New from WP Inventory · Trusted since 2013
Lend out your gear and always know who has it.
Borrowdesk is a free WordPress plugin for lending things out. Boats, books, tools, cameras, laptops. You see who has what, and when it is due back.
Works with WP Inventory Manager, free or Pro. Premium trial needs no card.
“Who has the drill?”
You lend things out. A paper sign-out sheet, a spreadsheet, a group chat. Then someone asks for the drill, the camera or the spare life jackets, and nobody knows where they went.
Items come back late, or not at all. Damage goes unnoticed until the next person finds it. You spend your time chasing people instead of running your club, school or tool room.
One place for every loan, inside WordPress
Borrowdesk adds lending to WP Inventory Manager. You check items out to a borrower with a due date, see what is out and what is overdue, and record the condition when it comes back. Borrowers don’t need a login. Your data stays on your site.
What you can track
Who has what
A page per borrower with everything they have out. On-loan, due-today and overdue views.
Single items or stock
Track units by asset tag, or by quantity for things like life jackets and wetsuits.
Condition on return
Take back a whole loan or part of it, with a note on the condition of each item.
Public availability, private names
Item pages show “Available 3 of 5”. They never show who has the item.
Four steps
1. Install
Add Borrowdesk next to WP Inventory Manager. Both are free.
2. Check out
Pick a borrower, add one or more items, set the due date.
3. Keep an eye on it
See what is out, due today or overdue. Overdue emails go out for you.
4. Check in
Return all or part of a loan and note the condition.
Check out several items to one borrower with a due date.
Example: a sailing club
A club lends out dinghies, paddleboards, radios, wetsuits and life jackets. On Saturday a member takes a dinghy, two radios and four junior life jackets for a weekend cruise. One check-out, one due date.
On Monday the dinghy and the radios come back. One life jacket has a torn strap. You record a partial return and note the damage. The rest of the loan stays open, and the dashboard shows exactly what is still out and with whom.
Members check the club’s site and see “Available 12 of 20” for junior life jackets. They don’t see anyone’s name. With Premium, they can book ahead for race weekends, and the calendar shows how many of each item are free each day.
Premium availability calendar: how many of each item are free that day.
Start free. Upgrade when you need bookings.
Premium is for one site. Try it free for 30 days. No card needed.
Free
$0
- Check out items with a due date, no borrower login
- Full or partial returns with condition notes
- Units by asset tag or by quantity
- On-loan, due-today and overdue views
- A page per borrower
- Overdue emails
- Public “Available 3 of 5” status, without names
- CSV export and import
Premium
$79.99 / year, one site
Everything in Free, plus:
- Future bookings, with clashes blocked
- Turn a booking into a loan
- Availability calendar
- Member requests and “My loans”
- Approval queue, or auto-approval by role
- Borrowing limits
- The full email sequence
Just your name and email. No card.
Who it’s for
Anyone who lends things and wants them back: sailing and sports clubs, libraries of things, schools, churches, makerspaces, IT departments and tool rooms.
Who it isn’t for
Rental businesses that charge for their items. Borrowdesk does not take payments. It tracks loans, not sales.
Questions
What do I need to run Borrowdesk?
WordPress and WP Inventory Manager, free or Pro. Borrowdesk adds lending to the inventory you already keep there.
Can borrowers pay through it?
No. Borrowdesk does not take payments. It is for lending, not for paid rentals.
Do borrowers need an account?
Not in the free version. You check items out to a borrower without them logging in. Premium adds member requests and a “My loans” page.
Can the public see who has an item?
No. Public item pages show availability, such as “Available 3 of 5”. Names stay in your dashboard.
How does the Premium trial work?
You get 30 days of Premium on one site. You give your name and email. No card needed.
How do I switch from free to Premium?
After you buy or start the trial, you get an email with your license key and a link to download Borrowdesk Premium. In WordPress, go to Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin, upload the Premium file and activate it, then paste your license key. The free version switches off by itself, and your loans and borrowers stay as they are.
What is FOUNDING50?
A launch code for the first 50 customers: 50% off Premium, renewals included, so $39.99 a year.
Who makes it?
The WP Inventory team. WP Inventory Manager has been on wordpress.org since 2015 and is rated 4.6 out of 5.
Know who has it. Every time.
Start with the free plugin. Add Premium when you want bookings.
