The best UpKeep alternative for pre-use equipment checks is CheckBadges: every machine gets a QR sticker and operators scan it with their own phone to do its checklist in the browser — no app, login or per-user seat — free for 3 machines. Other strong options: MaintainX, Fleetio, SafetyCulture (Mitti), Connecteam, Jotform.
Why people look for a UpKeep alternative
$55 a month per operator for a daily checklist.
Implementation fees before the first check.
Operators who will never use a maintenance app.
You don't need work orders, just a record that machines were checked.
The 6 best UpKeep alternatives
1
CheckBadges
Our pick for pre-use checks
QR code equipment checklists: every machine gets a printed QR sticker, operators scan it with their own phone's camera and do its pre-use check in the browser, and problems email the owner with photos straight away. Best for: Anyone whose people run machines that need checking before use — warehouses, construction, rental yards, plants, farms and fleets — who wants checks done and recorded without rolling out an app.
How an operator does a check
Scan the QR sticker on the machine with the phone's camera, answer that machine's checklist in the browser, submit. About a minute.
Operator needs an app or login
No. No app, account or password: operators type their name, or a 4-digit PIN if you turn PINs on.
Free plan
Free for up to 3 machines, with every feature and unlimited operators.
Pricing
Free for up to 3 machines. Pro is $9 a month for your first 3 machines, plus $1.50 a month for each machine after that. Operators and checks are unlimited on both.
MaintainX is a maintenance and operations platform (CMMS) with work orders, procedures, preventive maintenance and asset QR codes, used through its mobile and web apps. Best for: Maintenance teams that want work orders, preventive maintenance, parts and analytics, and will license every person who completes procedures.
How an operator does a check
The operator opens the MaintainX app, signs in, scans the asset's QR code or finds the work order, and completes the procedure (checklist) attached to it.
Operator needs an app or login
Yes. Every operator needs their own MaintainX login, and each one is a paid user on Essential or Premium. Free requester accounts can submit work requests, not complete procedures.
Free plan
Basic is free, but allows only 2 work orders with attached procedures and 2 active repeating work orders.
Pricing
Basic is free. Essential is $25 a user a month billed monthly ($20 annually) and Premium $75 ($65), which allows unlimited procedures on work orders; Enterprise is quoted.
Fleetio is fleet maintenance software that tracks vehicles and equipment, work orders, parts and fuel, with inspections done in its Fleetio Go app. Best for: Fleets that need a full maintenance system — work orders, parts, fuel and telematics integrations — with inspections as one part of it.
How an operator does a check
The driver or operator opens the Fleetio Go app (or the web app), signs in, chooses the vehicle or scans its label, and submits the inspection form. A public link can also take submissions without a login.
Operator needs an app or login
Usually yes: inspections are done in the Fleetio Go app or web app by users with permission to submit them. Fleetio's Public Inspection Submission Link lets anyone with the link submit without an account, but it's one link per form and every submission is recorded as a single Guest User.
Free plan
No free plan; a free trial.
Pricing
Billed per vehicle or asset each month on Essential, Professional and Premium plans. We couldn't confirm Fleetio's October 2026 dollar prices on its own site.
10 machines: Not confirmed · 25 machines: Not confirmed · 50 machines: Not confirmed
SafetyCulture, rebranded in 2026 as Mitti (and long known for its iAuditor app), is a large inspection and operations platform where each person who does inspections uses its app with their own seat. Best for: Safety and operations teams that run many kinds of audits and inspections, want scheduling, actions and training in one place, and have people who will all use the app.
How an operator does a check
The operator opens the Mitti app (or the web app), signs in, picks the inspection template or scans the asset's code inside the app, and completes it — online or offline.
Operator needs an app or login
Yes. Each operator signs in to the Mitti (SafetyCulture) app or web app with their own seat: free for up to 10 seats, then $29 a seat a month. The pricing page also lists free guest seats, but we couldn't confirm whether guests can complete inspections.
Free plan
Free for up to 10 seats, with 5 active inspection templates.
Pricing
Free for up to 10 seats and 5 active templates. Premium is $29 a seat a month billed monthly, or $24 billed annually, according to Mitti's pricing page; Enterprise is quoted.
Connecteam is an all-in-one app for deskless teams — time clock, scheduling, chat, forms and checklists — where each employee uses the Connecteam app with their own account. Best for: Teams where everyone has a smartphone and you want scheduling, time tracking, chat and checklists in one employee app.
How an operator does a check
The operator opens the Connecteam app, signs in, finds the checklist or form and fills it in.
Operator needs an app or login
Yes. Each operator needs a Connecteam account and the app; forms and checklists live inside it. It's free for up to 10 users.
Free plan
Free for up to 10 users.
Pricing
Free for up to 10 users. Operations Hub Basic is $35 a month billed monthly ($29 yearly) for the first 30 users, plus $1 ($0.80) per extra user; Advanced and Expert cost more.
Jotform is a popular online form builder: you can make an inspection form (it publishes forklift checklist templates), share it as a public link or QR code, and collect submissions. Best for: Teams that want one flexible, inexpensive form tool for many jobs — inspections among them — and are happy to build and watch the forms themselves.
How an operator does a check
The operator scans a QR code or opens a link to the form, fills it in in the phone's browser (or Jotform's mobile app), and submits.
Operator needs an app or login
No. Operators fill in a public form link in the browser without an account; Jotform's mobile app is optional.
Free plan
Free Starter plan: 5 forms, 100 submissions a month and 100 MB of uploads.
Pricing
Starter is free. Bronze is $39 a month ($34 billed annually) for 1,000 submissions a month, Silver $49 ($39) for 2,500 and Gold $129 ($99) for 10,000; these plans have one user, and multi-user accounts need Enterprise.
No. No app, account or password: operators type their name, or a 4-digit PIN if you turn PINs on.
Yes. Every operator needs their own MaintainX login, and each one is a paid user on Essential or Premium. Free requester accounts can submit work requests, not complete procedures.
Usually yes: inspections are done in the Fleetio Go app or web app by users with permission to submit them. Fleetio's Public Inspection Submission Link lets anyone with the link submit without an account, but it's one link per form and every submission is recorded as a single Guest User.
Yes. Each operator signs in to the Mitti (SafetyCulture) app or web app with their own seat: free for up to 10 seats, then $29 a seat a month. The pricing page also lists free guest seats, but we couldn't confirm whether guests can complete inspections.
Yes. Each operator needs a Connecteam account and the app; forms and checklists live inside it. It's free for up to 10 users.
No. Operators fill in a public form link in the browser without an account; Jotform's mobile app is optional.
QR codes on equipment
Every machine gets its own printed QR sticker, 8 to a page. A lost sticker is reissued in a click.
Yes: MaintainX generates QR codes and barcodes for every asset, scanned in its app.
You can print asset labels or link your own barcodes and QR codes, which are scanned in the Fleetio Go app. The public submission link is per form, not per machine.
Inside the Mitti app: assets can carry QR codes or barcodes that the app scans to start an inspection. The phone's own camera doesn't open a check without the app and a login.
Not found: checklists are opened inside the Connecteam app rather than from a code on each machine.
Do it yourself: point a QR code at the form (Jotform has a QR code generator). A code per machine means a form or a prefilled link for each machine.
Free plan
Free for up to 3 machines, with every feature and unlimited operators.
Basic is free, but allows only 2 work orders with attached procedures and 2 active repeating work orders.
No free plan; a free trial.
Free for up to 10 seats, with 5 active inspection templates.
Free for up to 10 users.
Free Starter plan: 5 forms, 100 submissions a month and 100 MB of uploads.
10 machines, 20 operators / month
$19.50/mo
$1,500/mo
Not confirmed
$580/mo
$35/mo
$39/mo
25 machines, 50 operators / month
$42/mo
$3,750/mo
Not confirmed
$1,450/mo
$55/mo
$49/mo
50 machines, 100 operators / month
$79.50/mo
$7,500/mo
Not confirmed
$2,900/mo
$105/mo
$49/mo
Monthly list prices for each fleet on the cheapest plan that runs equipment checks, assuming two operators per machine (two shifts), checked in October 2026. Each comparison page shows the exact plan used. Annual billing is cheaper with most vendors.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best UpKeep alternative?
The best UpKeep alternative for pre-use equipment checks is CheckBadges: every machine gets a QR sticker and operators scan it with their own phone to do its checklist in the browser — no app, login or per-user seat — free for 3 machines. Other strong options: MaintainX, Fleetio, SafetyCulture (Mitti), Connecteam, Jotform.
Is there a free UpKeep alternative?
Yes. CheckBadges is free for up to 3 machines with every feature and unlimited operators. MaintainX: Basic is free, but allows only 2 work orders with attached procedures and 2 active repeating work orders. Fleetio: No free plan; a free trial. SafetyCulture (Mitti): Free for up to 10 seats, with 5 active inspection templates. Connecteam: Free for up to 10 users. Jotform: Free Starter plan: 5 forms, 100 submissions a month and 100 MB of uploads.
Can UpKeep requesters fill out inspection checklists?
No. UpKeep's free Requester and View Only users submit work requests, and Third-Party users can only update a tagged work order through a public link. Completing custom checklists needs a paid user on Premium or above.
How much does UpKeep cost for equipment inspections?
Custom checklists start on UpKeep's Premium plan at $55 per user a month, so 20 operators is $1,100 a month. UpKeep also lists one-time implementation fees of $500–$5,000.
Do I need a CMMS for daily equipment checks?
Not unless you also need maintenance management. A CMMS like UpKeep runs work orders, schedules and parts. A daily pre-use check needs a checklist per machine, a record of who did it, and a fast way to report problems.
Stick a QR code on every machine and operators do the pre-use check on their own phone — no app, no login. Free for up to 3 machines; try it with your real machines before you sign up.