Head-to-head
UpKeep vs MaintainX: which one in 2026?
UpKeep is a maintenance management app from UpKeep Technologies with no free plan and credit-based Nova AI, while MaintainX is a work order platform from MaintainX Inc. with a free Basic tier. The split: UpKeep sells in tiers where offline mode and analytics history sit higher up, MaintainX gates procedures and inventory.
Verdict
MaintainX suits a team that wants to start free, add seats slowly and connect to plant tools such as Samsara. UpKeep suits a buyer who values the SOC2 Type II statement, ERP connectors and a mid-tier at $55. Neither page set states whether customer data trains AI, so ask both. Check the offline mode tier on UpKeep and the Autodesk change on MaintainX before signing.
UpKeep and MaintainX side by side
| UpKeep | MaintainX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price entry | $24 per user per month (Essential) | $0 per user per month (Basic), $20 for Essential on annual billing |
| Cheapest way in | No free plan. Essential costs $24 per user per month, and a free trial is offered with no credit card, length not published. | Basic is free forever per user. Essential is $20 per user per month billed annually or $25 billed monthly. |
| Mid tier and its price | Premium at $55 per user per month adds PM scheduling, custom checklists, parts inventory with costing and time tracking. | Premium at $65 billed annually ($75 monthly) adds meter-based maintenance, parts inventory, purchase orders, time and cost tracking and open REST API. |
| Where AI is metered | Nova AI comes with every plan, capped by Nova Credits: 250 on Essential, 500 on Premium, 750 on Professional, 1,000 on Enterprise. | MaintainX AI is described on the homepage as building charts and flagging anomalies. The pages opened give no credit or usage cap. |
| Technicians with no signal | Mobile offline mode for checklists, readings and photos is listed from Professional up, which is a quote-only plan. | The pricing and feature pages opened do not list offline mode by plan, so ask before buying for a basement or plant floor. |
| Analytics history | Premium shows 30 days of analytics history. Full history starts at Professional, and custom dashboards at Enterprise. | Advanced Analytics access runs one month on Basic, three months on Essential and unlimited from Premium upward. |
| Onboarding cost | Training and setup are priced apart from seats: $500 for training only, $1,500 with implementation, $5,000 expanded. | No separate onboarding fee appears on the pricing page. A dedicated account manager is listed on Premium, per the pages opened. |
| Integrations | First-party two-way ERP connectors for SAP, Oracle NetSuite and Microsoft Dynamics, plus Zapier, a REST API and webhooks. | A marketplace naming Samsara, MachineMetrics, NetSuite, Dynamics 365, SAP, Power BI, Infor and Slack. ERP links sit on Enterprise. |
| Data location and proof | Trust page cites SOC2 Type II and says customer data stays in the United States on AWS. AI training use is not stated. | Privacy policy says data is hosted in the United States. No certification was readable, and AI training use is not stated. |
| Ownership news | UpKeep Technologies appears as an independent company on its own pages, with a Los Angeles address. | The homepage banner reads "MaintainX joins Autodesk". Effects on product or pricing were not checked. |
Where each one wins
UpKeep wins on
- Mid-tier seat price is lower, $55 against $65 billed annually, with inventory costing and PM scheduling included.
- Names SOC2 Type II and a US-only data location on a trust page that could be read.
- First-party ERP connectors for SAP, NetSuite and Dynamics are a headline feature, not a top-tier extra.
MaintainX wins on
- A free Basic plan lets a small crew run work orders with no seat cost and no card.
- Entry paid tier is $20 billed annually, below UpKeep's $24 Essential seat.
- No separate training or implementation fees show on the pricing page, so first-year cost is easier to estimate.
Which to pick
Pick UpKeep if
Your sites need ERP sync, audited security documents and a clear Nova Credit cap, and you can budget training fees on top of seats.
Pick MaintainX if
You want to start on a free tier, add paid seats only for those who need them, and rely on a large integrations list.
Each tool in context: UpKeep, MaintainX, and the full Best AI CMMS Software in 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Does UpKeep or MaintainX have a free plan?
MaintainX does: Basic is free forever per user, with unlimited work orders but only 2 work orders carrying procedures and 2 active repeating ones. UpKeep has no free plan. It offers a free trial with no credit card, and the trial length is not published.
Which one charges extra for training and setup?
UpKeep lists separate fees: $500 for training only, $1,500 for implementation and training, $5,000 for expanded training, and enterprise implementation on request. The MaintainX pricing page shows no such fees, though a dedicated account manager is listed on Premium, per the pages opened.
How do the AI features differ between UpKeep and MaintainX?
UpKeep's Nova AI is described as building apps, generating work orders and catching bad data, with monthly Nova Credits from 250 to 1,000 by plan. MaintainX AI is described as finding data, building charts and flagging anomalies, and no credit cap was found.
Which is better for a team of technicians working offline?
UpKeep documents offline mode for checklists, readings, photos and sign-offs that sync later, but lists it from Professional, a quote-only tier. MaintainX pages opened do not list offline mode by plan, so confirm it for your tier and sites before buying.