If you're searching for a Spoolman alternative for iOS, you've probably already concluded the two things this page would otherwise try to convince you of: Spoolman is genuinely good software, and it's also a self-hosted server — with everything that implies. Here's a straight comparison with SpoolVault, a native spool tracker for iPhone and Android, including the cases where Spoolman remains the right answer.
What Spoolman actually is
Spoolman is an open-source filament manager you run yourself — typically in Docker on a home server or Raspberry Pi. It keeps a database of your spools and integrates with Klipper, OctoPrint and similar setups so that filament usage is deducted automatically as you print. It's free, actively developed, and the de-facto standard in the self-hosting corner of the hobby.
The cost isn't money — it's the stack. You install it, keep it updated, back up its database, and wire it to each printer's firmware. If a phrase like "reverse proxy" is a normal Tuesday for you, none of that is a barrier. If it isn't, the barrier is the whole product.
Side by side
| Spoolman | SpoolVault | |
|---|---|---|
| Runs on | Self-hosted server (Docker, Pi, NAS) | iPhone and iPad (iOS 15 or later), Android (7.0 or later) |
| Setup | Install, configure, integrate printers | App Store or Google Play download; add a brand's colors in one go |
| Usage tracking | Automatic via Klipper/OctoPrint integration | Log grams per print (from slicer summary) |
| Printer support | Best with open firmware; closed printers (e.g. Bambu) need workarounds | Printer-independent — works with any printer, or none |
| Spool weights | Community database | Preloaded brand catalog + custom weights |
| Cost tracking | Spool prices stored; reporting via extras | Automatic cost per print + multi-plate Print Projects |
| Away from home | Reachable if you expose/VPN your server | It's your phone — it's already with you |
| Price | Free, open source | Free for 30 days, no subscription started; then Premium (US$2.99/mo or US$24.99/yr) to add more spools |
| Maintenance | Yours — updates, backups, uptime | None |
When Spoolman is the better choice
Credit where due — pick Spoolman if:
- Your printers run Klipper or OctoPrint and you want usage deducted with zero manual input;
- You already run a home server and one more container is nothing;
- You want open-source and API access to build your own tooling on top.
When a native phone app fits better
Pick SpoolVault if the printer-tethered model doesn't match how you print:
- You print on closed-firmware machines — Bambu Lab especially (see our AMS tracking guide) — where automatic integrations don't reach anyway;
- You don't want to run a server — no Docker, no backups, no "why is the Pi down";
- You want the inventory in your pocket — checking remaining grams from the couch, or what colors you own from the filament aisle;
- Setup speed matters — preloaded brands, colors and spool weights, and you add a brand's colors in one go, so the whole stash is cataloged the evening you install it.
The trade-off is honest: SpoolVault asks you to log each print's grams yourself (a ten-second action from the slicer summary — the workflow is in the usage-tracking guide). In exchange, tracking works for every printer you'll ever own, including the spools no printer integration can see: the sealed ones on the shelf.
Spool tracking without the server
Runs on iPhone, iPad and Android — if that fits your setup, SpoolVault is free for 30 days with no subscription started, and there's no server to maintain.
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Free for 30 days — no subscription starts · iOS 15+ & Android 7+
Spoolman is an independent open-source project by its own authors; SpoolVault is not affiliated with it. Spoolman details reflect its public documentation as of July 2026; SpoolVault details as of September 2026.