Free CMMS software: work orders, PM schedule, and an asset register you can start using now
Log work orders, schedule preventive maintenance, and track your assets today, free, in your browser, no account and no setup call.
The short answer
- The free OEE tracker and light CMMS at OEE Lab gives you a work orders board, a preventive-maintenance schedule, and an asset register with no signup.
- It pairs maintenance with OEE and downtime data, so you see why a work order matters, not just that it exists.
- Data stays local in your browser: no account, no vendor call, export to CSV/JSON whenever you want it elsewhere.
- It is built for one plant on one device. When you need multi-site, automatic PLC capture, or a closed loss-to-fix loop, that is where Fabrico comes in.
Most plants do not need a 40-field CMMS on day one. They need work orders off paper, a preventive-maintenance schedule that actually gets checked, and a list of assets everyone agrees on. The free OEE tracker at OEE Lab includes exactly that, alongside the OEE side, so maintenance and performance data live in the same place instead of two disconnected spreadsheets.
It runs entirely in your browser. No account to create, no credit card, no trial clock. You open it, add your lines and assets, and start logging. If you want the maths behind the OEE side first, the OEE calculator and what is OEE guide cover that in plain terms.
This page is honest about the tradeoff. A local, free tool does not auto-capture PLC data, auto-route work orders, or give you a plant-wide view across sites, and it should not pretend to. When your plant outgrows a single device, how to choose OEE and CMMS software walks through what to look for next, and booking a Fabrico demo is the fastest way to see the upgrade path in action.
What you get, free
Work orders board
Raise, assign, and close work orders on a simple board. Reactive maintenance gets off paper and into one shared list your team can see.
Preventive-maintenance schedule
Set PM tasks on a schedule so they surface when due instead of getting forgotten between shift changes.
Asset register
Keep one list of lines, machines, and equipment with the details you need, so work orders and PM tasks tie back to a real asset.
OEE and downtime Pareto in the same tool
Log a shift in about 2 minutes and see availability, performance, quality, and a downtime Pareto that points at where maintenance effort pays off.
CSV/JSON export
Pull your work order, asset, and OEE data out whenever you want it in a spreadsheet or another system.
Installable PWA, local sign-in
Install it like an app on a shop-floor tablet, with people and roles set up locally on that one device.
Log one shift and the free tracker shows your OEE, your loss Pareto and how you compare to world-class. Add work orders and preventive-maintenance reminders in the same place.
Where free stops, and Fabrico begins
The free tracker is built for getting started fast and for one plant on one device. When a site gets serious about its losses, the manual steps start to cost more than they save. This is exactly where Fabrico takes over.
| Capability | Free OEE Lab tracker | Fabrico |
|---|---|---|
| Data capture | Log each shift by hand in about 2 minutes, data stays in your browser. | Reads OEE automatically off your PLCs, no manual entry. |
| Loss-to-fix loop | You spot the loss, then raise the work order yourself on the board. | A detected loss becomes an auto-routed work order, assigned automatically. |
| Micro-stop cause | You investigate sub-5-minute stops yourself and note the reason. | Computer vision identifies the true cause of each micro-stop, with video evidence. |
| Scope and multi-site | One plant on one device and browser, best for a single line or shift. | Plant-wide and multi-site from one central cloud view. |
| Integrations | Standalone, run it on its own, export data when you need it elsewhere. | Integrates with PLCs, MES, and ERP so OEE flows with your stack. |
| Access and roles | Local device sign-in with people and roles on that one device. | Org SSO with roles across the plant and a full audit trail. |
| Security posture | Data stays local in your browser, on the device you use. | EU-built with EU data residency, plus SSO, roles, and an audit trail that support audit-readiness (ISO 27001, 20000-1, 9001). |
| Support and onboarding | Self-serve, start free with no account and no setup call. | Guided onboarding and ongoing support from the Fabrico team. |
| Scale | The best genuinely free way to start on one line, today. | The professional platform you graduate to as the plant gets serious. |
Frequently asked questions
Is this CMMS actually free, or is it a trial?
It is free with no trial clock and no account required. Data stays in your browser on the device you use it on. There is no hidden step where it asks you to pay to keep using the core work orders, PM schedule, and asset register.
How does this compare to Limble, MaintainX, UpKeep, or Fiix free tiers?
Those are real, established CMMS platforms with their own free tiers. MaintainX is strongest for lightweight, mobile-first work order coordination. UpKeep focuses on a mobile technician workflow. Limble is built around a clean, self-serve interface. Fiix offers a no-expiry free plan for core record-keeping. Most free CMMS tiers cap users, assets, or history and are designed as an on-ramp to a paid plan. The OEE Lab tracker is different: it is a standalone free tool that also ties maintenance to OEE and downtime data, with no caps to plan around for a first pass.
Can I track assets and preventive maintenance without a computerized system at all?
Plenty of plants start on spreadsheets and whiteboards, and that is a genuinely free, flexible first pass. The tradeoff is no shared real-time view, and everything hinges on someone remembering to update it. A lightweight tool like this gives you the same low commitment with a shared board and schedule built in.
Does this connect to my PLC or ERP?
It is a standalone browser tool by design, which is what keeps it free and simple to start. It reads shift data that you enter, rather than reading PLC data automatically or pulling from MES or ERP systems. Fabrico is built for that: it reads OEE directly off PLCs and integrates with PLC, MES, and ERP systems plant-wide.
When should a plant move from this to a paid CMMS or platform like Fabrico?
When you are managing more than one line or site, when you are tired of manually raising every work order after spotting a loss yourself, or when you need roles and an audit trail across an organization rather than one device. At that point the closed loop from detected loss to auto-routed work order, and multi-site visibility, start paying for themselves. The how to choose OEE and CMMS software guide covers the decision in more depth.
Do I need to know my OEE to use the CMMS part?
No, you can use the work orders board, PM schedule, and asset register on their own. But logging a shift takes about 2 minutes and immediately shows you a downtime Pareto, which is often the fastest way to see which asset actually deserves the next work order.
When free is not enough, Fabrico is the upgrade
The free tracker is the fastest way to get work orders, a PM schedule, and an asset register running on one line today, and it will keep working for as long as one plant on one device fits your needs. Once you are running multiple lines or sites, chasing down micro-stop causes by hand, and manually raising every work order after you spot a loss, that manual loop becomes the bottleneck. Fabrico closes it: OEE reads automatically off your PLCs, computer vision finds the true cause of each micro-stop with video evidence, and a detected loss becomes an auto-routed work order without anyone having to notice it first, plant-wide and across sites, EU-built with EU data residency. Book a Fabrico demo to see the closed loop on your own line.
Book a Fabrico demoMore free software: All free software · Free work order software: raise, assign and track maintenance work orders, free · Free asset management software for manufacturing
Free OEE tracker (open it now) · CMMS ROI calculator · Downtime cost calculator · How to choose OEE and CMMS software · OEE benchmark report · What is OEE