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Workshop Software vs Hoist
Workshop Software has been building automotive software since 1992, released its first version in 2013, and runs more than 9,400 users across the world. Hoist is a New Zealand system that shipped its first version in April 2026 and sells only into New Zealand. This page compares the two on features, pricing, accounting, mobile apps, vehicle technical data and support, so you can see exactly what each one does.
What is Workshop Software?
Workshop Software is cloud workshop management software for independent automotive workshops, mechanical repairers and multi-site groups. It runs your booking diary and workboard, job cards, quoting and invoicing, inventory, electronic inspections, automated service reminders and a customer portal, with reporting through Workshop Intelligence. It connects natively to Xero and QuickBooks Online on every plan, and is a listed app on the Intuit QuickBooks App Store. Intuit reviews listed apps against its published technical and security requirements, and runs its own security scan of them every year. Vehicle technical data is available through WorkshopData, powered by HaynesPro, inside the job card. There are free native apps for iOS and Android, and on Gold and above the app carries the full job workflow. Pricing starts at AUD $99 per month on annual billing. There is a 14 day free trial with full features and no credit card required, and no lock-in contract. See full pricing for your region.
What is Hoist?
Hoist is a cloud workshop management system from Hoist Software Limited, a New Zealand company founded in 2023. Its changelog records a single release, version 1.0.0 in April 2026, covering work orders, scheduling, invoicing and customer management. Its tagline is “Workshop software without the paper job cards”. Hoist sells only into New Zealand, prices in New Zealand dollars and hosts data in New Zealand. It runs one flat plan at NZD $140 plus GST per month with three users included and extra users at NZD $10, discounted to NZD $80 plus GST for a new customer’s first six months. It integrates with Xero, Carjam for vehicle lookups and Verifone EFTPOS. There is no mobile app, no QuickBooks integration, no vehicle technical data, no parts supplier integrations, no barcode scanning and no multi-site support.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Workshop Software | Hoist |
|---|---|---|
| Native Xero integration | Yes, every plan | Yes, two-way |
| QuickBooks Online | Yes, and a listed app on the Intuit QuickBooks App Store | No |
| Vehicle technical data | WorkshopData, powered by HaynesPro, from AUD $69/month. No other Australian workshop system offers it. | No |
| Electronic inspections | Yes, Gold and above | Yes, WOF and service checks with photos |
| Native mobile app | Yes, free on iOS and Android, with the full job workflow | No. Runs in a mobile browser |
| Reporting and analytics | Workshop Intelligence, included on Gold and Platinum | Basic reports only |
| Website builder | WorkshopWeb, included with Platinum | No |
| Integrated payments | WorkshopPay, including pay by text or email | HoistPay, EFTPOS, card and pay by link |
| Parts supplier integrations | Burson EzyParts, Repco Navigator Pro, PartsTech and more | No |
| Barcode scanning | Yes | No |
| Multi-site and franchise | Yes, on Platinum | No |
| Public API | Yes, on Platinum | No |
| Markets served | Australia, New Zealand, the United States, the United Kingdom and South Africa | New Zealand only |
| Independent reviews | 261 across Google, Capterra and the Xero App Store | None |
| Free trial | 14 days, no credit card | 14 days, no credit card |
Pricing Comparison
| Workshop Software | Hoist | |
|---|---|---|
| Ongoing price | From AUD $99 per month on annual billing | NZD $140 plus GST per month |
| Introductory offer | 14 day free trial, every feature, no credit card | NZD $80 plus GST for six months, then $140 plus GST |
| Users included | 1, then AUD $20 per extra user | 3, then NZD $10 per extra user |
| Plan choice | Three plans, so you pay for what you use | One plan, everything included |
| Data migration | Included | Included |
| Lock-in contract | None | None |
Hoist’s ongoing price is NZD $140 plus GST a month. The NZD $80 figure is an introductory rate for the first six months only, so it is worth comparing against the price you will actually be paying in a year. Workshop Software starts at AUD $99 a month on annual billing, and New Zealand workshops are billed in Australian dollars. For that you get a mobile app that runs the whole job, QuickBooks alongside Xero, vehicle technical data, parts supplier integrations, barcode scanning and Workshop Intelligence reporting, with onboarding and data migration included.
Your Accounting, Your Choice: Xero and QuickBooks
Workshop Software connects natively to Xero and QuickBooks Online, on every plan. Invoices, payments and purchase orders flow straight through, so nobody is re-keying figures at the end of the week. We are a listed app on the Intuit QuickBooks App Store, which means the integration is built and maintained with Intuit rather than bolted on. Hoist connects to Xero only. If your books are in QuickBooks, Hoist cannot connect to them at all, and changing accounting package later would mean changing workshop software too.
A Mobile App That Finishes the Job
Most workshop software puts a viewer on the phone. Workshop Software puts the whole job there. On Gold and above, the app runs electronic inspections with photos, takes bookings, builds quotes, invoices end to end, handles clock on and off and sends push notifications. A service advisor can open a job, complete it, invoice it and take payment without walking back to a desktop. Hoist has no mobile app. It runs in a mobile browser, so there is no offline tolerance, no push notifications and no camera workflow built for a workshop floor.
Vehicle Technical Data Inside the Job Card
WorkshopData puts manufacturer repair times, service schedules, torque settings and wiring information directly inside the job card, powered by HaynesPro. It is an add-on from AUD $69 a month, which is well under what most workshops pay for a standalone technical data subscription, and there is no second login or re-keying. When you quote from real manufacturer repair times, your labour charges stop being guesswork. Hoist offers no technical data product. Its Carjam integration is a vehicle lookup: it tells you what the car is, not how long the job should take.
Reporting That Tells You Where the Money Is
Workshop Intelligence is included on Gold and Platinum, with five screens built around the numbers that actually run a workshop: Pulse, Scoreboard, Opportunity Finder, Benchmarks and Advisor. Labour gross profit, technician efficiency, average invoice value, customer retention, and the jobs you quoted but never won. Hoist provides reports. There is no named analytics product and no benchmarking.
A Platform Other Workshops Have Already Tested
Workshop Software has been in automotive software since 1992 and released its first version in 2013. More than 9,400 users run on it today, and there are 261 published reviews across Google, Capterra and the Xero App Store, so you can read what other workshops think before you commit a single dollar. Hoist was founded in 2023 and its changelog records one release, version 1.0.0 in April 2026. It has no reviews on Capterra, SoftwareAdvice, G2 or Trustpilot, so there is no independent record of how it performs in a working shop.
Support Whenever Your Workshop Needs It
Online chat is staffed by people 24 hours a day. Phone and email run 8:30am to 5:00pm in both Australia and the United Kingdom on one global phone system, and the two teams cover each other, so a New Zealand workshop ringing at seven in the evening reaches a human in the United Kingdom. Onboarding is one to one with a person, and it is included. So is your data migration: customers, vehicles, suppliers, products and vehicle history all come across.
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Workshop Software if you want your team working from a phone as well as the front counter, your books are in QuickBooks, you want vehicle technical data in the job card, you order parts through Burson or Repco, you run more than one site, or you would rather buy a platform with more than a decade of releases and 261 published reviews behind it. Hoist may suit you if you run a single site with three or fewer people, your books are in Xero and will stay there, you have no need for a mobile app, vehicle technical data or parts supplier integrations, and holding your data in New Zealand matters more to you than any of them. The straightforward way to settle it is to try both. Our trial is 14 days with every feature switched on and no credit card. Start a free trial.
Still building a shortlist? See the ten systems most often compared with Workshop Software.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hoist cheaper than Workshop Software?
Only for the first six months. Hoist’s ongoing price is NZD $140 plus GST a month. The NZD $80 rate you may see quoted is an introductory offer that runs for six months, after which it rises to NZD $140, an increase of 75 per cent. Workshop Software starts at AUD $99 a month on annual billing, and New Zealand workshops are billed in Australian dollars. Once Hoist’s introductory period ends you are paying more, for a system with no mobile app, no QuickBooks integration, no vehicle technical data and no parts supplier integrations.
Does Hoist integrate with QuickBooks?
No. Hoist integrates with Xero only. It has and no QuickBooks integration. Workshop Software connects natively to Xero and QuickBooks Online on every plan, and is a listed app on the Intuit QuickBooks App Store.
Does Hoist have a mobile app?
No. Hoist has no mobile app and runs in a mobile browser instead. Workshop Software has free native apps on iOS and Android, and on Gold and above the app carries the full job workflow: electronic inspections, bookings, quoting, invoicing end to end, photos, clock on and off and push notifications.
Does Hoist have vehicle technical data?
No. Hoist integrates Carjam, which is a vehicle lookup that identifies the car. It does not provide manufacturer repair times, service schedules, torque settings or wiring information. Workshop Software offers WorkshopData, powered by HaynesPro, as an add-on from AUD $69 a month, delivered inside the job card so your technicians do not need a second login.
How established is Hoist compared with Workshop Software?
Hoist Software Limited was founded in 2023 and its changelog records a single release, version 1.0.0 in April 2026. It has no reviews on Capterra, SoftwareAdvice, G2 or Trustpilot. Workshop Software has been in automotive software since 1992, released its first version in 2013, and today supports more than 9,400 users with 261 published reviews across Google, Capterra and the Xero App Store.
Can I move my existing data across to Workshop Software?
Yes, and it is included. Onboarding is human and one to one, and the import brings across your customers, vehicles, suppliers, products and vehicle history. How quickly it goes depends mostly on how cleanly your current system exports its data, which we will talk through with you before you commit.
Does Workshop Software support workshops in New Zealand?
Yes. New Zealand workshops are billed in Australian dollars, and support runs on a global phone system, so a call placed in New Zealand in the evening is answered by our United Kingdom team rather than going to voicemail. Online chat is staffed by people 24 hours a day.
Does Workshop Software offer a free trial?
Yes. Fourteen days with full feature access and no credit card required, and there is no lock-in contract afterwards.
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Comparison based on information published by each vendor at the time of writing. Software pricing and features change, so please verify details with each vendor before you commit. Last reviewed August 2026.