Samsara Reviews: Pros & Cons, Features, Pricing in 2025

👍🏻Samsara’s Pros:

• For large organizations with hundreds of vehicles worried about their carbon footprint, Samsara provides the tools and data you need to reduce your environmental impact, optimize fuel consumption, and promote sustainable fleet operations.
• A user-friendly dashboard simplifies fleet management and tracking by providing access to important information and KPIs. In a review shared below, a user praises Samsara’s real-time tracking capabilities in keeping their drivers safe and saving them $100,000.
• Samsara’s capabilities include an extensive range of hyper-specific use cases like driver dashcams, temperature sensors for cargo, and specialized services for school bus drivers covered under Samsara’s K-12 solutions.

👎🏻Samsara’s Cons:

• A laundry list of features, no matter how impressive, is often overkill for more specific teams like courier companies simply looking to optimize its last-mile delivery operations.
• The major drawback of the platform is its opaque pricing plans combined with a long, “inflexible” three-year-minimum contract.
• Many reviewers complain that their customer support processes are well below average. The account manager turnover is high, the system is “too tech-savvy,” and you get conflicting answers to the same question from different representatives. (If you manage to get one on the phone, that is.)
• In an ongoing lawsuit, Motive claims Samsara violated their patent rights related to their AI Dashcam technology. Motive alleges that Samsara directly copied multiple features from their platform. While the legal proceedings are still pending, you might want to research further if you’re considering using Samsara's AI dashcam features.

Editor’s Take

Samsara is the Swiss Army knife of fleet management. It does everything—from preventing accidents with AI dash cams and coaching truck drivers to monitoring trailer conditions and maintaining electronic logging device (ELD) compliance. This, in addition to the fundamental features of delivery management software like real-time GPS tracking.

We were also impressed with Samsara’s hyper-specific tools and integrations, like reefer monitoring for hauling frozen goods, specialized systems for school buses, and even solutions for snowplows to track their routes in real time.

But the question is: just because you can do everything, do you need to?

Samsara's complexity can be overwhelming for businesses of all sizes. Think steep learning curve, features you'll never use, and a support team that's harder to reach than a celebrity on a private island.

And here's the kicker: Samsara is currently facing a lawsuit for allegedly copying features from its competitor, Motive. This includes their AI dashcam technology, which, ironically, is often praised for improving driver safety.

While we applaud their commitment to sustainability (they achieved a net-zero carbon footprint in 2019 🌳), it's important to be honest about your needs.

Do you really need a snowplow tracker if you're delivering cupcakes? Probably not. And all those bells and whistles come at an additional cost too. We don’t just mean the price tag.

Samsara provides extensive self-service support via an online knowledge base full of helpful resources and troubleshooting guides. But many users report frustrating experiences with Samsara's customer support—long wait times, unhelpful technicians, and inconsistent information. (There’s no number you can reach through their website.)

This can be a major problem for large fleets, where even minor glitches or support delays can snowball into big losses.

Another consideration is their contracts. Samsara’s minimum term is three years, and the best hardware deals require a 60-month commitment.

So, is Samsara worth the hassle?

It depends. If you're a big company with deep pockets and a dedicated IT team, maybe. For a more affordable solution with top-tier support, no matter how big or small your fleet, odds are, there are better options out there.

What is Samsara? Samsara’s Key Features

Samsara touts itself as an all-in-one fleet management platform that offers proprietary software and hardware for diagnostics, data analysis, communication, and tracking throughout the entire delivery process and vehicle lifecycle.

Source: Samsara

The platform allows you to track vehicle location, monitor driver performance, optimize routes, manage maintenance, and even plan for EV adoption.

Here are some of its core, standout features:

• Cloud-connected system: Samsara is a cloud-based system that allows both drivers and dispatch services to access and update information from anywhere. Once you're in their cloud, you'll automatically have access to their ELD compliance, GPS tracking, and sustainability solutions.
• Routing and dispatch: Plan and optimize routes for multiple vehicles, taking into account factors like traffic, delivery windows, and driver availability. You can also dispatch jobs to drivers in real time and track their progress.
• Intuitive dashboard: The platform features a user-friendly dashboard that provides a centralized view of critical information, including hours of operation, harsh braking incidents, maintenance status, and more.
• Driver application: Samsara provides a dedicated driver application that allows drivers to view relevant data and stay connected with dispatch staff.
• AI dashcams: Detect and alert drivers of risky behaviors like distracted driving or tailgating in real time. The AI dashcam also automatically uploads footage of crashes or harsh events like blizzards.
• Open API: Connect the platform with your existing business systems and workflows.
• Equipment tracking: Track the location and usage of your powered and unpowered assets, such as trailers, generators, and construction equipment.
• Auto immobilization: You can remotely shut down a vehicle if tampering is detected, even without a cellular connection.
• Multiple map views: Choose from the default map view or a terrain or satellite view. Also, you can see what the drivers are experiencing locally by overlaying the current traffic.

Source: Samsara

This feature list is extensive. And impressive, no doubt.

In the end, though, what types of companies would actually make use of the entire suite of tools?

In their own words, Samsara’s customers include the “world’s largest organisations across construction, transportation and warehousing, field services, manufacturing, retail, logistics, and public sector.”

Source: Samsara

Let’s explore the platform a little more before you say yay or nay to Samsara.

Samsara’s Pros: The Good Stuff 👍

Many public Samsara reviews focus on how the platform keeps their drivers safe with AI dashcams, its buffet of features for larger businesses, and real-time tracking to monitor their fleets’ and drivers’ locations at all times.

Office Manager, Chelsea V., says on G2: “What I like most about Samsara is that it helps keep our business safe.”

How?

In another recent win for Samsara, a small business manager, Thomas C., shares how they were able to save $100,000 because of the software’s real-time tracking and recording capabilities:

Logan, an Operations Manager who works in trucking in the U.S., reviewed Samsara on Capterra with a focus on its “plethora of features”:

Shuttle Supervisor, Rich H., echoes the sentiment on GetApp praising “The ease of use and the many features that are integrated in the samsara application”:

Samsara’s Cons: The Not-So-Good Stuff 👎

Samsara’s long, inflexible contracts; opaque pricing plans; and poor customer service come together in a volley of strongly worded negative reviews. The general sentiment leans towards a sour experience with back-end services like resolving tickets.

A small business CRO, Molly H., says on G2 that Samsara’s customer service is “non-existent”:

This, coupled with a contract they’ve been “locked in” and a high account manager turnover, doesn’t do the platform any favors:

In fact, Sara B., who works in operations, comes with a laundry list of complaints on G2:

The most notable complaints point towards a general trend in Samsara’s negative reviews:

• Their lack of personalized assistance, even for larger companies;
• Their representatives’ poor knowledge of operations; and
• How their “tech-savvy” system often does more harm than good because it comes with a steep learning curve.

A fairly recent, scathing review by Kevin on Capterra calls Samsara “all sales and no service.”

nother trend in Samsara’s negative reviews is the price point. For example, the driver ID token costs an extra $9.99 each.

Mohamud on Capterra complains about the software being “well above price of their competitors.”

Samsara, on the other hand, they say, “are quick to get your money and then ghost customers that have been loyal for over 3 years.”

A verified user on GetApp warns other buyers of the pitfalls of signing a contract with Samsara:

They highlight another potential issue for growing companies: parasitic battery draws.

In the end, the user was contractually strong-armed into paying for the three-year-minimum contract:

Another troubling review by Michael W. on Capterra criticizes Samsara for authorizing auto-renewals without their consent:

Samsara Fleet Management Reviews: What Do Drivers and Employees Think?

To really get a feel for Samsara, we need to go beyond the brochures and demos.

What do the people who actually use it every single day think? Do they love it? Do they hate it?

And most importantly, does Samsara deliver on its promises?

Here are drivers' and employees' experiences.

Samsara ELD reviews

The FMCSA mandated the use of electronic logging devices (ELDs) for commercial drivers in December 2017. ELDs eliminate manual logbook entries and assure accuracy by recording hours of service automatically.

By capturing important information, like dates, times, locations, and engine status, this technology helps drivers stay within legal limits and comply with regulations.

Source: Samsara

So, does Samsara help or hurt businesses with its ELD compliance feature?

The reviews are overwhelmingly positive—with a few notable exceptions.

Darren J. on GetApp, for example, touts Samsara as the best ELD solution on the market:

However, even with a five-star rating, Jim, a Safety Director, says on Capterra:

Most importantly, in Mark’s recent, verified review on Sofware Advice—as recent as December 2024—they say, “We switched our entire fleet from Motive to Samsara. Absolutely disappointed in the client support.I am aiming to switch back to Motive. I've tested out four ELD platforms in the past seven years. Samsara is by far the worst platform so far when it comes to client support.”

If you can get by with self-service and hopefully no major interruptions, Samsara’s ELD compliance solution seems to work fine. However, if you’re looking for ongoing customer support…you might want to keep looking.

Samsara driver reviews

The Samsara Driver app holds a 3.2-star rating on Google Play Store (out of 10,000+ reviews).

Drivers are divided between those praising its reliability and those reporting technical issues.

Source: Google Play Store

While long-term users tend to be satisfied, recent reviews have been more critical.

Vince Jungenberg Jr says:

Rodney Beggs faces a separate, frustrating problem:

Samsara employee reviews

According to Comparably, “out of 64 Samsara employee reviews, 94% were positive.”

The remaining 6% of reviews, while constructive, aim to provide feedback for improvement.

Notably, the HR department receives a 100% positive rating from its employees, the highest among all departments at Samsara.

In contrast, the Sales department shows the highest percentage of constructive reviews, with 12% of their feedback focused on areas for improvement.

Samsara GPS reviews

The platform boasts accurate, real-time GPS tracking software capability. But the reviews are a mixed bag.

On the one hand, Daniel F. on GetApp praises Samsara for its GPS “superiority”:

However, a verified user in Chemicals on G2 is on the fence about Samsara’s GPS feature. They say that “There's a lot of software issues with the devices.”

If you’re paying a premium for a service, you wouldn’t want it to work for just the “majority of the time”—you want a 100% uptime guarantee.

The most worrying review about lost GPS connections comes from Paula A. on Capterra:

Again, if you’re shelling out the big bucks for dependable fleet management software, the GPS should work better than an Apple Air Tag.

Samsara Pricing

Samsara’s pricing page leads to an onboarding flow, where you can request a custom quote (for above 11 fleets) based on your requirements:

Source: Samsara

According to our internal transactional information, however, you could be waiting a while before you receive yours. (We still haven't received ours even after a month.)

The only other way is to parse community forums and review sites to get a ballpark number. But this is less than ideal when you’re shopping around for reliable software.

So, here’s what we know:

Samsara's pricing structure suggests that it's designed for larger fleets and complex solutions, although it's not completely transparent. The company's bundled options and volume discounts might be appealing to long-term investors.

In contrast, smaller businesses may find it less convenient to not have access to upfront pricing and custom quotes.

If you fall into the latter category—or even if you prefer to have all the information at your fingertips—you’ll love Circuit's clear, transparent pricing tiers.

Most importantly, when it's time to pay, you won't be surprised by any add-on charges.

Source: Circuit

The Final Word on Samsara

We recommend Samsara for…

• Large fleets with 100+ vehicles: If you're a company like Coca-Cola, with delivery trucks going all over the country, Samsara will keep your bottles cool and routes, optimized.
• Companies with diverse needs: Samsara offers specialized solutions for various industries, including trucking, construction, and school transportation.

We don't recommend Samsara for…

• Small businesses with tight budgets: Samsara is a premium platform, with a price to match.
• Companies looking for flexible, short-term contracts: If long-term contracts make you squirm, Samsara might not be your cup of tea.
• Those who prioritize personalized customer support: Samsara’s customer support is its Achilles heel, so if you’re not comfortable with self-service, this light-touch approach isn’t for you.

While both Samsara and Circuit are excellent for managing your fleet, they have different strengths. Samsara focuses on compliance, safety, and asset tracking, while Circuit is better suited for last-mile delivery optimization.

If you’re a smaller fish than Coca-Cola with a few dozen vans and local deliveries to optimize, Circuit’s free trial allows you to experience the benefits of the software for seven days!

→ Sign up for a free 7-day CFT trial! ←