Free downtime tracking software: log stops by reason, get a downtime Pareto instantly
Open the tracker, log each stop with a reason code as it happens, and watch your downtime Pareto build itself, no spreadsheet, no account, no cost.
The short answer
- Yes, it is genuinely free: log stops by reason on one line today, no account needed to start.
- You get an instant downtime Pareto ranked by total minutes lost, so you see your biggest bucket first.
- Your data stays in your own browser storage on the device you use, and you can export it as CSV or JSON any time.
- When stops need automatic capture and true root cause on video, that is where Fabrico picks up.
Most downtime tracking starts on a whiteboard or in a shared spreadsheet, someone writes down "changeover" or "jam" after the fact, and by the time anyone tallies it up the reasons are guesses. The free OEE tracker fixes the tallying part today: log each stop with a start time, end time, and reason code as it happens, and the tool builds your downtime Pareto automatically, ranked by minutes lost so you know exactly which reason to attack first.
This is a real, no-catch free tool: no account to start, your data stays in your browser, and you can export it any time as CSV or JSON. If you want to size the dollar impact of what you are logging, run it through the downtime cost calculator, or check your overall number against the OEE benchmark report.
The honest limit: you are still the one writing down the stop and picking the reason code. For short micro-stops especially, that means you are guessing at cause almost as often as the whiteboard did, just faster and better organized. When you are ready for the machine to log stops itself, that is a Fabrico conversation.
What you get, free
Log a stop in seconds
Pick a reason code, mark start and end time, done. Built for logging on the floor between tasks, not after a 12-hour shift when you have forgotten half the stops.
Downtime Pareto, automatically
Every stop you log rolls into a live Pareto chart ranked by total minutes lost, so the biggest bucket is always obvious without a spreadsheet formula.
Reason codes you control
Set up your own stop reasons (changeover, jam, no operator, quality hold, planned maintenance) so the Pareto reflects how your line actually breaks down, not a generic template.
OEE and A/P/Q alongside it
The same shift log feeds your Availability, Performance, Quality, and overall OEE, benchmarked against the 85% world-class line (traced to Nakajima, Introduction to TPM, 1988), so downtime sits next to the number it is dragging down.
Work orders off the back of a stop
See a reason code spiking on the Pareto, raise a work order right on the board so the fix gets tracked, not just the symptom.
Export and keep what is yours
CSV or JSON export whenever you want it. No lock-in, no waiting on a report, the data was always in your browser.
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. | Tracks OEE and downtime live from PLCs, IoT sensors or AI cameras. |
| Micro-stop cause | You investigate short stops yourself and note the reason. | Where cameras are fitted, the video of a stop sits next to its machine data, with AI-suggested likely causes the team validates. |
| From loss to fix | You spot the loss, then raise the work order yourself on the board. | A technician opens the work order straight from the stop, in the same system. |
| 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. | Connects to your PLCs and syncs with SAP and other ERPs through integrations and a REST API. |
| 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. |
| Data residency | Your data lives in your own browser storage on your device. | EU-built, with data hosted in the AWS EU region. |
| Reporting | Instant OEE, a downtime Pareto, and CSV/JSON export you run yourself. | Live plant-wide dashboards and reports. |
Frequently asked questions
Is this downtime tracker actually free, or is there a catch?
It is free to use today, no account required to start and no time limit. Your data stays in your browser on the device you use, and you can export it as CSV or JSON whenever you want.
How is a downtime Pareto different from just a list of stops?
A Pareto ranks your stop reasons by total minutes lost, not by count, so a reason that happens rarely but runs long shows up ahead of one that happens often but briefly. It points you at the bucket worth fixing first.
Can I track downtime across more than one line or device with the free tool?
The free tracker is built for one plant on one device and browser, which is the best fit for a single line or shift getting started. For plant-wide and multi-site views from one central place, that is what Fabrico is built for.
Does the free tool tell me the root cause of a stop?
No, you log the reason code yourself based on what you observed. Fabrico's computer vision shows camera video of stops, where cameras are fitted, with a suggested cause, which is the natural next step once manual reason-coding starts feeling like guesswork.
What other free options exist for tracking downtime or maintenance work?
MaintainX has a mobile-first free plan good for lightweight work-order coordination, Fiix has a free plan for core CMMS record-keeping, UpKeep offers a free trial, and Evocon runs a free trial focused specifically on OEE. Spreadsheets and whiteboards remain the true zero-cost default. Most free SaaS tiers cap users, assets, or history and are on-ramps to a paid plan, so check what you actually need before committing.
When should I move from manual downtime logging to automatic capture?
When the manual logging itself becomes the bottleneck, missed stops, inconsistent reason codes, or nobody has time to log micro-stops during a busy shift. That is when tracking OEE and downtime live from your PLCs, with camera video of stops (where cameras are fitted), starts paying for itself. Book a Fabrico demo at https://fabrico.io/demo/ to see it against your own line.
When free is not enough, Fabrico is the upgrade
The free tracker gets your downtime Pareto right in front of you today, no account, no cost, no wait. But every entry still depends on someone catching the stop, writing down the reason, and raising the fix. Fabrico, a light MES, tracks OEE and downtime live from PLCs, IoT sensors or AI cameras, puts the video of a stop next to its machine data where cameras are fitted, with AI-suggested likely causes, and lets a technician open the work order from the stop, plant-wide or across every site, built and hosted in the EU. When manual logging starts feeling like the bottleneck, that is the sign to graduate.
Book a Fabrico demoMore free software: All free software · Free OEE Software: Log a Shift, Get OEE and a Pareto in 2 Minutes
Free OEE tracker · Downtime cost calculator · Cost of downtime guide · Maintenance KPIs and metrics · How to choose OEE/CMMS software