CMMS Pricing Guide: Real Costs & Pricing Models, Explained

Whenever you ask a simple question — “How much does a CMMS cost?” — the answers are anything but simple.

One vendor lists a low monthly price, another offers “custom pricing,” and a third won’t give a number unless you sign up for a demo. In a world where every price tag comes with an asterisk, we want to offer clarity.

CMMS pricing depends on a set of predictable factors like the number of users, asset portfolio size and feature sets. Once you understand these factors, you’ll be in a position to spot trade-offs easily when comparing prices.

In this guide, we break down CMMS pricing in simple terms. You’ll see realistic pricing ranges, how different pricing models behave as you scale and where hidden costs might show up. Let’s jump in.

CMMS Pricing at a Glance

Let’s take a quick look at the various price ranges for different kinds of CMMS software:

How Much Does CMMS Software Cost? Typical Price Ranges

The cost depends on which software you choose. Here’s what CMMS software solutions typically cost and who they’re a fit for:

Free or Starter CMMS: $0-$30/user/month

Free or starter CMMS solutions include basic features like work orders and asset lists. In most cases, these platforms have various limitations. For example, they may limit the number of assets you can add or reports you can generate.

They’re fine for businesses with only a handful of assets and basic maintenance needs, but most businesses outgrow these basic tools pretty quickly.

SMB CMMS: $30-$75/user/month

This is where most teams land. CMMS plans built for SMBs aim to strike a balance between feature set and price. Almost all essential features are included in a typical SMB CMMS at a cost that doesn’t overwhelm most businesses.

When evaluating platforms, here are some CMMS features you should consider as a bare minimum:

• Work order management
• Checklists for standard operating procedures (SOPs)
• Maintenance scheduling
• Asset tracking
• Mobile access

While the pricing is built for small teams on a budget, they still want to offer users the option to opt into advanced features. They typically offer these features as add-ons, so factor in those costs when evaluating platforms. Support is another potential hidden cost. Ask the person delivering the demo about the type of support you get with each pricing tier to avoid surprises later.

Mid-Market CMMS: $75-$150/user/month

Most mid-market CMMS offer advanced workflows, detailed reports, role-based access controls and complex asset hierarchies. They’re perfect for businesses with large or complex asset portfolios or that need automated maintenance schedules.

The only thing to keep in mind is that complexity can slow adoption. That’s why your total cost of ownership (TCO) should include training costs and a longer implementation runway. So if you’re not too keen on spending $100+ per user per month, a mid-market CMMS option might not be your best bet.

Enterprise CMMS: $150+/user/month or custom

These are usually best for compliance-driven organizations with large asset portfolios and a CMMS budget of thousands per month. It’s overkill unless you run multi-site operations, have layered approval workflows or deal with strict compliance requirements.

If you identify as someone who needs an enterprise CMMS, give yourself a reality check first. Do you really need an enterprise CMMS today? This helps avoid anticipatory buying — never shop for the organization you hope to become in three or five years. Stick to your current reality when choosing your CMMS.

Anticipatory buying is a recipe for wasted resources. Not because there’s anything wrong with enterprise CMMS tools but because they’re built for organizations with dedicated systems owners and internal IT support. If you lack those resources, your enterprise CMMS will usually deliver diminishing returns and add more complexity to your operations.

CMMS Pricing Models (& Their Tradeoffs)

Most CMMS models use one of the four pricing models discussed below. Let’s look at what you should be mindful of in terms of pricing when choosing a CMMS.

Per-User Pricing

Per-user pricing is the most common model among CMMS providers, but it’s also deceptively expensive. It feels fair at first glance because you only pay for people who log in. One user, fixed monthly fee — easy, right?

Unfortunately, the simplicity of this pricing model limits frontline adoption. Since costs rise with each user, teams often restrict access, leaving people doing the work outside the system. It’s easy to imagine how this leads to poor technician buy-in.

Per-Asset Pricing

Per-asset pricing fixes the adoption problem of per-user pricing, but it also adds scale into the mix. This model works well for businesses with few assets and stable inventories, but the downside starts showing up as you scale your asset portfolio.

As you add new locations and more equipment, the CMMS costs will balloon up even as the number of users remains the same. It’s best to avoid this pricing model unless you expect your asset count to be tightly controlled for the foreseeable future.

Tiered Plans

Tiered pricing is when a provider bundles features into various pricing tiers. The idea is not to tie pricing to any variable but to the user’s needs. If you need advanced features, you pay more and if you just need the essentials, you get a better price.

While this is a great pricing model, feature gating is often a problem. When features like preventive maintenance (PM) automation and advanced reporting are locked away in higher tiers, you’re left without some of the most attractive features that made you consider a specific CMMS in the first place.

The result? Teams end up upgrading their plan not because they need more advanced features but because they need the basics done right.

Flat-Rate or Hybrid Pricing

Flat-rate or hybrid pricing models have gained traction over the past few years. Under this model, the price is based on the size and scope of your operation, rather than the number of users or assets. This means you can give every technician access to your CMMS without worrying about incremental cost.

Pricing Model Comparison

Let’s look at an example of how these pricing models work for a company that requires full access for all technicians. Here are some details about the company:

• 20 technicians
• 1 maintenance manager
• 500 assets

Here’s a chart summarizing how much the company will pay for a CMMS under various pricing models:

What Actually Drives CMMS Cost (Beyond the Sticker Price)

The price tag you see on a vendor’s pricing page is usually a baseline. Several other factors drive up your CMMS costs beyond the initial subscription price. Here’s what also impacts your TCO:

• Number of technicians vs. requesters: Many CMMS providers charge the same price for daily users and occasional requesters. This pricing method forces you to either overpay or restrict access, which compromises visibility into upcoming work.
• Asset count and hierarchy depth: Asset-based pricing may look predictable, but that can change as hierarchies deepen. Parent-child assets and temporary installs can drive up cost and complexity. Even if your vendor doesn’t charge per asset, the need for these advanced features can increase your TCO.
• Preventive maintenance volume: Many platforms set work order or activity caps, so you pay more as your PM volume increases. You might also want advanced reporting and automation features as PM volume increases, which may be locked behind higher-tier plans.
• Reporting and compliance requirements: Basic dashboards are usually included. Advanced reporting, audit logs, exports and compliance-ready records are often locked behind premium or enterprise plans.
• Implementation, onboarding and training fees: Setup costs aren’t part of the monthly pricing you see, but they do add to your TCO. Data migration, configuration and training are frequently billed as one-time (or mandatory) services.
• Add-ons and integrations: ERP integrations, inventory modules, sensor data capture and APIs are often available as add-ons. Each of these adds to your TCO.

CMMS Pricing Comparison: Top 10 CMMS Software

Here’s how the top 10 platforms on the market stack up:

If you’re about to sign up for a demo, here’s a quick CMMS demo checklist that will help you prepare.

Hidden CMMS Costs to Watch Out For

Providers don’t usually quote the following on their pricing page, so make sure you ask about them:

• Implementation fees: Many mid-market and enterprise CMMS platforms charge a one-time setup fee for data migration and go-live support. Even when they’re labeled “recommended,” they’re effectively non-optional because it gives vendor control over system performance, limiting support risk later.
• Paid onboarding: Onboarding support is nice, but it stings when it’s mandatory. Always verify if the vendor requires training sessions, admin setup or other billable onboarding steps because they’re rarely cheap.
• Locked reporting: Basic dashboards are usually included, but audit-ready reports may require upgrades. See which tier offers custom reports, data export and other reporting features you’d like to use to avoid surprise costs.
• Asset or PM caps: Some vendors may limit the number of assets or work orders that you can add. This forces you to upgrade to a higher tier as business grows.
• Support tiers: Faster response times and dedicated support are often available only on the most expensive plan. If uptime is mission-critical for you, standard support may not be enough, which means you’ll need to spend more even when a lower-tier plan offers everything else you need.

How to Choose the Right CMMS Based on Budget & Team Size

Features are an important factor, but not the only one. What matters more for your return on investment is choosing a tool your team actually uses. Here’s how teams of various sizes should choose their CMMS:

• Small teams: Small teams are usually short on both time and money. If you’re a small team, pick a CMMS that’s easy to set up and use. This means a tool that doesn’t require paid onboarding or complex configurations.
• Growing maintenance operations: The biggest problem for growing teams is caps. Limits on features or usage compel you to upgrade to more expensive tiers. If the CMMS charges per user or asset, a growing team or asset portfolio can quickly add to your total costs. That’s why a CMMS platform that offers a flat or hybrid pricing model is your best bet.
• Multi-site operations: For multi-site organizations, the challenge lies in getting every location to use the CMMS the same way. Enterprise systems often require heavy setup and strict license management, which can lead to uneven usage. A platform that’s easy to configure and allows broader access tends to be used more consistently across locations.

CMMS Pricing Isn’t About Cheap — It’s About Fit

Cheapest CMMS platforms aren’t always the most effective. Instead of chasing low prices, look for a pricing model that doesn’t discourage technician access or push teams into paying for features they don’t need.

The best CMMS platform? It’s the one your team actually uses consistently. That’s why the choice comes down to fit — pricing that aligns with how maintenance work is done at your facility and doesn’t make you choose between giving more people access and keeping costs under control.

At Coast, we deliberately built our pricing model to shield you against these common problems. Our pricing supports scalability and adoption so you can focus on maximizing your maintenance program’s efficiency without worrying about managing licenses or paying more for basic functionality.

If you’re looking for a CMMS that fits the way your team works, sign up for a free Coast account and see how it works in practice.