  • You need inventory tracking.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want request and approval.
Quartzy review

Choose UpKeep if

  • You need work order management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want preventive maintenance.
UpKeep review

Questions people ask

Is Quartzy or UpKeep better?
Neither clearly leads. Quartzy starts at $50/month and UpKeep at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Quartzy or UpKeep?
UpKeep has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $50/month for Quartzy and Free for UpKeep.
Does Quartzy or UpKeep run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use UpKeep for free?
Yes. UpKeep has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Quartzy starts at $50/month.
What is Quartzy best used for?
Quartzy is most often used for an academic lab of three postdocs replacing a shared freezer spreadsheet that nobody updates after a reagent runs out, a small biotech that wants requests approved by a lab manager before any money is committed, a principal investigator tracking consumable spend against separate grant codes for reporting, a growing company standardising ordering across two lab sites so duplicate reagent purchases stop. Of those, an academic lab of three postdocs replacing a shared freezer spreadsheet that nobody updates after a reagent runs out and a small biotech that wants requests approved by a lab manager before any money is committed are not what UpKeep is typically brought in for.
What can Quartzy do that UpKeep cannot?
Quartzy covers Inventory tracking, Request and approval, Quartzy Shop, Order tracking. UpKeep covers Work order management, Preventive maintenance, Asset management, Mobile-first.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Quartzy: How much does Quartzy cost?

USD 50 per month billed annually for up to three users on Academia, USD 250 per month for up to five users on Industry, and quoted pricing for unlimited users on Enterprise.

UpKeep: How much does UpKeep cost per user?

UpKeep pricing starts at $24/user/month for the Essential tier, $55/user/month for Premium, with Professional and Enterprise tiers available at custom quotes. All plans include unlimited work orders and locations.

Source
Quartzy: Do I have to buy supplies through Quartzy?

No, you can record orders placed elsewhere. But the Shop is how Quartzy earns beyond the subscription, and supplier credits are tied to it.

UpKeep: What does the free trial include?

UpKeep offers a free trial with no credit card required on the Essential and Premium tiers. Users can try the product before committing to paid plans.

Source
Quartzy: Is Quartzy a LIMS?

No. It handles inventory and purchasing. It does not do sample workflow, instrument data or regulated electronic records.

UpKeep: Are Nova AI credits included in the pricing?

Yes, Nova AI credits are included with every plan: 250 credits with Essential, 500 with Premium, 750 with Professional, and 1,000 with Enterprise tiers.

Source
Quartzy: What happens when we exceed the user limit?

You move to Enterprise, which is quoted rather than listed, so budget for a step change rather than an extra seat charge.

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