Looking for a Total Recall alternative, or researching Total Recall shredding software by DHS Worldwide (Total Recall Envision) before a demo? This guide gives an honest Total Recall review for shredding companies, covers pricing and the pros and cons, and compares the best Total Recall alternatives in 2026.
Total Recall is software from DHS Worldwide, a company in Orange Park, Florida, founded in 1994. It started in records management and now covers secure shredding, warehouse management, portable storage and IT asset disposition (ITAD). DHS says about 1,500 operations use Total Recall across 10 countries and territories, and it lists well-known shredding companies among its customers. This review looks at Total Recall for a document shredding business.
Who wrote this
Total Recall review at a glance
| Total Recall (DHS Worldwide) | |
|---|---|
| Built for | Records management, secure shredding, storage, ITAD |
| Track record | DHS founded 1994; about 1,500 operations, per their site |
| Current version | Total Recall ENVISION (5.4 released January 2025) |
| Driver devices | Zebra Windows Mobile or Android scanning devices |
| No signal | Jobs sent over Wi-Fi or a cell data plan; offline use isn't described |
| Client access | Envision Client Web: service requests, inventory reports, invoice payments |
| Price | Not listed; “Request a free online demo” |
| Accounting | “Accounting exports”; QuickBooks isn't named |
Records management roots
Total Recall's history is in records and information management: tracking boxes, files and media in storage. Its shredding module builds on that with bin barcoding, location and service tracking, and a complete chain of custody. If you run a records center and a shredding operation together, one system for both is a genuine advantage. If you only shred, much of the product is built for work you don't do.
Total Recall pros: what it does well
- Bin barcoding with location and service tracking for a full chain of custody
- Route planning and dispatch with pre-assigned, pre-sequenced routes and real-time driver tracking
- Recurring orders with automated billing, color-coded calendars and map views
- E-invoicing, auto-billed card payments, in-field card payments and, since version 5.4, ACH
- Envision Client Web, where your clients request service, run reports and pay invoices
- Route profitability that weighs revenue against fuel, labor and time (version 5.4)
- Records management, storage and ITAD in the same system
Scanners, not phones
Total Recall's drivers use rugged Zebra devices running Windows Mobile or Android, with the Total Recall Envision Mobile software. DHS says most Zebra devices last up to 14 hours on a battery and connect over Wi-Fi or cell data. iPhones aren't mentioned. Rugged scanners are excellent for barcode-heavy work, but they're another piece of hardware to buy, charge and replace, and DHS's site doesn't list device prices.
Certificates and accounting
The shredding page emphasizes chain of custody and electronic signatures, but we couldn't find certificates of destruction mentioned on the pages we read. Accounting is described as “accounting exports,” without naming QuickBooks or another system. Both are worth confirming in a demo.
Total Recall pricing: how much does Total Recall cost?
As of November 2026, DHS Worldwide doesn't publish prices for Total Recall, and we didn't find a free trial. You request a free online demo with a destruction management expert. Deployment (cloud or on your own servers) isn't spelled out on the pages we read.
Questions to ask in a Total Recall demo
- 1What does Total Recall cost for a shredding-only company, and what do the Zebra devices cost?
- 2Can drivers use their own iPhones or Android phones instead of scanners?
- 3How are certificates of destruction created and sent to clients?
- 4Does it connect to QuickBooks Online, or only export files?
- 5Is it hosted for us, or installed on our servers?
Total Recall cons: where it may not fit
- You want drivers on the phones they already carry: Total Recall uses Zebra scanners
- You want to see a price or try it yourself before a demo
- You want certificates and QuickBooks Online spelled out up front
Is Total Recall right for your company?
Total Recall is a strong choice for companies that combine records storage or ITAD with shredding, barcode every bin, and want client web access today. DHS also recently received an i-SIGMA innovation award, which signals active development.
The best Total Recall alternatives in 2026
Here are the Total Recall alternatives most worth comparing, with what each is best for. We make Trakro, so it's listed first; the others are described from their own websites.
1. Trakro
Shredding-only software you can start yourself today: published prices from $99 a month, a 30-day free trial with no credit card, a driver app that works offline on any iPhone or Android, and certificates of destruction emailed from every stop.
Best for: Independent shred companies that want to be running this week without a demo or setup fee.
2. Q-Shred (ShredMetrics)
Award-winning shredding and e-waste software, customized for each company, with truck-aware routing, bin barcode scanning and optional outsourced billing and dispatch. Prices aren't published; you book a demo.
Best for: Companies that want a tailored system and barcoded bins.
3. EZshred
A long-established system (customers since 2000) with modules for shredding, records storage, medical waste, recycling and hard drive destruction, plus the Route Tracker app for iOS and Android. Demo-led, no published prices.
Best for: Companies that also run records storage or medical waste.
4. Compliance Publishing (Routeware)
Online software for shredding and medical waste with electronic certificates, routing, billing, a customer portal and OSHA training. Published pricing: a $1,000 setup fee, then $131.73 a month plus $1.11 per location.
Best for: Companies that also want medical waste and OSHA training.
More on these Total Recall alternatives
Total Recall vs Trakro: side by side
| Trakro | Total Recall | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Independent document shredding companies, from one truck to a growing fleet | Records management, shredding, storage, ITAD |
| Price | Published: Starter $99/month (1 truck), Growth $199/month (up to 3 trucks), Pro priced with our team. No setup fee, no per-user fee | Not listed; demo |
| Getting started | Sign up online and start today. 30-day free trial, no credit card, no demo | Request a demo |
| Driver devices | Any iPhone or Android, installed from the browser; nothing to download | Zebra Windows Mobile or Android scanners |
| No signal | Works fully offline; stops, photos and signatures sync on their own | Not described |
| Certificates | Built from the driver's record and emailed when the stop is done; locked once issued | Not mentioned on their shredding page |
| Bin tracking | Container counts by customer, site and type, with deliveries and swaps logged | Bin barcoding with full chain of custody |
| Client access | Not yet; clients get certificates and invoices by email with a pay-by-card link | Envision Client Web |
| Accounting | QuickBooks Online (one-way sync) and card payments into your own Stripe account | Accounting exports |
How to switch from Total Recall to Trakro
- 1Export your customers, sites, containers and service plans from Total Recall to a spreadsheet (ask them for an export if you can't find one).
- 2Start a Trakro trial and import the spreadsheet using our templates. Columns are matched for you, you see a preview of any problems before saving, and an import can be undone for 7 days.
- 3Add your trucks, prices, fuel surcharge and certificate wording in Settings.
- 4Invite your drivers. They open a link on their phone, sign in, and they're ready for tomorrow's route.
- 5Run Trakro alongside Total Recall for a week, then stop entering new work in Total Recall. Keep it read-only for lookups.
Frequently asked questions
Who makes Total Recall shredding software?
Total Recall is made by DHS Worldwide Software Solutions, based in Orange Park, Florida, which was founded in 1994.
How much does Total Recall cost?
As of November 2026, DHS Worldwide doesn't publish prices for Total Recall. You request a free online demo.
What devices do Total Recall drivers use?
DHS says drivers use Zebra devices running Windows Mobile or Android with the Total Recall Envision Mobile software.
Does Total Recall do records management?
Yes. Total Recall started in records and information management and also covers shredding, warehouse management, portable storage and IT asset disposition.
What is the best Total Recall alternative?
Trakro's driver app runs on any iPhone or Android, installed from the browser, and works fully offline, with plans from $99 a month.
Total Recall vs Trakro: what's the difference?
Trakro is built only for document shredding and is self-serve: published prices from $99 a month, a 30-day free trial with no credit card, a driver app that works offline on any phone, and certificates of destruction emailed from every stop. See the full Total Recall vs Trakro comparison for every point side by side.
Keep reading
Let Trakro handle the paperwork.
Certificates, chain of custody and invoices, built from every stop.