We’ve had a noticeable wave of Fulcrum users coming to us, eager to migrate — and fast.
So, we decided it’s time to explain the fundamental differences between Appenate and Fulcrum and why we think more teams are making the switch.
The reasons? Sudden price hikes, rigid user minimums, and annual lock-ins add up to more roadblocks and less flexibility.
We’re not here to throw shade — Fulcrum is a great platform!
But if those issues have slowed your team down or forced you to rethink your setup, this comparison is for you.
Let’s break it down.👇🏻
What Appenate & Fulcrum Have in Common
Let’s start with the overlap, because both platforms have solid foundations.
Appenate and Fulcrum are both built for mobile data capture in the field.
They offer offline-first capabilities and flexible form-building tools that help teams eliminate paper.
Whether you’re conducting inspections, audits, field reporting, or compliance documentation, the core essentials are present in BOTH. ✅
This includes;
- Offline data capture, so your team can keep working without any signal.
- GPS & GIS functionality for accurate location tracking and spatial features.
- Tasking and job assignments to keep workflows moving and field teams aligned.
- Multi-step workflow support that automates approval chains.
- Secure, flexible platforms that can adapt to different industries and use cases.
- A strong range of integrations, from API access to built-in connectors for broader ecosystem compatibility.
So, yes — both Appenate and Fulcrum are capable platforms, and either can serve as a good starting point for going digital.
But if you’re running into limits — with pricing, usage caps, customisation, or deployment options — the differences start to matter fast.
Let’s take a closer look at where Appenate pulls ahead.
The Appenate Advantage
1. Transparent, Stable Pricing
At Appenate, we like to keep things steady and straightforward — no surprise fees, forced upgrades, or sudden price hikes.
In fact, we’ve only raised our prices once (and that was over a decade ago!🤣)
Since then, we’ve remained committed to our belief that pricing should be predictable and fair, not a moving target.
So if you’re thinking long-term and need a platform that respects your budget and workflows, you’re in good hands. 🤝
Here’s what you get with Appenate:
- A flat monthly fee per active user.
- Full access to features — no hidden tiers or locked tools.
- Pricing you can actually plan around!
- No annual lock-ins (though we offer generous discounts if you opt for yearly payments).
On the other hand, Fulcrum recently bumped up its prices and introduced extra costs tied to usage, submission limits, and user counts, all of which make scaling a bit trickier.
They also lock you into an annual contract after your first year – something to keep in mind if flexibility matters to you.
“Easy-to-use, great functionality and affordable price tag.”
– Oliver [Business Director – Capterra Review]
2. Unlimited Forms, Apps, Submissions & Storage
With Appenate, your growth isn’t met with limits or mid-project paywalls.
You get: Unlimited forms, apps, submissions (on premium), and storage.
We keep it this way to reduce unnecessary complexity. Running a business is already tough — your software shouldn’t add more “what ifs” to the mix.
We don’t enforce hard limits. Instead, we let you use our platform’s capacity until you hit naturally emerging limitations, like a background job that might time out after 120 seconds or your mobile device’s file memory limit.
If those issues arise, we’ll guide you through an innovative redesign rather than limit your potential from the start.
Meanwhile, Fulcrum introduces more structural limits: daily workflow caps, storage ceilings, and data transfer restrictions — all of which you’ll need to factor in as you plan your operations at scale.
“Appenate is an excellent product with unlimited potential.”
– Piotr [Senior Project Manager – Amey UK]
3. Advanced Screen Types for Complex Workflows
If your processes go beyond a basic form, Appenate gives you the structure to match — and the flexibility to grow with it.
Fulcrum supports the standard field types — text, dropdowns, photos, signatures, and the like — but everything lives inside a single, continuous form.
You can nest sections and apply some logic, but there’s no way to break things into distinct stages or craft a guided user experience.
Appenate takes a more modular approach.
You get a full set of screen types, including:
- Form screens for detailed data capture.
- List views to pull rows from a data source.
- Detail screens to show specifics for a selected item.
- Icon boards to build custom menus and start pages.
- Maps to display records as pins in the field.
You can even link screens together — so your app feels like a real app, not a flat checklist. A welcome screen, a task list, then the forms and data views your team needs — all inside one app that reflects how you work.
“The flexibility in unlimited form creation has been a massive cost saver to the company.”
– ICT Manager Unique
4. Built-In NFC Compatibility
If your team tags assets, scans checkpoints, or logs equipment in the field, NFC can speed things up, and Appenate natively supports it.
One tap pulls up the right screen, fills in key info, or logs the interaction.
No typing, no scrolling. It works offline and shines in high-volume, hands-busy environments.
Appenate also supports barcode and QR scanning, so you have options, depending on the job.
Fulcrum offers barcode and QR, too, but lacks NFC entirely.
That means no tap-to-fill shortcuts or hands-free workflow, which can slow things down when speed and efficiency matter most.
5. Contactless Signature Capture
With Appenate, people can sign forms from their own devices—whether they’re clients, contractors, or team members in the field.
It’s a quicker, cleaner way to get sign-off, especially when working in remote areas or trying to avoid sharing devices. 📵
Fulcrum only supports signatures on the same device, which can slow things down or create awkward handovers — not ideal for safety checks, deliveries, or compliance forms.
6. On-Premise Deployment for Enterprise Control
Some organizations can’t rely solely on cloud-based platforms — whether due to compliance requirements, internal policies, or data residency laws.
For these teams, the ability to deploy software on-premise is critical!
Appenate offers full on-premise deployment, giving you control over where and how your data is stored and managed. 🛅
You can host the platform on your own servers, behind your firewall, ensuring it aligns with your IT and regulatory standards.
Fulcrum is primarily cloud-based, but its Fulcrum Sync feature—available on the Enterprise plan—allows you to sync data to your own systems.
While this provides more control over data access and integration, it’s not the same as hosting the full platform on-premise.
For organizations that need complete infrastructure control, Appenate still holds the upper hand.💪🏻
“Appenate has become the centre of all our operational administration. So much of what we do with Appenate has become mission-critical to us.”
– Simon Ozanne, Alacon Aero
7. Full White-Label Platform
Appenate is fully white-label ready — ideal if you ever need to present the platform as your own.
You can customise everything: app name, icon, login URL, colours, and even client-facing support pages.
This is especially valuable if you’re:
- A reseller offering mobile solutions under your own brand.
- An OEM embedding forms or workflow tools into a broader service.
- A consultant or systems integrator creating a unified experience for clients.
- Or simply a team that wants users to engage with your branding, not ours.
Fulcrum doesn’t offer full white labeling, so if delivering a fully branded experience is part of your roadmap (now or later), Appenate gives you the flexibility to make it happen!
“Thanks to Appenate, we’ve been able to expand all over the world by offering comprehensive digital transformation solutions to companies in all major industries”
– Vivek Gupta, Founder & CEO at qubesense
8. Free 1-on-1 Training & Support
Getting started with a new platform can be overwhelming, especially if you’re migrating processes, training a team, or building something complex.
Appenate offers free, unlimited support for life.
From your first login, you’re paired with a team ready to help you solve your problems (not just answer tickets!)
We’ll walk you through setup and provide quality 1-on-1 training (for free!)
Fulcrum provides standard support, such as documentation, email, and online resources.
While training materials are available, personalized onboarding or hands-on guidance are not clearly mentioned unless you’re on an enterprise plan.
You may need to rely more on internal resources to get your team up and running.
“Appenate’s support is the gold standard all other software suppliers should be attempting to achieve. What has surprised me is the level of support has not changed over time; it remains consistently good.”
– Mark Chimes, McClelland Concrete Pumping Solutions
Quick Decision Checklist: Is Appenate the Better Fit For You?
Ask yourself:
✅Is platform flexibility important to you?
✅Are you looking for cost predictability?
✅Does your organization require on-premise or hybrid deployments?
✅ Would hands-on support save you hours during rollout?
✅ Are NFC scanning or contactless workflows part of your process?
✅ Do you need full control over branding and user experience?
If you said yes to any of the above, it’s worth exploring Appenate.😉
Why Not See For Yourself?
Start a free trial (no pressure, no credit card), and we’ll be here to help from the start.
We’ll work with you to quickly get a proof of concept up and running so you can see how Appenate can benefit your team and your workflow before signing any dotted line.
Want to see how we compare to other platforms? Check out our detailed breakdowns!
Until next time!🙂