This article is for independent firms that maintain between 300 and 3,000 elevators and compete with the manufacturers’ own service companies. It covers what to look for in elevator contractor software and which tool fits which kind of firm.
Last checked Sep 30, 2026, from each vendor’s own site.
We make LiftAuth. It is marked “Our product” and described the same way as every other tool. Where another tool fits a firm better, we say so.
Independents usually compete on service:
Software should help you keep that up as the firm grows.
The software should log a callback as soon as it comes in and dispatch the nearest free technician. The technician app should work in a machine room with no signal. In the demo, ask to see a callback go from phone call to closed job, offline.
Building Managers want to see when you are coming and what each visit found, without phoning your office. An app or portal for them can show:
Ask whether each Building Manager login costs extra.
In New York City, every elevator needs a Cat 1 test each calendar year, witnessed by an independent approved agency. It also needs a Cat 5 at rated load and speed every five years (Cat 1 explained, Cat 5 explained). Wherever you work, look for every elevator’s next due date on one screen, overdue first. You also need a way to book witnesses and inspectors without phone tag.
Ask whether you can try the product on your own elevators before you sign, and how long it takes to load your elevators, contracts and test dates.
Six common kinds of firm, and the tool whose public information fits each best.
FIELDBOSS is built on Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Business Central, so field operations and financials share one system. It generates Cat 1 and Cat 5 due dates from the last test, manages violations “from start to clearance”, and bills modernization projects with AIA billing and retainage. There’s no free trial, per Capterra.
Forz sets Cat 1 to annual and Cat 5 to every five years on the same car, keeps Maintenance Control Program records (framed as ASME A17.1 / CSA B44, with no NYC references), and syncs two-way with QuickBooks Online. No free trial is mentioned; demos are free. It also serves other mechanical trades.
Building Managers get the LiftAuth Building Manager phone app and web app. They see upcoming visits and open Issues on their elevators, accept Quotes and sign off work.
In Annual inspections, every elevator’s next due date is in one list. The Auditor (the witnessing agency) picks an hour from your Team’s calendar. You can try LiftAuth for 2 weeks on your own elevators.
It has no DOB NOW filing and no project billing, and no US contractor uses it yet.
LiftKeeper serves only the elevator industry, and your account manager has elevator experience. It handles trouble calls on a map, contract billing, proposals and inventory. It gives unlimited customer portal users free and has a login for your answering service. It runs in the browser, and a native app and offline use aren’t stated on its site.
About 20 hours of onboarding training is included.
ElevatorPlus says most customers are live in 2–7 days, and offers a trial after a demo call. It’s made in Pune, India, and nothing on its site addresses US codes or US customers, so ask for US references.
If you also run HVAC, electrical, plumbing or fire & life safety crews, a general platform may serve the whole business better. BuildOps targets commercial contractors and has an offline technician app. ServiceTitan has an offline app and a customer portal. Neither describes elevator tests, so you’d set up test cycles yourself.
For a smaller firm, or one that runs mostly in QuickBooks, Method and Fieldy offer free trials. Neither is elevator-specific. All ten tools are in best elevator maintenance software.
It depends on your firm. FIELDBOSS fits contractors on Microsoft Dynamics 365 or Business Central, and Forz schedules elevator tests. LiftAuth (our product) has building manager apps and a 2-week trial, and LiftKeeper is an elevator-only vendor with a free customer portal. BuildOps or ServiceTitan suit firms where elevators are one of several trades.
Some does. LiftKeeper offers unlimited free customer portal users, ServiceTitan has a customer portal and Forz mentions customer portal requests. LiftAuth has a phone app and a web app for Building Managers. FIELDBOSS and BuildOps don’t state one on the pages we checked.
The 2-week free trial uses your own buildings and elevators.
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