For small businesses, every decision and dollar matters.
Relying on pen and paper or spreadsheets for work order tracking can cause disarray, increase unplanned downtime and maintenance costs, and give management little to no visibility over the work team members are doing.
That’s why many small businesses with maintenance and operations (M&O) teams turn to work order software to streamline processes, save costs, simplify preventive maintenance (PM) scheduling, and improve efficiency.
However, knowing that an estimated 80% of plant maintenance management system implementations fail, how can you avoid choosing the wrong software and protect your money, time, and trust? We’ve compiled information on the top five free work order software options for small businesses in 2024.
The best work order software for small businesses compared
Small businesses looking for work order software face an overwhelming number of choices. In the end, though, the best work order software is the one that meets your needs, gets used, and provides impact to your business. To help small businesses on their work order journey, we’ve compared five competitors and evaluated their functionality and usability.
1. MaintainX
MaintainX is a favorite work order management system for small business maintenance managers because of its native mobile design. The company’s top-rated solution features real-time communication, AI-powered checklist generation, and automated corrective actions to help your team get more done.
The full-stack computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) comes with a range of features—like asset management, inventory/parts tracking, recurring work order scheduling, global procedure library, and advanced reporting—but is simple enough for anyone to navigate with little to no training. A customizable work request portal also streamlines the ability to service requests from tenants or customers.
Additionally, field technicians can upload photos directly into assigned work orders to clarify equipment issues better. MaintainX’s free version includes unlimited work orders, messaging, assets and locations, and access to both web and mobile platforms. Their flexible pricing options make it simple to scale with your company.
2. Fiix
Fiix is a cloud-based CMMS software that can help you organize your assets, manage maintenance requests, and connect other business systems for data-driven decision-making. It has since established itself as a dependable provider of CMMS platforms for enterprise-level organizations.
Its notable features include seamless integration between desktop and mobile devices and the ability to compile all your asset information in one place. However, the free version is limited to only 20 assets, 500 inventory parts and supplies, 25 work orders each month, and document storage of only up to 250 MB. You can, however, use the custom dashboard and calendar to track your maintenance requirements and activities.
The platform’s biggest potential drawback, based on Capterra reviews, is that it was initially designed for desktop users. Mobile users complain that the user interface and functionalities aren’t always smooth and some also claim the Fiix CMMS is difficult to set up.
3. ManWinWin
ManWinWin is an original free work order software for small business options. Founded in 1981, they have served maintenance teams for 40-plus years!
ManWinWin is available in several languages, including Portuguese, English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Russian, and Chinese. However, the free version of the software can only be hosted on-premise.
You can get free online updates by requesting a free lifetime license within the first year of signing up. Additionally, with ManWinWin, users can filter various options to sort and aggregate work orders.
The biggest potential drawback of ManWinWin, according to Capterra user reviews, is that the platform’s initial setup is “complicated and time-consuming.”
4. UpKeep
If you’re looking for user-friendly work order software, UpKeep can be among your top picks. UpKeep was one of the first work order software programs to pioneer a mobile version. With UpKeep, users can do everything they can on the program’s desktop software via smartphone or tablet.
Since opening its doors in 2014, UpKeep has received high ratings for usability, capabilities, and customer support. The cloud-based software includes a full suite of CMMS features, allowing managers to create and manage recurring maintenance tasks, track inventory, catalog company assets, and run billing.
UpKeep’s free version allows users to create unlimited work orders. However, it does not include PMs, real-time communication, or automated corrective actions—three key features to drive efficiency. Also, as mentioned in the Google Play store, some users report glitches with the mobile app while typing.
5. Maintenance Care
Maintenance Care is a software solution that was founded in 2003. It’s an easy-to-use option that enables users to manage their work orders and PM program. The software has several integrations that allow people to extensively track assets and maintenance activities. Though the user interface is extremely dated, loyal users seem to love the software’s enhanced communication and instant request tracking systems.
However, according to Capterra reviews, users can only perform work order searches for entire facilities as opposed to individual units. It lacks mandatory data inputs, real-time communication, and a start/stop work timer. Unlike other providers, Maintenance Care uses fixed pricing for paid plans, making it a steeper financial ask for some small businesses who want to scale their usage with them.
What should small businesses look for in a work order system?
Work order software is a maintenance management system that streamlines maintenance activities, inventory, and operational tasks across an organization. It incorporates work orders, standard operating procedures (SOP), safety inspections, and quality control capabilities in one place to simplify maintenance operations. With work order software for small businesses, management can easily create, assign, and track work orders distributed among multiple maintenance technicians.
The right work order system for small businesses works natively and is intuitive on mobile devices. A mobile-first design enables technicians to have all the information they need, including documentation, procedures, and safety instructions, at the tip of their fingers, eliminating trips back to the office. The ability to document completed work, attach pictures, and easily reference past work helps to retain tribal knowledge as aging technicians retire.
Leadership also enjoys a centralized view of their operations and all open work orders. Highly configurable software ensures work meets standards and steps aren’t skipped. Some software providers also have helpful resources like templates, automation, and artificial intelligence (AI) to save time so maintenance and plant managers can focus on important tasks. Additionally, most work order software comes with advanced reporting functionality that translates saved data points into detailed analytics and key performance indicators to improve PM strategies.
MaintainX’s free work order software optimizes small business operations
With many work order software available, trust the one that consistently ranks as the top-rated CMMS on the market. No matter the size of your maintenance and operations team, MaintainX was designed to help your small business get more work done. Plus, MaintainX can scale with your company as you grow, helping you reach new heights you never thought possible.
Streamline daily operations with digital work orders
Digitizing work orders is a crucial step in streamlining daily operations. With pen and paper or spreadsheets, an incredible amount of time and organization is required to keep up with work. MaintainX’s procedure library and templates make it easy to get started with digital work orders and free up time for more important tasks.
It’s not just management who will enjoy the streamlined process digital work orders bring. Maintenance technicians get notified when new work orders are assigned, and the user-friendly design of MaintainX makes it easy for people of any technical background to navigate the app.
Enhance team productivity with mobile accessibility
Without work order software, the maintenance and operations team's office serves as the home for work orders and work requests. Adding MaintainX to your operations means work orders are easily managed from mobile devices. This added mobility helps productivity since technicians can find all the information they need on their phones or tablets, allowing them to complete work faster and more accurately.
Unlike many competitors, MaintainX features live messaging, allowing team members to collaborate and communicate from the field. Past work orders can be pulled up, and pictures can be attached for reference. Work order chains can be created for work that needs to be repeated, meaning a new work order will be created when the previous one is closed. With the MaintainX app on your phone or tablet, your team can accomplish more and boost productivity.
Reduce maintenance costs with efficient inventory management
Every dollar in a small business’s budget matters, meaning every decision can impact an organization’s growth. Without software, team members must manually track inventory, place orders as stock depletes, manage spare parts, and assign costs for accurate reporting—processes with tons of room for error.
MaintainX makes inventory management easy and reduces mistakes. View inventory levels with a click of a button, set up notifications when stock gets low, and ensure you never have unplanned downtime due to supply chain disruptions. When technicians need a part, they can easily find its location and assign it to the work order. Streamlining inventory management helps to reduce maintenance costs and ensure adequate inventory is on hand at all times.
Improve asset reliability with preventive maintenance
MaintainX is designed to not only handle work orders but also to help transform your entire maintenance strategy. Shifting from reactive to preventive maintenance might sound intimidating on paper, but not with a powerful maintenance partner by your side. Preventive maintenance scheduling saves time, improves asset reliability, and enables effective maintenance workflow automation.
Automate work orders so maintenance tasks are completed before asset failure. Creating scheduled maintenance tasks improves asset lifecycle, performance, and reduces maintenance costs. Unplanned downtime can be avoided or eliminated, and expensive replacement costs and be deferred.
Gain insights with customizable reports and analytics
Data can be a sore subject when manual reporting is involved. Errors are part of human nature, and gaining actionable insights can be difficult when data isn’t centralized. MaintainX takes the pain away from manually working with data and provides a centralized view across locations.
By digitizing everything, MaintainX ensures you have accurate data and provides you with customizable reports and analytics. With error-free data, you can feel confident and make data-driven decisions about your operations. Identify bottlenecks and monitor important trends that can help position your company for long-term success.
Ensure compliance with automated record-keeping
Many industries face regulatory boards or organizations and must balance remaining compliant with day-to-day operations. An important aspect of compliance is the record-keeping process, which is monotonous and wasteful if done on paper.
Be ready for any audit with MaintainX’s automated record keeping. Easily pull up past work orders and other documents that prove required work has been completed and to satisfactory levels.
If your small business wants to transform operations, work order software is a great place to start. MaintainX’s top-rated CMMS connects technicians with the information they need and provides management with advanced reporting for continued growth. Handle work orders with the most powerful software on the market and regain time for more important tasks. Stop manually tracking processes and automate work orders today with MaintainX!
Small Business Work Order Software FAQs
Many small businesses rely on outdated processes to organize work orders, including pen and paper or spreadsheets. To gain more visibility and efficiency in processing work orders, organizations with maintenance and operations teams are turning to work order software. A powerful tool like MaintainX’s top-rated CMMS makes it easy to organize work orders, improve maintenance processes, and ultimately reduce costs.
The benefits of work order software are not limited to maintenance or plant managers. Field technicians’ jobs are easier since information available anywhere in a user-friendly mobile app. With mobile software, technicians can be notified when new work orders are assigned, tribal knowledge can be captured and easily retrieved, and live messaging helps them solve problems quickly from the field.
The best work order management software for small businesses with a mobile workforce is one that is natively designed to work on mobile devices, like MaintainX. The easy-to-use design allows employees of all technological backgrounds to collaborate on work and gain visibility on updates, even if your workforce is split between office and field workers.
Caroline Eisner
Caroline Eisner is a writer and editor with experience across the profit and nonprofit sectors, government, education, and financial organizations. She has held leadership positions in K16 institutions and has led large-scale digital projects, interactive websites, and a business writing consultancy.
