The best IT asset management software keeps an up-to-date record of every laptop, phone, server and software licence you own, ideally by finding them automatically rather than relying on someone to update a spreadsheet. Here are ten tools in no particular order, from free open source options to trial-led platforms, with what each free option covers.
An asset register is only as good as the day it was last updated. Most small businesses I talk to have one, usually a spreadsheet, and it's usually wrong by the time anyone needs it: the leaver's laptop that never came back, the licence still renewing for someone who left, the printer nobody can find on the network.
So here are ten IT asset management tools, alphabetical and in no particular order. I've taken each description from the maker's own website, re-checked today. The split is roughly this: some discover devices on your network for you, some are trackers you fill in with labels and scanners, and some sit inside a help desk. The free column tells you which you can keep using without a time limit.
IT asset trackers compared
Yes in the free plan column means an open source project or a free plan described on the maker's site, sometimes with a device limit. Trial only means a time-limited trial with no ongoing free version.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asset Infinity | Cloud asset tracking | Teams tracking IT and other equipment | Trial only |
| AssetTiger | Asset tracking app | Small teams tracking assets, any user count | Trial only |
| Freshservice | IT service desk and assets | IT teams wanting tickets plus asset records | Trial only |
| GLPI | Open source ITSM and CMDB | Self-hosting teams wanting open source tracking | Yes |
| InvGate Asset Management | IT asset management tool | IT teams wanting a dedicated asset product | Trial only |
| Lansweeper | IT asset discovery platform | Small estates wanting automatic discovery | Yes |
| OCS Inventory | Open source IT inventory | Teams wanting open source device inventory | Yes |
| Open-AudIT | Network discovery and inventory | Small estates needing free inventory | Yes |
| Reftab | Hardware and software tracking | IT teams tracking hardware and SaaS seats | Trial only |
| Snipe-IT | Open source asset manager | Self-hosting teams wanting free tracking | Yes |
Ten tools for tracking hardware and software
Asset Infinity
Best for: Small and mid-size teams wanting cloud asset tracking with check-in and check-out, QR or barcode labels and maintenance records, with a 14-day free trial.
AssetTiger
Best for: Small businesses that would rather plan around the number of assets than seats, with unlimited users and a 30-day free trial for up to 250 assets.
Freshservice
Best for: IT teams wanting asset records alongside their help desk and service catalogue in one platform, with a free trial on each plan.
GLPI
Best for: IT teams comfortable hosting their own system who want an open source helpdesk, inventory and CMDB, with a managed cloud option that has a 45-day trial.
InvGate Asset Management
Best for: IT teams wanting a dedicated asset management product they can test on their own environment for 30 days, with no credit card required.
Lansweeper
Best for: Small IT teams wanting automatic discovery of devices and software on their network, starting on a free plan for up to 100 assets.
OCS Inventory
Best for: IT departments wanting open source software that scans and inventories their devices, happy to run it themselves on a site that's largely in French.
Open-AudIT
Best for: Small IT estates wanting discovery, inventory and change tracking on a free plan for up to 100 devices, with no licence to buy.
Reftab
Best for: IT teams wanting hardware and software tracked together with assignment history and integrations such as Intune, Jamf and Jira, with a 14-day free trial.
Snipe-IT
Best for: IT teams happy to host their own copy who want free open source asset tracking, with hosted and supported options if time is short.
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How fresh should your asset register be? CISA's yardstick
Here's a useful benchmark from the US. CISA's Binding Operational Directive 23-01 requires US federal civilian agencies to run automated asset discovery every 7 days, covering at least the entire IPv4 space they use, and to check discovered assets for vulnerabilities every 14 days, including roaming devices such as laptops.
It doesn't bind a small business, and CISA only recommends it to everyone else. But it's a recognised answer to the question of how out of date is too out of date. If your register only changes when someone remembers to edit it, you're nowhere near weekly. A tool that scans the network on a schedule gets you much closer without extra work.
Discovery agents versus manual registers
- Network discovery: scans your network and lists what it finds. Great for accuracy, though devices that never join the office network can be missed.
- Labels and scanning: barcode or QR tags on each item. Good for check-in and check-out of kit that moves between people.
- Help desk with assets: links each ticket to the device it's about, which saves your IT person a lot of digging.
- Open source, self-hosted: free software, but you'll own the server, updates and backups.
Getting an inventory running in a fortnight
- Decide what counts as an asset: laptops and phones at minimum, then monitors, licences and network kit.
- Run a discovery scan, or a quick walk-round with labels, and accept that the first list will be messy.
- Match every device to a named person or a location.
- Add the software licences and who uses each seat, because that's where forgotten renewals hide.
- Set a weekly scan or check, using the CISA rhythm as your guide.
- Build a leaver checklist so kit comes back before the last day.
An accurate register is the base for everything else in security, and my guide on simple ways to tighten business security picks up from there. For keeping that software patched, see keeping your team's software secure and updated.
Do you make IT asset management software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on choosing an asset tracker
If you've got a small office network and a few dozen devices, try a free discovery tool first and see how much it finds on its own. You'll learn more from that scan than from any demo. If your kit moves around between people and sites, a label-based tracker with check-out will suit you better.
Before you pick anything, decide who keeps it up to date and how often. A tool nobody owns ends up as stale as the spreadsheet it replaced.
Frequently asked questions
What does IT asset management software do?
It keeps a record of your hardware and software: what you have, who has it, where each item lives and when licences or warranties end.
Is there free IT asset management software?
Yes. Several open source projects are free if you host them yourself, and a few tools offer free plans with a device or asset limit.
Do I need network discovery?
It helps a lot once you've got more than a handful of devices, because it finds things people forget to record. Remote laptops may still need an agent or a manual check.
How often should I update my asset list?
CISA's directive for US federal agencies uses weekly discovery. That isn't a rule for a small business, but it's a sensible target to aim for.
Can I track software licences too?
Many tools can. Check whether licences sit in the same record as the device and the person, because that's what makes renewals easy to spot.
Should asset tracking sit in my help desk?
If one small team handles both, keeping them together saves time. If assets are managed by facilities or finance, a separate tracker may be simpler.
