An alliance is not a brand. AMPShare sits around the Bosch Professional battery, CAS around the Metabo battery, and Power for All around the consumer Bosch battery. Buying into an alliance opens up the catalogue of every member brand. All three are incompatible with each other.
| Alliance | What it claims | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Bosch Professional AMPShare | 35 brands, 430 tools | AMPShare is an alliance, not a brand. One Bosch Professional 18V battery powers tools from other member manufacturers. It is the least known and most useful fact in the category. |
| Metabo CAS (Cordless Alliance System) | 50 brands | The market's second alliance, built around the Metabo 18V battery. It targets specialist trades rather than the general public: welding, measurement, installation, heating. |
| Bosch Home and Garden Power for All Alliance | 150 products | A third alliance, on the consumer side: the green Bosch 18V battery also powers Gardena, Gloria and Rapid tools. It is the only alliance that spans DIY and garden. |
Why manufacturers do this
An alliance solves a problem every maker has on its own: it cannot build the whole range. A specialist in induction heating, diamond drilling or laser measurement has neither the reason nor the means to develop its own battery platform. Joining an alliance gives it access to an installed base of batteries people already own, and the alliance gains tools its founder will never make.
The consequence for you is direct: the question is no longer only how many tools the brand offers, but how many tools the alliance offers.
The two Bosch trap
Bosch takes part in two different alliances, with two batteries that do not talk to each other. The blue Professional battery belongs to AMPShare and targets the jobsite. The green Home and Garden battery belongs to Power for All and targets house and garden. Both are 18 volts, both slide onto a rail that looks much the same, and they are not compatible. It is the most common confusion on this subject.
What an alliance does not guarantee
Alliance membership means the battery fits the tool and powers it. It says nothing about cross-brand warranty, service, or whether the product is actually sold where you live. An AMPShare member tool on sale in Germany may have no distributor in the United States.
Frequently asked questions
Will an AMPShare battery run a CAS tool?
No. The two alliances compete and their interfaces differ. Choosing one alliance also means giving up the other.
Should I pick an alliance rather than a single brand?
Not always. If your needs fit inside one maker's catalogue, an alliance adds nothing. It becomes decisive as soon as you have a specialist need your brand does not cover: measurement, welding, diamond drilling, heating.