Fiix vs UpKeep vs Lungisa: Which CMMS is Best for South African Operations?

If you are comparing CMMS options for your South African operation, chances are you have seen Fiix and UpKeep in search results or on shortlists. Both are established names in maintenance software: Fiix (now part of Rockwell Automation) is known for AI-powered insights and a free tier; UpKeep is recognised for its mobile-first design and large content library. For teams based in South Africa, the question is not only “Fiix vs UpKeep” on features alone, but which platform fits local reality: load-shedding, OHS Act and MHSA compliance, rand-based budgeting, and the need for local support. This article compares Fiix, UpKeep, and Lungisa across features, pricing, compliance, and South African-specific factors so you can choose the right CMMS for your operation.

Overview of Each Platform

Fiix (Rockwell Automation)

Fiix is a cloud CMMS acquired by Rockwell Automation, aimed at asset-intensive industries worldwide. A Fiix CMMS review typically highlights its strength in predictive and AI-driven maintenance: the platform uses machine learning to suggest maintenance actions and prioritise work based on asset data. Work orders, preventive maintenance scheduling, asset management, and reporting are core; integration with Rockwell’s industrial ecosystem (e.g. FactoryTalk) is a draw for manufacturers already in that stack. Fiix offers a free tier with limits on users and assets, which makes it easy for small teams to try the product without commitment. The AI layer can help larger teams move from calendar-based PM to condition-based or predictive approaches. Pricing for paid plans is typically in USD, and the product is built for global rather than South African regulatory frameworks. There are no out-of-the-box OHS Act or MHSA templates or statutory registers; enterprises that need SA compliance usually rely on customisation or external consultants. For South African operations, that means either investing in configuration work or accepting that compliance reporting will be managed outside the CMMS.

UpKeep

UpKeep is a mobile-first CMMS with a strong focus on usability for technicians in the field. An UpKeep CMMS review often emphasises the mobile experience: work orders, checklists, and asset lookups are designed for phones and tablets, and the company invests heavily in content and community — with a large library of blog articles and active user engagement. Technicians can receive assignments, complete checklists, log parts usage, and attach photos from the field without switching to a desktop. UpKeep supports work orders, preventive maintenance, asset tracking, parts inventory, and reporting; it also offers integrations with tools like Slack and various ERP and accounting systems. Pricing is in USD, and the product is US-centric in support and compliance content. Like Fiix, UpKeep does not ship with South African OHS Act or MHSA compliance templates or statutory reporting; teams requiring SA-specific compliance must build or configure those themselves. For organisations that do not need local regulatory content, UpKeep’s mobile UX and support resources are a real strength.

Lungisa

Lungisa is Skynode’s CMMS, built for South African mining, manufacturing, and facilities. It covers the same core territory as Fiix and UpKeep — work orders, PM scheduling, asset and spare-parts management, and reporting — but is designed around local needs. OHS Act and MHSA-oriented templates and compliance tracking are built in, so operations can schedule and record statutory maintenance and produce audit-ready reports without starting from scratch. Offline mode allows technicians to capture and complete work when connectivity or power is unreliable, which matters for remote sites and during load-shedding. B-BBEE tracking and reporting support procurement and verification. Pricing is in ZAR from R1,499/month, with local support and a product roadmap informed by South African regulations and customer feedback. Skynode is a South African software company; Lungisa is developed and supported in-country, which matters for teams that want a CMMS comparison South Africa can use to choose a platform that fits local compliance and operational reality. For a broader view of how Lungisa fits among local options, see our best CMMS software South Africa comparison.

Detailed Comparison by Category

Work Orders

All three platforms support creating, assigning, and tracking work orders with priority, due dates, and completion capture. Fiix and UpKeep offer rich workflows and custom fields; UpKeep’s mobile interface is particularly strong for technicians completing work on a phone. Lungisa provides work orders with checklists, assignment, and status tracking, optimised for use on mobile and offline so technicians in a plant or on a mine can log work even when the network is down. For operations where connectivity is unreliable, the ability to capture work offline and sync later is a differentiator.

Preventive Maintenance (PM) Scheduling

Fiix, UpKeep, and Lungisa all support time-based and usage-based (e.g. hours, cycles) PM schedules and automatic work order generation. Fiix adds AI-driven recommendations that can adjust suggested maintenance based on asset behaviour. UpKeep makes it straightforward to set up and manage recurring tasks from the mobile app. Lungisa’s PM engine is aligned with common South African compliance needs: schedules can be tied to OHS Act and MHSA requirements so that when an inspector asks for proof of statutory maintenance, the reports and history are already in the system. If you are new to CMMS, our guide on what is CMMS explains how PM scheduling fits into maintenance management.

Asset Management

Each platform maintains an asset register with history, locations, and links to procedures or documentation. Fiix integrates deeply with Rockwell’s ecosystem for manufacturers. UpKeep offers a clear asset hierarchy and mobile-friendly asset lookup. Lungisa provides a full asset register with history, criticality, and links to compliance-related procedures and templates. For South African mines and factories, the ability to attach MHSA or OHS Act-relevant checklists and reports to assets reduces the gap between “asset management” and “compliance evidence.”

Mobile and Offline

UpKeep leads on mobile user experience: the app is polished and widely used in the field. Fiix has mobile access but is often used in combination with desktop; offline capability exists but is not as central to its positioning. Lungisa is built with offline as a first-class feature: technicians can create, update, and complete work orders without connectivity, with data syncing when the device is back online. For South African sites affected by load-shedding or poor coverage, offline capability is often non-negotiable.

Compliance Features

Fiix and UpKeep are general-purpose CMMS with strong reporting; neither includes pre-built South African OHS Act or MHSA templates, statutory registers, or compliance-specific workflows. You can model compliance in both, but it requires configuration and ongoing maintenance: someone must translate regulation into checklists, schedules, and report formats, and keep them updated when requirements change. Lungisa ships with OHS Act and MHSA-oriented templates and compliance tracking, so common statutory inspections and record-keeping are supported out of the box. Mines can align work orders and PM schedules with equipment integrity and rescue-equipment testing expectations; manufacturers and facilities can use OHS Act-aligned inspection templates. That does not replace legal advice, but it reduces the effort to align maintenance records with what inspectors and auditors expect, and keeps compliance logic in the hands of a vendor that follows South African regulatory updates.

Analytics and Reporting

Fiix’s AI and analytics are a strength: dashboards and predictive insights help prioritise work and spot trends. UpKeep provides solid reporting and dashboards for backlog, PM completion, and asset performance. Lungisa offers reporting on work orders, PM compliance, asset history, and compliance status, with outputs suitable for internal review and for B-BBEE or regulatory audits. The right choice depends on whether you value AI-driven predictions (Fiix), a great mobile reporting experience (UpKeep), or compliance-ready reports in a South African context (Lungisa).

Integrations

Fiix integrates with Rockwell FactoryTalk, SAP, and other enterprise systems, which suits large manufacturers already in that stack. UpKeep offers integrations with Slack, QuickBooks, and various ERP and CMMS partners. Lungisa focuses on core CMMS functionality and South African compliance; integration options exist but the product is not positioned as an integration-heavy enterprise suite. If your priority is deep SAP or Rockwell integration, Fiix may be a better fit; if it is SA compliance and offline, Lungisa is. Most South African operations evaluating a CMMS comparison will find that work orders, assets, PM, and compliance matter more than a long list of integrations; the key is that the system you choose can export or report in a way that fits your existing finance or ERP processes.

Pricing

Fiix and UpKeep are typically quoted in USD. Fiix has a free tier with limits; paid plans scale with users and features. UpKeep uses a free trial and then subscription tiers in USD. Both can become expensive when you add users, sites, or customisation for compliance. Lungisa is priced in ZAR from R1,499/month, with transparent scaling by users and sites. Rand pricing avoids currency risk and simplifies budgeting for South African finance teams. For more on free and low-cost options, see our article on free CMMS software in South Africa.

Support

Fiix and UpKeep provide support from US-based or global teams; documentation and community are strong, especially for UpKeep. Lungisa is supported by Skynode in South Africa, with understanding of local regulations, time zones, and business practices (including B-BBEE). For operations that want support in South African time zones and in the local regulatory context, local support is an advantage.

Comparison Table

Criteria	Fiix	UpKeep	Lungisa
Work orders	Yes, full workflow	Yes, mobile-optimised	Yes, with offline
PM scheduling	Yes, time & usage	Yes, time & usage	Yes, time & usage, SA-aligned
Asset management	Yes, Rockwell integration	Yes, mobile-friendly	Yes, compliance-linked
Mobile	Yes	Yes, strong UX	Yes
Offline	Limited	Limited	Full offline with sync
OHS Act / MHSA	Custom build	Custom build	Built-in templates & tracking
Analytics / AI	Strong, AI-driven	Good reporting	Compliance & operational reporting
Pricing	USD, free tier available	USD, trial then paid	ZAR from R1,499/month
Local support	Global	Global	South African
B-BBEE	Not focus	Not focus	Tracking & reporting support

The table is a snapshot; your priorities may weight one column more than others. If compliance and offline matter most, Lungisa stands out; if AI and enterprise integration do, Fiix does; if mobile UX and a global community do, UpKeep does.

South African–Specific Considerations

Compliance Gap for International Platforms

Fiix and UpKeep are powerful CMMS, but they were not designed for South African law. The OHS Act and MHSA impose specific obligations on maintenance, inspections, and record-keeping. A generic CMMS can be configured to support them, but that means you (or a consultant) must map regulations to workflows, build templates, and maintain them as requirements evolve. A CMMS built with SA compliance in mind reduces that gap from day one.

Offline and Load-Shedding

Load-shedding and connectivity gaps are a reality across South Africa. Technicians need to capture work when the grid or network is down; otherwise, records are incomplete or teams fall back to paper and double entry. Fiix and UpKeep can be used on mobile, but offline capability is not their main focus — coverage may be limited or require specific setup. Lungisa is built so that work can be created and completed offline and synced when back online, with no data loss and no need for paper backup. For mines, remote plants, or any site where connectivity is unreliable, offline capability should be a deciding factor in your CMMS comparison South Africa teams can rely on.

ZAR Pricing and Budgeting

Pricing in USD introduces exchange-rate risk and can complicate procurement for South African organisations that budget in rand. Fiix and UpKeep quote in USD; Lungisa prices in ZAR. Transparent rand pricing makes it easier to forecast and get internal approval.

Local Support and B-BBEE

Support from a local vendor means aligned time zones, familiarity with OHS Act and MHSA, and often easier communication when you have a compliance or workflow question. If your organisation prefers or requires B-BBEE-aligned suppliers, a South African vendor with B-BBEE verification and product features that support your own scorecard (e.g. procurement reporting) can be a better fit than an international vendor with no local entity or verification. That can simplify procurement and help you meet internal preference or mandatory set-aside policies.

Who Should Choose Which?

Choose Fiix if: You are a global or large enterprise already using Rockwell Automation or SAP, you want AI-powered maintenance insights, and you have the budget and internal or consultant capacity to build South African compliance on top of a global platform. The free tier is useful for small teams to evaluate; paid plans suit organisations that prioritise integration and analytics over out-of-the-box SA compliance.

Choose UpKeep if: You are US-based or do not need South African regulatory templates, you want a best-in-class mobile experience and a large knowledge base (blog, community), and you are comfortable with USD pricing and building or configuring compliance yourself. UpKeep is a strong option for teams that value UX and content over localisation.

Choose Lungisa if: Your operations are in South Africa and you need OHS Act and MHSA-oriented compliance, offline capture for technicians, pricing in ZAR, local support, and B-BBEE-related reporting. Lungisa is built for South African mining, manufacturing, and facilities that want a CMMS that speaks the language of local regulations and works when connectivity does not. It is also a strong Fiix alternative South Africa teams can consider when the free tier or global platform does not address compliance, offline, or rand-based procurement needs.

Verdict

A Fiix vs UpKeep comparison shows two capable, internationally focused CMMS: Fiix excels in AI and enterprise integration; UpKeep excels in mobile UX and community. For South African operations, the right comparison is not only Fiix vs UpKeep but Fiix vs UpKeep vs a CMMS designed for the local context. Lungisa fills the gap for teams that need built-in OHS and MHSA alignment, reliable offline use, ZAR pricing, and local support. If your priority is global integration and AI, Fiix may be the answer; if it is mobile-first and you do not need SA compliance out of the box, UpKeep is compelling. If your priority is South African compliance, offline capability, and a vendor that understands local regulations and B-BBEE, Lungisa is the option built for that. Evaluating all three against your own criteria — compliance, connectivity, currency, and support — will point you to the right fit for your mine, factory, or facility.

For more context on choosing a CMMS in South Africa, see our guides on best CMMS software in South Africa, what is CMMS, and free CMMS software options. If you would like to see how Lungisa can support your maintenance and compliance, explore Lungisa or contact the Skynode team to discuss your requirements.