Fastenal
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Buy if you run a facility or jobsite with recurring fastener and safety supply needs and want account-managed service.
New check
Comparison
Fastenal vs McMaster-Carr
Fastenal and McMaster-Carr both land on Depends.
McMaster-Carr
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Use it if you're an engineer, machine shop, or maintenance team that values catalog depth and fast sourcing over unit price.
| Compare | ||
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Depends | Depends |
| Best for | Manufacturers with recurring MRO spend | Engineers sourcing parts fast |
| Who it's not for | Individuals buying a handful of bolts | Anyone expecting software . it's a parts catalog |
| Privacy | No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed. | No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed. |
| Support quality | Branch reps; documented custom solutions | No customer support evidence |
| Public sentiment | Nearly all public reviews are from employees, mixed on pay and culture, while verifiable customer reviews are scarce in these sources.¹ | Public review volume is employee-side (pay praised, management criticized), while customer forum posts treat McMaster-Carr as the default source for hard-to-find parts.13 |
| Biggest gotcha | Many items show 'Contact Branch' pricing; account setup likely needed⁴ | Per-part list pricing; no published tiers or plans found10 |
Pick Fastenal when
- Manufacturers with recurring MRO spend
- Construction sites wanting onsite vending
- Facilities teams buying safety gear in bulk
- Public agencies via co-op contracts
When Fastenal is not a fit
- Individuals buying a handful of bolts
- Buyers wanting transparent online pricing
- One-off projects . quote process wastes time
- Small shops fine with McMaster or local hardware
Pick McMaster-Carr when
- Engineers sourcing parts fast
- Maintenance and MRO teams
- Machine shops and prototypers
- Robotics teams needing odd hardware
When McMaster-Carr is not a fit
- Anyone expecting software . it's a parts catalog
- Household consumers making single-item buys
- Price-driven bulk buyers . convenience carries a premium
- Teams wanting a SaaS with tiers, seats, or demos
Sources
- Working at Fastenal: 3791 Reviewsindeed.comreview
- Fastenal - Work-life balance and security, but pay is lowglassdoor.co.inreview
- Johns Manville vending case studyfastenal.comofficial
- Fastenal product page (branch pricing)fastenal.comofficial
news
- Fastenal Co. Investor Relationsinvestor.fastenal.comofficial
- Omnia Partners supplier pageomniapartners.comofficial
- Fastenal federal award profileusaspending.govofficial
review
- McMaster-Carrmcmaster.comofficial
- Security Screws product pagemcmaster.comofficial
- McMaster-Carr LinkedIn company pageuy.linkedin.comofficial
- McMaster-Carr Glassdoor reviewsglassdoor.comreview
- Working at McMaster-Carr: Indeed reviewsindeed.comreview
- Vex V5 screws alternatives forum threadvexforum.comreview
review