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Auto Repair Shop Software in 2026: Pricing, Features & Buyer's Guide

Updated 8 min readShopOS

Updated September 22, 2026 · Verified September 22, 2026 · Next review: December 2026. Disclosure: published by Autograff, maker of Autograff ShopOS — one of the platforms compared. Every claim is labeled by how we know it.

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Auto repair shop software is software that manages the day-to-day workflow of a repair business, including customer and vehicle records, estimates, repair orders, scheduling, inspections, parts, invoicing, payments and customer communication. The right system depends on the shop's size, number of users, vehicle types, workflow, integrations and budget. There is no single best auto repair shop software for every business. We compared six major shop-management platforms using published pricing, vendor documentation, and independent corroboration where available, as of September 22, 2026.

The six platforms:

  • Autograff ShopOS — repair-shop management for independent and multi-location shops and mobile mechanics; flat per-shop pricing
  • Tekmetric — multi-location management and reporting
  • Shopmonkey — integrated workflow and customer texting
  • AutoLeap — shop management with marketing/retention
  • Shop-Ware — customer communications and video inspections (DVX)
  • Fullbay — heavy-duty and diesel shops

This is a comparison, not a ranking. A feature being unavailable or not publicly documented is not treated as a negative.

What is auto repair shop software?

Software that runs the operational workflow of a repair business: customer and vehicle records, estimates, repair orders, scheduling, digital inspections, parts, invoicing, payments, and customer communication.

It's a distinct category from — and usually runs alongside — these:

  • Repair information / diagnostics

    Examples
    ALLDATA, Identifix, Mitchell 1 ProDemand
    Relationship
    OEM procedures, wiring diagrams, labor times

  • Accounting

    Examples
    QuickBooks, Xero
    Relationship
    Shop software syncs invoices/payments; it isn't your books

  • Parts catalogs & suppliers

    Examples
    NexPart, AutoZone
    Relationship
    Parts lookup and ordering feed into the estimate

  • Repair-info + management hybrids

    Examples
    Mitchell 1 Manager SE, NAPA TRACS
    Relationship
    Combine management with a vendor's repair/parts ecosystem

  • Fleet management

    Examples
    Fleetio, Samsara, FleetOS
    Relationship
    For fleet operators, not individual repair shops

Autograff ShopOS is an auto repair shop management system for repair shops — booking, estimates, inspections, parts, invoicing, and payments in one platform, with an AI layer on its Pro tier.

Auto repair software pricing in 2026

  • Autograff ShopOS

    Monthly entry
    $100
    Annual entry
    $90
    Top published base
    $350
    Migration
    Included (free)
    AI receptionist
    Included on Pro
    Ev.

  • Tekmetric

    Monthly entry
    $199
    Annual entry
    $179
    Top published base
    $439
    Migration
    $750 legacy*
    AI receptionist
    Not established
    Ev.

  • AutoLeap

    Monthly entry
    $199
    Annual entry
    $179
    Top published base
    $449
    Migration
    Setup fee, n/c
    AI receptionist
    AIR add-on (+$99/mo)
    Ev.

  • Shopmonkey

    Monthly entry
    $239
    Annual entry
    $215
    Top published base
    $499
    Migration
    $500
    AI receptionist
    Not established
    Ev.

  • Shop-Ware

    Monthly entry
    $279
    Annual entry
    $251
    Top published base
    $499 (Master)
    Migration
    May apply, n/c
    AI receptionist
    Not established
    Ev.

  • Fullbay

    Monthly entry
    n/c
    Annual entry
    n/c
    Top published base
    n/c
    Migration
    Fee applies, n/c
    AI receptionist
    Not established
    Ev.
    /
Prices checked September 22, 2026. "n/c" / "Not established" means we couldn't establish a public figure — not that the feature is unavailable. *Legacy/unsupported systems, via a third party; see Migration below.

Lowest entry price: among the six platforms reviewed, ShopOS has the only published starting price of $100/month or less — the next-lowest is $199.

What it costs as you add technicians

Entry plan, monthly — this is where flat vs per-user pricing separates:

  • Autograff ShopOS Base

    3 techs
    $100
    15 techs
    $100
    Ev.

  • Tekmetric Start

    3 techs
    $199
    15 techs
    $199
    Ev.

  • AutoLeap Essentials

    3 techs
    $199
    15 techs
    $199
    Ev.

  • Shopmonkey Basic

    3 techs
    $239
    15 techs
    $479
    Ev.

  • Shop-Ware Startup

    3 techs
    $279
    15 techs
    $279
    Ev.

Top plan, monthly — all features:

  • Autograff ShopOS Pro

    3 techs
    $350
    15 techs
    $350
    Ev.

  • Tekmetric Scale

    3 techs
    $439
    15 techs
    $439
    Ev.

  • AutoLeap Elite

    3 techs
    $449
    15 techs
    $449
    Ev.

  • Shop-Ware Master

    3 techs
    $499
    15 techs
    $499
    Ev.

  • Shopmonkey Genius

    3 techs
    $499
    15 techs
    $699
    Ev.

ShopOS, Tekmetric, and Shop-Ware are flat with unlimited users; AutoLeap is flat per tier; Shopmonkey is per-user ($239 for up to 3 users, +$20/user/month — ~$479 at 15 on Basic, and $699 at 15 on Genius, which includes 5). AutoLeap's AIR receptionist adds +$99/mo. Among the six, ShopOS is the lowest at both entry ($100) and top-tier ($350) at every shop size.

What will it actually cost me?

Each vendor's entry tier per month for one shop, from its published prices, with what that price leaves out underneath. Estimates only — confirm with each vendor.

AI receptionist
Billing

Only Shopmonkey prices per user, so adding technicians moves its figure alone. Autograff ShopOS, Tekmetric, AutoLeap and Shop-Ware are flat per shop at any headcount.

  1. Autograff ShopOS

    Base, monthly billing

    Unlimited users. Migration free, done for you.

    Not included at this price

    • Higher tier: Pro ($350) — adds the AI receptionist, AI insights and AI copilot.
    • Two-way texting: not offered.
    $100/mo

  2. Tekmetric

    Start, monthly billing

    Unlimited users and unlimited DVI from entry. No native AI receptionist established.

    Not included at this price

    • Higher tier: Scale ($439) — the only tier with two-way texting.
    • QuickBooks: via third-party Accounting Link (priced separately).
    • Multi-shop: +$70/shop. Tire Suite: +$39/shop. Legacy-system migration: $750 via The Back Office.
    $199/mo

  3. Shopmonkey

    Basic + 1 extra user, monthly billing

    Basic includes 3 users; your 4 users add $20/mo. Texting on every tier; no native AI receptionist established.

    Not included at this price

    • Higher tiers: Clever ($399, 4 users) — adds unlimited DVI templates and native QuickBooks · Genius ($499, 5 users).
    • Every user over 3: +$20/user/month ($20 of the figure above).
    • Data migration: one-time $500 on every plan.
    $259/mo

  4. AutoLeap

    Essentials, monthly billing

    User/login policy not clearly published. Setup fee not published.

    Not included at this price

    • Higher tiers: Pro ($349) — adds two-way texting and QuickBooks · Elite ($449) — adds DVI with images, video and voice notes.
    • AIR AI receptionist: +$99/mo add-on.
    • Payments and marketing: paid add-ons. Setup fee (includes migration): amount not published.
    $199/mo

  5. Shop-Ware

    Startup, monthly billing

    Unlimited users. No native AI receptionist established.

    Not included at this price

    • Higher tiers: Pro ($389) — adds two-way texting · Master ($499) · Ultimate+ ($999, bundles marketing services).
    • QuickBooks: via third-party Accounting Link (fee may apply).
    • Migration: fees may apply, amount not published.
    $279/mo

  6. Fullbay

    Quote required

    Pricing not published. Heavy-duty and diesel shops only.

    Quote
Assumptions behind these numbers

Autograff ShopOS

  • Base tier at $100 per shop per month.
  • Priced per shop. There is no per-seat charge and no multi-location surcharge; each location is its own subscription.
  • No setup fee and no migration fee.

Tekmetric

  • Start tier at $199 per shop per month; unlimited users.
  • Priced per shop. Multi-shop is +$70 per shop on top, not included.
  • QuickBooks via the third-party Accounting Link. Migrating from a legacy or unsupported system is $750.

Shopmonkey

  • A one-time $500 data migration fee applies on every plan. It is shown under the monthly figure, not added to it: the starting point for a shop that wants to onboard and migrate is higher than the sticker.
  • Basic tier at $239 per location per month, including 3 users.
  • Users are technicians plus advisors (4): 1 over the included 3, at $20 each, for $259 in total.
  • Basic caps digital inspections at 2 templates and has no native QuickBooks sync; both need Clever ($399/$359), which is not assumed here.

AutoLeap

  • Essentials tier at $199 per shop per month.
  • AIR, the AI receptionist add-on ($99/mo), not included.
  • Priced per shop.
  • AutoLeap confirms a one-time setup fee that includes data migration but does not publish the amount, so none is included here.
  • Payments and marketing are paid add-ons on top of the plan; no amount is included for either.

Shop-Ware

  • Startup tier at $279 per shop per month.
  • Priced per shop; unlimited users.
  • Master ($499) and the $999 Ultimate+ marketing bundle are not assumed. QuickBooks via the third-party Accounting Link, not included.

Fullbay

  • No published price; the vendor quotes per shop.

Competitor prices are the vendors' published list prices as of September 2026 and are estimates only; confirm with each vendor. One-time setup and migration fees are never added to the monthly figure; see the migration section above. Payment-processing rates, SMS overages, accounting-link subscriptions and hardware are excluded throughout. Every figure is for one shop.

How we compared these platforms

Every factual claim carries an evidence level:

How each claim is known

Hands-on
Tested directly by Autograff.
Vendor documented
Published by the vendor or in its documentation.
Corroborated
Independently supported by another credible source.
Not established
We couldn’t establish it from available documentation (“n/c” or “not published,” never guessed).

Pricing and features were checked September 22, 2026; confirm current terms with each vendor before purchasing.

Features that affect the real cost

  • Two-way texting: Tekmetric gates it to Scale ($439/mo, $409 on annual billing); AutoLeap to Pro ($349/mo, $309 on annual billing); Fullbay caps it at 300 texts/mo; Shopmonkey includes it on every tier.
  • Digital inspections (DVI): Shopmonkey Basic caps at 2 templates (unlimited on Clever, $359); Tekmetric includes them; AutoLeap DVI includes images, video, and voice notes; Shop-Ware offers its Digital Vehicle Experience (DVX); ShopOS is photo-only. /
  • Accounting: QuickBooks is native on Shopmonkey (Clever+), AutoLeap (Pro+), and Fullbay (Pro); via third-party Accounting Link on Tekmetric and Shop-Ware.
  • Add-ons: on AutoLeap, payments and marketing are paid add-ons on top of the plan, as is the AIR receptionist (+$99/mo) — budget for them if you need them. Tekmetric adds +$70/shop for multi-shop and +$39/shop for its Tire Suite.

Migration and the cost of switching

Migration is often the biggest first-month cost, and it rarely shows on the pricing page. Switching systems also involves more than the subscription — budget for migration fees, historical-data availability, training, setup time, integration changes, active repair orders, and customer-communication history.

  • Autograff ShopOS — free, done-for-you in onboarding; historical records come over.
  • Tekmetric — $750 to migrate from a legacy/unsupported system, via a third party (The Back Office), $750 per additional migration. Documented limit: active repair orders are not copied and must be re-entered. (Tekmetric — The Back Office)
  • Shopmonkey — one-time $500 fee. (source)
  • AutoLeap — "There is a one-time fee to help you get set up which includes your dedicated implementation plan, full data migration, hands-on team training" — amount not published, but a fee applies. (source)
  • Shop-Ware — migration and Accounting Link fees may apply, amounts not published. (source)
  • Fullbay — fee applies, amount not disclosed. /

Among the six platforms reviewed, ShopOS was the only one for which we found publicly documented no-charge migration as of September 22, 2026.

AI in auto repair shop software

"AI" means different things. It's worth separating three categories:

  • Receptionist AI — answers calls, books appointments, handles routine questions.
  • Operational AI — automates follow-ups, workflows, and data tasks.
  • Analytical AI — surfaces trends, bottlenecks, and revenue opportunities.

The useful questions aren't whether a platform says it has AI, but: what does it actually do, is it native or third-party, and is it included or an add-on?

  • Autograff ShopOS

    AI receptionist
    ✓ native (Pro)
    Operational
    ✓ migration + workflow
    Analytical
    ✓ Insights + Copilot
    Ev.

  • AutoLeap

    AI receptionist
    ✓ AIR (+$99/mo)
    Operational
    Not established
    Analytical
    Not established
    Ev.

  • Tekmetric / Shopmonkey / Shop-Ware

    AI receptionist
    Not established
    Operational
    Not established
    Analytical
    Not established
    Ev.
    /

Platform by platform

Documented capabilities, not a ranking. "Not established" means we did not verify that capability — not that it's absent.

Autograff ShopOS — ①

  • Category: repair-shop management for independent and multi-location shops and mobile mechanics
  • Notable capabilities: flat per-shop pricing; unlimited users; full workflow in one system; native AI on Pro
  • Potential limitation: newer than several established competitors; photo-based (not video) DVI; some integrations still arriving (accounting integrations and parts and suppliers in progress)
Autograff ShopOS — the job board, as illustrated on the ShopOS page (not a screenshot)

Tekmetric — ②③

  • Category: independent and multi-shop management
  • Notable capabilities: unlimited DVI from entry, unlimited users, multi-shop management, reporting
  • Potential limitation: two-way texting only at Scale ($439/mo); QuickBooks via third-party Accounting Link (~$50/mo); +$70/shop multi-shop, +$39/shop Tire Suite

Shopmonkey — ②③

  • Category: general shop management
  • Notable capabilities: texting on every tier, native QuickBooks (Clever+), publishes processing rates, heavy-duty add-on
  • Potential limitation: DVI capped at 2 templates on Basic; per-user pricing climbs with headcount

AutoLeap — ②③

  • Category: shop management with marketing/retention focus
  • Notable capabilities: native QuickBooks (Pro+), AIR AI receptionist (+$99/mo), DVI with images/video/voice notes
  • Potential limitation: features vary by tier; texting at Pro; payments and marketing are paid add-ons; user/login policy not clearly published — confirm with AutoLeap

Shop-Ware — ②

  • Category: customer-experience-focused shop management
  • Notable capabilities: Digital Vehicle Experience (DVX) and customer approvals; unlimited users; publishes Startup/Pro/Master/Ultimate+ tiers ($279–$999)
  • Potential limitation: texting at Pro; migration and Accounting Link fees may apply

Fullbay — ②/④

  • Category: heavy-duty / diesel shop management
  • Notable capabilities: purpose-built for commercial trucks; native QuickBooks (Pro)
  • Potential limitation: not for light-duty; pricing not published

Match software to your requirements

  • Flat pricing, unlimited users

    Platforms with documented support
    Autograff ShopOS, Tekmetric, Shop-Ware (AutoLeap is flat per tier)

  • Multi-location management

    Platforms with documented support
    Tekmetric, Shopmonkey, AutoLeap, Shop-Ware

  • Native AI receptionist

    Platforms with documented support
    Autograff ShopOS, AutoLeap

  • Heavy-duty / diesel

    Platforms with documented support
    Fullbay

  • Digital inspections with video/media

    Platforms with documented support
    AutoLeap (images, video, voice notes); Shop-Ware (DVX)

  • A repair-information ecosystem

    Platforms with documented support
    Mitchell 1 / related platforms

  • Included migration

    Platforms with documented support
    Autograff ShopOS

Choosing software for a 1–3 bay shop

For a small independent shop, compare — at your actual user count:

  • Total monthly cost
  • DVI availability and limits
  • Two-way texting
  • Payments
  • Migration
  • Accounting integration
  • Mobile workflow
  • AI receptionist cost

Missed calls are the usual reason a small shop looks at an AI receptionist — the ShopOS ROI calculator runs the math on your numbers.

Frequently asked questions

How much does auto repair shop software cost?
Among the six reviewed, published entry pricing ran $100–$279/month and top base plans up to ~$499, though several vendors don't publish all pricing. ShopOS starts at $100/month ($90 annual).
What should I budget for migration?
From included/no-charge to disclosed fees of $500–$750; some vendors don't publish the amount.
Do these systems include accounting?
Some integrate natively with QuickBooks; others use a third-party link.
Do I need an AI receptionist?
Only if missed calls or repetitive phone questions are a real problem. Compare the cost against the calls and admin it would replace.
What is DVI?
Digital vehicle inspection — findings documented with photos or video and sent to the customer for review.
How often should I re-check pricing?
At least before purchasing; pricing and features change.

Seven questions to ask before buying

  1. One location or several?
  2. Physical bays or mobile?
  3. Just you or a team?
  4. Light-duty or heavy-duty?
  5. From paper, or switching systems?
  6. Which integrations are non-negotiable?
  7. What's costing you the most money right now? Buy for that first.

The bottom line

The practical way to choose shop-management software is to compare the workflows and costs that matter to your shop: user count, migration, DVI, texting, payments, accounting, integrations, vehicle type, and multi-location requirements. Prices and features change, so verify the current plan and migration terms before signing.

For shops evaluating ShopOS specifically, its documented differentiators in this comparison are flat per-shop pricing, unlimited users, included migration, and AI features on Pro.

Related guides

Sources & verification

Vendor pricing and documentation: Autograff ShopOS · Tekmetric · AutoLeap · Shopmonkey · Shop-Ware . Migration: Tekmetric / The Back Office $750 · Shopmonkey $500 · AutoLeap setup fee · Shop-Ware . Competitor pricing and capabilities reviewed September 22, 2026 — verify current terms with each vendor before purchasing.

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