10 Best Work Order Software in 2024

If you run or manage a business with major assets, you know that you can’t afford much (if any) downtime for this essential machinery. Whether your most valuable equipment consists of walk-in refrigerators, forklifts or HVAC systems, your assets are crucial to your business’ success. If an asset breaks or malfunctions, you can’t afford to waste any time scheduling repairs.

As your business grows and expands, work order software will play a critical role in reduced downtime as well as responsiveness to repairs. That’s because it acts as a digital database where you can enter, track and organize work orders for assets. Work orders can be submitted internally or externally (i.e., from within your business or from a client or customer), and they can consist of different types of maintenance work orders, including preventive maintenance, reactive maintenance and predictive maintenance.

With a range of conditions and categories for work orders, it can be stressful and time-consuming to keep track of them using paper and pencil, spreadsheets or back-and-forth texts. Aside from taking additional time, all of these methods of work order tracking and scheduling can lead to confusion and disorganization, as the information won’t be centralized in one convenient location.

There are many work order management software from which to choose. That’s why we’re taking a closer look at 10 of the best options, exploring the pros and cons of each. But first, let’s talk a bit more about what a great work order software should do for your business.

What Is a Work Order Software?

We touched briefly on how work order software can assist your business, but what exactly is a work order? Work orders are maintenance tasks or jobs assigned to a person who is qualified to complete them. They can be created for a range of purposes, not only for inspections or repairs but as follow-up actions (i.e., for audits). Work orders may include information such as instructions, cost estimates, dates and times of inspections or repairs, and other relevant templates or request forms.

Work order software provides a centralized location for you to create, assign and track repairs and tasks, moving them through the work order process to completion using a single dashboard. It allows you to streamline maintenance of an asset, keeping all essential communications and updates in one place. Each work order in the program may include any of the information outlined above, entered by the person who created it or by the person who works on it. It is collaborative in this regard, so anyone who works on the task may provide progress updates and maintenance histories.

As you learn more about work order software, the term “CMMS” will pop up. CMMS software, or computerized maintenance management system software, acts as a database to store all information about an organization’s essential maintenance operations. While a CMMS has many overlapping functions with a work order software — including the ability to submit work orders and manage preventive maintenance — CMMS programs tend to have more advanced features, such as sensors and integrations. Most of the work order software available in the market are also a CMMS.

It’s probably apparent by now that work order software is the best solution for logging and tracking work orders for your business to maintain operational efficiency. But what makes a great work order software solution?

How to Select the Best Work Order Software

While it’s true that every business has different needs and focuses, you should consider the following factors before investing in a work order software program:

1. Ease of Use

A good work order software should be easy to use and easy for maintenance technicians and employees to navigate. As with any new program, you can probably expect a slight learning curve in the beginning, but most actions within the software should be clear and straightforward. Complex interfaces will probably waste more time than they’ll save you.

2. Mobile App

Does the work order software have a mobile app? A website experience can be totally different from an app experience when it comes to navigating software, so a good program should be accessible through both. Moreover, if a program is only available via desktop, field technicians will still have to log everything by pen and paper, then transfer their findings to the program once they have computer access. Ultimately, mobile apps are important because they allow technicians to enter information and progress instantly for better accuracy.

3. Alerts and Reminders

Does the work order software send alerts and reminders when a work order is nearing its due date? Does it send push notifications when a work order is past due? Automated reminders ensure that technicians complete assigned work orders in a timely manner or help employees stay on track as they work on assigned projects.

4. Reporting Ability

A good work order software will ideally provide data that allows you to identify trends and follow KPIs. This will give you a better idea of which assets frequently experience breakdowns, which team members are performing well and which ones aren’t getting the work done effectively. Reports will also enable you, as an owner or manager, to make more informed decisions about time and money-saving initiatives on maintenance and assets.

5. Preventive Maintenance

Preventive maintenance functionality enables you to stay on top of essential inspections and updates for your assets. When maintenance is scheduled ahead of time, your business reduces the likelihood of machinery downtime, and inspections are often far less costly and time-consuming than firefighting in the moment (after equipment has already broken down). Preventive maintenance also helps you plan ahead financially since scheduled maintenance can be factored into your business’ budget.

Top 10 Work Order Software

The 10 work order software outlined here provide many of these helpful features. We compiled an overview of what you need to know about each work order software and also included pricing information, so you can make the best investment for your business.

1. Coast

Coast is a scheduling, team messaging and work order management tool that helps businesses stay organized by keeping essential business processes in a centralized place. Its work order creation and delegation feature makes it a good solution for work order management. Coast is also easily accessible and navigable via mobile app, and it offers a free plan.

Key features:

• Mobile app allows technicians to view, update and edit all work orders in the field
• Schedule and streamline work orders with preventive maintenance feature based on time (daily, weekly, monthly)
• Add checklists to any work order for your technician to complete
• Automated reminders sent to technicians to ensure they complete work orders before the due date
• Attach photos to work orders to easily identify issue.

Coast pros:

• Easy to set up and run and easy to onboard staff
• Reports and analytics allows you to see which work orders are being completed and when bottlenecks may occur
• Track time and cost associated with each work order
• Ability to create custom fields for work orders, assets, locations and parts
• Can use QR codes to track work order status and metrics

Coast cons:

• Limited integrations
• Reporting only available with paid plans

What people think about managing work orders with Coast:

• Capterra – 5/5
• G2 – 5/5
• Google Play Store – 4.4/5
• Apple App Store – 4.7/5

Coast pricing:

• Free plan includes unlimited work orders, scheduling and messaging
• Starter plan is available for $20 a user per month
• Pro plan is available for $39 a user per month
• Enterprise plan (for larger teams) is undisclosed on the Coast website, but a demo of the software may be requested

Try Coast for free now to save time and money on your maintenance!

2. MaintainX

MaintainX allows businesses to track reactive and preventive maintenance and digitize important documentation such as safety procedures and checklists. Mobile access to all of these functions is also heavily prioritized for completing updates in the field.

Key features:

• Asset tracking, such as audit and activity tracking, plus barcoding
• Predictive maintenance, which tracks the operation of equipment to detect potential problems before they occur
• Preventive maintenance — including maintenance scheduling, reminders, inspection management and more
• Technician management — managers can message technicians individually or via group chat
• Work order management — including work order creation, quotes and estimates, and recurring appointments and scheduling

MaintainX pros:

• Easy to create work orders
• Dashboard is well-organized and provides a clear overview of progress
• Real-time updates are reported, so everyone stays in the loop
• Tracks and updates all essential actions so that businesses can focus on work

MaintainX cons:

• Lack of inventory capability
• Reports are not easily filtered
• No email system to communicate with clients and vendors — all communication occurs through the app

What people think about managing work orders with MaintainX:

• Capterra – 4.7/5
• G2 – 4.8/5
• Google Play Store – 4.7/5
• Apple App Store – 4.8/5

MaintainX pricing:

• Basic plan is free with unlimited work orders and real-time messaging
• Essential plan is available for $16 a month per user
• Premium plan is available for $49 a month per user
• Enterprise plan users need to call for quote

3. UpKeep

UpKeep is a great tool for simplifying the workflow process for businesses, and its easy-to-use interface makes creating and managing work orders a breeze. Like many comparable programs, UpKeep emphasizes its mobile software, since most maintenance technicians and property management providers spend their workdays away from their desks.

Key features:

• Mobile work order creation and management that prioritizes and assigns work orders
• Time, parts and cost-tracking, with the ability to review trends and insights to make cost-effective decisions
• Allows technicians, janitors and operators to submit work requests using the work order app to improve workflows and response times
• Preventive maintenance tracking, with options to create calendar-based preventive maintenance, checklists and more
• Integrated inventory tracking — notifications as supplies diminish, parts are used during maintenance, etc.

UpKeep pros:

• Efficient management of resources
• Improved accountability with sign-off feature, verifying a task has been completed
• Concise and straightforward workflow
• Creating work orders is simple and fast
• Diverse in functionality, allows a range of actions

UpKeep cons:

• Some features do not auto-sync when a location is changed (i.e. meters, open work orders)
• Some discrepancies between mobile app functionality and desktop version
• Limited features included with the free version
• Limited options for importing data

What people think about managing work orders with UpKeep:

• Capterra – 4.7/5
• G2 – 4.5/5
• Google Play Store – 4.3/5
• Apple App Store – 4.8/5

UpKeep pricing:

• Free trials are available
• Lite plan is available for $20 a month per user
• Starter plan is available for $45 a month per user
• Professional plan is available for $75 a month per user
• Enterprise plan users need to call for quote

4. Fiix

With Fiix, maintenance and facilities personnel can get jobs done quickly with a simplified work request process, all while storing important information in a centralized location. Fiix also offers a fully functional mobile app and a free version of the software.

Key features:

• Fiix Foresight, which enables businesses to analyze their data and find trends fast
• Fiix app exchange, which allows users to explore tools that can supercharge their CMMS
• Easy asset management, with the ability to track, control and optimize asset performance
• Simplified work order management process
• Integration capability — connect your CMMS and share data across any system

Fiix pros:

• Helpful training videos make software that much easier to learn and use
• Quick and easy software setup
• Flexible work order system, with scheduling capability for machines, assets or projects
• Uncomplicated cross-integration among departments
•  Scheduled maintenance set-up is straightforward, and work orders are easy to generate

Fiix cons:

• Some development needed in the parts and supplies area
• Custom reports are difficult to create
• Changing permissions can be challenging
• Some discrepancies between desktop and mobile app
• Bulk editing capabilities are limited

What people think about managing work orders with Fiix:

• Capterra – 4.4/5
• G2 – 4.2/5
• Google Play Store – 2.9/5
• Apple App Store – 5/5

Pricing:

• Free plan is available with unlimited service requests (but limited to three users and 25 active preventive maintenance tasks)
• Basic plan is available for $45 a month per user
• Professional plan is available for $75 a month per user
• Enterprise plan users need to call for quote

5. eMaint

eMaint is a CMMS software that enables easy work order creation and management, preventive maintenance scheduling, and parts inventory, among other functions. Servicing industries from manufacturing and facilities, to restaurants and healthcare, eMaint gives businesses the flexibility to customize software for their specific needs.

Key features:

• Work order management, including the ability to access work orders offline
• Spare parts management for easy tracking of inventory
• Intuitive asset management, which reports on the functionality of your business’ assets
• Maintenance scheduling, including work order assignment
• Predictive and preventive maintenance tools

eMaint pros:

• Easy asset and inventory tracking that keeps everything organized
• Simple to use and navigate interface
• Creates unique reports for assets
• Great customer support
• Versatile software, with full ability for creating customizable reports

eMaint cons:

• Some discrepancies between desktop and mobile capabilities
• Lag time for generating reports

What people think about managing work orders with eMaint:

• Capterra – 4.4/5
• G2 – 4.4/5
• Google Play Store – No score available
• Apple App Store – No score available

eMaint pricing:

• Team plan is available for $207 a month for a three-user package
• Professional plan is available for $85 a month per user (with a three-user minimum)
• Enterprise plan users need to call for quote

6. FMX

FMX makes it easy to track and schedule maintenance. With several other software options available that target similar functionalities, the founder of the software wanted to create a CMMS that anyone could use. As a result, FMX was designed for easy use for desktop and mobile alike. A free trial of the software is available, and there is no one-size-fits-all pricing — businesses are encouraged to reach out for tailored quotes.

Key features:

• Work order creation and management, accessible to all employees
• Preventive maintenance actions, such as scheduling recurring tasks and inspections
• Comprehensive reporting and analytics
• Asset and equipment management to reduce downtime

FMX pros:

• Schedule request module makes facility scheduling a streamlined process
• Interactive and collaborative customer service team, plus access to training videos
• Ability to manage processes for multiple industries (i.e. technology, maintenance, transportation)
• Tracks frequency of hours worked (employees), plus frequency of work performed
• Very easy to use — minimal training or onboarding required

FMX cons:

• Some glitches reported with the import feature
• Failed inspections do not auto-create work orders
• Some users reported that they were not able to view their maintenance requests once submitted

What people think about managing work orders with FMX:

• Capterra – 4.7/5
• G2 – 4.7/5
• Google Play Store – No score available
• Apple App Store – No score available

FMX pricing:

• No pricing plans are listed on the FMX site, but interested businesses can request quotes that are tailored to their needs

7. Limble CMMS

Limble CMMS is a work order software that can be started in minutes and can help increase efficiency with intuitive reports and functionality. Limble has a fully functional mobile app for easy field use, and it’s also user-friendly on tablets and desktops. A free 30-day trial is available, as is tailored pricing.

Key features:

• Multilingual options (with translations by a native speaker)
• Vendor management and information storage
• Real-time analytics and reports, viewed easily from customizable dashboard
• Work order and preventive maintenance management
• User-friendly mobile maintenance app

Limble pros:

• Easy onboarding process — no extensive training or IT assistance required
• Bulk actions available (i.e. importing assets, jobs)
• Automatic preventive maintenance scheduling and reminders
• Simple setup for instant use
• Efficient tracking of spare parts and inventory

Limble cons:

• Could use more custom reporting capabilities
• Design could be updated to be more sleek
• Alerts are sent only through app (not available through text)
• Limited offline functionality on mobile app
• Bulk editing capabilities are limited

What people think about managing work orders with Limble CMMS:

• Capterra – 4.9/5
• G2 – 4.9/5
• Google Play Store – 4.2/5
• Apple App Store – 5/5

Limble pricing:

• Basic plan is free with unlimited work orders and real-time communication
• Standard plan is available for $28 a month per user
• Premium plan is available for $69 a month per user
• Enterprise plan users need to call for quote

8. Hippo CMMS by Eptura

Hippo CMMS (now owned by Eptura) is highly ranked for ease of use, customer support and value added to businesses. Its software caters specifically to maintenance-only actions and offers a mobile app that’s accessible offline. The UI is straightforward, easy to navigate and uncluttered, making it easy for businesses to store and find information. Hippo CMMS also offers a free trial of its program as well as a demo.

Key features:

• Preventive maintenance, including development, scheduling and tracking
• Work order creation and management, with ability to track, update and close work orders
• Equipment maintenance, which enables businesses to view assets, find maintenance issues, track parts used and more
• Facility management to monitor and ensure optimization of systems and equipment
• Inventory management to track, manage and control facility assets from any location

Hippo CMMS pros:

• Tracks machine maintenance costs
• Keeps all work orders on track
• Stores history of previous work orders
• Fully functional and user-friendly mobile app

Hippo CMMS cons:

• Some data is difficult to access (work order reports)
• Work order closing procedure could be simplified
• Labor tracking and reporting could be improved
• Additional detail could be added (i.e., part replenishment history, where parts are used)

What people think about managing work orders with Hippo CMMS:

• Capterra – 4.4/5
• G2 – 4.2/5
• Google Play Store – No score available
• Apple App Store – No score available

Hippo CMMS pricing:

• No specific prices are listed on the Eptura site, but interested businesses can request quotes that are tailored to their needs

9. ManagerPlus

ManagerPlus is also part of the Eptura family, but this software serves niches such as construction, manufacturing, fleet and facilities, and offers many essential work order management tools to businesses. A demo version of each ManagerPlus plan may be requested.

Key features:

• Fully integrated work order software that streamlines workflows
• Preventive maintenance actions to reduce equipment downtime
• Asset management to track vehicle, equipment and machine performance
• Inventory management that tracks inventory and part usage

ManagerPlus pros:

• Keeps track of all fleet and heavy equipment details and history
• Employees can request work orders easily through the web portal
• Easy to use and to train others
• Simple integration with other programs

ManagerPlus cons:

• Reports module is not user-friendly
• Attachment size is very limited
• Difficult to correct errors
• Mobile app does not perform as well as the desktop app

What people think about managing work orders with ManagerPlus:

• Capterra – 4.2/5
• G2 – 5/5
• Google Play Store – 3.5/5
• Apple App Store – 2.9/5

ManagerPlus pricing:

• No specific prices are listed on the ManagerPlus site, but interested businesses can request quotes that are tailored to their needs

10. MaxPanda

MaxPanda is a dynamic and affordable maintenance solution program. Its mobile app is designed for both online and offline use, and both the desktop and mobile version are very user-friendly.

Key features:

• Building and asset maintenance
• Fully featured work order management at a low cost
• Automatic generation and emailing of preventive maintenance orders, plus calendar views of upcoming and scheduled PM actions
• Shared task library, which includes cost estimation of work orders and PMs
• Unlimited reporting tools

MaxPanda pros:

• Ability to enter work orders from the field with mobile capability
• Versatile software and easy-to-use UI
• Easy to track history (for PMs, asset repairs, etc.)
• Great value for everything it does

MaxPanda cons:

• Mobile app requires that the latest version is downloaded at all times
• No ability to delete vendors that are no longer used
• 10 MB attachment size limit
• Occasionally freezes and lags

What people think about managing work orders with MaxPanda:

• Capterra – 4.4/5
• G2 – 4/5
• Google Play Store – No score available
• Apple App Store – No score available

MaxPanda pricing:

• A seven-day free trial is available
• No specific prices are listed for MaxPanda’s Standard and Professional plans

What Are the Benefits of Using a Work Order Software?

1. A Centralized Place for All Your Work Orders

A work order software keeps all your work orders in one centralized place that is accessible to your entire team. It replaces all the pen and paper work orders and spreadsheets that maintenance teams use that is often disorganized and inefficient.

2. Improves Accountability

Work order that are done through pen and paper and spreadsheets are very difficult to track, and work often gets missed. With a work order software, you can easily track the status and progress of a work order directly in the app. Technicians get notified right away when they’re assigned a work order, and if a work order is past its due date, reminders are automatically sent to the necessary people.

3. Enhanced Efficiency

With all the work order information accessible on phones, your technicians become more productive. They can update work orders directly in the field, which minimizes all the paperwork they need to do.

4. Improves Budgeting and Planning

The reporting features that comes along with a work order software will give you detailed insights into how much time and money you’re spending on completing work orders, what asset is constantly breaking down and which technician is performing and not performing. With these reports, you can plan and budget for the future.