AED Log vs Spreadsheets: Pricing, Features & Differences

AED Log wrote this comparison. We’ve tried to be fair to spreadsheets: for some programs, one is enough.

The short answer

An AED tracking spreadsheet costs nothing and works for a few AEDs with one careful owner. AED Log costs from $114 a year and does the remembering: it warns you before pads, batteries and certifications expire, records every inspection with who did it and when, and alerts the right people when a check fails.

Key takeaways

A spreadsheet is free, flexible and enough for one or two AEDs with a disciplined owner.
A spreadsheet never reminds anyone: every expiration date waits for someone to read it.
AED Log fills in pad and battery dates from its catalog, sends reminders, and keeps a timestamped record of every inspection.
The real cost of a spreadsheet is the staff time to keep it current, which grows with every AED.
Moving is simple: our team imports your sheet from our CSV templates.

AED Log vs a spreadsheet at a glance

The difference is who does the remembering. A spreadsheet stores dates; AED Log watches them, reminds people, and records what they did.

AED Log vs an AED tracking spreadsheet at a glance. AED Log’s facts are from its pricing page and product; the spreadsheet column is what Excel or Google Sheets does without add-ons.
Feature	AED Log	Spreadsheet
Cost to start	From $114 a year, flat per tier of AEDs	Free in Excel or Google Sheets
Reminders before pads, batteries and certifications expire	Automatic, by email and in Slack, Microsoft Teams or Discord	Only if someone reads the sheet, or builds their own
Expiration dates	Filled in from a catalog of 78 pads and batteries	Typed by hand
Inspections	Checklists on any phone, started by scanning the AED’s QR label	Typed into a row, often after the fact
Failed checks	A corrective action opens and the right people are alerted	Noticed when someone reads the row
Records and audit trail	Who did what and when, kept automatically; PDF and CSV reports	Whatever was typed, editable by anyone with access
Many sites and people	Unlimited users and locations, each person limited to their sites	One shared file, or many files
Other equipment	Fire extinguishers, first aid, eyewash and five more types as add-ons	Another tab for each

Where a spreadsheet is enough

A spreadsheet is enough when you have one or two AEDs at one site, one person who owns them, and the habit of checking the sheet every month. It costs nothing and you already know how to use it.

For a small office with one AED, a spreadsheet, or even a paper tag on the AED, can do the job. Put these columns in it:

The AED’s location, brand, model and serial number.
The pads’ and battery’s expiration dates, including any child pads.
One row per monthly inspection: the date, who checked it, and the result of each check.
Your responders and their CPR and AED card expiration dates.

Then set a monthly calendar reminder to open the sheet and inspect the AED. Our free AED inspection log sheet and AED inspection checklist PDF cover the same checks on paper, and the monthly AED inspection checklist explains each one.

The weak point is the owner. When that person changes jobs or goes on leave, the sheet stops being read, and nobody notices until the pads have expired.

Where AED Log is stronger

AED Log is stronger wherever a spreadsheet relies on someone remembering: reminders before dates pass, alerts when a check fails, records that show who did what, and access for many people across many sites.

Reminders that arrive on their own. AED Log warns you before every pad, battery, certification and inspection date, by email right away or in a digest, or in Slack, Microsoft Teams or Discord. See compliance alerts.
Dates filled in for you. Pick the pad or battery from the catalog of 78 parts and its expiration date fills in from its shelf life. See pad and battery tracking.
Inspections on a phone. Scan the AED’s QR label, answer the checklist, and the record is saved with who did it and when. A failed answer opens a corrective action. See AED inspection tracking.
Records you can show. An activity log of who did what, and reports such as Inspection History and Expiration Forecast as CSV or a branded PDF. See compliance reports.
Many sites and people. Unlimited users and locations, with each person limited to the sites they look after.
Recalls. FDA AED recalls are checked weekly and matched to your AEDs.

What each really costs at 1, 10 and 50 AEDs

A spreadsheet’s license is free, but someone has to keep it current: read the dates, chase missed inspections and send reminders by hand. That time grows with every AED, while AED Log’s price is flat for each tier.

Yearly cost at 1, 10 and 50 AEDs. AED Log’s prices are its published tiers. The spreadsheet’s time assumes 10 minutes per AED per month to keep the sheet current, an assumption, not a measurement.
AEDs	AED Log, per year	Spreadsheet
1	$114	$0 + about 2 hours a year
10	$660	$0 + about 20 hours a year
50	$3,000	$0 + about 100 hours a year

Use your own numbers. Multiply the hours by what an hour of the person keeping the sheet costs you. The monthly inspection itself takes about the same time either way, so it isn’t counted.

The bigger cost is a miss. An expired set of pads, a dead battery or a lapsed certification found during an emergency or an audit costs far more than either column. The AED law data in AED Log lists 34 states that require AEDs to be properly inspected and maintained, and a spreadsheet only shows that if it’s kept up.

Moving your spreadsheet into AED Log

Copy your columns into AED Log’s CSV templates, send them to us, and our team imports your locations, AEDs and responders. There’s no self-serve bulk import, and nothing for your team to install.

Sign up and choose the plan for your number of AEDs. See pricing.
Fill in our CSV templates from your sheet: locations, AEDs with their pad and battery dates, and responders with their certifications.
We import them and check the result with you.
Invite your team and choose who gets alerts.
Print QR labels for your AEDs and run your next monthly inspection in AED Log.

Keep the old sheet as a record of past inspections. Comparing software instead? See the best AED program management software, or AED Log vs AED365 and AED Log vs ZOLL PlusTrac.

AED Log vs spreadsheets FAQ

Is there free AED tracking software?

A spreadsheet in Excel or Google Sheets is the free option, though it won’t remind anyone. AED Log isn’t free: plans start at $114 a year, with reminders, inspection records and reports included.

What should an AED tracking spreadsheet include?

Each AED’s location, brand, model and serial number, its pads’ and battery’s expiration dates, a row for each monthly inspection with the date, inspector and result, and responders’ certification dates. Our log sheet is a start.

When should I move from a spreadsheet to AED software?

When reminders start depending on one person, when you have AEDs at more than one site or more than one inspector, or when you need to show records to an auditor, insurer or state agency.

Does AED Log have a free trial?

Yes. Every new AED Log account starts with a 45-day free trial, and no credit card is needed. It includes every feature and equipment type; medical direction can be added once you choose a plan. After the trial, plans start at $114 a year. You can also talk to us or see the features first.

Can you import my existing AED list?

Yes. Send us your list in our CSV templates and our team imports your locations, AEDs and responders for you. There is no self-serve bulk import.

AED Log vs an AED Tracking Spreadsheet