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Workshop Software vs Garage Hive
Garage Hive is a UK garage management system that also sells into Ireland and South Africa, built around Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. Workshop Software has been building automotive software since 1992, released its first version in 2013, and runs more than 9,400 users across five countries including the United Kingdom and South Africa.
Both systems sell into the same two markets, so this is a genuine head to head rather than a comparison of products that rarely meet. The differences that matter are what you can see before you talk to anyone, whether you can try the software first, and whether you want Microsoft Dynamics underneath your workshop.
What is Workshop Software?
Workshop Software is cloud workshop management software for automotive, mechanical, marine and truck repair businesses. The company has been building automotive software since 1992, released its first version in 2013, and runs more than 9,400 users across the world.
It covers job and vehicle management, booking and scheduling, estimating and invoicing, digital vehicle inspections, inventory, and reporting through Workshop Intelligence. It connects natively to Xero and QuickBooks Online on every plan, and manufacturer-verified vehicle technical data is available through WorkshopData, built on HaynesPro data, from £29 a month. Pricing is published in Australian dollars, US dollars, pounds and rand. Onboarding is included, billing is month to month, and support is 24 hour human online chat.
What is Garage Hive?
Garage Hive is garage management software for UK, Irish and South African workshops. It is built around Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, and its own material describes a choice between using Dynamics 365 as the accountancy system or integrating with Sage, Xero or QuickBooks. Vehicle technical data comes through Autodata, included in the system. Its pricing page advertises a single entry figure on a one-month rolling contract rather than published plan tiers.
The comparison at a glance
| Workshop Software | Garage Hive | |
|---|---|---|
| Published entry price | From £99 per month billed yearly, or £119 monthly | From £145 per month, checked August 2026 |
| Pricing tiers published | Yes, three plans in four currencies | Not published, one entry figure only |
| Free trial without a sales call | Yes, 14 days, no card | No |
| Contract | Month to month | One-month rolling |
| Onboarding cost | Included | Not published |
| Native Xero | Yes, every plan | Yes |
| Native QuickBooks Online | Yes, every plan | Yes |
| Native Sage | No | Yes |
| Underlying platform | Purpose-built cloud application | Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central |
| Users included | 1, then £16 per extra user | Not published |
| Vehicle technical data | WorkshopData, built on HaynesPro manufacturer data, add-on from £29 per month | Autodata, included |
| Mobile app that runs the job | Yes | Browser access on tablets and phones. No dedicated app found |
| Support | 24 hour human online chat, included | Not published |
| Markets served | Australia, New Zealand, United States, United Kingdom, South Africa | United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa |
| Published review base | 261 published reviews | None found on Capterra or G2 |
What You Can See Before You Talk to Anyone
Workshop Software publishes three plans in four currencies, and you can start a 14 day trial with no card and no call. Garage Hive advertises a single starting figure and no trial, so the next step is a conversation.
One thing worth knowing if you are comparing figures: you may still see £109 per month quoted for Garage Hive in places. That figure comes from their superseded 2021 price list, where the entry tier was £109. The current published entry point is £145 per month, which is the figure used here.
The Microsoft Dynamics Question
This is the real structural difference. Garage Hive sits on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, which brings genuine strengths: a full finance system, established reporting, and a platform your accountant may already know. If you want Dynamics as the backbone of your business, that is a sound reason to choose them.
It also brings a dependency. Dynamics is a substantial platform with its own licensing and its own learning curve, and Garage Hive does not state whether Business Central licensing is charged separately from the £145. Worth asking. Workshop Software is a purpose-built application with nothing underneath it to license or learn.
Accounting
Both connect to Xero and QuickBooks Online. Garage Hive also supports Sage, which Workshop Software does not, and Sage is common among UK bookkeepers. If your books are in Sage, that is a straightforward point in their favour.
Vehicle Technical Data
Both include manufacturer technical data rather than selling it as an add-on, which puts them ahead of most of this market. Workshop Software uses WorkshopData built on HaynesPro; Garage Hive uses Autodata. Both are credible. If your technicians have a strong preference, that preference should probably decide it.
Support
Workshop Software includes 24 hour human online chat on every plan. Garage Hive does not publish its support hours, so ask what happens outside UK business hours, particularly if you are in South Africa.
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Workshop Software if you want to see full pricing and try the software before speaking to anyone, you would rather not take on a Dynamics 365 dependency, you want support answered around the clock, or you operate beyond the UK, Ireland and South Africa.
Garage Hive may suit you better if your books are in Sage, if you want Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central as your finance backbone, or if your technicians specifically want Autodata. Those are real reasons, and if one of them describes you then we are probably not the right answer.
If pricing transparency, the free trial or round-the-clock support matter to you, the fastest way to settle it is to run your own jobs through the software for a fortnight. See pricing or start a free trial.
Still building a shortlist? See how Workshop Software compares with ten alternatives, and which shops each one suits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Garage Hive built on Microsoft Dynamics?
Yes. Garage Hive is built around Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, and offers a choice between using Dynamics 365 as the accountancy system or integrating with Sage, Xero or QuickBooks. Workshop Software is a purpose-built cloud application with no underlying platform to license separately.
Does Garage Hive offer a free trial?
No free trial is advertised on the Garage Hive site. Workshop Software offers a 14 day free trial with every feature switched on, no credit card and no sales call.
How much does Garage Hive cost?
Garage Hive advertises pricing from £145 per month on a one-month rolling contract, checked in August 2026. It does not publish plan tiers. The £109 figure still circulating comes from their superseded 2021 price list. Workshop Software publishes three plans, starting from £99 per month billed yearly or £119 monthly.
Does Garage Hive work with Xero?
Yes. Garage Hive integrates with Sage, Xero and QuickBooks, or you can use Microsoft Dynamics 365 as the accountancy system. Workshop Software connects natively to Xero and QuickBooks Online on every plan but does not support Sage.
Which countries does Garage Hive sell into?
Garage Hive operates in the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa, and has launched an international partnership programme. Workshop Software operates in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, the United Kingdom and South Africa.
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Competitor information on this page was taken from each vendor’s own published material and checked in August 2026. Where a vendor does not publish a figure, this page says so rather than estimating. Products change, so confirm current pricing and features with the vendor directly before deciding. Company names and trademarks belong to their respective owners.