Upper vs. Samsara: Which Fleet Management Software Takes the Lead?

Struggling with inefficient routes, unexpected delays, and rising operational costs in your fleet management? These challenges can disrupt day-to-day operations and impact customer satisfaction.

As the route optimization software market is expected to surge to USD 9.56 billion by 2024, selecting the right tool is more crucial than ever.

Enter Upper and Samsara—two frontrunners in the fleet management software arena. Upper boasts a user-friendly interface, offering robust route optimization and real-time updates to streamline operations and cut costs. In contrast, Samsara provides comprehensive fleet management solutions, emphasizing in-depth tracking and powerful analytics.

In our head-to-head comparison of Upper vs. Samsara, we dive deep to see which platform offers features, usability, and efficiency that meet and exceed your fleet management needs. Check out our detailed comparison to determine which platform can make your operations smoother and more efficient.

How Did We Compare Upper vs. Samsara?

To ensure a thorough and insightful comparison between Upper and Samsara, we conducted a detailed evaluation using multiple criteria:

• Hands-On Testing: We explored both platforms, focusing on key features such as route optimization, live driver tracking, team management, and customer support. 
• Feature and Pricing Analysis: We examined pricing plans, the number of stops allowed per route, and user support. We also tried to create routes on each app to check their efficiency.
• User Feedback Review: We analyzed feedback from user reviews on Capterra and G2 for each platform, highlighting common strengths and issues reported by users.

We aim to provide a clear, unbiased comparison to help you choose the best fleet management software for your business.

Upper vs. Samsara: Head-to-Head Comparison

Feature/Criteria
User Ratings (Capterra)	4.3/5	4.6/5
User Ratings (G2)	4.8/5	4.8/5
Pricing	$33/vehicle/month	$40/user/month
Free Trial	30 days	7 days
Discount Offered		20% off on annual billing
Contact/Address Book
Route Optimization
One-Click Driver Dispatch
Curbside Delivery
In-app Navigation
Vehicle Capacity Optimization
Proof of Delivery
Parcel Location & Information
Reassigning Routes
Driver App
In-transit Route Changes
Bulk SMS
Stops Priority via Color Coding
API Integration
Reports & Analytics

• Feature/Criteria Samsara Upper

• User Ratings (Capterra)

  4.3/5

  4.6/5

• User Ratings (G2)

  4.8/5

  4.8/5

• Pricing

  $33/vehicle/month

  $40/user/month

• Free Trial

  30 days

  7 days

• Discount Offered

  

  20% off on annual billing

• Contact/Address Book

  

  

• Route Optimization

  

  

• One-Click Driver Dispatch

  

  

• Curbside Delivery

  

  

• In-app Navigation

  

  

• Vehicle Capacity Optimization

  

  

• Proof of Delivery

  

  

• Parcel Location & Information

  

  

• Reassigning Routes

  

  

• Driver App

  

  

• In-transit Route Changes

  

  

• Bulk SMS

  

  

• Stops Priority via Color Coding

  

  

• API Integration

  

  

• Reports & Analytics

  

  

• Try Upper for FREE No credit card required

Let’s break down the implications of this table for your business:

1. Users rate both Upper and Samsara, but Upper slightly edges out Samsara on Capterra with a 4.6/5 rating compared to Samsara’s 4.3/5.

2. Upper offers a 20% discount for annual billing, which could lead to significant long-term savings. Samsara doesn’t advertise a similar discount.

3. Upper includes some advanced features that Samsara doesn’t explicitly mention, such as:

• Curbside delivery support
• Vehicle capacity optimization
• Parcel location and information tracking
• In-transit route changes
• Bulk SMS capabilities
• Stops priority via color coding

Remember, the best choice depends on your specific needs. If you have a large fleet with fewer users managing it, Samsara’s per-vehicle pricing might be more economical. On the other hand, if you have many users managing a smaller fleet, Upper’s per-user pricing could be more advantageous.

Why Choose Upper Over Samsara?

When comparing the features, we found that, while Samsara is a robust fleet management solution, Upper offers several unique advantages. Here’s what we found—functionalities that are available in Upper but not explicitly mentioned in Samsara’s features:

1. Vehicle capacity optimization

With Upper, you can optimize routes based on each vehicle’s capacity. This ensures your fleet operates as efficiently as possible by minimizing the trips needed. By analyzing the load each vehicle can handle and matching it with delivery needs, Upper helps you save time and fuel. 

This approach also reduces vehicle wear and tear, leading to long-term cost savings and improved operational efficiency.

2. Curbside delivery

Upper provides specific support for curbside deliveries, which is increasingly important in today’s contactless delivery environment. This feature is designed to streamline the last-mile delivery process by allowing drivers to manage curbside drop-offs efficiently. 

It enhances the customer experience by ensuring timely and smooth delivery while adhering to safety and convenience preferences.

3. In-transit route changes

Upper offers dynamic adjustments of the routes while the drivers are in transit. It allows for real-time route adjustments when dealing with traffic congestion, road closures, or any last-minute customer request.

This flexibility ensures that deliveries remain on track and helps boost overall customer satisfaction by more effectively meeting delivery times.

4. Bulk SMS capabilities

The bulk SMS functionality enables mass communication with customers or drivers, making sending updates, reminders, or notifications easier.

It improves operational efficiency by reducing the time spent on individual messages and quickly delivering important information to the right people, improving coordination and responsiveness.

5. Stops priority via color coding

Upper provides a visual way to prioritize stops through color coding. This helps the drivers quickly identify important or urgent deliveries by assigning different colors to various stops. 

This approach helps manage the routes more efficiently, ensuring that the high-priority stops are handled promptly and reducing the risk of missed or delayed deliveries.

6. Flexible pricing model

Upper offers a per-user pricing structure of $40 per user per month and a 20% discount for annual billing. This can be more economical for businesses with many users relative to vehicles. 

This pricing plan differs from Samsara’s, which costs $33 per vehicle monthly. It may offer better value for businesses with many users but fewer vehicles.

While Upper and Samsara are powerful fleet management software, Upper’s flexible pricing model and higher user satisfaction ratings make it a more compelling choice for businesses seeking effective, all-in-one solutions.

Which Solution Best Matches Your Business Needs?

Choosing between Upper and Samsara isn’t just about comparing features—it’s about finding the right fit for your business.

Upper stands out with its easy-to-use interface, customizable options, and flexible pricing. It offers advanced route optimization, vehicle capacity planning, real-time route adjustments, and detailed analytics, making it a strong choice for businesses of any size.

While Samsara is a robust solution with its strengths, Upper’s blend of functionality, flexibility, and affordability gives it a distinct edge:

• Cost efficiency: Upper’s per-user pricing model may be cheaper for businesses with many vehicles but few users.
  Higher ratings: Capterra users have rated Upper slightly higher than its competitors.
• Unique features: Upper includes features like curbside delivery and color-coded stop prioritization.
• Customization: It offers extensive route scheduling software customization options to meet specific needs.

Remember, the best choice depends on your specific goals and needs. Consider factors like your fleet size, the number of users who will access the system, and which features are most critical for your operations.

However, Upper’s advanced features, flexibility, and affordability make it a standout choice in fleet management tools.

👉 To learn more about how Upper fleet driver management software can enhance your fleet operations, go through our customer success stories in detail, showcasing real-world examples and impactful results.