Tool profile
Waites: cost, fit and limits
Waites is a Cincinnati-based condition monitoring company that sells wireless vibration and temperature sensors in stainless-steel cases, a cloud dashboard and a team of analysts who watch equipment around the clock for manufacturers, mines, airports and food and drug plants.
What to know first
Waites describes a full-service model: sensors, network hardware, a dashboard and human analysts. The page gives hardware facts that most rivals omit, such as a 316 stainless steel case and a line-of-sight radio range near 3,000 feet. It offers a value calculator and a demo request instead of prices, and it describes its AI in one line about trillions of readings.
Waites at a glance
| Maker | Waites, United States |
|---|---|
| Free plan | No |
| Entry price | Quote only |
| API access | No |
| Category | Best AI Predictive Maintenance Software in 2026, rank 8 of 11 |
| Website | waites.net |
Who Waites is best for
Washdown and harsh environments
The sensors use a 316 stainless steel case that mounts to equipment, which suits food, pharma and wet or corrosive areas where plastic housings fail.
Large sites with long cable runs
A line-of-sight range of roughly 3,000 feet reduces the number of gateways needed across a plant yard or an airport baggage hall.
Multinational operators
Communications are offered in 16 languages and analysts monitor 24 hours a day, which helps teams in several time zones receive alerts in their own language.
Waites plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Waites Conveyance and Dashboard | Not shown | The named software parts include Waites Conveyance and the Waites Dashboard, with analysts reviewing data, but no tier names or prices appear. |
| Sensor and network hardware | Not shown | Wireless and tethered sensors, PiezoNode, Network Hardware and a Universal Adapter are listed as system components. |
| Value calculator | Free to use | The page links a value calculator and a demo request to estimate return before talking to sales. |
Checked November 2026.
What Waites does
- Full-spectrum vibration and temperature
- Sensors measure full-spectrum vibration and temperature, and ultra-high frequency response is claimed to catch early bearing and lubrication problems. Ask for the frequency range and sampling rate in the datasheet.
- ImpactVUE
- The page names ImpactVUE technology as the means of spotting early bearing and lubrication issues, though it gives no technical specification. Ask for examples of faults it flagged before other methods did.
- Analyst review
- Analysts use big data and machine learning with human review and monitor equipment 24 hours a day, so alerts arrive interpreted. Ask who contacts your team and how fast when an alert is urgent.
- Plant-friendly deployment
- The page says deployment avoids PLC access and removes IT overhead, which shortens security reviews inside operations networks. Your security team may still want to review the network hardware and data path.
How Waites handles your data
The Waites page read states no security certification beyond calling the system certified around the world, and it says nothing about hosting region, retention, encryption or whether customer data trains the AI. The vendor's policy was not checked for any of those, since the privacy policy page requested returned not found. The company address is 1045 West 8th Street, Cincinnati, Ohio. Ask for a security questionnaire and the name of the cloud provider before connecting a gateway to the plant network.
Where Waites falls short in practice
- No named integrations. The page lists no CMMS, ERP or historian connectors, so work order automation must be confirmed. Ask whether a work order can be created automatically from an alert, or whether staff must key it in manually.
- Thin AI description. The AI claim is a single line about trillions of readings, with no accuracy, false alarm or warning-time figure. A pilot with your machines is the only way to judge how often alerts are right, and how early they come.
- Price hidden. No price, term or sensor ownership model appears, and only a value calculator and demo request are offered. Request a quote with sensor ownership, term and analyst services separated to compare with other vendors.
Works with
Alternatives to Waites
Waites: common questions
How far do Waites sensors transmit?
The page gives a line-of-sight radio range of roughly 3,000 feet. Walls, metal structures and process equipment will reduce that, so ask for a site survey before ordering gateways. Request a radio survey of your plant layout before buying gateways to confirm real range.
What are Waites sensors made of?
The page says the sensors have a 316 stainless steel case that mounts to equipment. That suits wet, corrosive and washdown areas, but check the temperature and ingress ratings in the datasheet. Ask for ingress rating, temperature range and battery life in the datasheet.
Does Waites need access to our PLC?
The page says deployment avoids PLC access and eliminates IT overhead. Your security team may still want to review the network hardware and the data path to the cloud. A short diagram of the data path from sensor to cloud will help your IT staff approve it.
Who watches Waites alerts?
Analysts monitor equipment 24 hours a day, using big data and machine learning with human review, according to the page. Ask for response times and who contacts your team. Also ask how many analysts cover your region and language. Time-zone coverage matters for plants running night shifts.
What ROI does Waites claim?
The page states average customer ROI in under four months and some in as little as three weeks. These are vendor figures without a method, so test them with the value calculator and a reference call. Ask for a customer reference in your industry before counting on the figure.