Softwr

Fleet Management · head to head

Geotab vs Zonar Systems

Geotab logo

Geotab

Fleet Management

Unlock fleet potential with data

From
$25/month
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: Geotab specific pricing amounts not published online; contact sales required; 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: Geotab covers Real-time GPS tracking, Zonar Systems covers EVIR.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Geotab and Zonar Systems differ
AttributeGeotabZonar Systems
Starting price$25/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb, iOS, Android
Founded2000Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Fleet Management).

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 Geotab

  • Real-time GPS tracking
  • Vehicle diagnostics
  • Driver behavior scoring
  • ELD compliance
  • IFTA reporting
  • Fuel management
  • Maintenance scheduling
  • Route optimization

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.

Geotab

  • Fleet trackingnot Zonar Systems
  • Driver safetynot Zonar Systems
  • Fuel optimizationnot Zonar Systems
  • Compliance managementnot Zonar Systems
  • Predictive maintenancenot 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 Geotab
  • A pupil transport operation that needs to answer parent queries about which bus a child boarded and whennot Geotab
  • A waste or utilities fleet with heavy vehicles where a missed defect becomes a liability question in courtnot Geotab
  • A public sector fleet running a formal tender where verified inspection records are a scored requirementnot Geotab

Where each one falls short

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

Geotab

  • Specific pricing amounts not published online; contact sales required
  • Custom pricing available for larger fleet volumes

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

Geotab

$25/month
  • Base$25/month
    • GPS tracking
    • Trip history
    • Engine diagnostics
  • Pro$40/month
    • Everything in Base
    • Driver behavior
    • Fuel usage
  • ProPlus$55/month
    • Everything in Pro
    • Active tracking
    • Advanced analytics

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 Geotab if

  • You need real-time gps tracking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want vehicle diagnostics.
Geotab 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 Geotab or Zonar Systems better?
Neither clearly leads. Geotab starts at $25/month and Zonar Systems at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Geotab or Zonar Systems?
Geotab starts at $25/month and Zonar Systems at On request.
Does Geotab or Zonar Systems run on more platforms?
Geotab runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Zonar Systems runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Geotab best used for?
Geotab is most often used for fleet tracking, driver safety, fuel optimization, compliance management. Of those, fleet tracking and driver safety are not what Zonar Systems is typically brought in for.
What can Geotab do that Zonar Systems cannot?
Geotab covers Real-time GPS tracking, Vehicle diagnostics, Driver behavior scoring, ELD compliance. Zonar Systems covers EVIR, Z Pass, MyView, Zonar Logs.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Geotab: How is Geotab priced?

Geotab offers two subscription tiers: GO Core for basic fleet tracking and GO Plan for comprehensive fleet management. Both plans include hardware in the subscription price with no upfront costs or installation fees. Specific pricing is custom-quoted by the sales team.

Source
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.

Geotab: Does Geotab include hardware in the subscription?

Yes, both GO Core and GO Plan subscriptions include Geotab hardware at no upfront device cost. Hardware is integrated into the monthly subscription pricing.

Source
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.

Geotab: Is it easy to upgrade between Geotab plans?

Yes, customers can easily upgrade or downgrade between GO Core and GO Plan through the MyGeotab portal, allowing flexible scaling as fleet needs change.

Source
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.

Share

Related pages

More on Geotab

More on Zonar Systems

Keep looking

Other head to heads