SnapCount vs. Pen & Paper Tallying
Your clipboard deserves retirement.
Pen-and-paper tallying is universal and zero-tech. But it's also error-prone, hard to total, impossible to share in real time, and creates no digital record. SnapCount keeps the simplicity of tally marks while adding everything paper can't do.
Pen & Paper Tally Marks
- Manual counting of tally marks is error-prone
- No way to share live totals with your team
- Paper gets lost, wet, or illegible
SnapCount
- Automatic running totals, no counting marks
- Live totals visible to your whole team
- Digital record saved in the cloud
A Closer Look
Accuracy
Tally marks are deceptively error-prone. Miscounting a group of five, skipping a mark, or losing your place in a long count happens more than people admit. SnapCount shows a running total that updates with every tap. No counting marks, no arithmetic.
After the Count
With paper, the count ends when the clipboard goes back in the drawer. Someone still has to add up the marks, type them into a report, and file the paper. SnapCount gives you a digital record with timestamps, exportable to CSV. The count goes straight from your phone to your report.
Team Coordination
Multiple people tallying on paper means collecting clipboards, adding subtotals, and hoping everyone's handwriting is legible. SnapCount lets your whole team count on shared counters. The total updates in real time for everyone.
Feature Breakdown
| Feature | Pen & Paper Tally Marks | SnapCount |
|---|---|---|
Automatic Totals | ||
Real-time Sharing | ||
CSV Export | ||
Timestamped event history (Enterprise) | ||
Waterproof | Phone-dependent | |
Zero Tech Required | ||
Price | ~Free | Pro $15/mo or $129/yr |
Which One Is Right for You?
Choose SnapCount if...
- Teams counting across multiple stations or locations
- Counts that need to be reported or exported
- High-volume counting where accuracy matters
- Environments where you already have your phone
Choose Pen & Paper Tally Marks if...
- •Environments where phones are not allowed
- •Quick personal tallies where no record is needed
- •Situations with no access to any electronic device
Free to prove. Pro when the count matters.
Guest proves live sync in a real count. Pro keeps the count, the crew, and the export. Enterprise adds locks, activity history, and capacity alerts. Pro and Enterprise include a read-only public API and signed webhooks.
Guest
$0
up to 4 active hours
Prove one live total tonight. No account.
- $0. No account.
- 1 hour, stays open while active up to 4 hours.
- Up to 3 devices. iPhone and web when online.
per year
Keep the number, invite up to 10, export the file.
What's included
Covers one organization
Up to 10 members per organization
Unlimited shared counters for gates, aisles, and stations
Real-time sync on iPhone app and web when online
Every device sees the same count as teammates tap, so the team does not reconcile numbers later.
CSV/JSON snapshot and daily export
Download a CSV/JSON snapshot of current totals or a daily summary by date range. Event-level history stays on Enterprise.
Owner, Admin, and Member roles
Read-only public API for counter totals and history (sc_live_ keys)
Signed webhooks for counter.increment and counter.decrement
Covers one organization
Up to 10 members per organization
Unlimited shared counters for gates, aisles, and stations
Real-time sync on iPhone app and web when online
Every device sees the same count as teammates tap, so the team does not reconcile numbers later.
CSV/JSON snapshot and daily export
Download a CSV/JSON snapshot of current totals or a daily summary by date range. Event-level history stays on Enterprise.
Owner, Admin, and Member roles
Read-only public API for counter totals and history (sc_live_ keys)
Signed webhooks for counter.increment and counter.decrement
per year
Locks, activity, and alerts when a count crosses the line.
What's included
Covers one organization
Unlimited members
Full audit trail showing who counted what and when
Enterprise records who changed each counter and when for audit-friendly reviews.
Export with exact timestamps
Export event-level rows with exact timestamps instead of final totals only.
Capacity threshold alerts
Configure at capacity, percent, or absolute on a counter or summed/net group. Dashboard inbox and email when a threshold fires.
Owner, Admin, and Member roles
Lock counters to prevent resets
Prevent accidental or unauthorized resets once a count should be preserved.
Higher public API rate limits than Pro (300/min · 10,000/hr)
threshold.alert.fired webhook when an Enterprise threshold alert fires
Covers one organization
Unlimited members
Full audit trail showing who counted what and when
Enterprise records who changed each counter and when for audit-friendly reviews.
Export with exact timestamps
Export event-level rows with exact timestamps instead of final totals only.
Capacity threshold alerts
Configure at capacity, percent, or absolute on a counter or summed/net group. Dashboard inbox and email when a threshold fires.
Owner, Admin, and Member roles
Lock counters to prevent resets
Prevent accidental or unauthorized resets once a count should be preserved.
Higher public API rate limits than Pro (300/min · 10,000/hr)
threshold.alert.fired webhook when an Enterprise threshold alert fires
Operations Command
custom ops plan
Sales-led command-level onboarding
Everything in Enterprise
Sized for 50,000+ entries across 20+ gates
Dedicated command-level onboarding for gate crews
Sales-led onboarding. No published self-serve SLA
Named operations contact
Custom training and launch support
A 4-person event crew almost always belongs on Pro. Stadium is for venues that need sales-led command-level onboarding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is SnapCount really faster than pen and paper?
For the counting itself, they're similar: one tap vs. one mark. But SnapCount eliminates the time spent totaling marks, transcribing to digital, and coordinating across people. The time savings add up.
What if my phone dies mid-count?
Your counts are saved to the cloud in real time. Open SnapCount on any other device and pick up right where you left off.
Can I use SnapCount without an internet connection?
No. SnapCount needs an internet connection for live sync. If you will be offline the entire time, paper is the safer fallback. Use SnapCount when the team needs a shared live total and exportable record.
Other Comparisons
No credit card required • Instant setup
No credit card required • Instant setup