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Field Service · head to head

IFS Ultimo EAM vs Kickserv

IFS Ultimo EAM logo

IFS Ultimo EAM

Field Service

Dutch enterprise asset management with role-based user tiers, now sold inside the IFS portfolio

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Kickserv logo

Kickserv

Field Service

Job management for small home service businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Kickserv has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: IFS Ultimo EAM iFS sells two overlapping EAM products, Ultimo and IFS Cloud EAM, and a buyer signing a multi-year term is depending on the vendor funding both roadmaps at current levels.; Kickserv deliberately limited: no advanced dispatch optimisation, inventory or multi-location depth
  • They diverge on capability: IFS Ultimo EAM covers Three user licence types, Kickserv covers Estimates to invoices.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which IFS Ultimo EAM and Kickserv actually diverge.

Attributes where IFS Ultimo EAM and Kickserv differ
AttributeIFS Ultimo EAMKickserv
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteFree tier for very small use with paid plans above it; published on the vendor site
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, Cloud

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Field Service).

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 IFS Ultimo EAM

  • Three user licence types
  • Industry solutions
  • Safety and compliance
  • Mobile maintenance
  • Spare parts management
  • Contractor management
  • Fleet management module
  • Condition-based triggers

Only in Kickserv

  • Estimates to invoices
  • Calendar scheduling
  • Customer history
  • QuickBooks sync

What people use each for

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

IFS Ultimo EAM

  • A hospital where hundreds of ward staff must report faults but only the estates planners need full maintenance functionalitynot Kickserv
  • A manufacturer needing permits to work and lockout-tagout tied to the same work order as the maintenance tasknot Kickserv
  • A public transport operator managing vehicle maintenance and depot facilities in one system rather than twonot Kickserv
  • A mid-sized European site that wants an EAM configured for its industry in weeks rather than a blank platform implementationnot Kickserv

Kickserv

  • Small service operators moving off a whiteboard and paper invoicesnot IFS Ultimo EAM
  • Businesses wanting estimates and invoicing without an enterprise platformnot IFS Ultimo EAM
  • Trades needing QuickBooks sync without manual re-entrynot IFS Ultimo EAM

Where each one falls short

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

IFS Ultimo EAM

  • IFS sells two overlapping EAM products, Ultimo and IFS Cloud EAM, and a buyer signing a multi-year term is depending on the vendor funding both roadmaps at current levels.
  • IFS does not publish list pricing for Ultimo, so the widely quoted entry figures come from third-party review sites rather than the vendor and should not be used to build a budget.
  • Strength is concentrated in Europe, and organisations needing local-language support, partners and implementation resource in North America or Asia will find the channel much thinner.
  • The industry solution templates that accelerate go-live also encode assumptions, and organisations whose processes differ from the template spend the saved time on reconfiguration instead.
  • Reporting and analytics beyond the standard set generally push customers to Power BI, so plan for a separate business intelligence licence and the modelling work behind it.

Kickserv

  • Deliberately limited: no advanced dispatch optimisation, inventory or multi-location depth
  • Reporting is basic compared with the larger platforms
  • Growing businesses commonly outgrow it and migrate, which is a real switching cost later
  • The free tier is genuinely small and most working use needs a paid plan

Pricing, plan by plan

IFS Ultimo EAM

On request
  • IFS Ultimo EAM$undefined/month
    • Priced per user with Self-Service, Light and Full tiers at different rates
    • Price per user does not change with the number of industry solutions enabled
    • Cloud subscription is the standard route; on-premise is legacy

Kickserv

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Limited users
    • Core job management

Which should you pick?

Choose IFS Ultimo EAM if

  • You need three user licence types.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want industry solutions.
IFS Ultimo EAM review

Choose Kickserv if

  • You need estimates to invoices.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Cloud.
  • You also want calendar scheduling.
Kickserv review

Questions people ask

Is IFS Ultimo EAM or Kickserv better?
Neither clearly leads. IFS Ultimo EAM starts at On request and Kickserv at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, IFS Ultimo EAM or Kickserv?
Kickserv has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for IFS Ultimo EAM and Free for Kickserv.
Does IFS Ultimo EAM or Kickserv run on more platforms?
IFS Ultimo EAM runs on Web, iOS, Android. Kickserv runs on Web, iOS, Android, Cloud.
Can I use Kickserv for free?
Yes. Kickserv has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. IFS Ultimo EAM starts at On request.
What is IFS Ultimo EAM best used for?
IFS Ultimo EAM is most often used for a hospital where hundreds of ward staff must report faults but only the estates planners need full maintenance functionality, a manufacturer needing permits to work and lockout-tagout tied to the same work order as the maintenance task, a public transport operator managing vehicle maintenance and depot facilities in one system rather than two, a mid-sized european site that wants an eam configured for its industry in weeks rather than a blank platform implementation. Of those, a hospital where hundreds of ward staff must report faults but only the estates planners need full maintenance functionality and a manufacturer needing permits to work and lockout-tagout tied to the same work order as the maintenance task are not what Kickserv is typically brought in for.
What can IFS Ultimo EAM do that Kickserv cannot?
IFS Ultimo EAM covers Three user licence types, Industry solutions, Safety and compliance, Mobile maintenance. Kickserv covers Estimates to invoices, Calendar scheduling, Customer history, QuickBooks sync.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

IFS Ultimo EAM: Is Ultimo still sold separately from IFS Cloud EAM?

Yes. IFS positions Ultimo at the mid-market and IFS Cloud EAM at large enterprises, and sells both.

Kickserv: Is Kickserv free?

There is a free tier for very small use, with paid plans published above it. Most working businesses need a paid plan.

IFS Ultimo EAM: How does the user licensing work?

Three tiers: Self-Service for request and view, Light for occasional use, Full for planners and managers. Rates differ per tier.

Kickserv: Who is it for?

Small home-service operators running a handful of crews, not companies with large dispatch operations.

IFS Ultimo EAM: Does enabling more industry solutions cost more per user?

No. The per-user price stays the same regardless of how many industry solutions you select.

Kickserv: Will I outgrow it?

Quite possibly. It is built for the simple end, and growing businesses commonly migrate to ServiceTitan or Jobber.

IFS Ultimo EAM: Is on-premise still available?

Cloud subscription is the route IFS sells. On-premise exists in the installed base but is not the direction of travel.

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