How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- MaintainX ($0 free Basic) and Fiix ($0 free plan) let a team digitize work orders for nothing: the cheapest pilots in the category.
- UpKeep ($24/user/month Essential) has the best mobile app for technicians; Limble ($28/user/month Standard) is the usability pick with 24/7 US support.
- Fracttal One ($195/month flat for up to 5 users) is the value pick for seat-heavy teams: flat pricing instead of per-user.
- FMX and eMaint have moved to custom quotes: budget a sales call and get implementation costs in writing.
The best work order software
The work order is on a clipboard. The clipboard is in a truck. The truck left. Every maintenance manager has lived some version of this, and it is why work order software exists: requests come in through a portal, land on a technician's phone, and close with photos and timestamps instead of lost paper. These eight tools cover the real CMMS market for SMB maintenance teams, with honest notes on the pricing models that decide the bill.
#1
UpKeep
Best for: Small to mid-sized teams (3-30 users) wanting fast mobile adoption
Visit upkeep.com
Starting price$24/user/month (Essential plan)
Free planNo (free trial available)
UpKeep wins on the technician experience. The mobile app is the best in class among SMB CMMS tools: work orders arrive on the phone, photos attach in seconds, and jobs close from the shop floor. Essential at $24 per user per month covers core work orders and asset management; Premium at a reported $55 adds preventive maintenance scheduling, parts inventory with costing and labor tracking.
The honest catch is year-one math. Implementation runs a separate charge (reported $500-plus for training, up to $5,000-plus for packages), and the features multi-site operators grow into, offline mobile mode, multi-site module, workflow automation, sit on quote-based tiers. Keep requesters on free seats, but every technician needs a paid license, so count frontline headcount carefully. For a single-site team moving off paper, the mobile app is the argument.
What we like- Mobile-first design, with techs creating and closing work orders with photos in under a minute
- Only admins and technicians need paid licenses, requesters and vendors are free
- Strong compliance tooling with safety checklists and signature capture
Watch out for- Implementation is a separate charge, so the sticker price understates year-one cost
- Professional and Enterprise tiers are quote-only
#2
MaintainX
Best for: Mobile-first teams moving off paper or spreadsheets, from 5-person shops to mid-market
Visit maintainx.com
Starting price$0 (Basic free plan); paid from $20/user/month (Essential, billed annually)
Free planYes (free forever Basic: unlimited work orders, unlimited assets)
MaintainX, now an Autodesk company, is the easiest pilot in the category: the free Basic plan covers unlimited work orders and unlimited assets forever, so a team can prove value before spending anything. Essential at $20 per user per month billed annually adds real PM scheduling; Premium at $65 adds parts inventory, purchasing and advanced analytics.
The catch is the tier ladder. PM scheduling only becomes real at Essential, parts and reporting depth live at Premium, and true multi-site controls with SSO are Enterprise-only. A 50-user rollout on Premium runs about $39,000 per year before add-ons. The mobile app is excellent and built for frontline users with near-zero training. Model per-tech costs at Premium before committing past 30 users, and use the free tier to run the pilot that justifies it.
What we like- Genuinely useful free tier for digitizing work orders with zero commitment
- Essential at $20/user/month is one of the most transparent entry prices
- Requester accounts are free and rollout is fast
Watch out for- The Premium jump is steep ($65/user/month) with parts, purchasing, API and analytics only there
- Per-user pricing compounds quickly at scale
#3
Limble CMMS
Best for: SMB maintenance teams and smaller service providers (5-15 sites)
Visit limblecmms.com
Starting price$28/user/month (Standard plan)
Free planYes (free plan with limited features)
Limble is the usability pick. Core PM scheduling and asset tracking are polished, implementation is fast with minimal IT overhead, and 24/7 US-based support comes on every paid tier, which matters at 2 a.m. when a line is down. Standard is $28 per user per month; the free plan covers the basics for tiny teams.
Buyers routinely discover they need one tier higher than expected: API access, advanced reporting, purchase orders and real dashboards sit on Premium-plus at a reported $69 per user per month and Enterprise. A 50-user Premium-plus deployment runs about $3,450 per month before discounts. The mobile apps with offline mode are strong. Budget Premium-plus if you want POs, a dedicated CSM and real dashboards; buy Standard if work orders and PMs are the whole job.
What we like- High usability that techs adopt without heavy training
- All paid plans include unlimited assets and unlimited work orders
- 24/7 US-based support on every paid tier
Watch out for- API access and advanced reporting sit on Premium-plus ($69/user/month) and Enterprise
- Reporting depth hits a ceiling around 20-plus sites
#4
Fiix
Best for: Manufacturing and mid-market maintenance teams wanting published prices
Visit fiixsoftware.com
Starting price$0 (free plan); paid from $45/user/month (Basic)
Free planYes (free plan: work orders, asset management, 25 active PMs, inventory, mobile app)
Fiix, now part of Rockwell Automation, is the cheapest on-ramp among the leaders thanks to a free plan with real depth: work orders, asset management, 25 active PMs, inventory and the mobile app. Basic at $45 per user per month adds unlimited PMs; Professional at a reported $75 adds multi-site management, purchasing and AI insights. Meter-based PM scheduling and QR asset tracking work from the free tier up.
The honest catch is the Enterprise conversation. The features growing teams eventually need, API access, advanced ERP integrations, SSO, condition-based triggers, sit on custom Enterprise pricing. The mobile app is included on every tier. Model the Enterprise talk early if integrations are on your roadmap; otherwise the published tiers carry a manufacturing team a long way.
What we like- Free plan is unusually deep, including meter readings and downtime tracking
- Published pricing at every tier for straightforward budgeting
- Strong meter-based PM scheduling and QR/barcode asset tracking from Basic
Watch out for- Condition-based triggers, ERP and API integrations and SSO are gated to quoted Enterprise
- Limited reporting customization
#5
Hippo CMMS
Best for: Small single-facility teams (schools, hospitality, local government, SMB manufacturing)
Visit hippocmms.com
Starting priceFrom $39/user/month (Starter, 2-user minimum)
Free planNo (free trial available)
Hippo CMMS, owned by Eptura, is the simple portal-plus-CMMS for single facilities. Starter includes work orders, PM, equipment management, parts and inventory and a request portal at a predictable per-user price, with requesters riding free. Current pricing runs from $39 per user per month on Starter (2-user minimum) through Plus at a reported $69 to Pro at $99 (3-user minimum).
The caps are the evaluation: 25 unique requesters, 100 equipment items and a single facility on Starter mean growing teams move to Plus or Pro quickly, and the full mobile app, multi-facility support and KPI dashboards arrive at Plus and above. A 10-tech team on Plus runs about $690 per month before support or setup fees. For a school district or hotel with one site and a simple request flow, the Starter math is clean.
What we like- Requesters are not counted as paid users
- Only managers, technicians and supervisors need licenses
- Bundled maintenance request portal and calendar dashboard even on Starter
- Free support, updates and daily backup on all plans
Watch out for- Starter caps (25 requesters, 100 equipment items, single facility) push growing teams up fast
- API, SSO and unlimited requesters are Pro-only
#6
Fracttal One
Best for: Asset-intensive mid-market teams that like flat pricing (manufacturing, energy, logistics)
Visit fracttal.com
Starting price$195/month flat (Basic plan, teams up to 5 users, unlimited assets)
Free planYes (free Community version with limited features)
Fracttal One flips the pricing model: $195 per month flat for Basic covers a 5-person team with unlimited assets, locations and request users, and Business at $485 per month covers up to 10 users. A 5-tech team costs $195 per month here against $325 to $375 on per-user rivals, which makes it the value pick for seat-heavy teams. The interface is modern with AI assistance, and condition-based monitoring is a Business-tier feature.
The trade is maturity in the US market: fewer American reference customers than UpKeep or MaintainX, and less depth for complex multi-site FM governance. Published details beyond Basic and Business trend quote-based. For asset-intensive teams in manufacturing, energy or logistics that want flat pricing and modern UX, the cost model alone earns the demo.
What we like- Flat per-account pricing instead of per-seat, so adding techs does not multiply cost
- Modern AI-assisted interface with IoT and condition-based maintenance
- Unlimited assets, locations and request users even on Basic
Watch out for- Smaller US reference base than the category leaders
- Less depth for complex multi-site governance
#7
FMX
Best for: Education, municipal, hospitality and mid-size facilities teams prioritizing ease of use
Visit gofmx.com
Starting priceSee website (custom quote; previously published at $35/user/month)
Free planNo (free trial available)
FMX's calendar is the product: work orders, PMs, scheduling and inventory in one color-coded view that a school principal can read without training. Field customization and an integrated space-management module handle complex facility structures, and unlimited requesting users ride free. Historically it sold one simple plan at $35 per user per month covering work orders, PM, assets, inventory, vendors and API.
The current reality is quote-based pricing, so confirm the number in writing before budgeting, and reviewers flag rigid workflows and weaker reporting for niche data needs. The mobile experience is mobile-friendly web rather than a full dedicated app. For districts, municipalities and churches where ease of use beats configurability, the calendar-first design is the argument.
What we like- Calendar-first interface that non-technical users grasp fast, with work orders, PMs and inventory in one color-coded view
- Unlimited requesting users at no extra cost
- Strong education-sector fit
Watch out for- Pricing is now custom-quote, complicating upfront budgeting
- Mobile experience trails the desktop app
#8
eMaint
Best for: Mid-to-large asset-intensive teams with an admin to configure it
Visit emaint.com
Starting priceSee website (custom quote; historically published at $69/user/month Team)
Free planNo (free trial available)
eMaint, owned by Fluke Reliability, is the configurability pick for industrial teams. Core asset management and PM scheduling are strong, and the Fluke connection means condition-monitoring sensors tie directly into work orders. Audit trails and configurable workflows suit regulated environments, and multi-site tooling arrives at Enterprise.
This is the heaviest lift on the list to roll out: buyers should budget real implementation time and data-migration effort, and the mobile app rates below the leaders. Pricing has moved from published tiers (historically $69 Team, $85 Professional, $120 Enterprise) to quote-led, so request a written quote. For a plant with an admin who will actually configure it, the depth pays off. Without that admin, buy something simpler.
What we like- Deep configurability for industrial workflows, plus native Fluke condition-monitoring sensor integration
- Audit trails, configurable workflows and multi-site tooling
- Strong support ratings
Watch out for- Steep configuration learning curve with complex data migration
- Pricing is now quote-led and API access is gated to higher tiers
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
| UpKeep | Small to mid-sized teams (3-30 users) wanting fast mobile adoption | $24/user/month (Essential plan) | No (free trial available) |
| MaintainX | Mobile-first teams moving off paper or spreadsheets, from 5-person shops to mid-market | $0 (Basic free plan); paid from $20/user/month (Essential, billed annually) | Yes (free forever Basic: unlimited work orders, unlimited assets) |
| Limble CMMS | SMB maintenance teams and smaller service providers (5-15 sites) | $28/user/month (Standard plan) | Yes (free plan with limited features) |
| Fiix | Manufacturing and mid-market maintenance teams wanting published prices | $0 (free plan); paid from $45/user/month (Basic) | Yes (free plan: work orders, asset management, 25 active PMs, inventory, mobile app) |
| Hippo CMMS | Small single-facility teams (schools, hospitality, local government, SMB manufacturing) | From $39/user/month (Starter, 2-user minimum) | No (free trial available) |
| Fracttal One | Asset-intensive mid-market teams that like flat pricing (manufacturing, energy, logistics) | $195/month flat (Basic plan, teams up to 5 users, unlimited assets) | Yes (free Community version with limited features) |
| FMX | Education, municipal, hospitality and mid-size facilities teams prioritizing ease of use | See website (custom quote; previously published at $35/user/month) | No (free trial available) |
| eMaint | Mid-to-large asset-intensive teams with an admin to configure it | See website (custom quote; historically published at $69/user/month Team) | No (free trial available) |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
The per-seat trap: count technicians, not employees
Work order software bills the people who touch wrenches, not the people who file requests. UpKeep, MaintainX, Hippo and FMX all give requesters free seats; only technicians, managers and supervisors need paid licenses. That changes the math completely: a 200-person facility with 8 technicians buys 8 seats, not 200.
Do the tech count before the demo. Eight techs on UpKeep Essential cost $192 per month; on MaintainX Premium, $520. Fracttal's flat $195 covers five techs regardless. The trap is the tier ladder: the plan that holds the features you need (parts inventory, purchasing, API) is usually one tier above the entry price. Price the tier you will actually run, with your actual tech count, and the cheapest quote usually reveals itself.
Frequently asked questions
How much does work order software cost?
From $0 to roughly $700 per month for a 10-tech team. MaintainX and Fiix offer free plans. UpKeep Essential is $24/user/month ($240 for 10 techs), Limble Standard $28 ($280), Fracttal Basic $195 flat. FMX and eMaint are now quote-based. Add implementation fees on UpKeep and eMaint before comparing year-one totals.
What is CMMS?
Computerized Maintenance Management System: software for managing maintenance work orders, preventive maintenance schedules, assets, parts inventory and technician labor. "Work order software" and "CMMS" describe the same category; CMMS usually implies the fuller feature set with PM scheduling and asset tracking.
Which work order software is best for a small team?
MaintainX (free Basic, $20/user Essential) or Fiix (free plan, $45 Basic) for the cheapest start. UpKeep ($24/user) for the best mobile app. Limble ($28/user) for usability plus 24/7 US support. Fracttal ($195 flat) if you have 4-5 techs and want flat pricing. All five can run a sub-10-tech team well.
Do I need the paid tiers or is free enough?
Free plans digitize work orders and basic asset tracking, which is enough for a pilot or a very small shop. Paid tiers add what growing teams need: real PM scheduling (MaintainX Essential), parts inventory and purchasing (MaintainX Premium, UpKeep Premium), multi-site management and API access (higher tiers everywhere). Pilot free, then buy the tier that holds your must-have features.
Can technicians use it on their phones?
Yes, and the mobile app is the make-or-break feature. UpKeep and MaintainX lead on mobile, with offline access for areas without signal. Hippo's full mobile app is included at Plus and above. eMaint's mobile app rates below the leaders. FMX is mobile-friendly web rather than a native app. Test the app on your actual devices before committing.
How long does implementation take?
MaintainX cites about 3 weeks for a single site; UpKeep, Limble and Fiix are similarly fast for SMB teams. Hippo and Fracttal are days to weeks. eMaint is the heavy lift, with configuration and data migration measured in weeks to months. Budget training time proportional to configurability: the simpler the tool, the faster the crew adopts it.
How we chose
We started with the categories buyers search: work order software, CMMS software and maintenance management software. For each candidate we opened the vendor's own pricing page, checked plan names and prices against public reviews on G2 and Capterra and practitioner discussion on Reddit, and compared feature lists, mobile app quality, PM scheduling depth, parts inventory and team-size fit. Where a price could not be verified on the vendor's page we wrote "See website" rather than guessing, and flagged figures that are now quote-led as historical.
Sources we checked (10)
- https://www.upkeep.com/pricing/
- https://www.maintainx.com/pricing/
- https://www.limblecmms.com/pricing/
- https://www.fiixsoftware.com/pricing/
- https://www.hippocmms.com/pricing/
- https://www.fracttal.com/en/pricing/
- https://www.gofmx.com/pricing/
- https://www.emaint.com/pricing/
- https://www.g2.com/categories/cmms
- https://www.capterra.com/cmms-software/
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.