Compare Multitools

16 ranked products · Two to 4 at a time · Updated 23 Sept 2026

Pick any two to four of the 16 ranked multitools and read them side by side. This page opens on the board's top 3, Leatherman Wave+, Victorinox Swiss Tool Spirit X and Leatherman Skeletool CX.

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Multitools compared side by side. Each column is one product, each row is one measure taken from the same research that built the board.
Measure	Leatherman Leatherman Wave+	Victorinox Victorinox Swiss Tool Spirit X	Leatherman Leatherman Skeletool CX	Leatherman Leatherman Arc	Leatherman Leatherman Rebar	Victorinox Victorinox SwissTool X	Nextool Nextool F12	SOG SOG Power Access Deluxe	Leatherman Leatherman Micra	WORKPRO WORKPRO 18-in-1 Multitool	Gerber Gerber Center-Drive	Gerber Gerber Dime	Leatherman Leatherman Wave Alpha	SOG SOG Tellus MT	Leatherman Leatherman Free P2	RoverTac RoverTac 12-in-1 Multitool
Tier	S	S	S	A	A	B	C	C	C	D	D	D	F	F	F	F
Rank on this board	1 of 16	2 of 16	3 of 16	4 of 16	5 of 16	6 of 16	7 of 16	8 of 16	9 of 16	10 of 16	11 of 16	12 of 16	13 of 16	14 of 16	15 of 16	16 of 16
Ladder points	1044 LP	1040 LP	980 LP	704 LP	702 LP	521 LP	442 LP	419 LP	405 LP	294 LP	287 LP	228 LP	185 LP	180 LP	164 LP	0 LP
Our verdict	Two decades of proven ownership, a huge parts-and-repair history and the 25-year warranty make it the safest Leatherman to own for years, and it is still the top performer in recent independent testing.	The clear number one under a longevity lens: Victorinox's lifetime warranty, tight tolerances and a decades-long failure-free reputation, plus the user-community consensus pick as Leatherman's quality control slipped.	Wirecutter's long-running champion after years of testing roughly three dozen multi-tools. Its simplicity is a durability feature, since fewer tools means fewer things to loosen, snap or wear out.	The highest build ceiling in the category with a 25-year warranty, held back from first place only by its short real-world track record as a newer platform and mild quality-control chatter on r/multitools.	Overbuilt, mechanism-light and warrantied for 25 years. The toughness-per-dollar pick and the durable alternative to budget tools.	Superb build, wrong package: heavier, bulkier and more expensive than the Spirit X that does the same job better for carry. Get the Spirit X.	The budget community's standing recommendation, with scissors that rival far pricier tools. A modern, well-finished package whose price makes the big brands look silly.	Well made and compact with SOG's compound leverage, but SOG's warranty downgrade and mixed long-term support reputation make it the riskiest of the picks for long-term ownership.	Decades of flawless keychain service under a Victorinox lifetime warranty, with almost nothing on it that can fail - exactly what a longevity lens wants.	Ranks fourteenth as a trap. With no expert coverage or documented durability data, it remains an unknown quantity lacking support.	The best of the traps and heavily cross-shopped because Men's Journal lists it among the best multitools, but documented Gerber durability deficits against Leatherman mean the Wave+ or Arc is the better long-term buy.	A realistic cross-shop in the keychain class, but it is outclassed in its own class by the Micra, with the same Gerber longevity question hanging over it.	Genuinely excellent out of the box per Popular Mechanics, but the newest tool on the board with only months of ownership history, so it cannot sit above the proven Wave+ yet.	A genuinely good recent tool that is well built and feature-rich, but SOG's weaker warranty and support reputation compared to Leatherman and Victorinox caps it in the middle of the board.	Solid and fully warrantied, with the Free platform's one-piece build having held up well, but the Arc has effectively superseded it and it is no longer the Leatherman to buy first.	A value award is not a durability award: Popular Mechanics named it Best Value, which is exactly how it gets bought, but it has no warranty infrastructure and no track record behind it.
What reviewers rate	Two decades of proven service Huge parts-and-repair history Backed by a 25-year warranty Named the best-performing multitool overall in CleverHiker's testing	Slim, portable build against bulkier rivals Light and ergonomic Tight manufacturing tolerances Backed by a lifetime warranty	Stripped-down, simple design with fewer parts to fail Backed by a 25-year warranty Wirecutter's clear best after years of testing Carries only the tools most people actually use: pliers, blade and bit driver	The best steel Leatherman has used Backed by a 25-year warranty Named Best Overall in Popular Mechanics' roundup Newest steel with Free-style one-hand action	Old-school, overbuilt locking platform No exotic mechanisms to fail Backed by a 25-year warranty The durability-per-dollar champion	Unquestionably excellent build quality The tool r/multitools swears by, calling it by far the best Overbuilt construction built to survive decades Heavy-duty design offers maximum durability	Standing recommendation in r/multitools' budget thread Scissors hold their own against Victorinox, per users Modern, well-finished 12-function tool Recommended by r/multitools community	Compact, well-made tool SOG's compound leverage Pew Pew Tactical's Best Bit Driver Hides a full-size, hex-driven bit wrench inside a pocketable body	Decades-proven keychain scissors tool Almost nothing on it that can fail Covered by a lifetime warranty Decades-long unchanged production proves reliability	Large tool loadout for low price Scissors and saw outperform expectations Considered one of the most compelling budget multitools Full-size pliers tool with a thoughtfully chosen toolset	Clever bit-driver design Listed by Men's Journal among the best multitools Center-rotating bit driver swings out flush like a real screwdriver Solves the classic multitool driver awkwardness	Pew Pew Tactical's Best Compact Option True keychain multitool with pliers and scissors that actually works Keychain-size convenience Lifetime warranty from established brand	Named Best Scissors in Popular Mechanics' roundup Genuinely excellent performance out of the box Successor to the Wave+ with an improved scissors function Newest evolution of the Wave platform	Well built Feature-rich Named among the best multitools of 2026 by Men's Journal SOG compound leverage in a modern feature set	One-piece Free platform build has held up well Covered by Leatherman's 25-year warranty Magnetic one-hand opening mechanism Constantly cross-shopped in flagship-tier comparisons	Popular Mechanics' official Best Value of 2026 A startling amount of tool for very little money Crowned by a mainstream testing outlet over tools costing several times as much
Where it falls short	Recent quality-control complaints reported Mid-tier price reduces value perception Costs a premium over tools with the same core capability	Costs more than a Leatherman mid-ranger Higher price than some budget options	Trades tool count for reduced weight	A newer platform with a shorter real-world track record than older Leatherman models Sits in the top price bracket of everything Art of Manliness handled Its gains over cheaper Leatherman tools are mostly irrelevant in practice Least long-proven flagship, shorter track record	Limited feature set compared to flagship models	Heavy and bulky in the pocket Costs more than the Spirit X for nearly the same function set Bulkier and heavier, less convenient for everyday carry Heaviest and most expensive Swiss option, reducing value efficiency	Nothing recorded	SOG's downgraded warranty terms Mixed long-term support reputation Niche design limits its all-round value Brand consistency trails top two brands	Nothing recorded	Absent from expert roundups, no failure data Support reputation unknown No expert support despite high Amazon visibility Heat-treated budget steel and loose tolerances	Gerber is widely considered less durable in long-term use than Leatherman, with looser tolerances and lower-quality steel Priced above where a value buyer would ideally like Weaker long-term reputation Lower durability compared to Leatherman	Outclassed as a keychain tool by the Victorinox Micra, which carries a stronger warranty Carries the documented Gerber long-term durability deficit Does not do everything; small capability ceiling Light-duty construction not suited for hard use over years	Only months of ownership history behind it Only one improved function over the Wave+ it replaced Pushed hardest by Leatherman's marketing right now Narrower endorsement compared to other top picks	SOG's warranty and support reputation trails Leatherman and Victorinox Newer and less proven than the tools above it Only one major board includes it Newest and least proven entrant, limiting value perception	Superseded by the Arc and no longer the Leatherman to buy first The Free mechanism adds cost and bulk without adding capability Less useful than a Skeletool CX, which costs far less Heavy for its function count	No meaningful warranty infrastructure No multi-year track record of long-term durability Fit and finish do not match Leatherman Overbuilt with mediocre implements
Evidence behind it	3 sources across 3 outlets	10 sources across 7 outlets	8 sources across 8 outlets	17 sources across 15 outlets	6 sources across 6 outlets	4 sources across 3 outlets	19 sources across 15 outlets	1 source across 1 outlet Thin sourcing, read it as provisional	12 sources across 10 outlets	4 sources across 3 outlets	2 sources across 2 outlets	1 source across 1 outlet Thin sourcing, read it as provisional	1 source across 1 outlet Thin sourcing, read it as provisional	1 source across 1 outlet Thin sourcing, read it as provisional	1 source across 1 outlet Thin sourcing, read it as provisional	4 sources across 4 outlets
Flagged as one to avoid	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	2 of 12 research runs	Not flagged	2 of 9 research runs	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	3 of 5 research runs	3 of 12 research runs	2 of 11 research runs	4 of 11 research runs	1 of 7 research runs	2 of 3 research runs	8 of 11 research runs
Announced	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded
Where to buy	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it

Every column is the same research that built the board. Nothing here is a specification sheet copied from a maker. Read how we rank for what a tier and a ladder point mean.