Comparison
Patchify vs H2R Gear
H2R Gear and Patchify are both browser tools for drawing AV systems from a library of devices and documenting the cables. H2R Gear centres on diagrams, packlists and patch lists. Patchify adds racks, patch panels, a cable schedule, a bill of materials and job sheets to the same project. This page uses H2R Gear's own published information, checked on 9 October 2026.
Written by Callum Buckley ·
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What does H2R Gear do well?
H2R Gear is built around planning and packing a show. You place gear, draw cables between it and get a packlist you can tick off.
- Free plan: 2 active plans with the community gear library, gear builder, cables, labels and packlists, at no cost.
- 30-day pass: $19 once for all Pro features for 30 days, with no subscription. Useful for a one-off show.
- Community library: H2R Gear states 115k+ items built by its users, and 25k+ users.
- Packlists: generated from the plan, with check-off.
- Touch: it lists full tablet and touch support.
- Team pricing: $250 a year for 3 members.
How do the plans and prices compare? (checked 9 October 2026)
Both sell yearly plans in US dollars. H2R Gear is yearly only; Patchify also has monthly billing. For one person the yearly prices are close. For a team, H2R Gear costs less.
| H2R Gear | Patchify | |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 2 active plans, no exports or patch lists | 1 project, view only (after the trial) |
| Short-term | 30-day pass: $19 once | Monthly: Starter $15, Pro $30 |
| Single user | Pro: $150/year, 100 active plans | Starter: $150/year, 10 projects. Pro: $300/year, unlimited projects |
| Team | $250/year with 3 members, +$80/year per extra member | Team: $1,000/year with 5 members. Business: $2,500/year with 15 |
| Trial | None listed; free plan and 30-day pass instead | 30 days, no credit card |
A five-person team on yearly billing pays about $410 a year on H2R Gear (3 members plus 2 extra) and $1,000 a year on Patchify Team.
What does each one produce from the drawing?
This table lists what each vendor's site lists. "Not listed" means we could not find it on H2R Gear's pages, not that it is impossible.
| H2R Gear | Patchify | |
|---|---|---|
| Signal flow diagram | Yes | Yes, with connections checked by signal type |
| Patch list | Yes, CSV export (paid plans) | Patchlists on Pro and above; cable schedule CSV and Excel |
| Packlist / kit list | Yes, with check-off | Kit list, and import of a kit list from Excel or CSV |
| Rack elevations | Not listed | 19" and 10" racks, front and rear, with power and weight |
| Patch panels | Not listed | Custom panels, DXF faceplates and labels |
| Bill of materials | Not listed | Cables and connectors priced from CPC (UK) or Newark (US) |
| Exports | PNG, JPG, PDF | PNG, PDF, CSV, Excel, DXF |
| Job sheets | Not listed | Checklists and on-site signatures (Pro) |
| Platform | Browser, tablet and touch | Browser, plus a Windows desktop app that works offline |
How do the device libraries differ?
H2R Gear's library is community-built and large. Patchify's library has about 5,000 devices, each with its inputs and outputs typed by signal, so a cable from an HDMI output to an SDI input is flagged. The checked part of the library is public at the gear library. Both tools let you build missing gear yourself.
When is H2R Gear the better choice?
- You want a free plan that keeps 2 working plans.
- You need the paid features for one show and want to pay once ($19 for 30 days).
- Your main outputs are a diagram, a patch list and a packlist.
- You plan on a tablet.
- You are a team of 3 to 5 and price matters more than racks, panels or a bill of materials.
When is Patchify the better choice?
- You need rack elevations and patch panels from the same devices as the diagram.
- You want a cable schedule and a priced bill of materials for the build.
- You hand over job sheets with checklists and signatures.
- You need DXF output for panel faceplates or drawings.
- You work offline on a Windows laptop on site.
Sources
- H2R Gear pricing: h2rgear.com/pricing (checked 9 October 2026)
- H2R Gear features and user numbers: h2rgear.com (checked 9 October 2026)
- Patchify plans: patchify.app/pricing
H2R Gear is a trademark of its owner. Prices change; check the vendor's site before you buy. If anything here is out of date, email [email protected] and we will correct it.
Try it on your next job
Draw the system once and get the cable schedule, rack and PDF pack from the same project.