Free Auto Repair Shop Software, and What Free Really Means
Most shop software that says free means a demo or a trial with a clock on it. Shop Desk has a free plan with no clock and no card. Here is what is in it, what is not, and how it compares.
Free plan, not a trial. No card. We look at every new shop ourselves and switch it on, usually the same day.
Free Plan, Free Trial, Free Demo
When you search for free shop software, you get three different things wearing the same word. It is worth knowing which one you are looking at before you put a single customer into it.
A free demo
Somebody shows you the software on a call. You do not get to use it. This is what most of the big systems mean.
A free trial
You use it for a set number of days, then you pay or you lose access. Your data is stuck inside when the clock runs out.
A free plan
You use it for as long as you like at no cost. You pay only if you want the parts that cost money to run, like a texting number.
What the Big Systems Offer for Free
We read each company's own pricing page on 3 October 2026. None of the three biggest names offered a free plan.
| Free plan | Free trial | Lowest paid plan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shop Desk | Yes, no card | Not needed | Pro, $149 a month |
| Tekmetric | No | No. Their page says demos, not free trials | Start, $199 a month ($179 on annual) |
| Shopmonkey | No | Not stated on the pricing page | Basic, $239 a month ($215 on annual) |
| AutoLeap | No | No. Their page says they do not offer one | Essentials, $199 a month ($179 on annual) |
From each company's own website on 3 October 2026. Check their current pages before you decide.
What You Get on Shop Desk Free
The free plan is the desk itself. It is the same software our own shop runs on, not a cut down copy.
- The job board, with the stuck work counted at the top
- Quotes priced off your own labor rate and parts markup
- Approvals the customer signs on their own phone
- Digital inspections and a photo hub you can search
- The customer page, with no app and no password
- VIN decode, recall lookups and the repair AI
What Pro Adds, and Why It Costs Money
Pro is $149 a month. It covers the things that cost us money to run for you. A texting number has a carrier bill, and the automations that text your customers run on it.
On Pro you get your own texting number, which we set up. The missed call text back and the follow up texts run on that number. Invoicing and payroll are on Pro, and card payments are switched on after a short setup call for your own payment gateway.
Free
$0
Forever. Not a trial, and no card at sign up.
- The job board, quotes and the technician walk
- Quotes the customer approves and signs on their phone
- Digital inspections and the photo hub
- The customer page, with no app and no password
- VIN decode, recall lookups and the repair AI
Pro
$149
A month. A little under $5 a day.
- Everything in Free
- Your own texting number, set up by us
- Missed call text back and the follow up texts
- Invoicing and payroll on flat rate, hourly or commission
- Card payments on your own gateway, after a short setup call
Prices read from our own sign up page on 3 October 2026. Cancel at the end of any month. Cash, check and transfer can always be recorded against an invoice. Taking cards needs your shop on its own payment gateway, which is a short call with us, so it does not happen on day one.
What Free Software Usually Leaves Out
Free tools for shops tend to skip the same things, and ours is no different on some of them. Here is the honest list for Shop Desk on 3 October 2026.
- Texting from your own number. That is Pro, because a number costs money every month.
- Parts catalog search and ordering. Not built on any plan yet.
- Accounting sync. There is no QuickBooks connection.
- Card payments on day one. They need a setup call, on Pro.
- Store apps. It installs from the browser instead.
How to Pick Free Software You Will Not Regret
Can you leave?
Ask how you get your data out. If the answer is a fee or a form, keep looking. Ours is ask and we hand it over.
Is it a plan or a clock?
A trial that ends in fourteen days is a sales tool. A free plan is a product.
Does it work on a phone?
Open it on your phone before you sign anything. Most of a small shop's day happens away from a desk.
What is the first paid step?
Know what the paid plan costs and what it adds, so the jump is not a surprise.
Questions About Free Shop Software
What is the best free software for auto repair shops?
Is there a free version of Tekmetric or Shopmonkey?
Do I need a credit card to start Shop Desk free?
Can I get ALLDATA for free?
What happens if I outgrow the free plan?
Keep Reading
- Auto Repair Shop SoftwareFree to start, built in our own shop
- Mobile Mechanic SoftwareRun the van from your phone
- Missed Call Text BackAnswer the call you could not take
- Shop Desk vs TekmetricFor a small or mobile shop
- Shop Desk vs ShopmonkeySeats, fees and texting
- Shop Desk vs AutoLeapSetup fees and the AI phone
- How to Start a Mobile Mechanic BusinessThe order to do it in
Ask a Mechanic Who Uses It
Not ready to sign up? Tell us how your shop runs and what your software gets wrong today. One of us will call you back, and we will tell you straight if Shop Desk is not the right fit.
- A person reads it, usually the same day
- No sales sequence and no drip emails
- We run our own shop on this software
Rather email? Write to hello@yourshopdesk.com