How FriendsWithTools Makes Money
We built FriendsWithTools to help neighbors share tools without friction. Keeping our core tool-sharing platform free forever means being transparent about how we sustain the business. We earn through two channels—and neither one influences our reviews or recommendations.
Two simple revenue streams
FriendsWithTools runs on two complementary business models that don't compete with each other. The first funds our platform; the second pays for our reviews.
1. Premium subscriptions (platform)
The core tool-sharing experience—creating groups, lending, borrowing, tracking returns—is completely free and will stay that way forever. We believe neighbors helping neighbors shouldn't have a price tag.
For power users with large inventories or professional needs, we offer optional Premium and Commercial subscriptions. These add features like custom categories, NFC tag tracking, SMS notifications, and team management. If you never need these tools, the Free tier does everything you need.
No marketplace fees. We don't take a cut when you borrow tools. We don't charge per transaction. If something is free, it means free.
2. Affiliate commissions (reviews)
Our comparison and review section helps you choose the right tools. When you click a link to Amazon, Home Depot, Lowe's, or another retailer on our tool comparison pages and make a purchase, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
You pay the same price either way. The retailer pays us for the referral. That commission helps us invest in research, fact-checking, and editorial work to keep our reviews accurate.
Why affiliate income doesn't influence our ratings
This is the critical part: our affiliate income does not influence which tools we recommend or how we rank them.
Here's how we keep it separate. Our comparison criteria are built on:
- Manufacturer specifications — published by the makers
- Aggregated user reviews — from major retail platforms like Amazon and Home Depot
- Published test results — from independent labs and trusted sources
- Price and availability — verified on the date each review was published
Commission rates from different retailers have no impact on our rankings. A tool that earns us 1% commission gets the same fair treatment as a tool that earns us 10%. What matters is how it performs against our criteria.
Our editorial team reviews and updates every comparison. When a tool no longer meets our standards, we remove it—even if we're losing affiliate income.
What this means for you
When you use FriendsWithTools to share tools with people you trust, it costs you nothing. The platform stays free forever.
When you read our tool comparisons, you're reading honest research. Our affiliate relationships are transparent, disclosed on every product page, and have no bearing on our editorial judgment.
You should make buying decisions based on what's best for your needs—not what earns us the most. If a competitor's tool is genuinely better for your situation, we'll say so.
Full transparency
Want all the legal details? Check out our Affiliate Disclosure page. It lists every affiliate network we work with, explains our cookie policy, and confirms that we meet all FTC disclosure requirements.
If you have questions about our business model or spot something that doesn't feel transparent, reach out. We take this seriously.