Coast vs MainBoss

Coast is maintenance and asset management software for tracking equipment, assigning work orders, and coordinating teams. Work orders can be assigned and prioritized, with real-time chat and photo or checklist attachments. Preventive maintenance schedules can run by days, weeks, or months, and can include meter-based tasks and due-date alerts. QR codes provide access to asset information and equipment status. Coast offers equipment performance insights, custom dashboards, and maintenance-team efficiency and cost tracking. It connects with Zapier, an Open API, and hardware such as IoT sensors and smart meters. Its iOS and Android apps support QR scanning and direct photo capture; the product also runs on the web, Windows 10 version 2004 or later, Windows 11, and macOS 12 or later. A free plan includes unlimited work orders, five repeating work orders, real-time messaging, seven-day history, and file uploads up to 3 MB. Starter costs $2 a month, billed per user per month. New signups receive a seven-day Pro trial without a credit card. A workspace must place all members on the same plan.

MainBoss is maintenance management software from Thinkage Ltd. for planning maintenance, tracking equipment and recording work. It supports work requests, work orders, preventive maintenance schedules and equipment asset management. Inventory tools track materials, usage, costs and storeroom locations, and identify items needing reorder. Purchasing creates orders for materials and contractor services or preliminary requests for existing purchasing software. MainBoss Service can email workers about work orders, process emailed requests and send requestors automatic acknowledgments. With Web Access, workers can view assigned work, requests and inventory through a website and close work orders from web-enabled devices. MainBoss uses Microsoft SQL Server, and accounting records can be exported for other programs. It uses Windows login names and role-based permissions; the maker says accounting costs cannot be back-edited and that corrective entries provide an audit trail. MainBoss operates in English and Spanish. The free system is free, for one user and up to 50 requestors, with unlimited buildings and equipment. Licensed modules have a one-time charge, plus an annual fee for upgrades and updates.