MeterBeam vs FM Audit

MeterBeam · Updated September 2026 · 7 min read

Short version: FM Audit is the legacy data collection agent from ECI Software Solutions — widely deployed, tightly integrated with ECI's e-automate ERP, and priced and contracted like enterprise software. MeterBeam is a modern printer fleet monitoring platform with published pricing, a 30-day trial, no annual contract, and built-in supply fulfillment and shelf-stock tracking. If you are a large dealership running e-automate at scale, FM Audit is still a rational choice. If you are a small-to-mid dealer, an MSP, or an IT team that just needs accurate meters and toner that ships itself, MeterBeam is usually less than half the cost with less to manage.

What FM Audit is

FM Audit (often written FMAudit) started as an independent DCA vendor and was acquired by ECI Software Solutions, the company behind the e-automate dealer ERP. The classic product, FMAudit Onsite, is a Windows service installed on a customer's network that polls printers and copiers over SNMP and reports meters, supply levels, and alerts to the dealer's central console. ECI has since folded FM Audit into its broader print-management line: the newer ECI DCA and Printanista Hub (which also absorbed PrintFleet) are positioned as the successors, and many FM Audit customers are being moved onto those platforms. If you're evaluating FM Audit today, it's worth asking your ECI rep which product you would actually be buying and what the migration path looks like. See also our MeterBeam vs Printanista comparison.

What MeterBeam is

MeterBeam is a printer fleet monitoring and smart-supplies platform. A lightweight collector discovers the devices on a network over SNMP, reads meters and toner levels on a schedule, and pushes that data to a cloud portal. On top of the raw data, MeterBeam adds the parts dealers and IT teams actually spend time on: days-to-empty forecasting, a fulfillment queue that says exactly what to ship where and when, per-customer meter reports for contract billing, shelf-stock tracking for toner already sitting at a site, a REST API, and an MCP connector so AI assistants can query the fleet directly. It was designed around real dealer billing, supply, and service workflows, and it runs production fleets today.

Side by side

	MeterBeam	FM Audit (ECI)
Automated meter collection	✓ SNMP, all major brands	✓ SNMP, all major brands
Toner / supply levels	✓ with days-to-empty forecasting	✓ levels and low-supply alerts
Supply fulfillment queue (what to ship, where, when)	✓ built in	Via ERP / third-party fulfillment integrations
Shelf-stock tracking at customer sites	✓ minimums, auto-restock, auto-draw-down on swap	Not a core feature
Per-customer meter reports for billing	✓ included on Dealer plan	✓ via e-automate integration
ERP integration	Open REST API; ERP connectors on roadmap	✓ Deep e-automate / ECI ecosystem
Collector platforms	Windows service; Linux/container collector	Windows (Onsite); newer ECI DCA adds macOS/Linux/Raspberry Pi
API / AI access	✓ REST API with scoped keys + native MCP server	Partner integrations; no public self-serve API
Multi-tenant (many customers, one console)	✓ unlimited customer accounts on Dealer plan	✓
Built for	Dealers, MSPs, and in-house IT teams	Primarily dealers and large MPS programs
Pricing	Published: $250/mo Founding · $399/mo list, 500 devices included	Quote-only, per-device; typical small-dealer quote ≈ $530/mo
Contract	Month-to-month, cancel anytime	Typically annual or multi-year
Trial	30 days free, plus a live demo with sample data (no signup)	Sales-led demo
Setup	Install collector, devices discovered automatically, first meters within minutes	Enterprise onboarding; DCA install and connectivity issues are a well-known support topic
Support	Direct email to the team that builds it	Enterprise ticket queue
Company	Independent, US-based, born inside a copier dealership	Part of ECI's large software portfolio (private-equity owned)

Comparison based on publicly available information and dealer-reported quotes as of September 2026. FM Audit, FMAudit, Printanista, and e-automate are trademarks of their respective owners; MeterBeam is not affiliated with or endorsed by ECI Software Solutions. Spotted an error? Email info@meterbeam.com and we'll fix it.

Pricing: what a 500-device fleet actually costs

ECI does not publish FM Audit pricing. Quotes are per device, negotiated, and usually bundled with an annual or multi-year agreement — dealers we've talked to report the smallest tiers landing around $530 per month, before any ERP or fulfillment modules. MeterBeam publishes its prices: the Dealer / Multi-Site plan is $399/month list, $250/month at the Founding Rate, includes 500 devices across unlimited customer sites, and adds $0.50 per device per month beyond that. There's no setup fee, no annual contract, and the first 30 days are free.

Put differently: a dealer with 500 devices pays roughly $3,000–$6,400 a year for MeterBeam versus roughly $6,400+ a year for a typical FM Audit quote — and MeterBeam's number includes the fulfillment queue, shelf-stock tracking, API, and AI connector rather than selling them as add-ons. Full detail on the pricing page.

Where FM Audit is the better fit

• You run e-automate and bill thousands of devices through it. The FM Audit → e-automate meter flow is mature and deeply integrated. MeterBeam offers an open API and per-customer billing exports, but not a native e-automate connector today.
• You need OEM-specific integrations that ECI has spent years building for large MPS programs.
• Your organization requires a vendor with an enterprise procurement and compliance track record and is comfortable paying for it.

Where MeterBeam is the better fit

• You're a small-to-mid dealer whose FM Audit renewal feels like a second lease. MeterBeam is typically less than half the cost with no term commitment.
• You're an MSP adding managed print and want multi-tenant monitoring, alerts, and a fulfillment queue without an ERP project.
• You're an in-house IT team with 20–500 printers nobody is watching. FM Audit isn't really sold to you; MeterBeam's Single Seat plan is built for exactly this.
• Toner stock matters as much as toner alerts. MeterBeam tracks what's on the shelf at each site and draws it down when a cartridge is swapped, so you stop shipping doubles and stop finding dead SKUs in supply closets.
• You want the data to be yours. Scoped API keys and a native MCP server mean your own scripts, dashboards, or AI assistant can query the fleet — no partner program required.

Switching from FM Audit: what it involves

Because both products read printers over standard SNMP, you can run MeterBeam alongside FM Audit during a trial with no conflict — the collector is read-only and doesn't change anything on the devices. A typical evaluation looks like this:

1. Install the MeterBeam collector at one or two customer sites (about 10 minutes each). Devices are discovered automatically.
2. Compare meter reads against FM Audit for a billing cycle. Mismatches are rare and almost always trace to a device reporting different counters over different OIDs — MeterBeam shows you which counter it's using.
3. Turn on alerts and the fulfillment queue for those sites and let your supply person work from it for a month.
4. Roll out to the rest of the fleet and let the FM Audit contract lapse at renewal.

Setup and troubleshooting steps are in the MeterBeam documentation.

Frequently asked questions

Is MeterBeam a direct replacement for FM Audit?

For the core job — automated meter collection, toner monitoring, and supply alerts across multi-brand fleets — yes. MeterBeam adds fulfillment and shelf-stock features FM Audit doesn't focus on, and lacks FM Audit's native e-automate integration.

Does MeterBeam integrate with e-automate?

Not natively today. MeterBeam provides per-customer meter exports and a REST API that can feed billing systems; a direct e-automate connector is on the roadmap. If that integration is a hard requirement for you now, tell us at info@meterbeam.com — it helps us prioritize.

Can I run MeterBeam and FM Audit at the same time?

Yes. Both poll devices over SNMP and neither changes device settings, so they coexist without issues during a migration.

What printer brands does MeterBeam support?

All major brands via standard SNMP, including HP, Canon, Xerox, Brother, Lexmark, Konica Minolta, Ricoh, Sharp, Kyocera, and Toshiba.

How is MeterBeam priced?

Two published plans: Single Seat ($100/mo Founding, $150 list, 50 devices included) for one organization's own fleet, and Dealer / Multi-Site ($250/mo Founding, $399 list, 500 devices included) for dealers and MSPs. 30-day free trial, month-to-month, cancel anytime. See pricing.

See also: FM Audit pricing explained. New to fleet monitoring? Start with what a DCA is and how automatic toner replenishment works. Comparing other platforms? See MeterBeam vs Printanista and MeterBeam vs MPS Monitor.