Compare · Greasebook alternative · oil & gas
WorkSync vs. Greasebook, the upgrade path when field data capture isn’t enough.
Greasebook is the field data capture standard for small US independents, 600+ companies across 22 states, mostly under 1,000 wells. It’s mobile-first, easy to deploy, and well-suited to its market. WorkSync is what operators graduate to when they need more than data capture: cash-flow + risk-aware ranking, route optimization, FlowSync engineering automation, and a closed-loop platform across SCADA + ERP + CMMS. Greasebook captures the data. WorkSync makes the decision.
WorkSync vs Greasebook: the honest comparison.
| Capability | Greasebook | WorkSync |
|---|---|---|
| Primary purpose | Field data capture (production volumes, gauges, downtime) | Ranked work execution + data capture + engineering automation |
| Target operator size | ~10 to ~1,000 wells (independents) | 500 to 5,000+ wells (mid-tier sweet spot) |
| Mobile field app | Yes, mobile-first, simple UX, well-loved | Yes, offline-first, one-tap actions, plus the ranked plan in the cab |
| Cash-flow + risk-aware task ranking | No | Yes, every task scored by $-impact × probability × risk |
| Pump by Exception / Priority logic | No, full-route capture model | Yes, only visit wells that move the cash-flow needle |
| Route optimization with crew quals | No | Yes, value-density routing with H2S / OQ enforcement |
| SCADA-driven anomaly detection | No, manual gauge entry | Yes, ML detects deviation 48–72 hr before failure |
| Hydraulic model automation (engineering) | No | Yes, FlowSync auto-builds models from GIS + SCADA |
| Production accounting integration | Exports to QuickBooks, Enertia, Quorum | Native bi-directional with Enertia, Quorum, Oildex, IFS Merrick, W Energy |
| CMMS / work order tracking | Limited | Yes, full Work Order Management module |
| Field Safety / lone worker | No | Yes, situational awareness + JSA + contractor competency |
| M&A asset integration (Data Hub) | No | Yes, unify multiple SCADA + accounting stacks in days |
| Pricing model | Per-well subscription, simple | Per-module Good/Better/Best, $20K–$95K per year |
| Deployment time | Days (mobile app onboarding) | < 1 week integration · 2 weeks standup · 4 weeks rollout |
| Co-exist with each other? | , | Yes, Greasebook can stay for one division while WorkSync rolls into others. Most customers fully transition. |
Because your evaluation deserves it.
Greasebook is the right call in some situations. WorkSync is the right call in others. Here’s the real-world split.
01When Greasebook wins
You operate fewer than ~500 wells
At small independent scale, Greasebook is purpose-built. The decision math, "do I need a ranked work loop?", changes when one superintendent can hold the asset base in their head. Greasebook is the right call there.
Field data capture is your only real problem
If your team’s pain is "we’re still using paper / Excel for gauges and we just need a mobile app," Greasebook solves that fast. If you’re also wrestling with prioritization, alarm fatigue, hydraulic models, or M&A integration, the problem set is bigger than Greasebook scopes.
You want the lowest possible per-well cost
Greasebook is priced for independent budgets. WorkSync entry is $20K/year (Data Hub free, FlowSync $20K) but climbs with module track. If price-per-well is the binding constraint, Greasebook wins.
You don’t have SCADA
WorkSync’s differentiation compounds when there’s SCADA telemetry feeding the decision loop. If you’re purely manual-gauge-based and no SCADA investment is planned, much of what we do doesn’t apply.
02When WorkSync wins
You operate 500+ wells and the spreadsheet is breaking
Greasebook captures data. It doesn’t tell you which 12 wells out of 500 to visit tomorrow. WorkSync ranks all 500, scores them by cash-flow impact, and assembles the day in the truck cab.
You have SCADA and the alarms are fatigue-inducing
WorkSync ingests SCADA, suppresses noise via anomaly detection, and turns the real ones into ranked tasks. Greasebook doesn’t touch SCADA.
You’re running multiple field apps you wish were one
If your crews use Greasebook for capture + a separate mobile app for safety + another for work orders + a paper packet for compliance, WorkSync collapses that into one closed-loop platform with one app on the truck-cab tablet.
You have engineering pain (hydraulic models, AFE, JIB closes)
Greasebook doesn’t address back-office engineering automation. FlowSync auto-builds hydraulic models in minutes; engineering & back-office automation is one of the three solution pillars in WorkSync.
You’re mid-acquisition and need to integrate a new asset base
Data Hub unifies multiple SCADA + accounting stacks in days. Common pattern at operators integrating a new acquisition who need one ranked plan across the combined asset base on day 91.
You want safety + ops + back-office as one platform, not three vendors
Field Safety + Work Engine + FlowSync are the three solutions, not three separate purchases. Single contract, single integration, single training stack.
Already on Greasebook? Here’s the upgrade path.
Many WorkSync customers started on Greasebook (or a comparable mobile-first capture app) when they were 200–500 wells. The triggering moment is usually one of three: an acquisition pushed them past 500 wells and the spreadsheet broke; SCADA investment matured and the alarm volume became unmanageable; or the CFO started asking for LOE/BOE accountability and "data captured in a mobile app" wasn’t enough.
The upgrade path is non-disruptive. Phase 1 (4 weeks): we connect Greasebook’s exports + your SCADA + your accounting stack into the Data Hub and stand up the ranked plan for one division. Field crews keep using Greasebook during the pilot. Phase 2 (8–12 weeks): roll the truck-cab tablet UI to additional divisions; teams choose to keep Greasebook or transition. Phase 3, optional: deprecate Greasebook entirely.
Most customers fully transition by month 6, not because Greasebook is bad, but because running two field apps is operational drag, and once the ranked plan is in the cab, the simpler capture-only app feels like a downgrade.
“Greasebook got us off paper, that was a real win. But at 1,800 wells we needed someone to tell pumpers what to work on, not just record what they did. WorkSync ranked everything by dollar impact and the foreman’s phone calls dropped 70% in the first month.”
Operations leadership · Top 25 private producer · Multi-basin
Common questions
Does WorkSync replace Greasebook, or run alongside it?
Either. Most customers fully transition because running two mobile apps in the field is operational drag. But during a pilot we run alongside Greasebook for one division, and you decide based on field feedback whether to deprecate Greasebook or keep it for a subset of operations.
Why is WorkSync more expensive than Greasebook?
Greasebook solves field data capture. WorkSync solves ranked work execution + data capture + safety + engineering automation across SCADA + ERP + CMMS. Different scope. The right comparison is "single mobile app" vs. "closed-loop operations platform." If you only need data capture, Greasebook is the right price point.
How long does it take to migrate from Greasebook to WorkSync?
Integration with Greasebook’s export format: under 1 week. Full standup with SCADA + accounting: 2 weeks. Field rollout: 4 weeks. Most customers run both in parallel for 30–60 days during the pilot, then deprecate Greasebook once field crews prefer the WorkSync ranked plan.
I’m at 200 wells. Should I just stay on Greasebook?
Probably yes, until one of the trigger conditions hits: you cross ~500 wells via M&A or organic growth, you invest in SCADA and alarm volume becomes a problem, or your CFO starts asking for LOE/BOE accountability. Below those triggers, Greasebook’s simpler model is the better fit.
Does WorkSync have all the field-data-capture features Greasebook has?
Yes, gauges, downtime codes, run tickets, well tests, photos, e-signatures, all in the offline-first mobile app. Plus the ranked plan, route optimization, and ranked work order list that Greasebook doesn’t generate.
See WorkSync on your data, alongside your existing stack.
Request a free trial. Qualified operators get a 4-week proof of value at no license cost. Integration in under 1 week; full standup in 2.