18V Battery platform
Bosch Professional 18V
The most open platform: with AMPShare, the same battery runs tools from more than 35 brands. Well made, with a good guarantee if you register. Careful: it doesn’t work with green Bosch DIY tools.
Reviewed on 5 November 2026 · Data from Bosch’s official websites, linked at the end · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Platform at a glance
| Bosch tools | Over 350, according to bosch-professional.com (checked November 2026) |
|---|---|
| With AMPShare | Over 430 tools from more than 35 brands (Fein, Rothenberger, Wagner, Steinel, Klauke…) |
| 18V batteries | ProCORE18V 4.0 · 5.5 · 8.0 · 12.0 Ah; EXPERT 4 · 5.5 · 8 · 15 Ah |
| Compatibility | Every 18V battery and charger works with every blue 18V tool made since 2008 |
| Fast charger | GAL 18V-160 C: a ProCORE18V 8 Ah to 80% in about 32 minutes |
| Guarantee in the UK | 3 years if you register in PRO360 within 4 weeks (tools, batteries and chargers); 5 years on the EXPERT range |
Which batteries fit and which don’t
- Bosch has two 18V systems that don’t mix: blue (Professional) and green DIY (Power for All). The batteries aren’t interchangeable.
- The 12V range is a separate system; it only shares the odd charger (GAL 12V/18V-80).
- AMPShare is built on the blue battery: buy into Bosch Professional and you also get the partner brands’ tools.
What people like most
- The battery works in tools from dozens of brands thanks to AMPShare
- Good build and handling
- A 3-year guarantee that, unlike Makita’s or DeWalt’s, covers batteries and chargers
What people criticise most
- Pricey outside the drills
- Easy to confuse with green Bosch, which is a different system
- Its own range feels smaller than Makita’s
I summarise opinions that come up again and again in forums and reviews, linked in the sources. I haven’t tested these tools in person.
Who it’s for
Good fit: Trades and demanding DIYers, especially trades already using AMPShare brands (plumbing with Rothenberger, painting with Wagner).
Not a good fit: If you already own green Bosch batteries: they won’t fit, so you’d be starting from scratch.
Sources
- Bosch Professional: guarantee conditions for Great Britain
- Bosch Professional Spain: 18V system
- Bosch Professional Spain: AMPShare
- Bosch Professional Spain: batteries and chargers
- Power for All: FAQ
- Bosch press release: AMPShare launch (2022)
- UK Workshop: choosing an 18V brand
Tool counts are the ones each manufacturer publishes and they change often. I checked them on 5 November 2026.
The other platforms
Torn between several? How to choose a platform in five questions.