8.7
Editor’s Rating:
Best Sensor Integration
eMaint CMMS: Asset Detail View
eMaint CMMS
  • Integrates easily with its Fluke sensors
  • Offers real-time condition monitoring
  • Alerts for potential machine breakdowns
8.3
Editor’s Rating:
Best for Manufacturing
UpKeep: Reports
UpKeep
  • Audit-ready document storage
  • Safety checklists
  • Detailed maintenance reports
8.5
Editor’s Rating:
Best for Facility Management
FMX: Building Map Layout
FMX
  • Interactive floor mapping
  • Space management
  • Accurate inventory stock locations

In this guide, we’ve ranked the top CMMSs based on their support of different industries, such as manufacturing and public utilities, and features like mobile and on-premise deployment.

Whether you need a simple free CMMS for streamlined work order management or an enterprise solution for multi-site asset tracking, these systems have their own strengths to fit your business needs.

CMMS Features Table

eMaint - Best Sensor Integration

eMaint CMMS easily integrates with its own proprietary Fluke sensors for advanced machine monitoring. Manufacturers that need sensor monitoring can drastically reduce their setup process with eMaint because it already has built-in support for a large range of their Fluke sensors. Because of this, it doesn’t require as many custom integrations as using third-party sensors would.

The Fluke sensors detect machine conditions by monitoring metrics such as voltage, temperature, and vibration. Data is sent straight from the sensor to your eMaint dashboard and plotted into graphs for quick analysis. You can even hover over the data points for individual values and danger limits for different conditions.

eMaint Condition Monitoring Dashboard
eMaint lets you monitor machine condition data through its proprietary Fluke sensors.

Through these sensors, you can identify acceptable thresholds for your assets and create limits to how high or low metrics can fluctuate. The system lets you set alarms when the data passes these limits and indicates a possible failure. This triggers an eMaint work order that allows you to respond quickly to the problem and prevent further damage.

Best Sensor Integration:
eMaint CMMS
★★★★★
★★★★★
(2)

eMaint CMMS: Asset Detail View
eMaint CMMS: Scheduler
eMaint CMMS: Asset Cards
eMaint CMMS: Assets
eMaint CMMS: Asset Sensor Details
eMaint CMMS: Scheduling
What We Like
Offline mode with work order syncing capabilities
Customizable KPIs
Strong international support: multi-currency, multilingual, multi-location, etc
What We Don’t Like
Difficult to customize work orders and purchase orders
Limited formatting options
Overview
Price Range: $$
Starting Price: $69/user/month
Client OS: Web
Deployment: Cloud Hosted

Read our full eMaint review to learn more.

FMX - Best for Facility Management

FMX offers an interactive mapping tool that helps you record the physical location of your equipment, resources, utilities, and inventory for each facility. Users can upload floorplans for accurate mapping to ensure fixed assets are properly documented. You can even drill down to specific high-value equipment like HVAC or electrical to help specialized technicians view only what they need. Because it’s synced with FMX’s work order and preventive maintenance modules, each asset includes links to documentation and maintenance notes.

FMX Interactive Mapping Tool
View all assets and equipment for every facility with FMX’s interactive floor plan.

The interactive mapping tool also lets you categorize different inventory types. Each grouping can be plotted on the map and searched to show accurate stock locations. This helps employees efficiently find spare parts or general supplies in a warehouse or supply room. The pins can easily be dragged and dropped when inventory is moved, which updates in real-time.

Another plus is the space management feature, especially for education and government facilities. Energy usage data can be integrated into the floor plans to visualize consumption across different sections of the building. This can help identify problematic machines that consume too much energy or even uncover underlying power grid or electrical wiring issues.

FMX works best for mid to large-sized organizations that manage multiple facilities. Because interactive mapping is an add-on module to the core facilities management system, the cost may be too steep for organizations managing only one facility.

Best for Facility Management:
FMX

FMX: Building Map Layout
FMX: New Trip Planning
FMX: Billing Information
FMX: Inventory Adding
FMX: Pinpoint adding
FMX: Capital Forecast Dashboard
FMX: Comprehensive Operations Dashboard
FMX: New Maintenance Request
FMX: Calendar View
FMX: Planned Maintenance
FMX: Schedule Requests
What We Like
Comprehensive calendar program
Helpful support staff
Highly customizable
What We Don’t Like
Long wait to integrate with other software
Cannot list different times on one booking
Failed inspections do not autogenerate work orders
Overview
Price Range: $$
Starting Price: $3,000/year
Client OS: Web
Deployment: Cloud Hosted

Read our FMX product page to learn more.

UpKeep - Best for Manufacturing

UpKeep helps manufacturers adhere to safety protocols. Its advanced reporting module allows for all maintenance work orders and safety-related incidents to be filed to stay compliant with OSHA, FDA, and GMP regulations. They can be organized in a central repository for easy reference and exported in PDF format. This helps keep a detailed audit trail to avoid hefty GMP violation fines for lack of documentation.

Within the reports module, work orders can be organized by the assigned user. This allows you to ensure each technician is maintaining safety standards during maintenance. This way, all safety incidents they work on can be tracked to hold them accountable for missed safety checks.

UpKeep Reports By User
Upkeep lets you track work order statuses by user.

UpKeep also includes safety-related information and checklists on every work order to help crews stay safe and compliant. These instructions can be built into inspections as well, and every step must be followed and logged to ensure they were followed.

Best for Manufacturing:
UpKeep
★★★★★
★★★★★
(10)

UpKeep: Reports
UpKeep: Purchase Orders
UpKeep: Inventory
UpKeep: Mobile Assign Request
What We Like
Picture capture and upload capabilities
QR code scanning
User-friendly mobile app
What We Don’t Like
Android app not as robust as iOS app
Free version is limited
Limited flexibility in user permission settings
Overview
Price Range: $$
Starting Price: $20/user/month
Client OS: iOS, Android, Web
Deployment: Cloud Hosted

Learn more about UpKeep in our full review.

Brightly Asset Essentials - Best for Public Utilities

Brightly Asset Essentials integrates with Esri ArcGIS to provide GIS mapping capabilities for public utilities companies. This is especially useful for visualizing assets across large geographic areas in real-time. With precise geospatial information, the interactive map lets you view different infrastructures, like power grids, water lines, and other utilities.

Brightly Asset Essentials GIS Mapping
Esri ArcGIS is built into Brightly Asset Essentials to help maintain essential assets with pinpoint mapping.

You can filter the map by work orders and sort by date, priority, or site to view details. The system also offers custom map layers that are specific to your business. Data can include weather, traffic, or utility grids, making it easier to asses different variables before you choose which work order to approve or start.

Brightly Asset Essential’s GIS integration works in tandem with its outage management module. It enables fast response times by pinpointing exact outage locations. When these occur, work orders are automatically generated so you can allocate the correct resources efficiently.

Additionally, the GIS mapping tool is available on mobile devices. Technicians can use street view to help them find assets faster and view work order details to perform maintenance optimally. It even offers an offline mode so that work can be done without an internet or cellular connection.

Best for Public Utilities:
Brightly Asset Essentials

Brightly Asset Essentials: Brightly Asset Essentials Dashboard
Brightly Asset Essentials: Brightly Asset Essentials Work Orders
What We Like
User-friendly interface and intuitive design for easy navigation
Provides predictive insights
What We Don’t Like
Some users reported issues with the mobile app
Challenges with adding parts and meter readings
Overview

Fiix - Best AI-Driven Predictive Analytics

Fiix’s Foresight tool is one of the stronger AI-based features we’ve seen on the market. The feature analyzes each work order in your system and spots patterns and anomalies in asset performance or maintenance requests. You’re able to predict delays by viewing high-risk work orders and ranking them on priority to ensure you get to those first.

The asset insights dashboard gives you a straightforward and organized view of advanced asset metrics and data. It shows the total maintenance cost for the past month and ranks it high, medium, or low compared to previous months so you can monitor unusually high spending. It even graphs a maintenance efficiency trend based on monthly preventive maintenance percentages.

Fiix Asset Insights Dashboard
Fiix Foresight’s asset insights dashboard provides trend and data analysis through AI to help predict maintenance needs.

Fiix Foresight also includes a parts forecaster to help plan which parts you’ll need for upcoming maintenance and reduce stockouts. Unfortunately, you can only choose up to 25 parts to track, which can be limiting for companies handling high volumes. Still, the forecaster can be useful for managing the most volatile parts that require constant monitoring.

Best AI-Driven Predictive Analytics:
Fiix Software
★★★★★
★★★★★
(1)

Fiix Software: Asset Management
Fiix Software: Work Order
Fiix Software: Scheduled Maintenance Trigger
Fiix Software: Administrator Dashboard
Fiix Software: Dashboard with Widgets
Fiix Software: Mobile Work Orders
Fiix Software: Mobile Work Order Details
What We Like
Has a forever-free version
Very easy to create and add new items
Mobile accessibility
What We Don’t Like
Difficult search functionality
Learning curve to creating reports
Overview
Price Range: $$
Starting Price: Free
Client OS: iOS, Android, Web
Deployment: Cloud Hosted

Read our full Fiix review.

MaintainX and Click Maint - Most Affordable

Depending on your business’s needs, both MaintainX and Click Maint can be used to streamline your maintenance processes at a low cost.

MaintainX offers a capable forever-free plan. It includes unlimited work orders, assets, and requester users, making it an effective option for small businesses that need simple work order management tools. The only caveat is that it only allows two work orders with attached procedures per month. This means that scheduled maintenance with recurring standard procedures will have to be manually generated each time instead of attaching a standardized procedure to it for simplicity. For unlimited procedures, you will need to purchase the Premium plan for $49/user/month, which is still a low price compared to other leading systems like eMaint CMMS and UpKeep.

MaintainX Pricing Plans
MaintainX offers several affordable plans for small businesses.
Most Affordable:
MaintainX
★★★★★
★★★★★
(2)

MaintainX: Work Orders List
MaintainX: To Do List
MaintainX: Work Order Details
MaintainX: Work order
What We Like
Strong virtual support
Offers free plan
Streamlined mobile app allows users to add images/documents
What We Don’t Like
IoT sensor integrations only in Premium version
Limited customization and reporting in lower-tier plans
Overview
Price Range: $
Starting Price: Free
Client OS: iOS, Android, Web
Deployment: Cloud Hosted

Read our full MaintainX review.

Unlike MaintainX, Click Maint does not offer a free plan. However, it does offer unlimited procedural work order requests on its lowest Professional plan, starting at $35/user/month. It also includes some advanced features, such as KPI report dashboards, preventive maintenance scheduling, and parts inventory management. This makes Click Maint a strong option for businesses that deal with several recurring work orders a month.

Click Maint Pricing
Click Maint offers several features at a low cost for small to midsize businesses.
Most Affordable:
Click Maint
★★★★★
★★★★★
(18)

Click Maint: Asset and Equipment Management
Click Maint: Inventory & Parts Management
Click Maint: Location Management
Click Maint: Maintenance History by Cost Report
Click Maint: Manage Assets Mobile
Click Maint: Preventive Maintenance
Click Maint: Preventive vs Reactive Report
Click Maint: Reports & KPIs
Click Maint: Request Management
Click Maint: Request Portal
Click Maint: Spare Parts Management
Click Maint: Work Orders Completed on Time by Assignee
Click Maint: Work Orders Created vs. Completed Report
Click Maint: Work Orders - Desktop and Mobile
Click Maint: Work Order Management
Click Maint: Calendar View
What We Like
Fast implementation times
Affordable pricing for small businesses
Responsive support
What We Don’t Like
No predictive maintenance, IoT sensor integration or purchase orders
Only English support
Overview
Price Range: $$
Starting Price: $35/user/month
Deployment: Cloud Hosted

Learn more about Click Maint in our review.

AssetWorks EAM - Best EAM System

AssetWorks EAM’s capital planning feature is effective for managing high-value projects and their budgets. On the dashboard, you can track the annual budget plan compared to individual project budgets and costs. Plans can be set as far out as 30 years to allow budgeting for multi-year projects like new infrastructure construction or advanced machine engineering.

AssetWorks EAM Capital Planning
View your company’s budget vs total project costs in AssetWorks EAM’s capital planning module.

Each project within the capital plan tool has different sections to manage them, including:

  • Real-time tracking of the percentage of budget used: Visualize the money already spent on the project vs. the remaining balance.
  • Schedule: Projects are assigned a start and end date and can be broken down into different phases.
  • Work Orders: Track real-time spending on each task and expensive repairs or maintenance.
  • Approvals: Allows different tasks and work orders within a project to be approved individually.

Additionally, AssetWorks’s capital planning module works directly with its asset performance feature. High-value assets that require unexpected or costly maintenance are factored into the overall budget. Plans can also be adjusted for scenarios like sudden replacements or failed inspections.

Best EAM System:
AssetWorks EAM
★★★★★
★★★★★
(1)

AssetWorks EAM: Asset Details
AssetWorks EAM: Layers
AssetWorks EAM: New Work Order
AssetWorks EAM: My Work Portal
What We Like
Capital planning module
Tracks asset performance in real time
Work orders are integrated with capital planning projects
What We Don’t Like
Prices are not listed publicly
Slightly dated user interface
Overview
Client OS: Web
Deployment: Cloud Hosted

Limble CMMS - Best Mobile CMMS

Limble CMMS is a mobile-first platform that streamlines maintenance management for field workers and is available for iOS and Android devices. Tasks follow a streamlined system that makes inspections and maintenance simple. You view the instructions and details for the task, complete the required work, and log the time after. This ensures workers are well-informed and can reference important information while on the job.

Its mobile work order request system lets you efficiently request a work order from anywhere. You can configure the work order to your exact needs, upload pictures, and track the status of reports with automated updates. This eliminates the need for inefficient ticketing systems and relying on stationary desktop computers.

Limble Mobile Work Order Request
Limble CMMS features a streamlined work order request process through its mobile app.

Finally, Limble CMMS’s app has an offline mode, allowing crews to work in dead zones. When offline mode is enabled, tasks can still be completed normally, as all the information and updates are stored locally on the device until an internet connection is restored.

Although Limble has strong mobile work order features, some users report limited flexibility in scheduling recurring tasks. Rotating shifts cannot be automatically programmed, so managers must manually assign a technician each time.

Best Mobile CMMS:
Limble CMMS
★★★★★
★★★★★
(1)

Limble CMMS: Individual Selection Page
Limble CMMS: Work Request Template Editing
Limble CMMS: Costmizing the Work Request Portal
Limble CMMS: Setup and Configure Work Requests
Limble CMMS: View Bad Compressor
Limble CMMS: Quarterly Maintenance
Limble CMMS: Report a Problem
Limble CMMS: Asset Management
Limble CMMS: Total Cost of Operations
Limble CMMS: Scheduling
Limble CMMS: Location Dashboard
Limble CMMS: Global Dashboard
What We Like
Ease of use allows access to all employees
Limited setup period
Over 100 pre-built integrations available.
What We Don’t Like
Can not schedule a WO to become active in the future
Limited form customization
Periodic refreshes rather than instantaneous updates
Overview
Price Range: $$
Starting Price: Free
Client OS: iOS, Android, Web
Deployment: Cloud Hosted

Read more in our Limble CMMS review.

Maintenance Connection - Best On-Premise Option

Maintenance Connection offers a strong on-premise option for industries that require extra security, such as the defense and aerospace sector and healthcare. The system has several user security features that help safeguard sensitive information. It offers customizable authorization access for assignments and approvals, access groups, and role definitions for visibility levels.

The on-premise deployment will give your company more control over its data security. This can help your company comply with security standards such as 21 CFR Part 11. The system even maintains an audit trail of all user actions, providing accountability for all employees.

Maintenance Connection is designed to handle a high volume of work orders across many locations. This is especially important for enterprise-level defense agencies and national healthcare providers with over 500 employees. Because of this, smaller companies will want to look elsewhere.

Best On-Premise Option:
Maintenance Connection
★★★★★
★★★★★
(1)

Maintenance Connection: Work Orders
Maintenance Connection: Work Orders
Maintenance Connection: Classifications
Maintenance Connection: Inventory
What We Like
Plans include automatic monthly software upgrades
Offers a wide variety of customizations
Forms Manager allows hiding fields, designating required fields, etc. in each module
What We Don’t Like
Mobile app is not as comprehensive as desktop version
Customizing menus may require vendor assistance
Potentially high costs for very large organizations
Overview
Price Range: $$
Starting Price: $110/user/month
Client OS: Windows, iOS, Android
Deployment: Cloud or On-Premises

Read our Maintenance Connection page to learn more.

Other Systems We Like

Equips is a good option for maintenance providers and facilities management. It offers an easy-to-use platform with work order management, asset tracking, and reporting. The features streamline workflows and reduce overall maintenance costs.

Systems We Don’t Recommend

While still used by many businesses today, Hippo CMMS was acquired by iOFFICE in 2019 and is no longer supported. Its replacement, Eptura Asset, is unfortunately more expensive than Hippo was with the same functionality.

What is a CMMS?

A computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) is software designed to streamline and automate maintenance management tasks at minimal expense. It centralizes data, enabling users to track work orders, manage assets, and schedule preventive maintenance efficiently.

Commonly referred to as maintenance management software, a CMMS helps organizations reduce equipment/machine downtime, extend asset lifespans, and improve efficiency by providing real-time insights and automated workflows.

Common Challenges

These are the most common challenges a CMMS can help your business overcome:

  • High maintenance costs: Maintenance costs rise with unplanned maintenance and an unorganized work order system.
  • Disorganized work order system: Clunky ticketing systems or manual work order requests can cause delays, miscommunication, and maintenance errors.
  • Compliance issues: Facilities and utilities must adhere to compliance standards to avoid fines and keep infrastructure up to code.
  • Reactive maintenance: Reacting to machine maintenance problems can lead to costly repairs vs preventive and predictive maintenance, which catch issues before they get worse or happen at all.
  • Asset tracking: Accurately tracking asset health and location helps lengthen asset life and provides insights for repairs and maintenance.
  • Communication: Inaccurate or non-descript work orders lead to frustration and delays for maintenance crews.
  • Resource allocation: Use historical data to allocate the correct number of resources for maintenance tasks to stay under budget and improve budget accuracy.
  • Unplanned downtime: Frequent equipment failures and breakdowns lead to unplanned downtime, resulting in lost productivity and increased operational costs.
Limble CMMS Total Cost of Operations
Limble CMMS shows the total cost of operations over time and by location.

Key Features and Benefits

The common CMMS features used in maintenance programs by facility managers include:

  • Asset management: Stores information on assets such as frequency of use, costs, maintenance cycles, and specifications.
  • Equipment inventory: Tracks information on equipment used in maintenance and repair operations, usually including tools and parts.
  • Preventive maintenance: Creates schedules, tracks procedures, and sets maintenance routines to prevent unplanned breakdowns.
  • Predictive maintenance: Scans equipment data for performance trends and uses condition-based monitoring to alert the appropriate staff of any potential issues.
  • Work order management: Efficiently creates a trackable document identifying what work needs to be done and how it should be accomplished.
  • Reporting and analytics: Records asset data and costs to create visual graphs and charts.
  • Compliance and Safety: Keeps you audit-ready by keeping records of work orders, tasks, and compliance documentation.
  • Mobile accessibility: Includes a mobile app for maintenance teams to view and approve work orders and log time.

Higher-costing CMMS and EAM systems will include advanced features, including:

  • IoT integration: The system integrates with IoT sensors to record and monitor machine and vehicle diagnostics like temperature, fuel consumption, and vibration.
  • GIS mapping: Uses geographic maps to visualize the locations of assets and infrastructure.
eMaint Asset Inventory Cards
Keep detailed asset lists with service information in eMaint.

How to Choose the Right CMMS for Your Business

CMMSs can cater to different types of industries and needs, so it’s important to choose one that fits your priorities.

Industry or Priority Recommended Systems Key Features
Manufacturing UpKeep, MicroMain, eMaint Safety and compliance, predictive and preventive maintenance, spare parts inventory
Facility Management FMX, FMS:Workplace, Maintenance Care Floor mapping, space management
Public utilities Brightly Asset Essentials, Fiix, eMaint GIS Mapping, asset tracking, Compliance
Affordability MaintainX, Click Maint, Limble CMMS Free versions, low-cost paid plans, work order management
EAM AssetWorks EAM, Maintenance Connection, Brightly Asset Essentials Asset lifecycle management, GIS mapping, capital planning
On-premise Maintenance Connection, Fiix Control over data, visibility roles, offline access

Pricing Guide

The pricing for CMMSs varies, as there are many systems that offer free plans, such as MaintainX and Limble CMMS. However, these are often limited in functionality and are only for startups and small businesses that need basic work order management tools.

Paid plans can range from $16-$120/user/month for cloud-based systems, depending on your desired features. Usually, products will offer tiered pricing options, with the cost increasing with the number of features offered. For example, eMaint’s starting price is $69/user/month for a 3-user package with standard CMMS features. The next plan is the Professional package starting at $85/user/month with 3 or more users and advanced features like interactive image mapping and condition monitoring. Finally, its Enterprise plan requires a custom quote and includes every feature eMaint has to offer.

CMMS Free Plan Base Price Free Trial For Paid Plans
eMaint No $69/user/month No
Limble CMMS Yes, but no offline mode for the mobile app $28/user/month No
Fiix Yes, but lacks standard reports $45/user/month No
Click Maint No $35/user/month No
UpKeep No $20/user/month 7-day free trial
MaintainX Yes, but only two procedural work orders $16/user/month 30-day free trial
Brightly Asset Essentials No Quote-based No
Maintenance Connection No Quote-based No
AssetWorks EAM No Quote-based No
FMX No Quote-Based No

For on-premise deployment, there will be a high initial investment cost for licensing, implementation, and training. These costs can total between $1,500 and $20,000, depending on your business size and complexity of the CMMS. While most systems only offer cloud-based options, on-premise is still valuable for large companies emphasizing total control over their data or require offline access for their technicians.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is a CMMS different from an EAM system?

 

Both systems are similar in approach, as they help manage assets and improve maintenance workflows. The main difference is that CMMS is more maintenance-focused, while EAM systems are designed for high-value assets and managing their entire lifecycles. These can include heavy machinery, complex medical equipment, or utility infrastructure, such as power grids and water treatment plants.

Read more: CMMS vs. EAM: What’s the Difference?

Is QuickBooks a CMMS?

 
No, QuickBooks is not a CMMS software; it’s an accounting software. The system lacks essential CMMS features like work order management and preventive maintenance. You can, however, integrate QuickBooks and your CMMS system for data synchronization.

Do CMMSs have offline access?

 
Most CMMSs do offer offline access capabilities on their mobile apps so that technicians can still use them without being connected to the internet. While the system itself is cloud-based, the apps can be used offline, as you can input information that syncs to the main system once a connection is restored. Some notable solutions that offer this include MaintainX, Limble CMMS, and Fiix.
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