CrowdCAD

CrowdCAD is a free, open-source dispatch tool for teams coordinating standby medical care at events. It is best suited to volunteer and collegiate EMS groups whose needs center on incident assignment and status tracking. Its core workflow costs nothing, but teams that need shared operations or venue tools must take on self-hosting and its administrative responsibilities.

Overview

CrowdCAD focuses on event medical operations rather than general-purpose dispatch. Teams can create incidents, assign personnel, and follow status updates; the dashboard brings active incidents, team locations and statuses, and clinic capacities together. That concentrated view is useful for coordinating an event, though the product does not cover every communication or tracking need.

Key features

Incident dispatch and dashboard

The core workflow gives dispatchers a way to assign personnel and monitor incident progress alongside team and clinic information. That makes CrowdCAD a focused option for event standby operations. It does not include GPS vehicle tracking, two-way messaging, or customer notifications, so teams that rely on those functions will need separate tools or procedures.

Mobile access and venues

The responsive web interface lets field supervisors view and update dispatch data on mobile devices, but there are no dedicated mobile apps. Teams can save and load venue templates for recurring events, which can reduce repeated setup. Lite Mode excludes venue maps and custom venues; those tools, along with shared events and multiple dispatchers, require a self-hosted deployment.

Hosting and administration

Lite Mode does not use CrowdCAD server-side storage. Self-hosting supports Firebase and PocketBase backends, including PocketBase on local or LAN infrastructure, and adds organization-managed administration. The trade-off is substantial: the organization must handle authentication, access controls, backups, retention, monitoring, patching, and incident response. PocketBase self-hosting alone is not a substitute for a signed HIPAA BAA. CrowdCAD is licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0.

Pricing

Both plans are free, with no paid price attached to the listed tiers. Lite Mode provides the core dispatch workflow with limited administrative control, but omits shared events, multiple dispatchers, venue maps, custom venues, and interface customization. It is the simpler starting point for teams whose work fits that narrower setup.

Self-Hosted costs nothing and includes the core workflow, shared events, multiple dispatchers, venue maps, custom venues, interface customization, and organization-managed administration. It is the more capable option for teams that need collaboration and venue-specific setup, provided they can deploy and operate the system themselves. Its price does not remove the work of managing hosting and security.

Platforms

CrowdCAD is available as web software and for self-hosting. Its responsive design supports mobile-browser access, but there are no dedicated mobile apps. The self-hosting guide supports Firebase and PocketBase, including local or LAN PocketBase deployments.

Who it's for

CrowdCAD was created by a team within the Berkeley Medical Reserve Corps for volunteer and collegiate EMS event medical operations. That origin matches its strongest use case: organizing standby medical response at events with incident assignment, status tracking, and clinic-capacity visibility. Lite Mode is a fit when one can work within its collaboration and venue limits; self-hosting is a better fit when those functions matter and the organization can own deployment, administration, and security.

Pros and cons

• Pro: The free core workflow covers incident creation, personnel assignment, and status updates, with an operations dashboard for incidents, teams, and clinic capacities.
• Pro: Reusable venue templates and responsive mobile access support recurring events and field supervisors.
• Pro: Self-hosting adds shared operations, multiple dispatchers, venue maps, custom venues, and customization without a listed plan charge.
• Con: Lite Mode excludes those collaboration and venue functions, limiting its fit for multi-dispatcher or venue-specific operations.
• Con: Self-hosting shifts authentication, backups, monitoring, patching, and other security duties to the organization.
• Con: No GPS vehicle tracking, two-way messaging, customer notifications, or dedicated mobile apps are included.

Alternatives

Resgrid is worth considering when a team wants broader platform coverage, including Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows, web, API, and self-hosted access. Its free plan supports up to 10 entities and is limited to US-West/North America; it includes push notifications and email but no SMS.

ServiceM8 may suit a small service operation that wants a free mobile-oriented option: its free plan is capped at one user and 30 jobs per month, with 10 AI uses per day and SMS charged at 10c.

OfficialTMS offers a free portal-only plan with full web portal access, one-year rolling data backup, and 24/7 support; consider it when those portal and support provisions matter more than CrowdCAD's event medical focus.

Roldesk is an alternative for work-order dispatch: its free plan includes one office and one mobile seat, a dispatch board and scheduler, plus a technician app with offline access, photos, time, and signature capture.

Dispatchable is another freemium dispatch option, with a Starter plan described as free for life.

FieldAware is a paid alternative with a free trial and Android, iOS, API, and web platforms.

PremierOne CAD is a paid option with pricing by contacting sales, for buyers considering a sales-priced CAD product.

ServicePower has a free plan and a published Employed Workforce tier covering scheduling, mobile access, customer self-service, work-order management, analytics, and Vision AI; it is a broader workforce-management alternative.

Browse more options in Dispatch Management Software.

Verdict

Choose CrowdCAD if you coordinate volunteer or collegiate EMS standby operations and need a free, event-focused incident workflow. The dashboard and reusable venue setup address that job directly, while self-hosting unlocks collaboration and venue tools. Look elsewhere if you need built-in vehicle tracking, two-way messaging, notifications, or do not want your organization to manage hosting and security.