Tekmetric alternative for a one-truck shop: an honest side-by-side
Where the big systems win, and where a one-truck shop fits. Tekmetric is strong software for multi-bay shops. If you work out of a van, here’s what changes.
Start Free — no cardFree plan: 5 invoices a month. No card. No clock. Paid plans include a 14-day trial.
Jump to the comparison ↓The 20-second answer
- Choose Tekmetric if you run a fixed shop with bays, a service writer and several techs, and you want unlimited users, a big integration list (parts suppliers, QuickBooks) and a large review base behind you.
- Look at GARAGE if you’re one person (or one helper) working out of a van or a 1–2 bay shop, you want to start free without a sales demo, and you often work where the signal drops out.
- Not sure? GARAGE’s free plan takes no card and has no clock. Run your next five invoices on it and decide with real jobs, not a demo.
Tekmetric vs GARAGE, compared honestly
| Category | Tekmetric | GARAGE |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Independent and multi-location repair shops | Mobile mechanics and 1–2 bay shops |
| Starting price | $199/mo, or $179/mo billed yearly (Start) | $0 Free plan · Solo $49/mo, or $41/mo billed yearly |
| Higher tiers | Grow $349 ($309 yearly) · Scale $439 ($409 yearly) · Enterprise: custom | Solo Pro $89 ($74 yearly) · Shop $119, 3 users |
| Try before paying | Free demos and self-guided tours. No free trial (their FAQ) | Free plan, no card, 5 invoices/mo, no time limit. Paid plans include a 14-day trial |
| Contract | No long-term contract (their FAQ) | Month-to-month or yearly. No contract |
| Users | Unlimited users on every plan | Solo plans: one login · Shop: 3 users |
| No signal / outage | Their FAQ: during an outage, “switch to tethering with a cellular device”. It runs “on connection speeds as low as 1mb per second” | Write up jobs, line items and the PDF estimate with zero bars. Invoice and send once you’re back in range. (Sending, VIN lookup and opening customer pages need a signal.) |
| Phone use | Browser-based (their FAQ says it works on your phone), plus a mobile app for check-in, inspections, VIN scan and the job board | Installs from the browser on iPhone + Android. Jobs and estimates keep working on the phone with no signal |
| Parts ordering | ✅ Integrations with PartsTech, Nexpart, Worldpac and more (50+ integrations). Integrated parts ordering is included on every plan (see their pricing) | ❌ Not built in. You price parts yourself |
| Payments | ✅ Integrated payments (text-to-pay, card terminal) appear in their plan comparison (see their pricing) | Track payments against each invoice. Built-in card processing isn’t available yet |
| QuickBooks | ✅ Integration | Not yet. QuickBooks Online sync is coming soon |
| Reviews | ✅ 100+ reviews on Capterra (Oct 2026) | New. No public reviews yet. We won’t fake them |
| Support | Phone and email, weekdays and Saturdays (hours in their FAQ) | Email. A real person reads every email |
Tekmetric prices and terms are from tekmetric.com/pricing and /faq, checked October 1, 2026. Prices change, so check theirs before you decide.
Start Free — no cardRun your next 5 invoices on it.
Where Tekmetric is the better choice
We’d rather you pick the right tool than the wrong one from us:
- Parts suppliers wired in. If you order parts all day from several suppliers, Tekmetric’s supplier integrations save real time. GARAGE doesn’t do that.
- A crew. Unlimited users on every plan suits a shop with techs, a service writer and a manager. GARAGE’s solo plans are one login.
- Proof. Over 100 shops have reviewed Tekmetric on Capterra alone. GARAGE is new, and we’d rather say so than invent testimonials.
- Everything in one system. Integrated payments, plus two-way texting on their higher tiers, for shops that want it all under one login.
If that’s your shop, Tekmetric is a strong pick. Honestly.
Where GARAGE fits better: a Tekmetric alternative for a one-truck shop
You can start today, without a demo. Tekmetric offers demos, not trials. GARAGE has a free plan: sign up from your phone in the driveway, no card, and run real jobs this week.
The math is different for one person. Tekmetric starts at $179–199 a month for the whole shop, with unlimited users. That’s a good deal for a crew. If the crew is you, GARAGE Solo is $49 a month, and the free plan is $0. See GARAGE pricing.
Dead zones. Tekmetric’s FAQ suggests tethering to a phone during an outage. With zero bars you can write up the job and its line items. Invoice and send once you’re back in range. See how the mobile mechanic software works with no signal.
Built by someone who works out of a van. GARAGE’s founder, Javier Ramos, is a USAF veteran and mobile mechanic in Middle Georgia. He built it for his own business first.
Founding Shops: we move your customers in. Switching is the hard part. Send us your customer list (a spreadsheet, or a photo of it) and we import it within 48 hours. Keep your old invoices as PDFs. The first 25 paying shops also get their price locked for life.
Start Free — no cardQuestions & Answers
Everything you need to know about GARAGE
01 Is GARAGE cheaper than Tekmetric?
02 Does Tekmetric have a free trial?
03 Does Tekmetric work offline?
04 Can I move my customers from Tekmetric to GARAGE?
05 Does GARAGE order parts like Tekmetric?
06 Is GARAGE affiliated with Tekmetric?
Try it on your next job, not in a demo.
Free plan. No card. No clock.
Start Free — no cardPaid plans include a 14-day trial · Month-to-month · Built in Middle Georgia
Tekmetric is a trademark of its owner. GARAGE is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Tekmetric. Comparison info from public sources, checked October 1, 2026.