Independent comparison

Garage management software compared

There isn’t one “best” system for every workshop. This guide sums up five well-known UK options: what each one focuses on, who it tends to suit, and what to ask before you buy. Use it to shortlist two or three, then talk to the vendors and see a demo.

Information here is based on what’s publicly available. Always check each provider’s own site for current pricing, features and terms. This site does not sell or endorse any product.

At a glance

Alphabetical order, not ranked

Provider	Focus	Often suits
AutoChain	Digital service history, customer portal, online booking, SMART health checks, reminders, employee management, drag-and-drop calendar, UK support.	Independent garages and small workshops that want a modern, customer-facing image and don’t need full accounting or heavy ERP. Suits owners who want to reduce paperwork and disputes by having every job recorded in one place.
Garage Data Systems	Job cards, parts, invoicing, MOT reminders, customer & vehicle history, UK support, add-ons.	Garages that want a proven, established system without the latest cloud marketing. Often a good fit for workshops that have used similar software before and want stability and UK-based support.
Garage Hive	Microsoft Dynamics, full accounting, CRM, multi-site, Power BI, workflow automation.	Larger garages, multi-site groups or businesses that want one system for both the workshop and the back office. Suits those who are already comfortable with or planning to use Microsoft tools and who have the budget for an enterprise-style platform.
Motasoft (VGM)	Online booking, reminders (SMS/email), customer portal, website bundles, job workflow.	Garages that want to fill the diary via the web and keep in touch with customers through reminders and follow-up. Good fit if you want a single supplier for both your website and your workshop software.
TechMan	Workshop diary, job control, technician allocation, parts & stock, reporting, trade integrations.	Workshops that prioritise throughput and want a system that’s widely recognised in the industry. Suits multi-bay sites and those that need detailed job tracking and reporting rather than a minimal setup.

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Digital service history, customer portal, online booking, SMART health checks, reminders, employee management, drag-and-drop calendar, UK support.

AutoChain is built around the idea that a vehicle’s service history should follow the car, not sit in one garage’s filing cabinet. The system creates a digital record that stays with the vehicle and can be viewed by the driver and by any garage in the AutoChain network. That makes it a good fit for independents who want to look as professional as the big names and who care about transparency with customers.

Main features

·Digital service history that follows the vehicle
·Customer-facing portal so drivers can see their history
·Online booking
·SMART vehicle health checks that recommend work based on results
·Drag-and-drop calendar and job management
·Reminders (MOT, service and follow-up)
·Employee management and unlimited staff on published plans
·Job management, booking and invoicing
·Cloud-based; no on-site servers
·UK support
·Monthly rolling contract; no long tie-in

Best for

Independent garages and small workshops that want a modern, customer-facing image and don’t need full accounting or heavy ERP. Suits owners who want to reduce paperwork and disputes by having every job recorded in one place.

Pricing

£69.99 per month. Published pricing with a flat fee and unlimited users. No per-seat charges. Typically offered on a monthly rolling basis so you can leave without a long notice period. Check the provider’s site for current figures.

Things to consider

Focused on workshop operations and digital service history rather than full back-office or accounts. If you need deep inventory, multi-site or full accounting inside the same system, you may need to look at something like Garage Hive or a dedicated accounts package alongside.

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Job cards, parts, invoicing, MOT reminders, customer & vehicle history, UK support, add-ons.

Garage Data Systems (GDS) has been supplying garage software in the UK for a long time. The focus is on the core workshop tasks: job cards, parts, invoicing and customer/vehicle records. The interface tends to be more traditional than some of the newer cloud-first products, which can suit garages that prefer a familiar, no-frills way of working.

Main features

·Job cards and work orders
·Parts and stock with supplier links
·Customer and vehicle history
·Invoicing and estimates
·MOT and service reminders
·Reporting
·Warranty tracking and document storage
·Optional modules and add-ons

Best for

Garages that want a proven, established system without the latest cloud marketing. Often a good fit for workshops that have used similar software before and want stability and UK-based support.

Pricing

Licence and add-on based; pricing is usually discussed with the team. Ask about upfront costs, annual fees and what happens if you need to add users or sites later.

Things to consider

Less emphasis on customer-facing portals or “digital service history that follows the car” than some newer entrants. If that’s important to you, ask what GDS offers in that space. Support and upgrade policies are worth clarifying before you sign.

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Microsoft Dynamics, full accounting, CRM, multi-site, Power BI, workflow automation.

Garage Hive sits on top of Microsoft Dynamics, so you get full garage management plus accounting, CRM and business management in one platform. It’s aimed at larger operations or groups that want everything in a single system rather than bolting a workshop package onto a separate accounts package.

Main features

·Workshop management: jobs, scheduling, technicians
·Full accounting and financials (Dynamics)
·CRM and customer management
·Parts and inventory
·Reporting and business intelligence (including Power BI)
·Multi-location and group structures
·User roles, permissions and workflow automation
·Document management and audit trails
·Integrations with Microsoft stack and third parties

Best for

Larger garages, multi-site groups or businesses that want one system for both the workshop and the back office. Suits those who are already comfortable with or planning to use Microsoft tools and who have the budget for an enterprise-style platform.

Pricing

£145+ per month. Typically licensed per user and/or per site, with Dynamics licensing on top. Implementation and training are substantial. Get a formal quote and clarify what’s included (e.g. support, updates, onboarding) before committing.

Things to consider

Powerful but complex. Can be overkill for a single-site independent. Implementation timelines and cost are higher than for lighter systems. Make sure you have internal buy-in and capacity for training and change.

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Online booking, reminders (SMS/email), customer portal, website bundles, job workflow.

Motasoft’s VGM (Vehicle Garage Management) combines workshop management with a strong focus on online booking and customer communication. That makes it a sensible option for garages that want customers to book online and that rely on reminders and follow-ups to keep the diary full.

Main features

·Online booking and diary management
·Job cards and workshop workflow
·Customer and vehicle records
·MOT and service reminders (SMS and email)
·Invoicing and estimates
·Website and marketing bundles
·Customer communications and follow-ups
·Online payment options
·Customer portal for booking and history

Best for

Garages that want to fill the diary via the web and keep in touch with customers through reminders and follow-up. Good fit if you want a single supplier for both your website and your workshop software.

Pricing

Package-based; often sold alongside website and related services. Pricing and contract length are typically discussed with the provider. Check what’s included in the base package and what’s an add-on.

Things to consider

Strength is in booking and customer contact. If you need very deep job or stock control, or full accounting in the same system, confirm what VGM covers and what you’d need to add or integrate.

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Workshop diary, job control, technician allocation, parts & stock, reporting, trade integrations.

TechMan is one of the best-known garage management systems in the UK trade. It’s built for busy workshops that want tight control over jobs, technicians and workflow. The emphasis is on getting vehicles through the bay efficiently, with strong reporting and configuration so larger or more complex operations can tailor it to their processes.

Main features

·Job cards, scheduling and technician allocation
·Workshop diary and multi-bay view
·Parts and stock management with reorder alerts
·Customer and vehicle records
·Invoicing and estimates
·Reporting and workshop analytics
·Technician timesheets and productivity tracking
·Integrations with parts suppliers and other tools
·MOT and service reminder options
·Custom workflows and configurable processes

Best for

Workshops that prioritise throughput and want a system that’s widely recognised in the industry. Suits multi-bay sites and those that need detailed job tracking and reporting rather than a minimal setup.

Pricing

£185+ per month. Tiered plans; pricing is usually discussed with the sales team. Expect to factor in implementation and possibly training. Contracts and minimum terms vary – always confirm before signing.

Things to consider

Feature-rich but can feel heavy for a very small garage. Implementation and training can take longer than lighter systems. Worth asking about data export and support response times if you’re comparing several providers.

How to choose a garage management system

Most people end up with two or three on the shortlist and decide after a demo. These steps help you compare like-for-like and avoid wasting time.

1
Decide your must-haves. For example: digital job cards, MOT reminders, stock control, full accounts or basic invoicing only. That narrows the field quickly.
2
Be honest about size and complexity. Some systems suit multi-site or multi-bay operations; others are built for a small independent. Don’t buy for a business you might become in five years if today you’re a single bay.
3
Ask to see real workflows. Get a demo that shows booking in a job, updating the customer, raising an invoice – not just a slide deck. Try it on the devices you’ll actually use (phone, tablet, PC).
4
Think about everyone who’ll use it. A system that’s a bit simpler but gets used properly is usually better than a complex one that only one person understands. Ask about training and support, and who pays for it.

Questions worth asking every provider: How is pricing structured (per user, per site, per bay)? What does onboarding look like for a typical UK garage? Can we export our data if we ever leave? What support hours do you offer, and is it UK-based?

This page is an independent comparison based on publicly available information. It is not a rating or endorsement of any product. Product names and logos are property of their respective owners. Always confirm pricing, features and contract terms with each provider before making a decision.