Free maintenance log software: a running log for every machine
Keep a per-asset maintenance log of work orders, PMs, and breakdowns tied to each machine, free in your browser, with no account and export any time.
The short answer
- Open the free OEE Lab tracker and light CMMS at oee-tracker.html and start a maintenance log in minutes, no account needed.
- Every entry is tied to a machine: work orders, preventive maintenance, and breakdowns build a running, per-asset history you can read back any time.
- The whole log stays in your browser as an installable app, and you can export or back up to CSV or JSON whenever you want it in a spreadsheet or another system.
- It is honestly a single-device, manual log; when you need the closed loop from a detected loss to a work order, true-cause on micro-stops, and audit-ready history across a plant, book a demo with Fabrico.
A maintenance log is the simplest, most useful record a plant can keep: a running, dated history of what happened to each machine and who did what about it. The free OEE Lab tracker at oee-tracker.html gives you exactly that today, tying every work order and every preventive maintenance task to the asset it belongs to, with no account and no cost.
This is a genuinely free maintenance log, not a trial. It runs in your browser, keeps an asset register as the backbone of the history, and logs breakdowns and downtime by reason so each machine carries its own record. Export the whole thing as CSV or JSON any time, and if you are still weighing a paid rollout, read is a free CMMS worth it first.
The honest tradeoff is that this tool is a single-device, manual log: you enter each event by hand, investigate causes yourself, and keep it on one browser on one device. That is the ceiling a platform like Fabrico is built to remove, with computer vision that finds the true cause of micro-stops and a closed loop from a detected loss to an assigned work order. For the wider picture, see how to choose OEE or CMMS software and the rest of the free manufacturing software tools.
What you get, free
A running log for every asset
Build an asset register, then every work order, PM, and breakdown attaches to its machine, so each asset carries its own dated maintenance history you can read back at any time.
Work orders on the record
Create, assign, and move work orders through a simple board, and each one lands in that machine's log as a trackable, dated entry instead of a sticky note.
Preventive maintenance in the log
Schedule recurring PM tasks against your assets so planned maintenance is logged alongside reactive work, not just remembered by whoever was on shift.
Breakdown and downtime history
Log downtime by reason, see a Pareto of your biggest losses, and open a per-machine breakdown to find exactly where each asset is bleeding time.
Export, back up, and print
Export the full log as CSV or JSON, back up and restore your data, print a PDF report, and share a scorecard with your team or your boss.
No account, local, installable
Runs in your browser with no signup, installs as a PWA for quick access, and keeps the log on your device with people and roles for 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 every event by hand each shift; the record stays in your browser. | Connects to your PLCs so machine state is captured and flows straight into the record. |
| Loss-to-fix loop | You spot the breakdown, then raise and log the work order yourself. | A detected loss becomes an assigned, logged work order automatically, closing the loop from PLC to fix. |
| Micro-stop cause | You investigate sub-5-minute stops yourself and type the reason into the log. | Computer vision identifies the true cause of each micro-stop, with video evidence attached. |
| Scope and multi-site | One plant on one device and browser, ideal for a single line or shift. | One EU-built platform with EU data residency, holding history across every line and site. |
| Integrations | Standalone; export the log as CSV or JSON when you need it elsewhere. | Connects to your PLCs so a detected loss routes straight into a work order. |
| Access and roles | Local sign-in with people and roles on that one device. | ISO 27001, 20000-1, and 9001-certified platform with roles that supports audit-readiness. |
| Data residency | Data stays local in your browser, on the device you use. | EU-built with EU data residency for the whole record. |
| Reporting | Downtime Pareto, per-machine breakdown, printable PDF report, and a shareable scorecard. | The same central history, with computer-vision true-cause behind every micro-stop. |
| Log history and retention | The full per-asset history lives on one device; export or back up to keep it safe. | Centralized, retained maintenance history that supports audit-readiness (ISO 27001, 20000-1, 9001). |
Frequently asked questions
Is this actually free, or a trial in disguise?
It is genuinely free. The tracker at oee-tracker.html runs with no account, no card, and no expiry, and the maintenance log you build is yours to export any time.
What exactly does the maintenance log capture?
Every work order, preventive maintenance task, and breakdown you enter is tied to a specific machine in your asset register, building a dated, per-asset history you can read back. You also get OEE with the availability, performance, and quality split and a downtime Pareto in the same tool.
Can I export or back up the log?
Yes. Export the full log as CSV or JSON whenever you want it in a spreadsheet or another system, and use backup and restore to move or protect your data. Since the log lives in your browser, exporting and backing up is how you keep the history safe.
Can more than one person add to the log?
Yes, it supports local sign-in with people and roles on one device, so a shift lead and a technician can both add entries. It is scoped to one plant on one device and browser, not a central multi-user cloud account.
How is this different from a paper logbook or a spreadsheet?
A paper logbook or spreadsheet is the true zero-cost default, and it works for a first pass. This tool gives you the same running record plus structure: entries tied to assets, a work order board, a PM schedule, a downtime Pareto, and export, without you building any of it yourself. See free CMMS vs spreadsheets for the trade-offs.
When do I need more than the free tool?
When manual logging becomes a bottleneck, when you want the system to find the true cause of micro-stops and auto-route the resulting work order, or when you are running more than one line or site and need a retained, audit-ready history. That is what Fabrico is built for. Book a Fabrico demo to see it on your own data.
When free is not enough, Fabrico is the upgrade
The free tracker is the fastest genuinely free way to start a real maintenance log on one line today, tied to every asset and exportable any time. But a hand-kept log gets harder to trust as a plant grows: more machines, more people who need a role, and breakdowns that need a true cause instead of a typed guess. Fabrico connects to your PLCs and closes the loop by turning a detected loss into an assigned, logged work order, uses computer vision to pin the true cause of micro-stops with video evidence, and runs on an EU-built platform with EU data residency and ISO 27001, 20000-1, and 9001 certification that supports audit-readiness. When the plant is ready to move from a manual logbook to a closed-loop system, book a Fabrico demo.
Book a Fabrico demoMore free software: All free software · Free OEE Dashboard Software: Log a Shift, Watch Your OEE Dashboard Go Live · Free OEE Monitoring Software: Watch Your OEE Trend Shift Over Shift · Free OEE Software vs Paid: When to Upgrade · Free production scheduling software that keeps maintenance and production in step
Free OEE tracker and light CMMS · Free manufacturing software · Free maintenance management software · Free work order software · Free equipment maintenance software · Free downtime tracking software