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Manufacturing · head to head

Maintenance Connection vs QAD

Maintenance Connection logo

Maintenance Connection

Manufacturing

Enterprise CMMS from Accruent for multi-site asset management

From
On request
Rated
-
QAD logo

QAD

ERP

Cloud and on-premise ERP for manufacturers

From
$2000/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Maintenance Connection implementation is a project measured in months, and the cost of that work frequently exceeds the first year of licensing; QAD no price, per user rate, minimum or contract term is published on the site; the only routes are a demo request and a Contact Sales link
  • They diverge on capability: Maintenance Connection covers Deep asset hierarchies, QAD covers Financial management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Maintenance Connection and QAD actually diverge.

Attributes where Maintenance Connection and QAD differ
AttributeMaintenance ConnectionQAD
Starting priceOn request$2000/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidCloud, On-premise, Web
CategoryManufacturingERP
FoundedUnknown1979

Identical on both: 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 Maintenance Connection

  • Deep asset hierarchies
  • Labour and cost tracking
  • Multi-storeroom inventory
  • Preventive and predictive
  • Compliance reporting
  • Enterprise integration

Only in QAD

  • Financial management
  • Manufacturing
  • Supply chain
  • Inventory management
  • Quality management
  • REST APIs
  • EDI
  • IoT integration

What people use each for

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

Maintenance Connection

  • Multi-site manufacturing or healthcare estates with large asset registersnot QAD
  • Organisations that must evidence a maintenance regime to a regulatornot QAD
  • Operations replacing an ageing enterprise CMMS rather than papernot QAD
  • Estates needing maintenance integrated with ERP and financenot QAD

QAD

  • ERP for manufacturers covering production execution and schedulingnot Maintenance Connection
  • Supply chain planning, purchasing and inventory controlnot Maintenance Connection
  • Quality management, traceability and supplier management for regulated manufacturingnot Maintenance Connection
  • Field service and enterprise asset managementnot Maintenance Connection

Where each one falls short

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

Maintenance Connection

  • Implementation is a project measured in months, and the cost of that work frequently exceeds the first year of licensing
  • Pricing is entirely quote-based with no published entry point, so early comparison is impossible
  • The interface reflects its age and is a common objection from technicians used to consumer-grade mobile apps
  • Overpowered for single-site operations, where the configuration burden buys capability that will not be used
  • Accruent sells a broad portfolio, so the buying process involves more product than a maintenance team asked for

QAD

  • No price, per user rate, minimum or contract term is published on the site; the only routes are a demo request and a Contact Sales link
  • Field service management, enterprise asset management and quality management are presented as separate functional areas rather than a single priced bundle

Pricing, plan by plan

Maintenance Connection

On request
  • Maintenance Connection$undefined/year
    • Work and asset management
    • Multi-site
    • Inventory

QAD

$2000/month
  • Standard$2000/month
    • Financial management
    • Manufacturing
    • Supply chain
  • Premium$4000/month
    • Advanced modules
    • Analytics
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Maintenance Connection if

  • You need deep asset hierarchies.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want labour and cost tracking.

Choose QAD if

  • You need financial management.
  • You work on Cloud, On-premise, Web.
  • You also want manufacturing.

Questions people ask

Is Maintenance Connection or QAD better?
Neither clearly leads. Maintenance Connection starts at On request and QAD at $2000/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Maintenance Connection or QAD?
Maintenance Connection starts at On request and QAD at $2000/month.
Does Maintenance Connection or QAD run on more platforms?
Maintenance Connection runs on Web, iOS, Android. QAD runs on Cloud, On-premise, Web.
What is Maintenance Connection best used for?
Maintenance Connection is most often used for multi-site manufacturing or healthcare estates with large asset registers, organisations that must evidence a maintenance regime to a regulator, operations replacing an ageing enterprise cmms rather than paper, estates needing maintenance integrated with erp and finance. Of those, multi-site manufacturing or healthcare estates with large asset registers and organisations that must evidence a maintenance regime to a regulator are not what QAD is typically brought in for.
What can Maintenance Connection do that QAD cannot?
Maintenance Connection covers Deep asset hierarchies, Labour and cost tracking, Multi-storeroom inventory, Preventive and predictive. QAD covers Financial management, Manufacturing, Supply chain, Inventory management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Maintenance Connection: Who is Maintenance Connection for?

Multi-site organisations with large asset registers and formal maintenance governance. Below that scale, the configuration effort is not repaid.

QAD: How can I get pricing information for QAD manufacturing software?

QAD does not publish standard pricing on their homepage. Pricing discussions occur during personalized consultations. Interested parties can request a demo, contact the sales team, or download brochures to discuss pricing based on specific organizational needs.

Source
Maintenance Connection: What does it cost?

Not published. It is quoted, and implementation is a separate line that often exceeds first-year licensing.

QAD: What deployment options does QAD offer?

QAD provides adaptive ERP solutions for various industries including Automotive, Food & Beverage, and Life Sciences. Their offerings include connected workforce solutions and supply chain management, with implementation and advisory services available.

Source
Maintenance Connection: How does it differ from MaintainX?

Almost entirely. This is an enterprise system configured to enforce an existing process; MaintainX is a mobile app a team adopts in a day. They rarely appear on the same shortlist honestly.

QAD: Is there a trial available for QAD software without contacting sales?

The QAD homepage does not mention a free trial or self-serve trial option. The primary engagement path is through "Request a Demo" or "Contact Sales" buttons, suggesting trial access requires sales team interaction.

Source
Maintenance Connection: Is it good for regulated industries?

That is its strongest case. Audit trails, evidence of preventive regimes and multi-site consistency are what it is built to produce.

Maintenance Connection: What is the biggest risk in adopting it?

Under-resourcing implementation. A partially configured enterprise CMMS is worse than a well-run simple one, and this is the most common way these projects disappoint.

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