AirTags vs Raken: Construction Field Software Comparison 2025

Understanding What You're Comparing

This comparison requires an important clarification:

Raken is field documentation software designed for construction crews. It handles daily reports, time tracking, photo documentation, safety checklists, and equipment usage logging. Raken helps you document what happens on the jobsite.

Apple AirTags are location trackers. Attach one to equipment, and it reports location automatically via Apple's Find My network. No documentation, no time tracking—just "where is this thing?"

These aren't competing products. Raken documents field activities; AirTags find equipment. Many construction companies use both.

Company Background

Raken was born from a common construction problem: the disconnect between field and office. The founders surveyed hundreds of construction companies struggling to share real-time progress updates and built a mobile-first solution for field documentation.

How Each System Works

Raken

1. Daily Reports: Field crews document work completed, weather, crew count, notes
2. Time Tracking: Workers clock in/out via mobile app with GPS verification
3. Photo Documentation: Capture jobsite photos with timestamps and watermarks
4. Equipment Logging: Record equipment usage, hours, maintenance needs
5. Safety Checklists: Complete inspections and toolbox talks digitally

Result: Complete documentation of field activities, automatically compiled into PDF reports

AirTags

1. Attach: Secure AirTag to equipment
2. Track: Location updates automatically via Find My network
3. Find: Locate equipment anytime without manual input

Result: Know where equipment is without anyone logging anything

Pricing Comparison

Raken Costs

Key considerations:

• Per-user pricing scales with team size
• Most value for companies with many field workers
• Free trial available
• Equipment logging included but not automatic tracking

AirTags + AirPinpoint Costs

25-User Team with 50 Assets (3 Years)

Raken Professional:

• Platform: 25 × $25 × 36 = $22,500
• No equipment location tracking included
• Total: ~$22,500 (documentation only)

AirTags + AirPinpoint:

• Hardware: 50 × $29 = $1,450
• Platform: $150 × 36 = $5,400
• Batteries: ~$250
• Total: ~$7,100 (location tracking only)

Combined Approach:

• Raken: $22,500 (for field documentation)
• AirTags: $7,100 (for equipment location)
• Total: ~$29,600 (complete visibility)

The question isn't which to choose—it's whether you need documentation, location tracking, or both.

What Raken Does Well

Daily Reporting Excellence

Raken's core strength is streamlining field documentation:

• Mobile-first design: Built for crews in the field, not office workers
• Offline mode: Cache data for the last 5 projects when connectivity fails
• Auto-compiled PDFs: Reports generate automatically with your branding
• Weather integration: Automatically logs weather conditions
• Photo watermarks: Add timestamps, GPS coordinates, company logo to all photos

Time Tracking

Raken provides robust time management:

• Digital time cards: Eliminate paper and manual entry
• GPS verification: Capture coordinates at clock in/out
• Crew management: Clock entire crews with one action
• Cost code allocation: Track labor by category
• AI photo ID: Prevent buddy punching with photo verification

Safety and Quality

Construction-specific compliance features:

• Toolbox talks: Digital safety meeting documentation
• Safety checklists: Custom inspection forms
• Incident reporting: Document accidents and near-misses
• OSHA compliance: Pre-built safety templates

Equipment Management (Logging, Not Tracking)

Raken's 2024 equipment expansion provides:

• Usage logging: Record equipment hours, mileage, fuel
• Maintenance scheduling: Track service needs and history
• Project assignment: Know which project equipment is assigned to
• Condition documentation: Log deficiencies and repairs
• Reporting: Equipment usage reports by project

Important distinction: This is equipment logging, not location tracking. Raken knows what equipment is assigned where based on user input—it doesn't know where equipment physically is right now.

Integrations

Raken connects with construction software ecosystem:

• Project Management: Procore, Autodesk BIM 360, PlanGrid
• Accounting: QuickBooks, Sage 300, Viewpoint Vista
• ERP: CMiC, Foundation, Spectrum
• Collaboration: Bluebeam

Raken Limitations

No Automatic Equipment Location

This is the fundamental distinction:

• Equipment location in Raken is based on manual logs
• If no one logs equipment activity, Raken has no location data
• "Last known location" is where someone last documented it
• Equipment can be moved without Raken knowing

For "where is the excavator right now?", Raken requires asking humans, not checking software.

Mobile App Issues

User reviews consistently mention:

• Unexpected app reboots and crashes
• Slow loading times, especially on Android
• "Long slow loading, resets itself"
• Some features work better on iOS than Android

Limited Mobile Administration

• Adding new employees requires desktop
• Some admin tasks can't be done from the field
• "Should be able to adjust options from phone"

No Geofencing

Unlike some competitors:

• Can't restrict clock-ins to job site boundaries
• Workers can clock in from anywhere
• No alerts when workers leave designated areas

Integration Challenges

Some users report:

• "Coders are absolutely inexperienced in construction cost coding"
• Accounting integrations require back-and-forth with support
• Sales promises vs. delivery gaps on custom integrations

Report Access

• Reports must be emailed rather than viewed directly
• Can't always export to Excel
• Some reporting limitations noted

Feature Comparison

When to Choose Each Solution

Choose Raken When:

1. Daily documentation is the priority: You need to prove what happened on the jobsite
2. Time tracking is essential: Accurate labor hours matter for payroll and billing
3. Safety compliance required: OSHA documentation and toolbox talks needed
4. Photo evidence important: Need timestamped, branded jobsite photos
5. Project coordination complex: Multiple crews across multiple projects
6. Integrations needed: Already using Procore, Sage, or other construction software

Choose AirTags When:

1. Equipment location is the priority: "Where is it?" is the main question
2. Assets move between sites: Equipment travels without assigned users
3. Theft prevention matters: Want to recover stolen equipment
4. No one will log reliably: Field crews won't consistently document equipment
5. Quick deployment needed: Need tracking today, not after configuration
6. Budget is asset-focused: Cost per equipment makes more sense than cost per user

The Combined Approach

Most construction companies benefit from using both:

Use Raken for:

• Daily reports to clients and supervisors
• Time tracking and payroll
• Photo documentation for disputes and records
• Safety checklists and compliance
• Equipment usage and maintenance logs

Use AirTags for:

• Knowing where equipment actually is
• Finding equipment that's been moved
• Tracking assets between job sites
• High-value equipment anti-theft
• Backup location for critical assets

This combination provides complete visibility: Raken documents what's happening; AirTags show where things are.

Raken vs. Other Construction Software

Raken competes in the field documentation space, not equipment tracking. For automatic location tracking, purpose-built solutions like AirTags or Tenna are needed.

Our Recommendation

For field documentation: Raken delivers strong value. If daily reports, time tracking, and photo documentation are your primary needs, Raken's mobile-first design makes field crews more efficient. The $12/user starting price is competitive for the feature set.

For equipment location: Raken won't help. Equipment management in Raken is usage logging—it tracks what equipment did, not where equipment is. Manual logs are only as current as your last entry.

For complete construction visibility: Use both. Raken provides the documentation trail that clients and supervisors need. AirTags provide the real-time equipment location that prevents losses and saves search time. They solve different problems at different price points.

The key question: Do you need to document what's happening or find where things are? Raken excels at documentation. AirTags excel at location. Most construction operations need both capabilities, making these complementary tools rather than alternatives.