Buyer's guide · Prices checked 13 November 2026
Prices, contracts, setup fees and integrations for seven garage management systems used by UK workshops, side by side, so you can shortlist the right one for your garage.
Full disclosure: we make Garage Invoice, one of the systems below. To keep this fair, every fact about the other products comes from their own websites, and each price is dated. Prices and features change, so check with the vendor before you buy.
The short answer
There isn't one best system for every workshop. It depends on your size, your budget and which parts suppliers and accounts package you already use.
Side by side
Starting prices as published on each vendor's website on 13 November 2026. "Not stated" means we couldn't find it on their site, not that the product can't do it.
| Software | From (per month) | Setup fee | Contract | Try before buying | Online booking | Parts or technical data links | Accounting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garage Invoice | £50 + VAT (or £500 a year) | None | None, cancel any time | Live demo | Yes | No | Live sync: Xero, QuickBooks, Sage, FreeAgent |
| GarageDash | £29 | Not stated | Monthly, cancel any time | 7-day trial (card needed) | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| SeSar | £89.99 | None | Monthly, cancel any time | 14-day trial | Yes | Not stated | Sage, Xero, QuickBooks |
| Garage Hive | £154 | Not stated | One-month rolling | Not stated | Yes | GSF, Dingbro, Autodata | Sage, Xero, QuickBooks, Dynamics 365 |
| GDS | £149 | £350 to £1,500 | Not stated | Not stated | Coming soon | NAPA, HaynesPro | Sync: Xero, Sage, QuickBooks |
| TechMan | Quote only | Flexi plan only | Minimum term, or 30-day rolling | Not stated | Pro plan | Euro Car Parts, GSF, NAPA, Dingbro, Autodata, HaynesPro | Exports |
| Autowork Go | Quote only | Not stated | Not stated | Demo on request | Yes | Not stated | Not stated |
Only Garage Invoice says its price excludes VAT; the other vendors don't say either way. GDS charges extra credits for SMS, VRM and HaynesPro lookups. Scroll the table sideways on a phone.
The systems in detail
Who each one suits, what it costs and the things worth knowing before you book a demo.
£50 a month or £500 a year, plus VAT
Best for: small garages and mobile mechanics who want bookings, job cards, inspections, invoices and reminders in one browser-based system, with no tiers or setup fee.
Includes: unlimited staff logins, online booking, digital inspections, customer portal, quotes with online approval, stock, VRM and postcode lookups, live sync with Xero, QuickBooks, Sage and FreeAgent, and free data import.
Good to know: no parts supplier catalogue, labour times or MOT Testing Service link, and no native app (it runs in the browser on any device). Free unlimited SMS needs your own Android phone. There's a shared live demo rather than a free trial.
Try the live demo ↗From £29 a month per garage
Best for: independent garages and mobile mechanics who want the lowest monthly cost.
Includes: unlimited users, booking calendar, digital health checks, job sheets, quotes and invoices, parts stock with low-stock alerts, and a technician mode that hides prices. Browser app plus a Windows app.
Good to know: no accounting or parts supplier integrations are advertised. The 7-day trial needs a payment card.
Visit GarageDash ↗£89.99 a month, everything included
Best for: workshops, MOT centres and mobile mechanics who want one all-inclusive price and a free trial.
Includes: unlimited users, SMS and VRM lookups, 24/7 online booking, ramp scheduling, digital health checks, MOT reminders by SMS, and Sage, Xero and QuickBooks integration. No setup fee or contract.
Good to know: no parts catalogue or technical data integrations are listed. Optional extras include an AI receptionist (£99 a month) and a website (£45 a month).
Visit SeSar ↗From £154 a month
Best for: busier independents and multi-site groups that want deep integrations.
Includes: online booking with a live diary, electronic VHC, MOT and service reminders, VRM lookup and MOT history, multi-location support, GSF, Dingbro and Autodata links, and Sage, Xero, QuickBooks and Microsoft Dynamics 365. One-month rolling contract.
Good to know: the highest published starting price here, and the site doesn't say what the starting price covers.
Visit Garage Hive ↗From £149 a month, plus £350 to £1,500 setup
Best for: established workshops, and commercial or heavy vehicle workshops through its Commercial Vehicle Manager.
Includes: bookings linked to job sheets, VHC, MOT and service reminders, VRM lookup, stock, card payments, NAPA parts and HaynesPro, and automatic sync with Xero, Sage and QuickBooks. Cloud and desktop versions.
Good to know: SMS, VRM and HaynesPro lookups use paid credits. Online booking for customers is listed as coming soon.
Visit GDS ↗Price on request
Best for: garages that order parts and look up technical data all day.
Includes: four tiers. Links to Euro Car Parts, GSF, NAPA and Dingbro, HaynesPro on every tier and Autodata from Lite. Digital check sheets and a customer portal from Advanced; online booking on Pro. Discounts for some parts supplier customers and RAC Approved Garages.
Good to know: the cheaper plan has a minimum term; the 30-day rolling plan has a setup fee. Accounting is by export.
Visit TechMan ↗Price on request
Best for: independent garages and tyre businesses that want a system from a large software company.
Includes: cloud-based online booking, vehicle health checks, DVLA lookups with MOT data, automatic SMS and email job updates, and stock and tyre availability.
Good to know: no public pricing and few named integrations. Klipboard also sells Autowork Online and Autowork One, so check which product you're being quoted for.
Visit Autowork Go ↗Shortlist two or three systems, then check these six things before you sign up.
Questions
It's software that runs the admin side of a garage: bookings, job cards, vehicle inspections, quotes, invoices, payments, MOT and service reminders, and customer and vehicle records. Most UK systems now run in a web browser, so you can use them on a computer, tablet or phone.
Published prices in this comparison range from £29 to £154 a month or more, and two vendors only give prices on request. Some add setup fees of up to £1,500 or charge for SMS and registration lookups, so compare the total yearly cost, not just the monthly price.
Free systems exist, but they're usually limited, unsupported or paid for with ads. If you're just starting out, a free garage invoice template covers invoicing, and a free trial or live demo lets you try a full system before paying.
Only if you order parts many times a day. Built-in links to suppliers such as Euro Car Parts or GSF let you price and order parts from the job. Smaller garages often manage fine with a saved parts list and stock control.
Usually, yes. Ask each vendor what they can import, such as customers, vehicles, job history and invoices, and whether they charge for it. Garage Invoice imports your data free of charge.
Open the demo garage and look around bookings, job cards, inspections and invoices. No sign-up or payment card needed.
