Coast vs UpKeep (2026): work orders and chat at a low seat price, or a CMMS with parts, PMs and Nova

I ask the same twelve questions on every comparison. For Coast I went back to Coast help and pricing. For UpKeep I went back to UpKeep help, product pages and the live pricing page. I read those public docs on 16 September 2026. Where they stay quiet, I stay quiet.

I am Liam Jones. I founded Pilla after more than ten years running hospitality operations, food safety and frontline teams. On 16 September 2026 I sat with Coast's work orders, field types, sub forms, chat, assets, PMs, Zapier and the live pricing page, then with UpKeep's checklist templates, conditional logic, required tasks, work-order photos, Nova modes, Nova Workflows, work-order Activity, External Chat, the public API and the live pricing page. I have not lived in a paid Coast or UpKeep account for this write-up. I am telling you what their docs say.

Coast sells work orders, assets, PMs and chat as maintenance software. UpKeep sells a CMMS for work orders, assets, parts and preventive maintenance. They overlap on work orders, assets and PMs. They split on chat and a seat price from $2 versus parts, purchase orders and Nova. I built Pilla for a different job: AI acting inside the run.

Coast holds work orders, assets and preventive maintenance in one place. You prove the job with photos, signatures and comments. You schedule repeating PMs, scan a QR on an asset, and keep parts. You talk in DMs and group chats on the same workspace. You can add scheduling and a time clock if you want those workspaces.

I would keep Coast if I needed work orders, assets, PMs and chat from one vendor. That CMMS is a fair reason to stay.

UpKeep holds work orders, assets, parts and preventive maintenance in one CMMS. You prove the job with photos, signatures and checklists. You schedule calendar or meter PMs, hold spare parts, and raise purchase orders on higher plans. Nova chats, speaks and drafts work orders, and in Agent mode it can change CMMS records. You can add Safety, Learn, Edge sensors and Fleet if you buy those products.

I would keep UpKeep if I needed a CMMS with assets, parts and preventive maintenance. That stack is a fair reason to stay.

If the job is work orders, assets, PMs and chat, keep Coast. If the job is a CMMS with parts, purchase orders and Nova, keep UpKeep. I built Pilla for a different job. You draw the process on a canvas. The team runs it on a phone, tablet or the web app. Pilla checks the work as it comes in and follows up when something needs you. I did not build a CMMS, shift scheduling, payroll, HR, parts rooms or sensors. If you need those, keep them on Coast, UpKeep or another vendor. You can open Pilla the same day. Starter is £49 a month with 500 processed workflows. Pro is £99 with 1,000, and adds AI automations inside Pilla. Every new account gets a 14-day trial of every Pro feature, with no card. People are unlimited.

I would keep Coast if I needed work orders, assets, PMs and chat from one vendor. I would keep UpKeep if I needed a CMMS with assets, parts and preventive maintenance. If I wanted the work drawn on a canvas and AI acting inside the run, with MCP, I would use Pilla, and I would keep assets, parts, PMs and sensors somewhere else.