The best CMMS software turns maintenance from a stack of paper and memory into scheduled work orders your technicians can see on their phones. Small teams can start on a free plan and grow, while larger sites usually go through a demo. Here are ten maintenance management systems in no particular order, with each free option explained.
Maintenance teams rarely lack effort. What they lack is a record: when the pump was last serviced, who changed the belt, which parts are on the shelf. A computerised maintenance management system, or CMMS, puts that record in one place and reminds you before a job is overdue rather than after something breaks.
Here are ten CMMS tools, sorted alphabetically and in no particular order, each described from the maker's own website and re-checked today. Several have free plans that are a sensible way to try the idea with a small crew, but they're limited in different ways, so I've spelled those out where the maker does.
CMMS tools at a glance
Yes means the maker's site lists a free plan you can keep, often limited by users, assets or features. Trial only means a time-limited trial. No means the route in is a demo or a quote request.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlas CMMS | Free-tier CMMS | Teams starting with a free plan | Yes |
| eMaint | Reliability-focused CMMS | Established crews on multiple shifts | No |
| Fiix | Cloud CMMS | Small teams wanting a free start | Yes |
| Fracttal | Asset maintenance platform | Teams wanting a quoted all-in-one platform | No |
| FTMaintenance | CMMS software | Teams choosing cloud or on-premises | No |
| HippoCMMS | Work order CMMS | Teams digitising repair tracking | No |
| MaintainX | Mobile CMMS | Small teams digitising work orders | Yes |
| Maintenance Care | Free-tier CMMS | Very small teams testing a CMMS | Yes |
| MPulse | Edition-based CMMS | Teams wanting free maintenance requesters | No |
| UpKeep | Mobile CMMS | Teams trying a free trial first | Trial only |
Ten maintenance management systems
Atlas CMMS
Best for: Small maintenance teams wanting unlimited work orders and asset management on a free Basic plan, with preventive maintenance on hand as they grow.
eMaint
Best for: Established maintenance crews wanting work orders, preventive maintenance and reliability tracking in a Fluke-owned CMMS, arranged through a demo.
Fiix
Best for: Small teams wanting a cloud CMMS whose free plan covers work orders, preventive maintenance tasks and asset hierarchies.
Fracttal
Best for: Teams wanting an all-in-one maintenance and asset management platform, arranged through a quote form and a demo.
FTMaintenance
Best for: Teams that want to choose between cloud and on-premises CMMS, starting with a live demo request.
HippoCMMS
Best for: Teams moving repair tracking off paper who want work orders, preventive maintenance schedules and parts inventory, arranged through a demo.
MaintainX
Best for: Small mobile maintenance teams digitising work orders on a Basic plan the maker describes as free forever.
Maintenance Care
Best for: Very small teams testing the idea on a free forever plan for 2 users, with mobile work orders, a handful of PMs, assets and vendors.
MPulse
Best for: Teams wanting an edition-based CMMS with unlimited work orders, arranged through a demo, with a custom quote for Enterprise.
UpKeep
Best for: Teams wanting a mobile CMMS and asset operations platform with work orders and AI features, tried free with no credit card.
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The yearly lockout/tagout check OSHA expects
For US employers, this is one of the easiest compliance wins a CMMS gives you. OSHA's standard on the control of hazardous energy, better known as lockout/tagout, says employers must carry out a periodic inspection of each energy control procedure at least once a year.
What that means for a maintenance manager: every lockout procedure on site needs its own yearly check, and a busy year is exactly when one gets missed. Store each procedure against the machine it belongs to, then set the inspection as a recurring work order with a named owner. Outside the US, check your own rules, but the recurring task works the same way.
Free CMMS plans and where they stop
- User limits: some free plans allow only a couple of users, which suits one technician and a manager.
- Asset limits: a cap on assets or PMs means you'll outgrow it once you add the whole site.
- Feature limits: inventory, checklists and reports are often kept for the bigger plans.
- Demo-led systems: no free plan, but a guided setup for larger or multi-site operations.
Setting up preventive maintenance from day one
- List your critical machines first: the ones that stop production or put people at risk if they fail.
- Add each one as an asset with its location, manuals and safety procedures attached.
- Turn the manufacturer's service intervals into recurring preventive work orders.
- Add the yearly lockout/tagout inspections as their own recurring tasks.
- Give every technician the mobile app and close jobs on the spot, with notes and photos.
- Review overdue work weekly, then add spare parts once the habit sticks.
Safety is the reason most of this matters, and my piece on why workplace health and safety pays off makes the case to the rest of the business. For a look at where maintenance data goes next, see predictive maintenance and parts tracking.
Do you make CMMS software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice for maintenance managers
If you're a small crew still on paper, start on a free plan with your ten most critical machines and see whether your technicians close jobs on their phones. That habit is the whole point. If you're running several shifts or sites, book demos with the reliability-focused systems and ask how they handle multi-site assets.
Whatever you choose, put safety tasks such as the yearly lockout checks in from day one, with a named owner each time.
Frequently asked questions
What does CMMS stand for?
Computerised maintenance management system. It schedules maintenance, tracks work orders and keeps a history for each asset.
Is there free CMMS software?
Yes. Several tools offer free plans, but they're usually limited by users, assets or features. Check the limits against your site.
What's the difference between CMMS and EAM?
A CMMS focuses on maintenance work. Enterprise asset management usually covers an asset's whole life, from buying to disposal, across a larger organisation.
Can technicians use a CMMS on their phones?
Most modern systems have mobile apps for opening, updating and closing work orders on the spot.
How often must lockout/tagout procedures be inspected?
In the US, OSHA says each energy control procedure must have a periodic inspection at least once a year.
How long does a CMMS take to set up?
A small team can get started quickly with its critical assets. Adding every asset, part and procedure takes longer, so do it in stages.
