You get what you pay for.

We’ve all heard the familiar phrase.

It insinuates that inexpensive products and services rarely deliver on their initial promises. The good news is the maxim couldn’t be further from the truth when it comes to free work order software apps.

In recent years, new cloud-based servers have allowed technology providers to distribute subscription costs amongst users. What once was only available to Fortune-500 companies is now free to download for entrepreneurs, small business owners, and anyone with a smartphone.

While most premium features—barcoding, purchasing, predictive maintenance––are only available with payment, small teams can still get their top priorities met with freemium plans.

According to a SelectHub survey of 168 companies, the most important features desired from work order software apps are Work orders, preventive maintenance, asset management, and inventory.

Are you tired of fixing problems as they arise? Would you rather experience the peace of mind that important maintenance tasks are scheduled, assigned, and guaranteed to get done? If so, we wrote this quick-start guide on free work order software apps for you.

Below are summaries of the top three free work order software mobile apps based on customer reviews, user experience (UX), and user interface (UI). Each of these options provides the ability to create, assign, and track work orders; run preventive maintenance programs; and document Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). While each option also has affordable, paid monthly versions, you might be surprised at how much can be accomplished with the free versions.

Let’s get started:

Top 3 Free Work Order Software Apps

1. MaintainX

My alt text

Launched in 2018, MaintainX has quickly made a name for itself in the world of work order software. At the time of publication, the company has the highest app store review score for its category at 4.8 stars. MaintainX prides itself on being the only Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) with instant messaging capabilities in the marketplace. This feature allows maintenance teams to quickly communicate with one another throughout the day within work order comment sections, topical group chats, and private message threads.

Translation: Important task instructions remain easy to find, accountability is enhanced, and introverted team members feel more comfortable running quick questions by management. Notably, MaintainX is also one of only two work order software programs designed for mobile-first. The user interface (UI) is sleek, intuitive, and attractive.

Here’s what one user has to say about their experience with the app:

Noteworthy Features:

  • Instant Messaging: Organize conversations by individuals, groups, departments, topics, and more.
  • Work Order Commenting: Chat with workers directly within individual work orders to troubleshoot in real-time.
  • Photo Uploading: Workers can upload (and mark-up) photos of equipment failures, parts issues, or maintenance quandaries to better illustrate what is happening to management.
  • E-Signatures: Technicians can sign-off on completed jobs for additional accountability, in addition to the app’s time stamp feature.

Free Plan Includes:

  • Unlimited work orders
  • Unlimited team messages
  • Unlimited assets and locations
  • Unlimited Web and mobile access
  • 5 work orders with photos per month
  • 2 work orders with forms per month
  • 1 months worth of reporting and analytics

Industries Using MaintainX:

Manufacturing, Industrial, Facility Managers, Government, Schools, Hospitality, Operational Teams, Fleet Managers, Restaurants, Warehouses, Churches, Retail, Safety/EHS leaders. SMB to Enterprise.

2. UpKeep

 

Next, we have UpKeep. This work order software app has been around since 2014 and deserves special recognition for being the first to market with a mobile-first design. The company has a loyal following of customers, spanning multiple industries, that can’t be ignored.

Impressively, UpKeep also boasts the most positive reviews for a free work order smartphone app on third-party site Capterra. The app receives high marks for usability, depth of functionality, and customer support. It’s worth mentioning that UpKeep is also a pioneer when it comes to advanced periodic maintenance strategies.

Unfortunately, the company’s most compelling features are only available to paying customers. The provider’s freemium version was created with the goal of allowing users to “try before they buy,” and isn’t meant to be a complete CMMS solution. For this reason, UpKeep is ideal for individual technicians who need help in organizing their daily projects. Here’s what one customer has to say about UpKeep:

Noteworthy Features:

  • User-Friendly Interface: While there are some negative reviews for user-friendliness, the majority of users seem to approve.
  • Seamless Integration: Switch back and forth between desktop and smartphone usage without losing progress.
  • Great Customer Support: Upwork associates are quick to respond to user questions via email and live chat.

Free Plan Includes:

  • Unlimited work orders
  • Unlimited assets and locations
  • Unlimited Web and mobile access

Industries Using UpKeep:

Property Management, Manufacturing, Facilities Management, Fleet, Hotels, Oil & Gas, Construction, Municipalities, Distribution, Warehousing, Restaurants, Utilities, Churches, Education, Food Processing, Packaging

 

3. Fiix

Finally, we’ll look at Fiix. Founded in 2008, the company gets points for longevity, dependability, and trustworthiness. Fiix established its positive reputation by releasing one of the marketplace’s first truly user-friendly CMMS solutions for desktop.

In more recent years, Fiix adapted its popular work order software program for mobile usage. However, unlike the aforementioned providers, Fiix didn’t start from scratch when developing its mobile app. For this reason, the UI feels a bit outdated in comparison.

However, the app does utilize the same cloud-based infrastructure that allows managers to conveniently create, assign, and manage work orders. Here’s what an app store customer has to say about Fiix:

Noteworthy Features:

  • Seamless Integration: Switch back and forth between desktop and smartphone usage without losing progress.
  • Asset Management: Compile asset information in one place.
  • Work Order Assignments: Assign orders to multiple users.

Free Plan Includes:

  • Unlimited work orders
  • Unlimited assets and locations
  • Unlimited Web and mobile access

Industries Using Fiix:

Manufacturing, Facilities Management, Fleet, Hotels, Oil & Gas, Construction, Municipalities, Distribution, Warehousing, Restaurants, Utilities, Churches, Education, Food Processing, Packaging

Choosing the best option for you

As we have shown, you need not have deep pockets to start using work order software––you must only invest time in getting started. Each of the apps discussed in this article is available for download on iOS and Android devices and can be found in your smartphone’s app store.

The sooner you begin executing an organized preventive maintenance program, the quicker you will experience an ROI that justifies purchasing a work order plan with more advanced capabilities!

Previous article10 Best WiFi hacking Apps For Android (No Root) in 2021
Next articleHow Do I Know That It’s Time to Replace My Residential Windows?