
Contents
- What is maintenance tracking software (CMMS software)?
- Maintenance tracking software vs. spreadsheets
- Preventive vs. predictive maintenance
- Best maintenance tracking software: comparison table
- 1. UpKeep
- 2. MaintainX
- 3. Limble CMMS
- 4. Fiix
- 5. FTMaintenance
- 6. Fracttal
- Maintenance tracking software cost for a 10-person team
- How to choose maintenance tracking software for small business
- Common maintenance tracking software mistakes
- In short
- Maintenance tracking software: FAQ
What is maintenance tracking software (CMMS software)?
Maintenance tracking software is a computerized maintenance management system, or CMMS. Fiix describes a CMMS as “software that helps maintenance teams manage all their maintenance activities in one place,” and says it lets teams “plan, track, measure, and optimize everything from work orders to inventory and reporting.” IBM describes a CMMS as a system “for efficient scheduling, managing and tracking of maintenance tasks.” The U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program O&M guide, prepared by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, calls a CMMS “a type of management software” and adds that it does not make decisions itself; it gives the O&M manager information to improve operational efficiency.
Maintenance tracking software vs. spreadsheets
Fiix says many teams “relied on Excel spreadsheets, pen and paper, and legacy maintenance software” and that those approaches “don’t cut it anymore.” It adds that a CMMS “eliminates paperwork and time-consuming activities.”
| Capability | Spreadsheet | Maintenance tracking software (as listed by vendors) |
|---|---|---|
| Work orders | You build and update rows by hand | Unlimited work orders on MaintainX Basic and UpKeep Essential |
| Recurring schedules | You build reminders yourself | Unlimited PMs on Limble Standard; PM scheduling on UpKeep Premium |
| Mobile use in the field | Depends on your file sharing setup | Mobile app listed by Limble; offline mode on UpKeep Professional and Limble Premium+ |
| Parts and inventory | A separate tab you maintain | Parts and inventory on UpKeep Premium and MaintainX Premium |
| Cost | No license fee | $0 to $75 per user/month on published plans |
A spreadsheet still makes sense for a tiny team with a handful of assets. Once several people share work orders, or you need parts and history in one place, maintenance tracking software starts to pay for itself in time saved. Neither IBM nor the DOE guide compares a CMMS with spreadsheets directly, so the table above rests on Fiix’s claims and the features vendors list.
Preventive vs. predictive maintenance: what does your software need to do?
MaintainX says preventive maintenance “is simpler and cheaper to start with,” while predictive maintenance “requires a higher upfront investment in sensors and analytics.” It defines the two approaches this way: “Preventive maintenance involves following a predetermined maintenance schedule,” while “predictive maintenance involves monitoring asset condition and enhancing asset performance to determine maintenance needs.”
The trigger differs. MaintainX says “Preventive maintenance is scheduled at fixed intervals,” and “Predictive maintenance is triggered by real-time asset data.”
For a neutral source, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program O&M guide (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, December 2002) defines preventive maintenance as “Actions performed on a time- or machine-run-based schedule that detect, preclude, or mitigate degradation.” It lists an “Estimated 12% to 18% cost savings over reactive maintenance program.” That is a 2002 federal facilities estimate for preventive over run-it-till-it-breaks maintenance, not a measurement of any software in this article.
What this means for maintenance tracking software
Most small businesses start with preventive maintenance, so any maintenance tracking software with recurring work orders will cover it. Predictive features show up higher up the price list. MaintainX lists IoT sensor integrations and Asset Health Insights on Enterprise, Fiix lists Fiix Foresight AI on Professional, and Fracttal lists “Predictive analytics and intelligent prescriptions” without tying them to a plan. Limble Premium+ lists meter- and threshold-based scheduling, a step between fixed calendars and sensors.
Best maintenance tracking software: comparison table
Here is how the six tools compare on what each vendor publishes. Two tools were dropped because their pricing could not be verified (see the scope box below).
| Tool | Published price | Free plan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| UpKeep | Essential $24, Premium $55 per user/month; Professional and Enterprise by quote | Not listed | Small teams wanting PM scheduling and inventory |
| MaintainX | Essential $20 (annual) or $25 (monthly); Premium $65 or $75 per user/month; Enterprise custom | Yes, Basic at $0 | Trying the software at no cost |
| Limble CMMS | Standard, Premium+, Enterprise: calculator only | Not listed | Teams wanting unlimited assets and PMs |
| Fiix | Basic $45, Professional $75 per user/month; Enterprise custom | Yes, Free plan | Growing teams needing predictive tools |
| FTMaintenance | Call for quote on all four plans | Not listed | Buyers wanting a one-time license option |
| Fracttal | Request a quote | Not listed | Teams interested in predictive analytics |
Free maintenance tracking software: what the free plans include
Two of the six vendors publish a free plan. MaintainX Basic is “Free forever” with unlimited work orders, procedures and requesters, but only 2 active repeating work orders. Fiix Free lists 25 active PMs, unlimited work orders and service requests, inventory and a mobile app, with limited users. Both suit a small pilot; neither is a tested recommendation.
1. UpKeep: best for small teams that want PM scheduling and inventory
Price: Essential is $24 per user/month and Premium is $55 per user/month. Professional and Enterprise are “Request a Quote.” The page does not list annual prices or state a user cap.
Essential includes unlimited work orders, unlimited locations and Nova AI, with 250 Nova Credits a month. Premium adds PM scheduling, custom checklists, parts and inventory management with costing, and time and labor tracking. Professional adds mobile offline mode, an external request portal and asset lifecycle tracking. Enterprise adds multi-site support, workflow automation, reliability and downtime tracking, PO management and an API.
Pros
- Published prices for the two entry plans
- Unlimited work orders from the lowest plan
- Parts costing and labor tracking at Premium
Cons
- PM scheduling needs Premium, more than twice the Essential price
- Offline mode needs a quoted plan
Choose it if you want preventive schedules and parts tracking at a published price. Skip it if your technicians work without signal and you want a posted price for offline mode.
2. MaintainX: best for trying maintenance tracking software at no cost
Price: Basic is $0, “Free forever.” Essential is $20 per user/month billed annually or $25 billed monthly. Premium is $65 billed annually or $75 billed monthly. Enterprise is custom. MaintainX defines a user as “someone who uses the MaintainX app and has a unique login,” and says “Requester accounts are free.”
Basic includes unlimited work orders, unlimited procedures and unlimited requester users, but only 2 active repeating work orders (the page’s feature list says “active repeating,” while its comparison table says “2 per month,” so confirm the exact limit). Essential removes that cap. Premium adds meter-based maintenance, parts inventory, purchase orders, time and cost tracking, and open REST API access.
Pros
- A real free tier with unlimited work orders
- Free requester accounts for staff who only report problems
Cons
- Free plan caps repeating work orders at 2, so preventive programs outgrow it quickly
- Parts inventory needs Premium
Choose it if you want to test a CMMS before paying. Skip it if you need parts inventory but want to stay under $30 per user.
3. Limble CMMS: best for unlimited assets and PMs
Price: Not published as a number. The pricing page offers a “Calculate my price” tool for Standard, Premium+ and Enterprise, and does not state a per-user rate or a billing term.
Standard includes the mobile app, unlimited assets, work orders, PMs and work requesters, custom dashboards and automatic downtime reporting. Advanced analytics and work orders with attached procedures are limited to 3 per month on Standard. Premium+ adds mobile offline mode, unlimited spare parts, vendor and purchase order management, meter- and threshold-based scheduling and open REST API access. Enterprise adds multi-location tools, custom roles, inventory cycle counts and single sign-on. All three list 24/7 support, SOC II Type II compliance and a 99.99% uptime SLA.
Pros
- Unlimited assets and PMs on the entry plan
Cons
- No price without using the calculator
- Single sign-on and ERP/IoT integrations may cost extra
Choose it if you have many assets and want preventive maintenance without caps. Skip it if you need a price to budget with before any contact.
4. Fiix: best for growing teams that want predictive tools
Price: Free at $0, Basic at $45 and Professional at $75 per user/month. Enterprise is custom. The page lists no annual rates and says plans can be month-to-month or annual. It also says “Add as many users as you want to your plan at any time.”
The Free plan lists 25 active PMs, unlimited service requests, work orders, asset management, inventory and a mobile app, with limited users. Basic adds unlimited PMs, reports and pass/fail inspections. Professional adds multi-site oversight, Fiix Foresight AI, purchasing and RFQs, nested PMs, advanced analytics and custom reports. Fiix MAX, an AI maintenance assistant, is an add-on with contact-for-price pricing.
Pros
- Free plan with 25 active PMs, more than MaintainX’s free tier allows
- Published prices for both paid tiers
- No stated cap on paid users
Cons
- Professional at $75 per user ties MaintainX Premium’s monthly rate as the highest published price here
- Integration Hub, custom API and SSO cost extra on Enterprise
Choose it if you want a free start and a path to AI and multi-site features. Skip it if you only need basic work orders for a very small crew.
5. FTMaintenance: best for buyers who want a perpetual license
Price: All four plans are “Call for Quote”: LITE and LITE+ (annual SaaS subscriptions), FULL SCALE (monthly SaaS subscription) and ONE-TIME PURCHASE (perpetual license). Its FAQ answers “No” when asked about startup fees, saying purchases “include implementation services,” and states that “FasTrak provides unlimited technical phone and email support with all plans.”
Pros
- One-time purchase option, which most tools here lack
- Implementation and support included
Cons
- No published prices or user limits
Choose it if you prefer owning a license or need on-premise deployment. Skip it if you want to compare list prices before talking to sales.
6. Fracttal: best for teams interested in predictive analytics
Price: Not published. The page says “Fill out the form and request a quote now!” and lists no plan names, prices or user limits.
The features listed include “Automatic work order assignment,” “Predictive analytics and intelligent prescriptions” and “ERP integration: inventories, supplier tasks, and more.” The page does not tie features to specific plans.
Pros
- Predictive analytics named as a feature
Cons
- No pricing, plans or user limits on the page
- Cannot compare against other tools without a quote
Choose it if predictive maintenance is a goal and you are willing to request a quote. Skip it if you want to self-serve with a posted price.
Maintenance tracking software cost for a 10-person team
A worked example of maintenance tracking software cost for a 10-person US business, where every person who logs work needs a paid seat. It uses published per-user list prices multiplied by 10 users and 12 months. UpKeep and Fiix do not state their billing terms or annual rates, so treat those totals as the listed monthly rate.
| Option | Calculation | Year-one software cost |
|---|---|---|
| MaintainX Basic | Free, 2 active repeating work orders | $0 |
| MaintainX Essential, billed annually | 10 × $20 × 12 | $2,400 |
| MaintainX Essential, billed monthly | 10 × $25 × 12 | $3,000 |
| UpKeep Essential | 10 × $24 × 12 | $2,880 |
| Fiix Basic | 10 × $45 × 12 | $5,400 |
| UpKeep Premium | 10 × $55 × 12 | $6,600 |
| MaintainX Premium, billed annually | 10 × $65 × 12 | $7,800 |
| Fiix Professional | 10 × $75 × 12 | $9,000 |
| Limble, FTMaintenance, Fracttal | Quote or calculator | Quote |
If only some of the ten people create or close work orders, the bill drops. MaintainX says requester accounts are free, and UpKeep’s FAQ describes free view-only, requester and third-party user types, although the page did not show which plans include them. Confirm seat types before you buy.
How to choose maintenance tracking software for small business
Use this checklist before you commit to maintenance tracking software for a small business.
- Count your assets and list which ones need recurring preventive work.
- Count who creates, completes and only requests work orders, since seat types change the price.
- Check where the PM scheduling limit sits: MaintainX caps repeating work orders at 2 on Basic, and Fiix Free allows 25 active PMs.
- Check whether parts inventory is on the plan you can afford. UpKeep and MaintainX list it on Premium.
- Ask about extras that may cost more, such as SSO, API and IoT integrations.
If you also track projects and tasks outside maintenance, compare options in our guide to project management software for small teams.
Common maintenance tracking software mistakes
- Buying predictive features first. MaintainX says predictive maintenance needs a higher upfront investment in sensors and analytics, while preventive is simpler and cheaper to start.
- Paying for every employee as a full user. Check whether requesters or view-only users are free.
- Ignoring plan caps. Free and entry plans cap repeating work orders, analytics or procedures.
- Comparing monthly and annual prices. MaintainX’s annual and monthly rates differ by $5 on Essential and $10 on Premium.
- Forgetting add-on costs. Fiix’s Fiix MAX and Limble’s SSO are not in the base price.
Teams that also want AI help beyond maintenance can see our list of AI tools for small business, and shops that sell parts may pair a CMMS with order management software.
In short
Maintenance tracking software replaces spreadsheets with work orders, schedules and asset history in one place. For a 10-person team, published prices put MaintainX Essential ($20 annual) and UpKeep Essential ($24) at the low end and Fiix Professional ($75) at the high end. MaintainX and Fiix offer free plans, while Limble, FTMaintenance and Fracttal require a calculator or quote. Start with preventive maintenance, confirm seat types and caps, and test with real work orders before paying.
Sources, as read in November 2026: UpKeep pricing, MaintainX pricing, Limble pricing, Fiix pricing, Fiix: what is a CMMS, FTMaintenance pricing, Fracttal pricing, MaintainX: preventive vs. predictive maintenance, IBM: CMMS, U.S. DOE FEMP: O&M Best Practices Guide (PNNL).
Maintenance tracking software: FAQ
What is maintenance tracking software?
Maintenance tracking software, also called CMMS software, helps maintenance teams plan, track and measure work orders, assets, inventory and reporting in one place. It replaces spreadsheets and paper logs.
How much does maintenance tracking software cost?
Published prices run from $0 (MaintainX Basic and Fiix Free) to $75 per user/month (Fiix Professional and MaintainX Premium billed monthly). UpKeep Essential is $24 and Premium is $55 per user/month. Limble, FTMaintenance and Fracttal require a quote or calculator.
What is the best free maintenance tracking software?
Two vendors publish free plans. MaintainX Basic is “Free forever” with unlimited work orders but only 2 active repeating work orders, and Fiix Free has 25 active PMs but limited users. Fiix Free allows more preventive schedules, while MaintainX’s page states no seat cap; we did no hands-on testing, so confirm limits first.
What is the difference between preventive and predictive maintenance?
Preventive maintenance follows a predetermined schedule at fixed intervals. Predictive maintenance is triggered by real-time asset data and, according to MaintainX, requires a higher upfront investment in sensors and analytics.
Should a small business use a CMMS or a spreadsheet?
A spreadsheet can work for a few assets and one person. Fiix says spreadsheets and paper logs no longer cut it for growing teams, and a CMMS adds work orders, schedules, inventory and reports in one system.
Which maintenance tracking software has the lowest published price?
MaintainX Essential is the lowest paid price we found at $20 per user/month billed annually, ahead of UpKeep Essential at $24. MaintainX Basic and Fiix Free cost $0.
What is the best maintenance tracking software for small business?
No single tool is best for every small business. On published prices, MaintainX Essential ($20 per user/month billed annually) and UpKeep Essential ($24) are the lowest-cost paid options, and MaintainX Basic and Fiix Free cost $0. UpKeep’s PM scheduling starts at Premium ($55), so match the plan to your preventive maintenance needs, parts inventory and seat types.
Does Limble CMMS publish its prices?
No. Limble’s pricing page offers a calculator for Standard, Premium+ and Enterprise and does not list a per-user price or billing term.




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