Softwr

Field Service · head to head

BigChange vs IFS Cloud

BigChange logo

BigChange

Field Service

UK job management with vehicle tracking built in, acquired by Simpro Group in 2024

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
IFS Cloud logo

IFS Cloud

ERP

Single-codebase ERP, EAM and field service for asset-heavy industries

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: BigChange simpro Group bought BigChange in October 2024 and also owns Simpro, AroFlo and ClockShark, so a UK buyer comparing BigChange with Simpro is choosing between two products whose roadmaps are set by the same owner.; IFS Cloud the partner ecosystem is a fraction of the size of SAP or Microsoft, so day rates for experienced IFS consultants are high and availability is genuinely constrained; a failing implementation is hard to rescue because there are few alternative firms to bring in.
  • They diverge on capability: BigChange covers Built-in vehicle tracking, IFS Cloud covers Single codebase.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BigChange and IFS Cloud actually diverge.

Attributes where BigChange and IFS Cloud differ
AttributeBigChangeIFS Cloud
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, Windows
CategoryField ServiceERP

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in BigChange

  • Built-in vehicle tracking
  • Job scheduling
  • Mobile worker app
  • Financial workflow
  • Customer portal
  • Digital forms builder
  • Stock and equipment
  • Driver compliance

Only in IFS Cloud

  • Single codebase
  • Aviation MRO
  • Field service management
  • Enterprise asset management
  • Copperleaf decision analytics
  • Composable deployment
  • Twice-yearly release train
  • Project-driven manufacturing

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

BigChange

  • A UK facilities maintenance contractor with sixty vans that wants engineer location and job progress on one screen instead of a tracking portal and a scheduling toolnot IFS Cloud
  • A plant hire business that needs delivery, collection and service jobs planned against actual vehicle positions and driver hoursnot IFS Cloud
  • A commercial HVAC firm producing statutory service certificates on site and invoicing the same day from the job recordnot IFS Cloud
  • A waste and drainage operator that must evidence daily vehicle checks and driver behaviour to satisfy an insurer or an operator licencenot IFS Cloud

IFS Cloud

  • An airline or defence operator that needs airworthiness-compliant maintenance records tied to the same system that runs procurement and financenot BigChange
  • A utility that must justify capital asset spend to a regulator and wants the investment case and the work orders in one placenot BigChange
  • A contract manufacturer running engineer-to-order projects where project accounting, shop floor and service revenue need to reconcilenot BigChange
  • An industrial services firm replacing a separate ERP, CMMS and field scheduling tool with one vendor contractnot BigChange

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

BigChange

  • Simpro Group bought BigChange in October 2024 and also owns Simpro, AroFlo and ClockShark, so a UK buyer comparing BigChange with Simpro is choosing between two products whose roadmaps are set by the same owner.
  • The telematics is bundled rather than optional, so businesses that do not run a van fleet, or that are locked into an existing tracking contract, pay for capability they cannot use or duplicate.
  • Nothing is priced publicly and the vehicle hardware brings an equipment element into the contract, so total cost depends on van count as well as user count and cannot be estimated before a sales call.
  • Contracts have historically been multi-year with hardware attached, which makes leaving mid-term expensive and reduces your leverage at renewal.
  • The product is built around UK operating practice, accounting packages and compliance documents, so it is a weak fit for North America and needs configuration work in mainland Europe.

IFS Cloud

  • The partner ecosystem is a fraction of the size of SAP or Microsoft, so day rates for experienced IFS consultants are high and availability is genuinely constrained; a failing implementation is hard to rescue because there are few alternative firms to bring in.
  • Financial accounting and consolidation are the weakest part of the suite relative to the asset and service modules, and finance teams at group level often end up keeping a separate consolidation tool, which undermines the single-system business case.
  • Licensing is per capability area on top of user counts, so a scope change during implementation can produce a licence uplift that was not in the original business case, and the price is only discoverable through sales.
  • Upgrades between major releases still require regression testing of customisations, and organisations that have extended the product heavily report multi-month upgrade projects rather than the low-effort updates the cloud positioning implies.
  • IFS is private-equity owned and has acquired several companies in quick succession, so the portfolio and the roadmap have shifted more than once; a capability you buy on a roadmap promise may be delivered by an acquired product with a different data model.

Pricing, plan by plan

BigChange

On request
  • BigChange JobWatch$undefined/month
    • CRM, quoting and invoicing
    • Scheduling and dispatch
    • Mobile worker app with custom forms

IFS Cloud

On request
  • IFS Cloud$undefined/year
    • Named and concurrent user licensing
    • Capability areas licensed separately
    • Cloud, customer-cloud or on-premises deployment

Which should you pick?

Choose BigChange if

  • You need built-in vehicle tracking.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want job scheduling.
BigChange review

Choose IFS Cloud if

  • You need single codebase.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows.
  • You also want aviation mro.
IFS Cloud review

Questions people ask

Is BigChange or IFS Cloud better?
Neither clearly leads. BigChange starts at On request and IFS Cloud at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BigChange or IFS Cloud?
BigChange starts at On request and IFS Cloud at On request.
Does BigChange or IFS Cloud run on more platforms?
BigChange runs on Web, iOS, Android. IFS Cloud runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows.
What is BigChange best used for?
BigChange is most often used for a uk facilities maintenance contractor with sixty vans that wants engineer location and job progress on one screen instead of a tracking portal and a scheduling tool, a plant hire business that needs delivery, collection and service jobs planned against actual vehicle positions and driver hours, a commercial hvac firm producing statutory service certificates on site and invoicing the same day from the job record, a waste and drainage operator that must evidence daily vehicle checks and driver behaviour to satisfy an insurer or an operator licence. Of those, a uk facilities maintenance contractor with sixty vans that wants engineer location and job progress on one screen instead of a tracking portal and a scheduling tool and a plant hire business that needs delivery, collection and service jobs planned against actual vehicle positions and driver hours are not what IFS Cloud is typically brought in for.
What can BigChange do that IFS Cloud cannot?
BigChange covers Built-in vehicle tracking, Job scheduling, Mobile worker app, Financial workflow. IFS Cloud covers Single codebase, Aviation MRO, Field service management, Enterprise asset management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

BigChange: Who owns BigChange?

Simpro Group, which acquired it from Great Hill Partners in October 2024. Simpro is backed by K1 Investment Management and also owns Simpro, AroFlo and ClockShark.

IFS Cloud: Is IFS Cloud one product or a suite of separate ones?

One product on one codebase. You licence capability areas within it rather than buying separate applications, though acquired products such as Copperleaf are still being folded in.

BigChange: Is the vehicle tracking a separate purchase?

No. Telematics hardware and data are part of the BigChange subscription, which is the main reason it is chosen over job management tools that integrate a third-party tracker.

IFS Cloud: How much does IFS Cloud cost?

IFS does not publish pricing. Cost depends on user counts and which capability areas you licence, and implementation is usually the larger line item.

BigChange: Does BigChange publish pricing?

No. Pricing is quoted after a demo and depends on user numbers, vehicle numbers and contract length.

IFS Cloud: Is IFS a credible replacement for SAP S/4HANA?

In asset-heavy and service-heavy industries, yes. For a finance-first, multi-country group with complex statutory consolidation, SAP remains stronger.

BigChange: Is it usable outside the UK?

It is sold mainly in the UK and Ireland with some European deployment. Accounting integrations and compliance content assume UK practice.

IFS Cloud: Who owns IFS?

It is privately held, majority owned by EQT and Hg. That funds acquisitions but also means the portfolio changes shape.

Share

Related pages

More on BigChange

More on IFS Cloud

Keep looking

Other head to heads