Comparison

ARI (Auto Repair Software) vs GaragePlug Auto Software

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

ARI (Auto Repair Software)

Manage your auto repair business efficiently with this comprehensive mobile application. Track clients, vehicles, inventory, and finances. Streamline invoicing, estimates, and job management for mechanics and shop owners.

Highlights
  • Client and vehicle management
  • VIN decoder and license plate reader
  • Service history retrieval
  • Inventory tracking (parts, tires, services)
  • Expense and income logging
  • Job card creation and management
  • Customizable invoices and estimates
  • Service reminders
Features
Read full description

ARI is one of the most renowned auto repair software on the automotive market. Thousands of shop owners and mechanics trust ARI with their repair activities and daily tasks. The app is designed for mobile mechanics, auto shop owners, independent technicians, auto dealers, or anyone who needs to manage their auto repair business efficiently. Main Features: 1. Client Management Keep record of all your clients. Generate billing statements, assign vehicles and create invoices and estimates instantly. 2. Vehicle Management - VIN decoder: decode any vehicle identification number so you can easily add vehicle details to your database. Get info such as make, model, year, trim type, engine, and much more. - license plate reader: leverage CarFax integration to get info about a vehicle from its license plate - car service history: retrieve previous service history from almost any vehicle by using CarFax history reports. - advanced diagnosis: get information such as OBD port locator, upcoming maintenance items, DTC errors, TSB info, full maintenance reports and recommendations, repair labor times, and vehicle labor estimates. 3. Inventory Management ARI comes with a list of 400+ default car parts; however, you can create your own inventory. There are no limits on how many items you can add to your inventory. - parts: keep track of part numbers and stock data. Use barcode scanner to add, edit, or remove parts from your inventory; - tires: are you selling tires in your auto repair shop? Use ARI to manage your tire inventory. - services: keep track of all your labor items by adding descriptions and price per hour. - canned services: group parts and labor items to create easy-to-use packages when building your jobcards or auto repair invoices 4. Accounting - expenses: log all your auto repair shop's expenses such as employee salaries, vendor payments, utility bills, and more - purchases: create purchase orders for your auto parts. Send the order to your parts suppliers and update your inventory automatically when parts are received. - income: keep track of all your income and never miss a payment or invoice. 5. JobCards Assign work, track labor times, and approve or deny service items right from your favorite auto repair software. 6. Estimates/Quotes Send professional-looking vehicle repair estimates to your clients and upsell your services with our deferred services program. 7. Invoices a). 7 fully-customizable invoicing templates b).Signature support c). Logo d). Print mobile e). Multiple tax values. You can add up to 3 types of taxes and customize their name and values. f). Payment Options The app accepts Cash, Check, Credit Card, and PayPall payment options. You can collect payments from your clients on the spot. 8. Service Reminders - Schedule service reminders and the app will send automatic emails to your clients reminding them when the service is due. 9. Vehicle Inspections - Upsell your clients with detailed inspection reports 10. Online booking - Allow your clients to book your auto repair services online. View all appointments inside the ARI's calendar. 3. Reporting - Income & Expense - Sales & Purchases - Inventory & Net Profit - Employees & Salaries MULTIPLE languages supported (EN, RU, PL, SPA, RO, IND, GR, DA, GER, IT, JPN, ) CUSTOMER SUPPORT: - available 24/7 via email Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period The account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase Terms and conditions and privacy policy, visit http://www.utilitymobileapps.com/terms_conditions/

About

GaragePlug Auto Software

Streamline your auto repair shop operations with a comprehensive system for managing customer orders, generating invoices, and tracking payments. Automate service reminders and maintain efficient inventory control to enhance your business's organization and potentially go paperless.

Highlights
  • Order management system
  • Invoicing system
  • Payment gateway integration
  • Customer reminder system
  • Inventory management
  • Paperless operations
Features
Read full description

Allow us to help you keep track of the activities your business supports. Your focus needs to be on the one thing you are a champion at which is the way you bring life to automotive machines and joy to their owners. Features to ease your work Keep your focus on things that actually drive your business and let us manage the rest. 1. Order Management System - Create orders for new and existing customers. Edit the order at any time during the service. Keep track of every customer's order easily. 2. Invoicing System - Generate invoices for your orders with appropriate taxes applied. Share them with your customers and store them for your reference as well. 3. Payment Gateway - If applicable, you can collect your payment from customers using various methods. If not, you can record the payment mode against every invoice. 4. Reminder System - Update your customers about when their vehicle is due for service using our reminder system. Help them keep their vehicles running smoothly. 5. Inventory Management - Manage your stock and get alerts when it is nearing out of stock Witness how you can work in a more organised way. Using Garage Plug App, you can improve your management and possibly go even paperless for your garage and help protect the environment. Icons credit: https://icons8.com Terms of use: https://www.garageplug.com/terms-of-use/

Screenshots

ARI (Auto Repair Software)4 screens
GaragePlug Auto Software3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: ARI (Auto Repair Software) at 4.7 against GaragePlug Auto Software's 4.0. ARI (Auto Repair Software) also leads on ratings volume (286 vs 5) and review sentiment (95% vs 80%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. ARI (Auto Repair Software) sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month and GaragePlug Auto Software sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $199.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ARI (Auto Repair Software) holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ARI (Auto Repair Software) has 286 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 95% of ARI (Auto Repair Software)'s written reviews are positive against 80% of GaragePlug Auto Software's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
ARI (Auto Repair Software) versus GaragePlug Auto Software: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterARI (Auto Repair Software)GaragePlug Auto Software
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (286 ratings) — better4.0 (5 ratings)
Positive reviews95.0% of reviews — better80.0% of reviews
Number of ratings286 — better5
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size92 MB65 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperConstantin CoutunIncreminds Private Limited

Customer experience

ARI (Auto Repair Software)

All ratings280 ratings
Positive93.6%
Neutral2.5%
Negative3.9%
Written reviews221 reviews
Positive95.0%
Neutral1.8%
Negative3.2%

GaragePlug Auto Software

All ratings5 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%

In-app purchases

13 purchases

ARI (Auto Repair Software)

Subscriptions8
  • ARI Monthly subscription$19.991 Month
  • ARI monthly subscription$29.991 Month
  • ARI Monthly subscription$29.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • ARI Pro Monthly 39$39.991 Month
  • ARI Pro Plus 59$59.991 Month
  • ARI Annual subscription2 variants$299.991 Year
  • ARI Pro Yearly$399.001 Year
  • ARI Pro Plus Yearly$599.001 Year
One-time5
  • Credit 100$3.99
  • credit 200$6.99
  • credits 500$17.99
Show 2 more
  • credit 1000$30.99
  • ARI Full Unlimited$799.99
3 purchases

GaragePlug Auto Software

Subscriptions3
  • GEAR0 Monthly Plan$199.991 Month
  • GEAR1 Monthly Plan$299.991 Month
  • GEAR2 Monthly Plan$399.991 Month

Questions

Is ARI (Auto Repair Software) free?
ARI (Auto Repair Software) is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is GaragePlug Auto Software free?
GaragePlug Auto Software is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, ARI (Auto Repair Software) or GaragePlug Auto Software?
ARI (Auto Repair Software) is rated higher. ARI (Auto Repair Software) averages 4.7 out of 5 from 286 ratings, while GaragePlug Auto Software averages 4.0 from 5 ratings.
Do ARI (Auto Repair Software) or GaragePlug Auto Software have ads?
Neither ARI (Auto Repair Software) nor GaragePlug Auto Software shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ARI (Auto Repair Software) or GaragePlug Auto Software?
ARI (Auto Repair Software) ships an update every 3 weeks, and GaragePlug Auto Software every 3 weeks. Most recently, ARI (Auto Repair Software) was updated on October 24, 2026 and GaragePlug Auto Software on October 29, 2026.

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