Samsara vs Geotab

Samsara and Geotab are the two most-compared fleet telematics platforms, and neither publishes pricing. Third-party estimates put Geotab around $10–18 per vehicle and Samsara around $27–33 plus hardware on a reported multi-year contract. Samsara is first-party, polished and safety-heavy; Geotab is an open platform sold through 2,000+ resellers, so its price and support vary by partner.

Samsara vs Geotab: how do they compare?

Figures marked (est.) are third-party estimates, not vendor rate cards.
DimensionSamsaraGeotab
Entry price (annual)$27 (est.)$10 (est.)
Top published tier$33 (est.)$18 (est.)
Users
Publishes pricingNot publishedNot published

Two different buying models

Samsara sells directly, ships its own hardware, and leans into driver safety and AI dashcams. Third-party analysis reports a 36-month minimum contract with the remaining balance due on early termination, so it is the heavier commitment. Geotab sells through an independent reseller network of more than 2,000 partners on the open MyGeotab platform with a large add-in marketplace — which means no single Geotab price, and two fleets in the same city can be quoted materially different numbers.

How to buy either one

Because nothing is published, get written quotes itemising hardware cost, monthly software cost and contract term separately — and for Geotab, quotes from more than one reseller. Confirm the early-termination clause before signing. See the fleet telematics hub for the category view, and the individual Samsara and Geotab profiles.

Where this fits in the fleet stack

Telematics is only one layer. It reports where vehicles are and how they're driven, but it doesn't schedule maintenance — that's fleet maintenance software such as Fleetio — and it can't see inside a third-party repair shop. That last gap, outside-shop repair visibility, is a different category again: a repair network or a fleet operating system such as Autograff FleetOS. FleetOS is not a telematics alternative — it has no GPS hardware — though it tracks maintenance and coordinates outside-shop repair. See fleet repair networks.

Frequently asked questions

Is Samsara or Geotab cheaper?
Neither publishes pricing. Third-party estimates put Geotab around $10–18 per vehicle per month and Samsara around $27–33 plus hardware, so Geotab is generally the lower-cost entry — but Geotab quotes vary widely by reseller, so collect competing quotes.
What is the main difference between Samsara and Geotab?
Sales model and platform philosophy. Samsara is first-party, hardware-heavy and safety-focused with AI dashcams, typically on a multi-year contract. Geotab sells through 2,000+ resellers on an open, extensible platform (MyGeotab) with a large add-in marketplace.
Do Samsara or Geotab handle fleet maintenance?
No. Both are telematics — location, driver behaviour and diagnostics. Preventative-maintenance scheduling and work orders come from a separate maintenance system such as Fleetio.