Fixray is your maintenance spreadsheet — on a phone, with photos and alerts.
A shared sheet gives you a list. Fixray gives your team the same list they can fill from their phone in seconds — with photos, push alerts, assignments, and a history that doesn't reset every month.
| Capability | Spreadsheet | Fixray |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free with Office 365 / Google WorkspaceEvenly matched. | Free on the Log plan, unlimited reportersEvenly matched. |
| Report an issue from your phone | Needs the file open on a computer; painful on mobileNo advantage to Spreadsheet. | Photo + AI-written description in seconds, mobile-firstAdvantage to Fixray. |
| Photos & video on each issue | Cells hold text, not imagesNo advantage to Spreadsheet. | Before/after photos and video on every issueAdvantage to Fixray. |
| Automatic alerts | None — someone has to notice the new rowNo advantage to Spreadsheet. | Push to the fixer's phone the moment an issue is loggedAdvantage to Fixray. |
| Assign & track who's on what | Manual columns, easily overwrittenNo advantage to Spreadsheet. | Assignment, status and SLA due dates built inAdvantage to Fixray. |
| History that doesn't reset monthly | New tab each month; no cumulative viewNo advantage to Spreadsheet. | One continuous, searchable recordAdvantage to Fixray. |
| Reporting & root-cause dashboards | Build your own pivot tablesNo advantage to Spreadsheet. | Resolution time, cost and recurring-cause dashboards out of the boxAdvantage to Fixray. |
| Cost & parts tracking | Possible if you build itNo advantage to Spreadsheet. | Log time, parts and cost on completionAdvantage to Fixray. |
| Multiple editors, safely | Shared workbook = version clashes, accidental editsNo advantage to Spreadsheet. | Role-based access (reporter / fixer / manager)Advantage to Fixray. |
| Everyone already knows it | Universal — zero new tool to learnAdvantage to Spreadsheet. | ~5-minute learning curveNo advantage to Fixray. |
| Works fully offline | A desktop Excel file doesAdvantage to Spreadsheet. | Offline caching on the roadmap; needs a connection to sync todayNo advantage to Fixray. |
| Total free-form flexibility | Any column you likeAdvantage to Spreadsheet. | Structured maintenance workflowNo advantage to Fixray. |
Accurate as of July 2026.
Fixray is best for you if…
- Staff report from the floor, rooms or grounds — not a desk
- You want photos, push alerts and a running history without building it
- A manager wants resolution-time / cost / recurring-cause dashboards on tap
- More than one site or team (maintenance + housekeeping) and a single sheet is creaking
A spreadsheet is best for you if…
- One person tracks a handful of issues from a desk, never from a phone
- Total custom-field freedom matters more than mobile, photos or alerts
If reception already logs every issue into a shared sheet, you've done the hard part — you've built the habit. Fixray just moves it onto a phone, with photos and alerts, and stops the history resetting every month.
Not ready to switch? Start with the free template.
Grab our free maintenance log template for Excel and Google Sheets — dropdowns, worked example rows and a dashboard built in. It's the manual version of everything Fixray automates.
Switching questions
- Can I import our existing spreadsheet?
- You don't need to migrate the whole thing. Load the currently-outstanding items in once, then log everything new straight into Fixray. Keep the old file as an archive of closed jobs.
- Do all my staff need logins or licences?
- Reporters are free and unlimited on the Log plan — no per-seat cost like adding another Office or Workspace user. You only set up the people who fix and manage.
- Is it harder to use than a spreadsheet?
- For the people reporting, it's usually less work: take a photo, let the AI write the description, pick a location, submit. No typing into cells, no finding the right row.
- What happens to our months of history?
- Keep the old workbook as-is for the record. You only carry the open issues across, so there's nothing to re-key.
- Does it work offline?
- Not fully yet — offline caching is on the roadmap, so today it needs a connection to sync (same as a cloud spreadsheet). A desktop Excel file will still open offline; that's one thing a local sheet does that Fixray doesn't, yet.