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Workshop Software vs MechanicDesk
MechanicDesk and Workshop Software are both Australian built workshop management systems, and they’re the two most often shortlisted against each other here. If you’ve been searching for Mechanic Desk or Mechanics Desk, this is the same product.
MechanicDesk is cheaper at the entry level. Workshop Software has decades of experience building software for workshops and is used in 33+ countries, with 36 integrations. The differences that matter are inside the job card, not on the price list.
What is Workshop Software?
Workshop Software is cloud workshop management software for independent workshops, mechanical repairers and multi-site groups. It runs your booking diary, job cards, quoting and invoicing, stock control, electronic inspections, automated service reminders and a customer portal, with reporting through Workshop Intelligence.
It syncs with Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks Online on every plan, and is a listed app on the Intuit QuickBooks App Store. WorkshopData puts vehicle technical data from HaynesPro inside the job card: repair times, service schedules, torque settings and wiring information. The free native app for iOS and Android lets you run the whole workshop from your phone: bookings, job cards, inspections and invoicing, and technicians clock on and off jobs from it, on Gold and above.
Pricing starts at AUD $99 a month billed annually, excluding GST. There’s a 14 day free trial with full features and no credit card, and no lock-in contract. You can cancel any time and export your data. See full pricing.
What is MechanicDesk?
MechanicDesk is cloud workshop software from Autodeck Pty Ltd in Melbourne. It covers bookings, job cards, quoting and invoicing, stock and reports, and starts at AUD $85 a month plus GST for one user.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Workshop Software | MechanicDesk |
|---|---|---|
| Integrations | 36 in use, covering accounting, parts ordering, vehicle data, payments and SMS | 18 listed on their integrations page |
| Repair times and technical data in the job card | WorkshopData, powered by HaynesPro: repair times, service schedules, torque settings and wiring information. Add-on from AUD $69 a month on any plan. No other Australian workshop system offers it | None. No technical data or labour times provider appears in their integration list |
| Xero | Yes, every plan | Yes. Stock, customers, suppliers, invoices, bills, payments and credit notes transfer to Xero |
| MYOB | Yes, every plan | Yes |
| QuickBooks Online | Yes, and a listed app on the Intuit QuickBooks App Store | Listed as an integration |
| Electronic inspections | Yes, Gold and above, with photos and a link the customer opens to approve the work | Check sheets you build yourself. Their app lets mechanics take pictures on a job, but we couldn’t find a link the customer opens to see and approve the work. They also offer Vehicle Visuals, repair animations you can attach to quotes |
| Two-way SMS | Yes, AUD $49 a month. Customer replies land against the job | Outbound reminders. Every SMS feature on their site is one way, at 10 cents a message |
| Mobile app | Free native app for iOS and Android that runs the whole workshop: bookings, job cards, inspections, invoicing and clocking on and off, on Gold and above | Free app for clocking on and off, taking pictures, adding parts and updating job details. Their listing says it’s used alongside their web app. Rated 2.7 out of 5 from 12 ratings on the App Store and 3.5 from 39 reviews on Google Play |
| Reporting | Workshop Intelligence on Gold and Platinum, with Pulse, Scoreboard and Advisor | Reports on income, expenses, work in progress, employees, marketing and stock |
| Online bookings | Four ways: a public booking link (Gold), a WorkshopWeb website, the WordPress plugin or the API (Platinum). Every booking lands in Booking Approvals | Online booking form for your website |
| Website for your workshop | WorkshopWeb, on Platinum | Not offered |
| Multi-site | Yes, Platinum, priced per site | Multisite Management, linking sites to share customers, vehicles and stock |
| Parts ordering | Eight suppliers, including Repco, Burson EzyParts, PartsTech, PROLink and Parts Authority | Eight suppliers listed, including BNT and Autolign in New Zealand |
| Rego lookups | From AUD $0.39 each | Australian vehicle lookup, CarJam (NZ) and MyCarCheck (UK). Price not shown |
| Users | 1 included, then AUD $20 each | 1, 3, 6 or 15 depending on plan, then $15 each |
| Annual billing | Yes | Monthly prices only, per their published plans |
| Free trial | 14 days, full features, no credit card | 14 days, no card on the sign-up form |
| Support | Phone, email and 24 hour online chat, plus a team that takes you through onboarding | Phone, email, an online manual and 51 video tutorials. They quote a typical turnaround of 10 to 15 minutes |
| Independent ratings | Google 4.2 from 159 reviews, Capterra 4.0 from 77 | Capterra 4.4 from 41 |
Pricing Comparison
| Workshop Software | MechanicDesk | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry plan | AUD $99 a month billed annually, excluding GST | AUD $85 a month plus GST |
| Users on the entry plan | 1, then AUD $20 each | 1, then AUD $15 each |
| Repair times and technical data | WorkshopData from AUD $69 a month, any plan | Not available |
| Two-way SMS | AUD $49 a month | Not available |
| Outbound SMS | From 11 cents in Australia and New Zealand | 10 cents a message |
| Annual billing | Available | Monthly prices only |
| Free trial | 14 days, no credit card | 14 days |
| Lock-in | None. Cancel any time and export your data | Not stated |
MechanicDesk is cheaper at the entry level. AUD $85 plus GST against AUD $99 is a real difference, and their extra users are $15 against our $20. If the lowest monthly cost decides it, they win that line.
What the extra buys is repair times in the job card and a two-way conversation with your customers. MechanicDesk lists no technical data provider at all, so quoted hours come from somewhere else: a separate subscription, a manual, or a guess. One underquoted job can cost more than months of the price gap.
Prices are as at October 2026. Both companies change prices from time to time, so check before you commit.
Repair Times in the Job Card, or Not at All
This is the difference that shows up on every job. WorkshopData is vehicle technical data from HaynesPro, inside the Workshop Software job card: repair times, service schedules, torque settings and wiring information for the car already in front of you. It’s an add-on from AUD $69 a month on any plan, and no other Australian workshop system offers it.
MechanicDesk’s integration list covers accounting, payments, parts suppliers and vehicle lookups. There’s no technical data or labour times provider in any of them, and their feature pages don’t mention repair times or service schedules.
So the hours on a quote come from experience, a separate subscription, or a guess. Good service advisors are good at this, and plenty of shops run that way for years. But it only takes one underquoted job to wipe out the price difference.
Check Sheets and Electronic Inspections Are Different Tools
Workshop Software includes electronic inspections on Gold and above. The tech does the inspection on the phone app, attaches photos, and the customer gets a link to see what you found and approve the work.
MechanicDesk has check sheets that you build yourself. Their app lets mechanics take pictures on a job, but we couldn’t find a link the customer opens to see what you found and approve the work. They do offer Vehicle Visuals, a library of animations showing how parts work and fail, which you can show in the workshop or attach to a quote.
Both help you explain the job. But if you rely on showing the customer their own worn brake pads to get the work approved, the difference matters.
Two-Way SMS: A Conversation or a Broadcast
MechanicDesk sends SMS. Booking reminders go out by email or SMS at 10 cents a message, and every SMS feature on their site is outbound.
Workshop Software offers Two-Way SMS for AUD $49 a month. The customer replies, and the reply lands against the job. That’s the difference between telling someone their car is ready and asking whether to go ahead with the extra work you just found.
The Whole Workshop on Your Phone, or Just a Clock
MechanicDesk’s app is built for the tech on the floor. Their app store listing describes clocking on and off, taking pictures, adding parts and updating job details, and says it’s used alongside their web app.
The Workshop Software app runs the whole workshop. Take a booking, open the job card, do the inspection, send the invoice and clock on and off, all from your phone, on Gold and above. If you’re out of the office, at the parts counter or under a car, the workshop comes with you.
36 Integrations, So Nothing Gets Typed Twice
Workshop Software has 36 integrations in use. Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks Online for your accounts. Parts suppliers including Repco, Burson EzyParts, PartsTech, PROLink and Parts Authority. Vehicle data including HaynesPro WorkshopData, Mitchell1, Carfax and HSY. Payments through WorkshopPay, Stripe and Capricorn.
MechanicDesk’s integrations page lists 18. Every connection is one less thing someone in your workshop types in twice.
Where MechanicDesk Is Stronger
One place, and it’s real.
Price. AUD $85 plus GST against our $99, and extra users at $15 against our $20.
Closer Than You Might Expect
Both publish their prices. Both connect to Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks. Both give you a 14 day free trial, and both take online bookings from your website.
If these two are your shortlist, it usually comes down to three questions. Do you want repair times inside the job card? Do you want customers to be able to reply to your messages? And do you want inspections your customers can see and approve? If the answer to all three is no, MechanicDesk is the cheaper system and a reasonable choice.
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Workshop Software if you want 36 integrations, repair times, service schedules and wiring information inside the job card, electronic inspections your customers can approve, two-way SMS, or reporting through Workshop Intelligence. Also if you want to run the workshop from your phone, run more than one site, want a website that takes bookings, need an API, or want annual billing.
MechanicDesk may suit you if the lowest monthly price decides it, you already get repair times from somewhere else, and outbound reminders are all the messaging you need.
Both have a 14 day trial, so the honest test is to put the same three jobs through each and see which one quotes them faster. Start a free trial
Comparing more systems? Read our guide to choosing between workshop platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mechanic Desk the same as MechanicDesk?
Yes. People search for it as MechanicDesk, Mechanic Desk and Mechanics Desk. It’s the same, made by Autodeck Pty Ltd in Melbourne.
How much does Workshop Software cost compared with MechanicDesk?
Workshop Software starts at AUD $99 a month billed annually, excluding GST. MechanicDesk’s Starter plan is AUD $85 a month plus GST. What the difference buys is repair times in the job card, inspections your customers can approve, and two-way SMS.
Can I get repair times inside the Workshop Software job card?
Yes. WorkshopData, powered by HaynesPro, puts repair times, service schedules, torque settings and wiring information in the job card for the car in front of you. It’s an add-on from AUD $69 a month on any plan, and no other Australian workshop system offers it.
Can my customers reply to texts from Workshop Software?
Yes. Two-Way SMS is AUD $49 a month. The customer replies, and the reply lands against the job, so you can ask whether to go ahead with extra work and get the answer in writing.
Can customers see and approve the work from a Workshop Software inspection?
Yes, on Gold and above. Your tech does the inspection on the phone app and attaches photos. The customer opens a link, sees what you found and approves the work.
Does Workshop Software work with Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks?
Yes, all three, on every plan. Changing your invoice layout doesn’t affect the sync.
How many integrations does Workshop Software have?
36 in use, covering accounting, parts ordering, vehicle data, payments and SMS. That includes Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks Online, parts suppliers such as Repco, Burson EzyParts, PartsTech, PROLink and Parts Authority, HaynesPro WorkshopData for repair times, and payments through WorkshopPay.
Can my techs use Workshop Software on their phones?
Yes, and you can run the whole workshop from it, not just clock on. The free native app for iOS and Android handles bookings, job cards, inspections and invoicing, and technicians clock on and off jobs straight from it, on Gold and above.
Can I take online bookings with Workshop Software?
Yes, four ways: a public booking link, a WorkshopWeb website, the Workshop Software WordPress plugin, or the API. Every booking lands in Booking Approvals, with a notification on the dashboard and on your phone.
What help do I get when I start with Workshop Software?
A full support team holds your hand from the day you sign up through onboarding, by phone, email and 24 hour online chat.
Can I try Workshop Software before I switch?
Yes. There’s a 14 day free trial with full features and no credit card. There’s no lock-in contract, you can cancel any time, and you can export your data. Start a free trial
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Comparison based on information each company publishes. Prices and features change, so please check the details with each company before you commit. Prices as at October 2026.