Fleetio vs Samsara

Fleetio and Samsara are frequently compared but rarely compete — they cover different layers of the fleet stack. Fleetio is maintenance software ($4–10 per vehicle, published) that schedules service, raises work orders and holds service history. Samsara is telematics (quote-led, plus hardware) that reports location, driver behaviour and diagnostics. Most fleets above about 20 vehicles run both, not one instead of the other.

Fleetio vs Samsara: how do they compare?

Figures marked (est.) are third-party estimates, not vendor rate cards.
Dimension	Fleetio	Samsara
Entry price (annual)	$4	$27 (est.)
Top published tier	$10	$33 (est.)
Users	Unlimited users and drivers	—
Publishes pricing	Full rate card	Not published

Two different jobs

Fleetio is the system of record for keeping vehicles serviceable: preventative maintenance by mileage or date, work orders, parts and inspections, priced per vehicle with a published rate card and no hardware. Samsara is the visibility layer: where a vehicle is, how it's being driven, what fault codes it's throwing — hardware plus software, quoted per fleet on a reported multi-year contract. Telematics tells you something is wrong; maintenance software is where the repair actually gets scheduled and paid for.

What the combined stack costs

Because they're complementary, the real question for many fleets is the combined cost. Fleetio Professional at $7 per vehicle plus Samsara telematics (estimated $27–33 per vehicle) lands near $34–40 per vehicle per month before hardware — one pairing out of the four worked on the fleet maintenance software hub. Fleetio integrates with Samsara, so data flows between them.

The gap neither one covers

Both stop at the shop door. Once a vehicle goes to a third-party repair shop, neither Fleetio nor Samsara can see inside it — the estimate arrives by email, approval happens by phone, and status lives in a service advisor's head. That outside-shop repair visibility is a third layer: a repair network, or a fleet operating system such as Autograff FleetOS. FleetOS overlaps Fleetio on maintenance tracking and adds outside-shop repair coordination, but it is software-only — not a telematics alternative to Samsara. See fleet repair networks.

Frequently asked questions

Is Fleetio or Samsara better for my fleet?

It's usually not either/or — they do different jobs. Fleetio is maintenance software (scheduling, work orders, service history) at $4–10 per vehicle. Samsara is telematics (GPS, driver behaviour, dashcams). Most fleets above about 20 vehicles run both.

Does Fleetio include GPS tracking?

No. Fleetio is software only and does not include GPS or telematics hardware. It integrates with telematics platforms like Samsara, but the tracking subscription and hardware are a separate purchase.

Can I replace Samsara with Fleetio?

No — they cover different layers. Fleetio won't tell you where a vehicle is or how it's being driven; Samsara won't schedule a PM service or raise a work order. They're complementary, not substitutes.