Transparency note: We compare CrewBrain with alternatives as neutrally as possible—but we are, of course, somewhat biased and confident that our solution is very good 🙂 We have also compared the systems based on publicly available information. It is therefore possible that our comparison is not complete.
We conducted our comparison in September 2025. The tools are constantly being developed, so changes may occur in the future.
Strengths at a glance
CrewBrain
- Personnel and event focus: Planning logic is based on jobs; assignments can be planned flexibly. Vacation and availability management included. The mobile app allows crew members to record times and view information.
- Complex time tracking & billing: Comprehensive time tracking with surcharges (e.g., night surcharges, overtime), optional billing modules for rates, temporary employment, and industry regulations.
- Temporary staffing & subcontractor connection: Synchronization of jobs between companies and automatic creation of application documents for temporary staffing.
- Travel expenses and vehicle fleet: Recording trips, expenses, and mileage allowances; digital logbook; travel expense accounting including German flat rates.
- Risk assessments: Risk management module for creating risk assessments, including automatic risk suggestions and a catalog of measures.
- API & Integration: Open interface for rental software and ERP systems.
Rentman
- Inventory & Equipment Management: Comprehensive management of material stocks. Users can import inventory, combine devices into bundles, assign storage locations, and record repairs or losses. Serialization at the individual item level enables tracking of usage, warranty, and depreciation.
- Equipment tracking with QR/RFID: Items can be scanned using a QR code, barcode, or RFID. This allows hundreds of devices to be checked in or scanned out in seconds; mandatory scanning points reduce loss and theft.
- Multi-warehouse & timeline overview: Equipment availability and movements are displayed in a timeline, even across multiple warehouses. Users can immediately see which devices are available, booked, being repaired, or subleased, and can resolve bottlenecks using alternative items or subrentals.
- Quotation & Invoicing Module: Rentman allows you to create quotations from project data, adjust prices, and obtain a complete overview of costs and margins. Customers can sign quotations online, and installment payments are managed in the system. The module includes a template editor, export functions, and connections to accounting systems such as QuickBooks.
- CRM functions: Stores customer data, notes, documents, and tasks centrally. Users can save payment terms and discounts for each customer and analyze sales trends for each customer.
- Analytics & Reports: Generate reports on project revenue, crew performance, equipment utilization, subrentals, and cost variances. Data can be exported as .xlsx or .csv files.
What are the tools designed for?
| Aspect | CrewBrain | Rentman |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Plans jobs, personnel, and events. The software is particularly designed for companies that need to organize crews and clients. The focus is on personnel planning, complex time tracking, and modules such as service provider integration (ANÜ), risk assessments, and travel expense management. | Modular operations management platform for AV rental and event companies. In addition to crew and project planning, Rentman offers extensive inventory and equipment functions (e.g., availability timeline, serialization, multi-warehouse management) and its own quotation and invoicing module. |
| Typical use cases | Project and event planning with changing personnel, time recording, temporary employment processing, travel expense accounting, risk assessment, fleet and vehicle logbook. | Combined management of equipment, crew, transport, and customers. Planning of materials and personnel, equipment tracking via QR/RFID codes, warehouse management, CRM, reporting, and creation of quotes and invoices. |
| Integration & Extensibility | Open REST API, export formats, and interfaces to common ERP/rental systems such as Eventworx, Rentman, IntelliEvent; modules for time accounting, temporary employment, vehicle fleet, travel expenses, and risk assessments. | Platform base plus modular products: equipment scheduling, crew scheduling, quoting and invoicing, equipment tracking. An API is provided; additional CRM area allows for custom fields and tasks for customers. |
Price & Transparency
| Pricing model | CrewBrain | Rentman |
|---|---|---|
| Basic fee | Three packages (Essential $34/month, Standard $57/month, Enterprise $80/month), each including 10 named users. Additional users and optional modules (e.g., time tracking, temporary employment, travel expenses) can be added as needed. | Platform fee of €39/month for the central operating platform (CRM, tasks, team collaboration, dashboard, file sharing, mobile app, and API). Then you choose modular products: Equipment Scheduling (€14–19/month/power user), Crew Scheduling (€14–24/month/power user), Quoting & Invoicing (€9/month/power user), and other add-ons such as History Logs. Basic users without planning rights are free of charge. Time recording, temporary employment, travel expenses) are added as needed. |
| Price transparency | Clear package prices, add-on modules, and additional users are listed openly on the website. | The price list is modular; the platform fee plus costs per module/power user are listed on the website. |
| Testing options | Free trial for 30 days; can be canceled monthly depending on the term. | Free trial for 30 days; can be canceled monthly depending on the term. |
Typical application sizes
| Factor | CrewBrain | Rentman |
|---|---|---|
| Company size | Well suited for small and medium-sized companies with a few to thousands of employees. The packages offer an affordable entry point; complex billing logic (overtime surcharges, etc.) can be added as an option. | Scalable from small rental companies to large full-service providers. Thanks to the modular system, you can start small and add equipment or crew modules as needed. Large companies with extensive equipment fleets benefit from the inventory and tracking functions. |
| Industries | Event technology, cultural productions, recruitment agencies, especially if the focus is on time recording, temporary employment administration, or travel expense accounting. | AV/event rental, party and catering companies, media studios, rental companies with large warehouses. The focus is on equipment rental and management, as well as mapping projects, crews, and customers on a single platform. |
Classification: when to use which tool?
CrewBrain is recommended for companies whose core business is personnel deployment and event planning and who want to cover internal processes such as time recording, temporary employment processing, travel expenses, or risk assessments. If the company has little equipment of its own or the warehouse is managed with other rental software, it benefits from the lean structure and transparent package prices.
Rentman is particularly worthwhile for rental and full-service companies that need to coordinate an extensive range of equipment in addition to crew planning. The modules for inventory management, equipment tracking with QR/RFID, quotations and invoicing, and CRM offer functions that CrewBrain does not cover. However, the platform is modular, so costs are based on the modules required.
In conclusion, the choice depends heavily on the business structure: personnel- and event-oriented companies are well served by CrewBrain, while material- and rental-oriented companies can better map their processes with Rentman. For many companies, however, a combination of Rentman + CrewBrain is also an option.
Rentman & CrewBrain in combination
In many cases, companies need both material management and comprehensive functionalities for personnel planning and payroll accounting. The combination of Rentman + CrewBrain can offer significant advantages, especially for extensive or complex time tracking requirements (surcharges, allowances, temporary employment, if applicable). With Rentman synchronization integrated into CrewBrain, both systems communicate with each other and data from Rentman (e.g., for quotes and orders) is automatically transferred to CrewBrain.
A free trial period with both providers helps you determine the right scope. And, of course, synchronization between Rentman and CrewBrain is already available during the trial period.
