CMMS software costs vary widely, ranging from $25 to $250 per user per month for subscription plans to $10,000 to $100,000 for one-time perpetual licenses. Additional expenses such as implementation, training, and support can further impact the total cost. In this article, we’ll explore these pricing models, factors influencing costs, and tips to find the best value for your organization.
What is CMMS Software?
A CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) software is a tool that enables organizations to efficiently manage maintenance operations, including asset tracking, inventory management, preventive maintenance, and work order scheduling. It improves efficiency, reduces facility costs, and enhances equipment management for businesses of all sizes.
CMMS solutions are available as cloud-based (SaaS) systems managed by external providers or on-premise applications managed internally. Key considerations before choosing a CMMS include vendor expertise, cost, ease of use, deployment time, support, and reporting capabilities. These factors ensure the right solution for your operational goals.
Understanding your company’s needs and goals is crucial before investing in a service management solution. The essential inquiries that you must make are listed below.
- Does the vendor have any experience in your industry?
- How much will CMMS cost?
- How does the tool work, and is it updatable?
- How long will the deployment take?
- What training and support are provided?
- Is it easy to use?
- What types of service reporting are offered?
This article will simplify estimating the cost of deploying a new tool package by outlining some of the key elements and factors that affect costs for businesses of all sizes and sectors.
How does CMMS pricing work?
With the rise of digitization, businesses are less interested in paying a one-time price for the platform. With the growing trend of cloud and digital environments, most businesses approach CMMS systems pricing with Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) based subscription pricing models.
Although each supplier has a unique pricing philosophy, we can comprehend the pricing techniques in three categories depending on industry players.
What are the Different CMMS Pricing Models?
CMMS software pricing is influenced by the number of users,features, and deployment method. The three primary pricing models are:
- 1.Per User, Per Month Subscription Plan: Charges based on the number of users, ideal for small teams with scalable needs.
- 2. Per-Month Subscription Plan: Fixed monthly fee, often with user or site limits, suitable for larger teams or multiple locations.
- 3. One-Time Perpetual Licensing Fee: A single upfront payment for on-premise deployment, often chosen by businesses requiring extensive customization.
Per user, per month subscription plan
The majority of service personnel are in the field. Hence service management solutions are typically provided via the cloud with mobile-friendly user interfaces. Because of this, vendors frequently bill businesses using a SaaS pricing model. Companies only pay for the number of staff members who utilize the program when they subscribe on a per-user, per-month basis.
Depending on the number of functionality and the categories of users, such as technicians, managers, and system administrators, these plans frequently have several tiers. A technician, for instance, might require work order management features but not business analytics. On the other hand, a manager might need both capabilities. Small businesses with simple operations and few users should choose this option. Some plans may offer a service portal, where anyone may request a work order.
Per-month subscription plan
A per-month membership plan typically includes a maximum number of users, workstations, and a specific set of services. Some providers may give unlimited users, which can save money when numerous employees require access to the platform.
The advantages of a monthly subscription plan are greatest for companies with significant operations, multiple users, and work locations. Vendors may give discounts to businesses that pay all at once at the start of every year rather than monthly.
Additionally, some plans allow you to extend the number of supported worksites for a nominal monthly cost.
One-time perpetual licensing fee
Payment of a one-time endless license cost is an option for businesses who need extensive adjustments and wish to deploy the solution on-premise. With this option, access is often granted to an infinite number of users and work sites.
The perpetual license charge is paid in whole during implementation and is significantly greater than a subscription fee.
Future platform upgrades are typically not included in the bill.
Choosing the right pricing model for service management solutions depends on your business size, operational needs, and deployment preferences. The comparison table below outlines the key features, benefits, and suitability of per-user, per-month plans, per-month subscription plans, and one-time perpetual licensing fees. This will help you evaluate the best option based on user requirements, cost, and flexibility.
| Feature | Per-User, Per-Month Plan | Per-Month Subscription Plan | One-Time Perpetual Licensing Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payment Model | Based on the number of users per month | Fixed monthly fee (can include a user or workstation cap) | One-time upfront payment |
| User Coverage | Specific to the number of users | May include a maximum number of users or unlimited users | Unlimited users typically supported |
| Functionality Tiers | Multiple tiers based on user roles (e.g., technicians, managers) | Standardized services with potential for upgrades | Customizable functionality |
| Best For | Small businesses with simple operations and few users | Large companies with multiple users and locations | Companies needing on-premise deployment and high customization |
| Cost Characteristics | Lower initial cost, scales with user count | Fixed cost, possible discounts for annual payment | High initial cost, no recurring payments |
| Flexibility | Pay as you go, scalable | May allow additional users or sites for a nominal fee | Requires full customization upfront |
| Platform Updates | Included in the subscription | Included in the subscription | Not included; upgrades billed separately |
| Access Type | Cloud-based, mobile-friendly | Cloud-based or hybrid | On-premise deployment |
| Service Portal | Available in certain tiers | Available based on the plan | Typically customizable |
What Additional costs to consider when Choosing CMMS Solution?
When choosing a CMMS solution, businesses should take into account service tool costs that go beyond the subscription or licensing charge. The following expenses should be considered:
- Implementation – Depending on the vendor and the kind of deployment, implementation costs may vary (cloud or on-premise). Consultants, hardware setup, customization, data migration, and integration with third-party solutions (like enterprise resource planning systems) or equipment monitoring devices, like IoT devices.
- Training – Users will likely be tempted to forgo training to save money. This is a severe error because training is your assurance that your platform investment will pay off. Depending on the sort of training, training prices might vary significantly in the classroom, computer-based training, simulation, on-the-job, and so on. Most providers offer web-based training services without charge. However, in-person training may cost extra or necessitate purchasing the most expensive pricing tier.
- Support – Subscription plans typically provide essential support like knowledge bases and email support. However, companies might only offer more expensive feature packages access to priority assistance or a specialized customer service manager.
- Maintenance – The service management platform frequently needs regular service, which includes updates, patches, and security upgrades. Upgrades usually come at an extra cost for businesses that buy perpetual licenses. Maintenance is frequently free or less expensive with subscriptions, affecting the overall maintenance software price.
- Customization – If any custom programming is necessary to adapt the solution to your requirements, an estimate based on a per diem charge of around $800 to $1,500 is typically supplied. Customization is strongly discouraged since it might be challenging to get enough long-term vendor support and because it might obstruct the path for upgrading when new versions are available. Instead, search for an affordable solution that can be scaled and customized to meet your current and future demands.
- Hardware – Hardware needs can range from extremely small to extremely large, depending on the state and size of your existing infrastructure. The hardware cost might quickly rise if you have to upgrade or add user workstations, file servers, networks, telecommunications equipment, and peripherals to make room for the new operations platform.
- Others – When updating or deploying a new CMMS software, other budget factors are occasionally overlooked, such as cabling, facility upgrades, telecommunications, and especially increased staff requirements.
Different Tiers with vendors
Most vendors discuss the different customer tiers. Large, capital-intensive businesses with hundreds or even thousands of workers comprise the top tier – Tier 1. These businesses are in paper, mining, oil and gas, and other resource- and process-related industries. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent on maintenance management software packages and to top that are additional costs in analytics and insights.
Tier 3 companies have repair shops with 15 or fewer merchants on the other end of the scale. A different group of suppliers often targets these businesses and sells its platform for between $25,00 and $10,000.
Between the two extremes is where Tier 2 consumers fall on the continuum. The providers serving this customer base frequently overlap significantly with vendors aiming for the tier directly above or below them.
CMMS cost- Based on features and functions
The service management application has generally become less expensive, and its functionality has dramatically increased. It typically uses less disk space, is simpler to install, and operates more quickly, even on older computer hardware. Because the application is less complicated, learning it takes less time.
The depth and diversity of features, particularly as they pertain to a specific industry, are what you acquire by upgrading to high-end packages. Many high-end interfaces will have sophisticated modules to manage projects, calibration, service desk, dependability, linear assets, cases, and other complex tasks. The ability to budget by specific account code, advanced warranty tracking, and more options for automatically diagnosing equipment issues with condition monitoring and a troubleshooting database are just a few examples of how even basic features can have complicated alternatives.
A subset of these features is typically included in low-cost operations management tools packages, such as the ability to budget only by the month, the ability to accommodate tool requirements using the standard inventory control solutions for parts, the ability to handle warranty information using a reference field on the equipment record, and the capacity to record meter readings to determine when PM is necessary.
When considering the price of CMMS software systems, it’s important to note that they vary widely. The cheapest platform package will start from $500 to $1000, but this won’t be customized to meet the needs of your business.
On the other hand, customized service management platforms for large and multi-site organizations can cost up to ten thousand dollars.
In short, when considering how much CMMS cost, it’s crucial to strike the right balance between your budget and the level of functionality your business needs. Evaluating
Final Thoughts
Understanding the pricing of CMMS system is necessary to compare them accurately. These considerations must be taken into consideration because not all platforms are the same and suppliers frequently sell tools as packages. Match the overall cost of operations planning solutions carefully to your desired features, chosen format, and additional optional services like onboarding and implementation, and lastly, match these to your budget. You can guarantee the best ROI on CMMS for your company by conducting a thorough search and interacting with vendors.
