Tekmetric is the best automotive repair software for most independent shops, because Start costs $199 a month per shop and includes unlimited users, unlimited repair orders and digital inspections on every plan. ARI is the budget pick at $39.99 a month with no contract, and the only system here with a free plan, capped at 5 invoices, estimates, inspections, clients and vehicles. Add-ons change the real bill: Tekmetric marketing costs $345 a month per shop, Shop-Ware CRM plus online scheduler costs $249 a month, and each extra Shopmonkey user costs $20 a month.
Picking shop software comes down to four questions: how many people need a login, whether two-way texting is included on the plan you can afford, what the add-ons cost, and whether repair data is bundled or sold separately. Every price below comes from the vendor pricing page opened on 2026-11-12, except where the vendor shows no price and we wrote quote only.
On this page
What is the best automotive repair software: comparison table
Swipe the table sideways on a phone to see every column.
| # | Name | Best for | Starting price | Free plan / trial | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tekmetric | Growing independent shops that want flat per-shop pricing | $199 per shop/month | No | Visit |
| 2 | Shopmonkey | Shops that want two-way texting from the entry plan | $239 per month | No | Visit |
| 3 | AutoLeap | Growth-focused shops that want marketing tools built in | $199 per month | No | Visit |
| 4 | Shop-Ware | High-volume shops built around photo and video inspections | $279 per location/month | No | Visit |
| 5 | Mitchell 1 Manager SE | Shops already using Mitchell 1 repair data | quote only | No | Visit |
| 6 | ARI | Solo mechanics and small shops on a tight budget | $39.99 per month | Yes | Visit |
| 7 | RepairShopr | Small shops that want a low entry price with a ticket cap | $69.99 per month | No | Visit |
| 8 | Protractor | Multi-location shops that want built-in accounting | $399 per month | No | Visit |
The 8 best what is the best automotive repair software tools, in detail
Tekmetric
Best for: Growing independent shops that want flat per-shop pricing
Tekmetric runs on a flat per-shop price, which suits growing teams. Start costs $199 a month, or $179 a month with annual billing. Grow costs $349 a month, or $309 a month with annual billing, and adds a labor guide and time clocks.
- Scale costs $439 a month, or $409 a month with annual billing, and adds two-way texting and a live shop dashboard.
- Every plan includes unlimited users, unlimited repair orders and digital vehicle inspections.
- One limit: multi-shop management adds $70 a month per shop, the Tire Suite adds $39 a month per shop and marketing adds $345 a month.
- Choose Tekmetric for flat pricing.
Pros
- Unlimited users and unlimited repair orders on every plan
- no long-term contract required
- digital vehicle inspections included from Start
Cons
- Two-way texting only arrives on Scale at $439 a month
- marketing add-on costs $345 a month per shop
Shopmonkey
Best for: Shops that want two-way texting from the entry plan
Shopmonkey is the only system here with two-way texting on the entry plan. Basic costs $239 a month, or $215 a month with annual billing, and includes 3 users, unlimited estimates and invoices and inspections with 2 templates. Clever costs $399 a month, or $359 a month with annual billing, and includes 4 users plus unlimited inspection templates, inventory, MOTOR labor data and a QuickBooks Online link.
- Genius costs $499 a month, or $449 a month with annual billing, and includes 5 users.
- The trade-off is the seat meter: a shop with 8 users on Genius pays $499 plus 3 extra users at $20 each, or $559 a month.
- Shopmonkey charges no setup fees, but it lists a one-time $500 migration fee.
- Choose Shopmonkey if customer texting matters more than a flat user price.
Pros
- Two-way texting and email on every plan
- no setup fees
- QuickBooks Online link on Clever
Cons
- Each plan caps included users at 3, 4 or 5, and each extra user costs $20 a month
- digital inspections are limited to 2 templates on Basic
AutoLeap
Best for: Growth-focused shops that want marketing tools built in
AutoLeap pairs shop management with customer marketing. Essentials costs $199 a month, or $179 a month with annual billing, and covers scheduling, estimates, invoices, one-way texting, inspections, labor guides and parts ordering. Pro costs $349 a month, or $309 a month with annual billing, and adds two-way texting, QuickBooks Online and inventory.
- Elite costs $449 a month, or $409 a month with annual billing, and adds Google reviews.
- The AIR AI receptionist costs $99 a month on top of any plan, and the Marketing Suite is a separate add-on.
- AutoLeap also charges a one-time setup fee and does not show the amount, so get that number in writing.
- Choose AutoLeap if you want marketing tools in the same system.
Pros
- Parts ordering through PartsTech, NexPart and WorldPac
- deferred work history on every plan
- AIR AI receptionist available as a $99 a month add-on
Cons
- Two-way texting only arrives on Pro at $349 a month
- one-time setup fee amount is not shown on the pricing page
Shop-Ware
Best for: High-volume shops built around photo and video inspections
Shop-Ware is built around the customer-facing inspection, with photos and videos the customer sees and digital approvals. Startup costs $279 a month, or $251 a month with annual billing, and includes unlimited users and limited two-way texting. Pro costs $389 a month, or $350 a month with annual billing, and adds unlimited two-way texting, the MOTOR labor guide and an AI writing assistant.
- Master costs $499 a month, or $449 a month with annual billing, and adds analytics dashboards.
- Ultimate+ costs $999 a month, or $899 a month with annual billing, and adds a website, SEO, CRM and a scheduler.
- One limit: the CRM plus online scheduler package costs $249 a month as a separate add-on below Ultimate+.
- Pricing is per location.
Pros
- Unlimited users on every plan
- photo and video inspections with customer approvals
- AI parts matrix included
Cons
- Highest entry price among the cloud systems here at $279 a month
- CRM plus online scheduler costs $249 a month extra
Mitchell 1 Manager SE
Best for: Shops already using Mitchell 1 repair data
Mitchell 1 does not list a price for Manager SE on its own, so a shop has to ask sales for a quote. The price is built per shop from seats and modules, so two shops the same size can pay very different amounts. Manager SE covers scheduling, estimating, invoicing, inventory and reporting, with more than 180 reports, and it syncs with QuickBooks.
- It runs on Windows PCs on a local network.
- OneFlow Inspections and OneFlow Estimator speed up check-in and estimate building, and a file attachment feature covers photos and documents on repair
- MessageCenter texting is an add-on module rather than included.
- Repair data is a separate subscription, so budget for both.
Pros
- More than 180 reports included
- OneFlow Inspections and OneFlow Estimator built in
- QuickBooks sync included
Cons
- No listed price for Manager SE on its own
- repair data is a separate subscription
- texting and digital inspections are sold as add-on modules
ARI
Best for: Solo mechanics and small shops on a tight budget
ARI is the cheapest real shop system in this list. ARI Pro costs $39.99 a month with no contract, and every tech gets a login at no extra cost. Pro Plus costs $59.99 a month.
- The free plan has no time limit and covers up to 5 invoices, estimates, inspections, clients and vehicles.
- Labor guides, wiring diagrams, trouble code diagnosis, VIN decoding, digital inspections and a client portal all sit in the base plan.
- ARI runs on web, iOS, Android and Windows, syncs invoices, clients and inventory to QuickBooks Online, and connects to PartsTech, Stripe and PayPal.
- A single account can run multiple locations.
Pros
- Labor guides and wiring diagrams included in the $39.99 base plan
- unlimited users with no contract
- free plan with no time limit
Cons
- Free plan caps at 5 invoices, estimates, inspections, clients and vehicles
- no listed higher tier beyond Pro Plus at $59.99 a month
RepairShopr
Best for: Small shops that want a low entry price with a ticket cap
RepairShopr is a ticket-based system built for small shops. Starter costs $69.99 a month, or $59.99 a month with annual billing, and covers 75 tickets and invoices a month and 1 user account. Repair Shop costs $139.99 a month, or $129.99 a month with annual billing, and covers unlimited tickets and invoices with up to 10 user accounts.
- Big Chain costs $149.99 a month per location, or $139.99 a month per location with annual billing, for 2 or more locations.
- The system covers estimates, invoicing, inventory, point of sale, customer messaging and field jobs, with a direct QuickBooks integration.
- Text messages are metered, so check the message allowance before you sign.
- There is no free trial and no free plan.
Pros
- Low entry price with a clear ticket cap
- unlimited tickets and invoices on the Repair Shop plan
- QuickBooks integration included
Cons
- Starter allows only 1 user and 75 tickets and invoices a month
- text messages are a metered service
- no free trial
Protractor
Best for: Multi-location shops that want built-in accounting
Core costs $399 a month, or $359 a month with annual billing, and covers scheduling, inspections, estimates, parts and accounting. Performance costs $599 a month, or $539 a month with annual billing, and adds AutoServe1 advanced inspections. Prestige costs $1,099 a month, or $989 a month with annual billing, and adds a website and a digital marketing suite.
- Elite costs $1,299 a month, or $1,169 a month with annual billing.
- The built-in accounting is the feature that sets Protractor apart, because most rivals push bookkeeping to QuickBooks or a separate add-on.
- Pricing is sold per location in packages.
- Ask what setup and migration cost before you sign, because those fees sit outside the listed plan prices.
Pros
- Built-in accounting with period-end journal entries
- AutoServe1 advanced digital inspections on Performance
- per-location packages for multi-shop groups
Cons
- Highest entry price in this list at $399 a month
- website and digital marketing suite only arrive on Prestige at $1,099 a month
- no free trial
How we chose
We only included real shop management systems covering repair orders, estimates, invoicing, inspections, parts and customer messaging. Prices and plan limits come from official vendor pricing pages opened on 2026-11-12, and where a vendor shows no price we wrote quote only instead of guessing. Mitchell 1 is the only quote-only system here. We did not test any tool hands-on, and we did not install or use any of these systems.
Which system fits your shop size and budget
| Shop size | Pick | Starting price | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo or mobile mechanic | ARI | $39.99 per month | Lowest price, no contract, unlimited users |
| 1 user, under 75 jobs a month | RepairShopr Starter | $69.99 per month | Clear ticket cap, low entry price |
| 2 to 6 bays, growing team | Tekmetric Start | $199 per shop per month | Unlimited users, no per-user cost |
| Texting from day one | Shopmonkey Basic | $239 per month | Two-way texting on the entry plan |
| Growth plus marketing | AutoLeap Essentials | $199 per month | Marketing tools in the same system |
| High-volume inspection shop | Shop-Ware Startup | $279 per location per month | Photo and video approvals |
| Already on Mitchell 1 data | Mitchell 1 Manager SE | quote only | Uses repair data you already have |
| Multi-location with accounting | Protractor Core | $399 per month | Built-in accounting, per-location packages |
Frequently asked questions
What is the best automotive repair software for a small shop?
Tekmetric Start at $199 a month per shop is the best fit for most small shops, because it includes unlimited users, unlimited repair orders and digital inspections with no long-term contract. If the budget is tight, ARI Pro at $39.99 a month covers the same core workflow, and its free plan covers a new shop up to 5 invoices, estimates, inspections, clients and vehicles.
How much does automotive repair software cost per month?
Entry prices in this list run from $39.99 a month for ARI Pro to $399 a month for Protractor Core, with the other four starting between $199 and $279 a month. Annual billing saves about 10 percent, or $120 to $480 a year. Add-ons can add $20 to $345 a month on top.
Which automotive repair software has a free plan?
ARI is the only system in this list with a free plan, and it has no time limit. It covers up to 5 invoices, estimates, inspections, clients and vehicles, then the shop moves to ARI Pro at $39.99 a month. The other seven offer demos instead of a free plan.
Which system includes two-way texting on the cheapest plan?
Shopmonkey Basic at $239 a month, or $215 a month with annual billing, is the only entry plan here with two-way texting. Tekmetric only adds it on Scale at $439 a month, AutoLeap only on Pro at $349 a month, and Shop-Ware only offers limited texting on Startup at $279 a month, with unlimited texting from Pro at $389 a month.
Do I need a separate repair data subscription?
It depends on the vendor. Mitchell 1 sells Manager SE and ProDemand repair data as separate subscriptions, so a shop pays for both. Tekmetric includes its labor guide from Grow at $349 a month, Shopmonkey includes MOTOR labor data from Clever at $399 a month, Shop-Ware includes the MOTOR labor guide from Pro at $389 a month, and ARI includes labor guides in its $39.99 base plan.
What is the best automotive repair software for a multi-location shop?
Protractor Core at $399 a month per location is the strongest multi-location pick here, because it sells per-location packages and includes built-in accounting. Tekmetric is the cheaper route, with multi-shop management at $70 a month per shop, and RepairShopr Big Chain covers 2 or more locations at $149.99 a month each.
Sources
- https://www.tekmetric.com/
- https://www.tekmetric.com/pricing
- https://shopmonkey.io/
- https://shopmonkey.io/pricing
- https://autoleap.com/
- https://autoleap.com/pricing
- https://shop-ware.com/
- https://shop-ware.com/packages
- https://mitchell1.com/
- https://mitchell1.com/manager-se/
- https://ari.app/
- https://ari.app/base-plan/
- https://www.repairshopr.com/
- https://protractorsoftware.com/
Prices and features were read on each company’s own website in November 2026. They change often, so confirm the current offer on the official site before you sign up or buy.