Workshop Software vs Shopmonkey

Shopmonkey is a well regarded shop management system with a large and positive review base in the United States and Canada. 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. Both platforms cover the same daily work. Where they separate is what you pay to get started, what your accountant sees, whether you can try it first, and what you sign.

What is Workshop Software?

Workshop Software is cloud shop management software for independent repair shops, mechanical repairers and multi-location groups. It runs your scheduling and workboard, repair orders, estimating and invoicing, inventory, digital inspections, automated service reminders and a customer portal, with reporting through Workshop Intelligence.

It is a listed app on the Intuit QuickBooks App Store, and it connects natively to QuickBooks Online and Xero on every plan, including the entry plan. Vehicle technical data comes through native Mitchell 1 ProDemand and PartsTech integrations on any plan, and vehicle lookup is included at no extra charge through Carfax. There are free native apps for iOS and Android, and on Gold and above the app carries the full job workflow.

Pricing starts at USD $149 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.

What is Shopmonkey?

Shopmonkey is a shop management system founded in 2016. It covers estimates and invoices, a workflow board, digital vehicle inspections, parts lookup and ordering, scheduling with automated reminders, and more than 30 built-in reports. Its Terms of Service state that the service is intended for use within the United States and Canada.

Shopmonkey publishes its prices. Basic is USD $239 per month billed monthly or $215 on annual billing and includes one user licence. Clever is $399 monthly or $359 annual with three licences. Genius is $499 monthly or $449 annual with four. A Multi-Shop tier is quoted on request. Extra user licences are $20 per month each.

Two things about Shopmonkey are genuinely strong and worth saying plainly. Unlimited two-way SMS and email is included on every plan, including Basic. And it holds 4.6 out of 5 from 410 reviews on G2 and 4.6 from 267 on Capterra, which is a substantial and well earned footprint.

Two things are worth checking before you commit. Shopmonkey does not advertise a free trial; the route in is a demo request. And its Terms of Service set a term that renews automatically for successive periods of up to one year, state that agreements may not be terminated for the customer’s convenience during the term, require written notice at least 30 days before expiry, and describe fees as non-refundable and non-cancellable.

Feature Comparison

Pricing Comparison

Comparing annual billing to annual billing, the entry gap is USD $66 a month. What sits inside each entry plan matters more than the headline. On Workshop Software, the $149 plan includes QuickBooks Online, Xero and inventory. On Shopmonkey, QuickBooks Online and inventory management both begin at the Clever plan, USD $359 per month on annual billing. If you need your books connected and your stock tracked, that is the closer comparison: USD $149 against USD $359.

Shopmonkey does sell an Accounting add-on at USD $89 per month on annual billing, described as bookkeeping built into Shopmonkey rather than a connection to an accounting package. A Basic shop wanting to keep books in Shopmonkey itself has that route without moving to Clever.

Prices above are current as at August 2026 and exclude tax. Both vendors change prices from time to time, so confirm before you commit.

Accounting: Three Integrations Against One

This is the clearest difference between the two platforms. Workshop Software connects natively to QuickBooks Online and Xero, on every plan. It 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.

Shopmonkey supports QuickBooks Online, and only QuickBooks Online. There is no Xero integration anywhere on their site or in their help centre. QuickBooks Desktop is handled through a separate Accounting Link product at an additional fee.

There is a second detail worth knowing. On Shopmonkey, the QuickBooks Online connection is not available on the Basic plan. It begins at Clever, USD $359 per month on annual billing. On Workshop Software, all three connections are on the entry plan at USD $149.

Shopmonkey also sells an Accounting add-on at USD $89 per month on annual billing. That is bookkeeping inside Shopmonkey rather than a link to QuickBooks or Xero, so if your accountant works in either of those it is a different thing from an integration.

What You Sign, and Whether You Can Try It First

Workshop Software has a 14 day free trial with full features and no credit card required, and no lock-in contract. You can see the software running on your own jobs before you decide, and you can leave when you choose.

Shopmonkey does not advertise a free trial. The route in is a demo request. Their Terms of Service describe a term that renews automatically for successive periods of up to one year, state that agreements may not be terminated for the customer’s convenience during the term, require written notice at least 30 days before expiry, and describe fees as non-refundable and non-cancellable.

For a single-site shop deciding between two systems, that is a meaningful difference in risk. One decision is reversible in a fortnight. The other is a year.

The Mobile App: Who It Is Built For

Shopmonkey publishes one app, and it is scoped to technicians. Their own product page describes it as the only auto shop management mobile app designed for techs. It is rated 3.4 out of 5 from 80 ratings on the App Store and 3.0 from 60 reviews on Google Play.

Their app is capable. It covers digital inspections with photo markup and video, VIN and licence plate scanning, a time clock, diagrams and specifications, and messaging with service writers. What it does not do is the office side of the job.

Workshop Software has free native apps for iOS and Android, and on Gold and above the app carries the full job workflow: inspections, bookings, end to end invoicing, photos, clock on and off, and push notifications. If you run the shop from the floor rather than the office, quoting and invoicing from the phone is the difference that shows up every day.

Where Shopmonkey Is Stronger

Two places, and they are real.

Unlimited two-way SMS and email is included on every Shopmonkey plan. Workshop Software does not offer Two Way SMS in the United States. Outbound SMS is available on every plan at 2 cents a message, but the inbound conversation is not there. If customer texting is central to how you work, weigh that carefully.

Shopmonkey also has a larger and higher rated review base: 4.6 out of 5 from 410 reviews on G2 and 4.6 from 267 on Capterra, against our Google 4.2 from 159, Capterra 4.0 from 77 and Xero App Store 4.2 from 25. Review counts follow marketing spend as much as product quality, but the numbers are the numbers.

Where You Can Run Both

Shopmonkey’s Terms of Service state that the service is intended for use within the United States and Canada. If you operate only in those two countries, that is no constraint at all.

Workshop Software runs in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, the United Kingdom and South Africa, billed in local currency in each, and hosted on Amazon Web Services in Australia, the United States and Europe. If you have sites outside North America now, or expect to, one platform can cover them.

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Workshop Software if your books are in Xero, or you want QuickBooks Online and inventory on the entry plan rather than two tiers up. Also if you want to trial the software on your own jobs before you commit, prefer no lock-in contract, want a mobile app that finishes the job rather than a technician view, or operate outside the United States and Canada.

Shopmonkey may suit you if customer texting is central to how you run the shop and you want unlimited two-way SMS on the entry plan, you are comfortable requesting a demo rather than trialling the software, and a large North American review base carries weight in your decision.

If the accounting connection, the free trial or the absence of a lock-in contract matter to you, the fastest way to settle it is to run your own jobs through the software for a fortnight. 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

Does Shopmonkey integrate with Xero?

No. Shopmonkey supports QuickBooks Online only. There is no Xero integration on their site or in their help centre. Workshop Software connects natively to QuickBooks Online and Xero on every plan, and is a listed app on the Intuit QuickBooks App Store.

How much does Shopmonkey cost?

Shopmonkey publishes its prices. Basic is USD $239 per month billed monthly or $215 on annual billing with one user licence. Clever is $399 monthly or $359 annual with three licences. Genius is $499 monthly or $449 annual with four. A Multi-Shop tier is quoted on request, and extra user licences are $20 per month. Workshop Software starts at USD $149 per month on annual billing.

Is Workshop Software cheaper than Shopmonkey?

At the entry level, yes: USD $149 per month on annual billing against $239 billed monthly or $215 annual. The larger difference is what each entry plan contains. QuickBooks Online and inventory management both start at Shopmonkey’s Clever plan, USD $399 per month billed monthly, while both are included on the Workshop Software entry plan.

Does Shopmonkey offer a free trial?

Shopmonkey does not advertise a free trial. The route in is a demo request. Workshop Software has a 14 day free trial with full features and no credit card required.

Does Shopmonkey have a lock-in contract?

Their Terms of Service describe a term that renews automatically for successive periods of up to one year, state that agreements may not be terminated for the customer’s convenience during the term, require written notice at least 30 days before expiry, and describe fees as non-refundable and non-cancellable. Workshop Software has no lock-in contract.

Does Shopmonkey have two-way SMS?

Yes, and this is an area where Shopmonkey is stronger. Unlimited two-way SMS and email is included on every Shopmonkey plan. Workshop Software does not offer Two Way SMS in the United States, though outbound SMS is available on every plan at 2 cents a message.

Does Shopmonkey have a mobile app?

Yes. Shopmonkey publishes one app, which it positions for technicians, covering inspections with photo markup and video, VIN and licence plate scanning, a time clock and messaging. It is rated 3.4 out of 5 from 80 ratings on the App Store and 3.0 from 60 reviews on Google Play. Workshop Software has free native apps for iOS and Android, and on Gold and above the app adds the office side of the job: quoting, bookings and end to end invoicing from the phone.

Can I use Shopmonkey outside the United States?

Shopmonkey’s Terms of Service state that the service is intended for use within the United States and Canada. Workshop Software runs in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, the United Kingdom and South Africa, billed in local currency in each.

Where does vehicle technical data come from in each system?

In the United States, Workshop Software uses native Mitchell 1 ProDemand and PartsTech integrations on any plan, so you use the provider subscription you already hold, and vehicle lookup is included at no extra charge through Carfax. Shopmonkey uses MOTOR for parts and labor from the Clever plan, MOTOR diagrams and procedures on Genius, and ALLDATA using your own ALLDATA account.

Also Compare

• Workshop Software vs AutoLeap
• Workshop Software vs Tekmetric
• Workshop Software vs Fullbay
• Workshop Software vs Orderry
• Workshop Software vs GaragePlug
• Workshop Software vs MechanicDesk
• Workshop Software vs Workshop Mate
• Workshop Software vs Auxo Workshop
• Workshop Software vs Hoist
• Workshop Software vs Garage Hive
• Workshop Software vs Mitchell 1
• Workshop Software vs Shop Boss
• Workshop Software vs Motasoft

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.