How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- Two tools publish prices: Tekmetric (Start $179/month billed annually) and Shopmonkey ($215/month billed annually); both include digital invoicing in every plan.
- Shop-Ware, Mitchell 1, AutoFluent, Bolt On Technology and Workshop Software are quote-based or do not publish plan prices on their sites.
- Free trials exist at Workshop Software (trial advertised on the homepage) and Bolt On Technology (demo-based); no free plans anywhere here.
- Watch add-on costs: Tekmetric charges $70 to $345 per month per shop for multi-shop, tire and marketing add-ons; Shopmonkey charges $20 per extra user per month.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Tekmetric | Independent shops and multi-shop groups wanting flat pricing | $179/month (Start, billed annually) | No |
 Shopmonkey | Shops that want estimates, invoicing, CRM and accounting in one login | $215/month (billed annually) | No |
 Mitchell 1 | Shops built on Mitchell 1 ProDemand repair data | See website (custom quote) | No |
 Shop-Ware | Shops that sell through fast, visual digital estimates | See website (custom quote) | No |
 AutoFluent | Tire dealers, service shops and multi-location operations | See website (custom quote) | No |
 Bolt On Technology | Shops layering digital inspections and messaging onto existing workflows | See website (custom quote) | No |
 Workshop Software | Independent garages wanting an international cloud platform | See website (vendor page lists $99) | Yes (free trial) |
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We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
The invoice is where the shop gets paid
Estimates, approvals, parts ordering, labor tracking and the final bill all flow into one document: the invoice. Auto repair invoice software is really shop management software with invoicing at its center. Every tool here builds digital estimates, captures customer approvals, and turns the repair order into an invoice the customer can pay by card, text or financing link. These seven cover the market from $179 a month to enterprise quotes, with the real price facts for each.
#1
Tekmetric
Best for: Independent shops and multi-shop groups wanting flat pricing
Visit tekmetric.com
Starting price$179/month (Start, billed annually)
Free planNo
Tekmetric is the most transparently priced shop platform here: Start at $199 monthly or $179 billed annually, Grow at $349/$309, Scale at $439/$409, Enterprise custom. Every plan includes unlimited users, unlimited repair orders, digital vehicle inspections and digital invoicing with text-to-pay. The vendor reports more than 16,000 shops and built-in payments with next-day payouts.
The honest catch is the add-on ladder. Two-way texting, real-time dashboards and technician analytics only arrive at Scale; multi-shop is $70 a month per shop, the tire suite $39, and marketing a hefty $345. The base invoice workflow is strong value at $179, but price your full setup before comparing. No free plan or trial is advertised.
What we like- Published pricing with unlimited users and repair orders on every plan
- Digital invoicing, text-to-pay and buy-now-pay-later included
- No long-term contracts
Watch out for- Marketing and multi-shop features are expensive add-ons ($70 to $345/month per shop)
- Grow ($309/month annual) is needed for labor guides and time clocks
- No free trial
#2
Shopmonkey
Best for: Shops that want estimates, invoicing, CRM and accounting in one login
Visit shopmonkey.io
Starting price$215/month (billed annually)
Free planNo
Shopmonkey publishes its tiers: $215 a month billed annually ($239 monthly) for the base plan, rising to $359/$399 and $449/$499 for higher tiers, with Enterprise custom. Every tier includes unlimited estimates and invoices, two-way text and email, calendar with reminders, digital inspections, electronic signatures and integrated payments. Add-ons cover CRM essentials, heavy duty, bookkeeping and native accounting.
The honest catch is user costs. Included user counts vary by tier and additional users run $20 per user per month per location, which adds up for big teams. The $215 entry is also $36 a month more than Tekmetric's Start. For a shop that wants invoicing plus built-in accounting and marketing without extra integrations, the platform breadth justifies the premium.
What we like- Published tiered pricing
- Unlimited estimates and invoices on every plan
- Integrated payments, digital inspections and native accounting
- Serves tire, quick-lube, heavy-duty and detail shops
Watch out for- Higher starting price than Tekmetric
- Extra users cost $20 per user per month
- Enterprise and franchise pricing is custom
- No free plan
Starting priceSee website (custom quote)
Free planNo
Mitchell 1 is the industry incumbent: Manager SE shop management software connects work orders, estimating and invoicing to the ProDemand repair information platform, so labor times, parts and maintenance data flow straight into the estimate. The company has served automotive professionals since 1918, and many shops already pay for its repair data.
The honest catch is buying opacity. No plan prices are published; everything goes through the sales team. For a shop already using ProDemand, the integration makes Manager SE the natural pick. For a new shop without Mitchell 1 data, compare the total quote against Tekmetric or Shopmonkey's published prices before committing.
What we like- Manager SE ties estimating and invoicing directly to ProDemand labor and parts data
- Decades-long industry presence
- Deep repair information integration
Watch out for- No published pricing
- Quote and sales process
- The invoicing experience is bundled with a broader product line that takes time to learn
#4
Shop-Ware
Best for: Shops that sell through fast, visual digital estimates
Visit shop-ware.com
Starting priceSee website (custom quote)
Free planNo
Shop-Ware pitches the customer experience: digital estimates with real-time photos and video, live chat instead of phone tag, a technician app for fast findings entry, and an AI-powered parts pricing matrix. The vendor reports an 89% approval rate on estimates and offers multi-shop management for groups.
The honest catch is the price gate. Nothing is published, and the premium positioning suggests premium pricing. Ask for a full quote including any per-location fees, and confirm what the base plan includes versus add-ons. For a shop whose bottleneck is estimate approval speed, the digital experience tools are the strongest in this list.
What we like- Estimating built around photos, videos and live chat
- Reports an 89% work approval rate
- AI parts matrix for parts pricing
- Technician app and analytics included
Watch out for- No public pricing
- Quote-only
- Positioning is premium, so expect a premium quote
#5
AutoFluent
Best for: Tire dealers, service shops and multi-location operations
Visit autofluent.com
Starting priceSee website (custom quote)
Free planNo
AutoFluent covers sales, customers, inventory and mechanic hours across multiple locations, with automated electronic invoicing to get shops paid faster. Tire and wheel dealers get dedicated support, vendor ordering ties in, and support is included with the subscription at no extra charge. Cloud hosting is bundled, so the shop can run it from anywhere.
The honest catch is the platform feel. It runs on Windows desktops and tablets rather than a modern browser app, and pricing is quoted. For a tire dealer or a multi-location shop that wants invoicing, inventory and accounting in one familiar package, it is a workhorse. For a single-location general repair shop wanting a polished cloud experience, the newer tools fit better.
What we like- Built for tire dealers as well as general repair
- Automated electronic invoicing
- QuickBooks and Sage 50 accounting compatibility
- Cloud hosting included with the subscription
Watch out for- No published pricing
- Windows-based with tablet support rather than fully browser-native
- The interface shows its age next to newer cloud tools
#6
Bolt On Technology
Best for: Shops layering digital inspections and messaging onto existing workflows
Visit boltontechnology.com
Starting priceSee website (custom quote)
Free planNo
Bolt On Technology sells the digital customer-facing layer: text and email inspections, messaging, online review management and appointment tools that bolt onto the shop's existing management system. For a shop that likes its current invoicing software but wants modern digital approvals and payments, it fills the gap without a migration.
The honest catch is scope. This is a complement to invoicing software, not a replacement for it: the repair order, estimate and invoice still live in the main system. Pricing is quoted. Also note the vendor's homepage currently shows a page-moved redirect notice, so verify the current product lineup in a demo. Best used to modernize an existing setup rather than as the shop's core system.
What we like- Digital inspections, two-way texting and online reviews that integrate with many shop management systems
- Can add modernization without a full platform switch
Watch out for- No published pricing
- An add-on layer rather than a complete invoicing platform
- The homepage shows a page-moved notice, so confirm the current product line
Starting priceSee website (vendor page lists $99)
Free planYes (free trial)
Workshop Software is a cloud-based workshop management platform for automotive, mechanical, marine and truck repair businesses, with job cards, invoicing, analytics and a mobile app for technicians. The vendor claims 30-plus years serving workshops globally, instant onboarding and no costly setup fees. A free trial is advertised on the homepage, the only one in this group.
The honest catch is pricing clarity. The vendor's page metadata lists $99, but there is no visible plan grid to map it to, so treat it as a starting reference and get a written quote. The company is Australia-based with global operations, so US shops should confirm support hours. For an independent garage that wants to try before buying, the free trial makes it the lowest-risk first look here.
What we like- The only free trial on this list
- Cloud-based with mobile apps for technicians
- Serves automotive, marine and truck workshops
- 30-plus years in the business with no costly setup fees claimed
Watch out for- The $99 figure comes from page metadata, not a visible plan grid, so confirm the real quote
- US support presence is thinner than the US-focused tools
- Pricing page is not transparent
Month-to-month vs. annual: do the math before you sign
Tekmetric discounts annual billing about 10 percent: $179 versus $199 monthly on Start, saving $240 a year. Shopmonkey offers similar annual savings: $215 versus $239 monthly, saving $288 a year. Both sell month-to-month with no long-term contracts, which matters because switching shop software mid-year is painful.
The quote-based tools (Shop-Ware, Mitchell 1, AutoFluent, Bolt On Technology, Workshop Software) negotiate terms individually. Ask whether the quote is annual-only, whether onboarding fees apply, and what happens at renewal. A $150-a-month quote that requires a 36-month contract is worse than $199 month-to-month if the software does not fit. Get the cancellation terms in writing before the demo high wears off.
The parts-catalog question nobody asks
Invoicing accuracy depends on parts and labor data flowing into the estimate. Tekmetric includes Smart Jobs and integrated parts ordering; Shopmonkey sources labor and parts data from Motor; Mitchell 1's whole advantage is ProDemand data feeding the invoice; AutoFluent offers direct ordering from tire and parts vendors. Ask each vendor where the data comes from and whether it costs extra.
A shop management system with weak parts data produces invoices with wrong prices, and wrong prices produce comebacks. During every demo, build an estimate for a real job you did last week and compare the parts prices and labor times against what you actually charged. The tool whose catalog matches your reality is the one whose invoices you can trust.
How we chose
We started with the category buyers search: auto repair invoice software, auto repair shop management software and mechanic invoicing software. For each candidate we opened the vendor's own site, confirmed the official URL from the browser address bar, and checked for published pricing. Tekmetric and Shopmonkey publish full plan prices, which we used; where prices could not be verified on the vendor's own page we wrote "See website" instead of guessing.
Frequently asked questions
How much does auto repair invoice software cost?
Published prices start at $179 a month (Tekmetric Start, billed annually) and $215 a month (Shopmonkey, billed annually). Shop-Ware, Mitchell 1, AutoFluent, Bolt On Technology and Workshop Software are quote-based. Add-ons like marketing, multi-shop and extra users can add $20 to $345 a month.
Do these tools include digital vehicle inspections?
Yes, most do. Tekmetric, Shopmonkey, Shop-Ware and Bolt On Technology all offer digital inspections with photos that customers approve by text or email. Digital approvals raise estimate acceptance rates and feed directly into the final invoice.
Can customers pay invoices by text?
Yes. Tekmetric includes text-to-pay, buy-now-pay-later and card processing. Shopmonkey includes integrated payments. AutoFluent offers automated electronic invoicing. Confirm processing rates with each vendor, since payment fees are separate from the subscription.
Is there a free trial available?
Workshop Software advertises a free trial on its homepage. Bolt On Technology sells through demos. Tekmetric, Shopmonkey, Shop-Ware, Mitchell 1 and AutoFluent do not advertise free trials; ask during the demo whether a pilot is possible.
Which tool is best for a single-location independent shop?
Tekmetric at $179 a month billed annually is the cheapest published-price option with unlimited users, and the month-to-month option at $199 removes contract risk. Shopmonkey at $215 a month adds built-in accounting and CRM. Get quotes from both plus one quote-based tool, then compare the full first-year cost including add-ons.
Sources we checked (10)
- https://www.tekmetric.com/pricing
- https://shopmonkey.io/pricing
- https://www.tekmetric.com/
- https://shop-ware.com/
- https://mitchell1.com/
- https://www.autofluent.com
- https://boltontechnology.com/
- https://workshopsoftware.com/
- https://www.g2.com/categories/auto-repair
- https://www.capterra.com/auto-repair-software/
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.