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Fleet Management · head to head

CalAmp vs What3words

CalAmp logo

CalAmp

Fleet Management

Fleet telematics hardware and software provider that went through Chapter 11 restructuring in 2024 and is now privately held by its former lender

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
What3words logo

What3words

Maps

What3words has divided the world into 3m squares and given each one

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: CalAmp the company underwent Chapter 11 restructuring and a change of ownership in 2024, and any multi-year contract should factor in the risk and uncertainty that follows a recent bankruptcy, even a fast one.; What3words the free API plan includes no coordinate conversion, only AutoSuggest, and is rate limited to 5 requests per second
  • They diverge on capability: CalAmp covers GPS tracking hardware, What3words covers Core Functionality.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CalAmp and What3words actually diverge.

Attributes where CalAmp and What3words differ
AttributeCalAmpWhat3words
Pricing modelquotefreemium
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb
CategoryFleet ManagementMaps

Identical on both: starting price (On request), 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 CalAmp

  • GPS tracking hardware
  • Telematics Cloud platform
  • Driver behaviour monitoring
  • Asset tracking
  • Partner API access
  • Diagnostic alerts

Only in What3words

  • Core Functionality
  • User Interface

What people use each for

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

CalAmp

  • A software company or system integrator wanting telematics hardware and a data API to build a custom fleet application on top ofnot What3words
  • A fleet needing basic GPS tracking, driver behaviour and diagnostic alerting without a full BI-grade analytics suitenot What3words
  • An asset-heavy operation needing non-powered trailer and equipment tracking alongside vehicle telematicsnot What3words
  • A buyer specifically wanting a hardware-plus-cloud vendor rather than a software-only platform layered on third-party devicesnot What3words

What3words

  • Referring to a 3 metre square location with three wordsnot CalAmp
  • Adding location entry to a delivery or dispatch appnot CalAmp
  • Converting between coordinates and what3words addresses via APInot CalAmp

Where each one falls short

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

CalAmp

  • The company underwent Chapter 11 restructuring and a change of ownership in 2024, and any multi-year contract should factor in the risk and uncertainty that follows a recent bankruptcy, even a fast one.
  • Pricing is entirely unpublished and combines hardware and subscription costs, making direct comparison against software-only telematics competitors harder to do cleanly.
  • It has historically leaned on a software partner ecosystem rather than a single polished end-user product, so the buying experience and interface quality vary depending on which partner application sits on top of CalAmp data.
  • Newer, well-capitalised competitors such as Samsara and Motive have captured significant market share with more unified hardware-software products, and CalAmp market position has weakened relative to them.
  • As a private company since 2024, financial transparency that public-market buyers previously had access to (quarterly filings, analyst coverage) is now reduced.

What3words

  • The free API plan includes no coordinate conversion, only AutoSuggest, and is rate limited to 5 requests per second
  • Converting to and from what3words addresses starts on the Basic plan at $9.99 per month for 1,000 conversions
  • Priority and developer support require the Standard plan at $45 per month
  • 24/7 phone support requires the Plus plan at $125 per month
  • Custom invoicing and annual payment require the Premium plan at $300 per month
  • Overage pricing is not published; the page states only that a fair usage policy applies
  • The three word address scheme is proprietary and licensed rather than open data

Pricing, plan by plan

CalAmp

On request
  • CalAmp Telematics Cloud$undefined/year
    • Hardware and subscription priced together, no published rate
    • Cost varies by device type, data plan and partner/direct sales channel

What3words

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the What3words review.

Which should you pick?

Choose CalAmp if

  • You need gps tracking hardware.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want telematics cloud platform.
CalAmp review

Choose What3words if

  • You need core functionality.
  • You also want user interface.
What3words review

Questions people ask

Is CalAmp or What3words better?
Neither clearly leads. CalAmp starts at On request and What3words at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CalAmp or What3words?
CalAmp starts at On request and What3words at On request.
Does CalAmp or What3words run on more platforms?
CalAmp runs on Web, iOS, Android. What3words runs on Web.
What is CalAmp best used for?
CalAmp is most often used for a software company or system integrator wanting telematics hardware and a data api to build a custom fleet application on top of, a fleet needing basic gps tracking, driver behaviour and diagnostic alerting without a full bi-grade analytics suite, an asset-heavy operation needing non-powered trailer and equipment tracking alongside vehicle telematics, a buyer specifically wanting a hardware-plus-cloud vendor rather than a software-only platform layered on third-party devices. Of those, a software company or system integrator wanting telematics hardware and a data api to build a custom fleet application on top of and a fleet needing basic gps tracking, driver behaviour and diagnostic alerting without a full bi-grade analytics suite are not what What3words is typically brought in for.
What can CalAmp do that What3words cannot?
CalAmp covers GPS tracking hardware, Telematics Cloud platform, Driver behaviour monitoring, Asset tracking. What3words covers Core Functionality, User Interface.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CalAmp: Is CalAmp still in business?

Yes. It completed a fast Chapter 11 restructuring in 2024, eliminating roughly $230 million in debt, and is now privately held by Lynrock Lake Master Fund LP.

CalAmp: Does CalAmp sell directly to fleets or through partners?

Both, but a significant part of its business is providing hardware and data APIs to software partners who build the end-user fleet application.

CalAmp: Is pricing published?

No. Hardware and subscription costs are combined and quoted, varying by device type, data plan and sales channel.

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