Best Work Order Software of 2025

Here's what we'll cover:

What is work order software?

Who uses work order software?

Features of work order software

Benefits of work order software

How to choose the right work order software

Work order software essentials 

Maintenance managers often have several assets to keep track of, and without software, this can be a daunting task. Work order management software helps them manage information about each piece of equipment, tool, or vehicle in one central database, and manipulate those entries as repairs or maintenance are performed. It also allows them to dispatch technicians to jobs, identify overdue requests, and track the completion time and quality of service.

Maintenance management tools, such as work order software, are typically priced on a “per month” basis, starting at $21 for basic systems. [1] More advanced platforms can cost upwards of $649 and often include premium support services and in-house or outsourced IT consultants. Be aware, however, that businesses often overestimate the number of users they will need, which can drive up estimated costs.

First-time buyers should consider their budget, the number of users needed, specific use cases, and necessary integrations. Consulting stakeholders to determine key questions for vendors can help you find the best system. Questions for vendors may include:

• Does the tool have a free trial or demo version I can try out first?

• What does inventory tracking look like in your product?

• How does your product integrate with other maintenance tools?

Because there are 395 different work order vendors on Software Advice, choosing the right option can be a long process. In this guide, you’ll learn the essential components of work order tools and get step-by-step guidance on how to choose the right system for your company.  If you’d prefer to chat with one of our experienced maintenance management software advisors, such as Cameron Pugh and Jakub Vaughn—who have led buyers to the right software over a combined four years—schedule a call or start a chat with us.

What is work order software?

To understand work order software, it’s important to know what work orders are. A work order is simply an order, either delivered to a company from customers and clients or created internally to perform some type of action. These orders can be entered directly into the system itself, or submitted through client-facing forms on a website or mobile device. In the maintenance management sense, these generally refer to orders to perform maintenance or repairs on assets, vehicles, tools, equipment, or facilities. Maintenance requests can be created in the following types:

• Preventive, where assets are maintained at regular intervals to prevent future failures.

• Corrective, where equipment is repaired following a breakdown.

Most modern maintenance management work order solutions have features to help companies stay on top of preventive maintenance so that assets are kept in peak performance condition and costly operational downtime is kept at a minimum. Work order software exists in several industry-specific computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS), such as fleet management, aircraft MRO, and equipment maintenance.

Who uses work order software?

We analyzed our extensive work order software reviews and found that a wide variety of industries use work order software, including construction, education management, food and beverage, consumer services, and automotive. [2] Forty-eight percent of those reviews come from small to midsize businesses with 11-200 employees, and 37% of buyers are from enterprise-grade companies with over 200 employees.

Features of work order software

All work order software includes work order creation, job management, and scheduling features. Most share a variety of common features such as alerts/notifications, billing and invoicing, contract/license management, document management, and electronic signature.

Core work order software features

Each year we speak to hundreds of work order software users. We have analyzed those conversations to give you a better understanding of which features are most critical to maintenance professionals. [3]

Common work order software features

While the above list of features is long, Pugh reminds buyers that work order tools are usually a lot simpler than they might expect. “A lot of buyers think of work orders as something robust when it’s usually not much more than a task list,” he explains. “They think it’s going to be this complicated tool when it’s often as basic as a quick note about what they're fixing, perhaps with a photo attached.”

It’s also important to clarify your needs before investing in a work order system. “Sometimes we'll get buyers who are looking for work order software when, in reality, they're looking for an order management system,” adds Vaughn. “Or I’ll have someone who’s looking to store old work orders, and I’ll refer them to content management software instead. It’s all about getting them into a system that’s going to be the best fit for their specific needs.”

Curious to know what other maintenance management tools are out there? Check out the following related software categories:

• Building maintenance software

• Equipment maintenance software

• Field service management software

• Fleet maintenance software

• Maintenance management software

• Service dispatch software

Benefits of work order software

Work order software is a valuable investment for managers who want to streamline operations and save time hunting down information for assets. Some specific benefits include:

• Reduced downtime. The combination of preventive maintenance and increased real-time data through mobile access helps reduce the time between a piece of equipment failing and getting it back online. A well-planned maintenance schedule can often prevent downtime altogether, keeping operations running smoothly without losing business.

• Comprehensive repair history. Keeping track of repair history gives maintenance managers a long-term overview of repairs, so they can generate cost analyses and identify areas where costs could be reduced without impacting quality of services.

How to choose the right work order software

When you start the process of checking out potential work order solutions, you should detail all your requirements and categorize them based on their importance. Nice-to-have features, such as barcode/ticket scanning, can come at the very end. Therefore, the solutions you’re considering should address all your crucial needs first.

Step 1: Define your requirements

Before you talk to a single work order software vendor, you first have to decide on your priorities. These might include:

• Your preferred deployment method. Work order software can be deployed over the web (also known as Software-as-a-Service or SaaS) or installed on your premises. Both options have benefits and drawbacks, so it’s important to consider which one is best suited for your situation. For instance, web-based or “cloud” software has lower initial costs and reduces the need for a dedicated IT team because the vendor provides support. However, if your facility is based in a remote location with poor internet bandwidth, this may not be the best option. Additionally, if you need complex customizations, SaaS may not work for you. Meanwhile, on-premise systems generally cost more upfront and may require IT for maintenance and upgrades.

• Whether or not you’ll need mobile access. Most work order systems now offer mobile capabilities, which means that technicians in the field can complete tasks and access information on the go. For example, technicians and maintenance managers can:

  • Log real-time updates on repair jobs.

  • Take and upload pictures of assets for condition reports.

  • Access schedules, work orders, asset databases, and parts inventories.

  • Scan QR codes on equipment to retrieve asset history, maintenance schedules, and more.

These mobile capabilities expedite maintenance resolution, boost staff efficiency, cut costs, and improve communication between personnel and management.

You’ll also want to get an idea of your price range before you speak with a vendor.

How work order software is priced

Like other software, work order systems are priced either by monthly subscription for a web-based or cloud version, or with a one-time upfront cost for a perpetual license.

Step 2: Make a shortlist of work order software

With so many work order software options to choose from, it can be a challenge to narrow down the options that are right for your business—but with the right resources and support, it doesn’t have to be.

Get qualified help from an advisor

At Software Advice, our advisors, such as Vaughn and Pugh, have experience helping hundreds of managers and maintenance professionals identify solutions that match their needs and budgets.

If you need guidance, you can chat online now with an advisor or schedule a phone call. In just a few minutes, your advisor will help you identify a shortlist of options that align with your organization’s requirements.

Explore our list of work order FrontRunners

If you’re not ready to speak to an advisor just yet, you can also start compiling your shortlist of work order software with our FrontRunners report. Only products that earn top user ratings make this list. To be eligible for consideration, a product must:

• Have at least 20 unique user reviews in the last 24 months

• Be a stand-alone work order software product

• Offer these features: work order creation, job management, and scheduling

Check out our full methodology description for more detail on how the report is compiled.

Step 3: Schedule vendor demos to help you select your best option

Now that you’ve compiled a list of top choices, you should start scheduling vendor demos.

These sessions help you explore features, understand pricing, and ultimately make the right investment. Preparation is key to getting the most out of these sessions.

How to prepare for vendor demos

Once you’ve compiled your shortlist of work order software systems, schedule demo sessions with each vendor in order to learn more about their product. This is your chance to ask questions about work order-specific features they offer, pricing, technical support, training tools, and anything else that might be an important factor in choosing the right system.

Some questions you should consider asking vendors in each demo include:

• Does the tool have a free trial or demo version? A free trial or a demo version of work order software allows you to assess the software's suitability for your specific needs without commitment. It offers hands-on experience, showcasing features, ease of use, and compatibility. You can evaluate if the software aligns with your maintenance requirements and workflows, ensuring you make an informed decision, mitigate risks, and avoid investing in a solution that may not meet your expectations or deliver the desired ROI.

• Is there an open source version of the software? Open source versions of work order software offer greater flexibility and control. It allows you to access, modify, and customize the code to fit your unique requirements. This fosters independence from vendor restrictions, reduces long-term costs, and ensures adaptability to evolving needs. Additionally, the open source community provides ongoing support and enhancements. Exploring this option allows you to harness the benefits of transparency, collaboration, and cost-efficiency in your work order solution.

• Are there any add-on functionalities? Add-on functionalities in work order software ensure that the software can evolve with the business's changing needs. These add-ons provide the flexibility to expand and enhance the system's capabilities. Here are few examples:

  • Website integration: The software can integrate web forms into your website, so that clients, customers, or employees can enter a work order from wherever they have access to the internet.

  • Barcoding: Managers can tag each piece of equipment or asset with a one-of-a-kind barcode that, when scanned, instantly pulls relevant data about that item for review. This reduces the time it takes to search for an item in the database and helps better organize information.

  • Mobile access: For many maintenance managers, their assets are often miles away at another facility or rolling down the highway. Mobile access offers managers a convenient way to keep track of assets from their mobile device. A fleet truck driver, for example, could enter a request as soon as an issue arises, even if the vehicle breaks down on the road.

By considering add-ons during the purchase, you can plan for future growth, prevent the need for costly software replacements, and maintain a competitive edge with a work order solution that adapts to evolving maintenance requirements.

Note: Questions and responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.

About our contributors

Author

Laura Burgess is a content analyst at Software Advice with more than a decade of journalism experience and particular knowledge of human resources-related topics. 

Laura’s research and analysis is informed by more than 350,000 authentic user reviews on Software Advice and over 60,000 interactions between Software Advice software advisors and software buyers. Laura also regularly analyzes market sentiment by conducting surveys of business leaders in the HR, sales, and construction tech spaces so she can provide the most up-to-date and helpful information to small and midsize businesses purchasing software or services. 

She has written for various industries on technology trends. Laura's research has been featured in Australian publications such as ABC News, HR Leader, Inside Retail, Dynamic Business, Retail Biz, and Technology Decisions. She has also appeared in various news segments on Ticker News, Channel 9 News, and SBS Mandarin, quoting her research. 

When Laura isn't helping small to midsize businesses with insight on tech trends, she enjoys traveling and seeing her favorite music artists live.

Editor

Caroline Rousseau is a content editor at Software Advice.

A former content analyst, Caroline has, for the past five years, built, written and edited research reports about technological trends, opportunities, and challenges with a SMB audience in mind. Her content has been featured in French Tier 1 media including Le Monde, L’Express and Le Figaro, among other publications.

Her previous experience as a graphic designer, translator and LQA specialist in various industries converged into a skill set that allows her to create compelling content about today’s business matters. Caroline’s personal interests include literature and art and she has a passion for Albert Camus, graphic novels and drawing.

Advisors

Cameron Pugh is a senior advisor. He joined Software Advice in 2022, and he is based in Austin, TX.

Cameron works directly with small-business leaders to connect them with best fit software providers. He assesses the technology needs of small businesses seeking tools such as CMMS, inventory management, call center, and facilities software through one-to-one conversations and provides a short list of potential matches. 

His favorite part of being a software advisor is experiencing the buyer’s gratitude and relief when he finds the best software solution for their needs.

Jakub Vaughn is a senior advisor. He joined Software Advice in 2022 as a software advisor. He is based in Fort Myers, FL.

As part of the software advisor team, Jakub helps professionals from a wide range of industries who are seeking tools including CMMS, manufacturing, inventory management, and help desk software. He provides a short list of personalized technology recommendations based on budget, business goals, and other specific needs. 

Jakub’s favorite part of being a software advisor is educating buyers with different needs on software systems available to them and their business.

Sources

1. Software Advice software pricing data: Only products with publicly available pricing information and qualified software products within the category, as of December 9, 2023, are included in the pricing analysis. Read the complete methodology.

2. Software Advice reviews data: Software Advice reviews are collected from verified users for individual software products. For this report, we analyzed reviews from the past year as of production date. Read the complete methodology.

3. Software Advice advisor call notes: Findings are based on data from telephonic conversations that Software Advice’s advisor team had with small-to-midsize businesses seeking CMMS tools. For this report, we analyzed phone interactions from August 31, 2023 to August 31, 2024. Read the complete methodology.