Samsara Fleet vs Cat® Central
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Samsara Fleet
Manage your fleet operations from anywhere with real-time tracking, diagnostics, and alerts. Improve driver productivity, streamline communication, and enhance safety with instant access to critical data and dash cam footage.
- Real-time asset tracking
- Vehicle diagnostics and sensor data
- Real-time operational alerts
- Hours of Service visibility
- Direct driver communication
- Safety event review
- HD dash cam footage access
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Samsara Fleet is built for fleet managers on the move. Whether you are in the office, in the field, or on your way home, the Samsara Fleet mobile app helps you: - Track every asset. See real-time vehicle locations, diagnostics, and sensor data at your fingertips. - Stay on top of operations. Get real-time alerts and investigate incidents right in the app. - Keep your team productive. See Hours of Service at a glance and easily navigate to any driver. - Streamline driver communication. Call drivers in a single click, or send messages directly to the Samsara Driver App. - Improve safety in the moment. Review safety events, download HD dash cam footage, and easily share videos in the field. - Quickly respond to customers and instantly share live ETAs.
Cat® Central
Access essential tools, insights, and support for your equipment. Easily find parts, view manuals, diagnose issues, and track orders. Connect with dealers and experts for fast assistance.
- Personalized tools and service recommendations
- Access operating manuals and maintenance schedules
- Diagnose fault codes
- Real-time equipment health and usage insights
- Scan QR codes for parts
- Order parts directly from dealer
- Connect with local dealers and support experts
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From finding the right parts to understanding your machine’s health, Cat Central brings together the tools, insights and support you need – all in one place. EVERYTHING YOU NEED, RIGHT WHERE YOU NEED IT • Add your Cat equipment to unlock personalized tools and service recommendations. • Instantly access operating manuals and maintenance schedules. • Access and diagnose fault codes. • Stay ahead with real-time health, fuel, and usage insights. • Track orders, view purchase history and request service from your dealer. FIND PARTS. GET SUPPORT. FAST. • Scan your equipment's QR code to access parts that fit your equipment. • Check inventory and order directly from your dealer. • Watch how-to videos or follow DIY resources with step-by-step instructions you can trust. • Connect with your local dealer or chat with a support expert 24/7. POWERFUL TOOLS ON THE MOVE • Lock in parts pricing by using quotes and share your cart for quick approvals. • Take advantage of financing, customer value agreements, rewards and more. • Seamlessly access other Cat applications like VisionLink, SIS2GO and MyCatFinancial. Download Cat Central and take control of your equipment – anytime, anywhere.
Screenshots
Verdict
Samsara Fleet and Cat® Central both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 77% of Samsara Fleet's written reviews are positive against 43% of Cat® Central's. Cat® Central's advantage is ratings volume (4.3K vs 1.2K). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Samsara Fleet against 4.6 for Cat® Central. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.2K and 4.3K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 77% of Samsara Fleet's written reviews are positive against 43% of Cat® Central's.
Samsara Fleet ships an update every 2 weeks, Cat® Central every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Samsara Fleet | Cat® Central |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (1.2K ratings) — better | 4.6 (4.3K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 76.8% of reviews — better | 43.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1.2K | 4.3K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 156 MB | 139 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Samsara Networks, Inc. | Caterpillar Inc. |
Customer experience
Samsara Fleet
Cat® Central
User reviews
Samsara Fleet
From 1.2K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Reliable and accurate tracking
- 💡 Helpful fleet management features
- 🔒 Secure and private
- 🔋 Good battery life
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Limited functionality compared to web version
- 🕰️ Slow loading times
- 🤖 Unreliable AI-based alerts
- 💰 Expensive for small businesses
Cat® Central
From 4.3K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Intuitive app
- 💡 Ability to order parts
- 👍 Saving equipment models
- 🚀 Fast and simple to use
Room to improve
- 🐛 Difficult to change equipment
- 🐛 Parts diagrams hard to follow
- 🐛 Difficult to find parts
- 🐛 Never loads, asks for dealer info
- 🐛 Clunky and unreliable
Bugs and requests
Samsara Fleet
Reported bugs
3 issues- Login screen freezes
- Incompatibility with newer iOS versions
- Inconsistent map display and location tracking
Requested features
4 requests- Landscape mode support for tablets
- Ability to download videos directly to device
- Push notifications for alerts
- Customizable dashboard and reporting
Cat® Central
Reported bugs
3 issues- App crashes when changing equipment
- Login issues, password expired
- Locks up after gathering personal info
Requested features
3 requests- Audible operation manuals
- Accommodate old models
- Dark mode option
In-app purchases
Samsara Fleet
No in-app purchases
Cat® Central
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Samsara Fleet free?
Is Cat® Central free?
Which has better reviews, Samsara Fleet or Cat® Central?
Do Samsara Fleet or Cat® Central have ads?
Which is updated more often, Samsara Fleet or Cat® Central?
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