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Field Service · head to head

BigChange vs Zonar Systems

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
Zonar Systems logo

Zonar Systems

Fleet Management

Telematics for school buses and vocational fleets, built around verified physical inspections

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.; Zonar Systems the product is shaped around pupil transport and heavy vocational work, so light commercial van fleets pay for inspection and ridership machinery they will never use.
  • They diverge on capability: BigChange covers Built-in vehicle tracking, Zonar Systems covers EVIR.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BigChange and Zonar Systems actually diverge.

Attributes where BigChange and Zonar Systems differ
AttributeBigChangeZonar Systems
CategoryField ServiceFleet Management

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), platforms (Web, iOS, Android), 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 Zonar Systems

  • EVIR
  • Z Pass
  • MyView
  • Zonar Logs
  • Fault code monitoring
  • Zonar Coach

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 Zonar Systems
  • A plant hire business that needs delivery, collection and service jobs planned against actual vehicle positions and driver hoursnot Zonar Systems
  • A commercial HVAC firm producing statutory service certificates on site and invoicing the same day from the job recordnot Zonar Systems
  • A waste and drainage operator that must evidence daily vehicle checks and driver behaviour to satisfy an insurer or an operator licencenot Zonar Systems

Zonar Systems

  • A school district that must evidence pre-trip inspections to a state regulator and cannot rely on a driver ticking boxes on a screennot BigChange
  • A pupil transport operation that needs to answer parent queries about which bus a child boarded and whennot BigChange
  • A waste or utilities fleet with heavy vehicles where a missed defect becomes a liability question in courtnot BigChange
  • A public sector fleet running a formal tender where verified inspection records are a scored requirementnot 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.

Zonar Systems

  • The product is shaped around pupil transport and heavy vocational work, so light commercial van fleets pay for inspection and ridership machinery they will never use.
  • EVIR requires RFID tags fitted at zones on every vehicle plus a handheld or tablet, so installation labour and ongoing tag replacement are real costs that a plug-in competitor does not carry.
  • Continental has been separating its automotive divisions into standalone businesses, which leaves the long-term ownership and investment path for Zonar uncertain just as districts sign multi-year agreements.
  • The interface and reporting are dated next to newer platforms, and administrators moving from a modern dashboard find report building and data export unnecessarily manual.
  • Pricing is quoted rather than published and bundles hardware into multi-year terms, so comparing it fairly against a month-to-month competitor requires modelling total cost across the whole contract rather than the monthly figure.

Pricing, plan by plan

BigChange

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

Zonar Systems

On request
  • Zonar Systems$undefined/year
    • Per vehicle subscription with hardware and installation quoted separately
    • RFID inspection tags and rugged tablets priced per vehicle
    • Student ridership and parent app licensed per district

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 Zonar Systems if

  • You need evir.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want z pass.
Zonar Systems review

Questions people ask

Is BigChange or Zonar Systems better?
Neither clearly leads. BigChange starts at On request and Zonar Systems at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BigChange or Zonar Systems?
BigChange starts at On request and Zonar Systems at On request.
Does BigChange or Zonar Systems run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
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 Zonar Systems is typically brought in for.
What can BigChange do that Zonar Systems cannot?
BigChange covers Built-in vehicle tracking, Job scheduling, Mobile worker app, Financial workflow. Zonar Systems covers EVIR, Z Pass, MyView, Zonar Logs.

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.

Zonar Systems: What does EVIR actually prove?

That a person carrying the scanning device was physically next to each tagged zone on the vehicle in sequence. It does not prove they looked carefully, but it removes the common defence that an inspection was recorded from the cab.

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.

Zonar Systems: Is Zonar only for school buses?

No. It is used across waste, utilities, construction and transit, but pupil transport is where its ridership and parent-facing features have no direct equivalent.

BigChange: Does BigChange publish pricing?

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

Zonar Systems: How disruptive is the installation?

More disruptive than a plug-in device. Expect a vehicle out of service for a fitting appointment, tags mounted at several points, and a rolling programme across the fleet rather than a same-day rollout.

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.

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