Best Garage Management Software UK: Pistonlog vs Garage Hive

Looking for the best garage management software in the UK? For an independent workshop that needs to organise jobs, keep reception and technicians working from the same records, and control its software budget, we recommend starting with Pistonlog.

Pistonlog brings bookings, job cards and invoicing together from £99/month per workshop, with unlimited users included. That gives your whole team access at a known subscription price. Garage Hive starts from £145/month and offers accounting and supplier integrations that may matter to your business. Here is why we think Pistonlog makes a compelling first choice when everyday workshop management is your priority.

This comparison is written by Pistonlog. It uses our current plans and Garage Hive's published information, checked on 6 September 2026. It is a comparison of documented features, not a hands-on test of Garage Hive or a ranking of every UK system. For a wider shortlist, see our UK garage management software guide.

Why put Pistonlog first on your shortlist?

• A lower advertised starting price: Pistonlog Basic starts at £99/month per workshop, compared with Garage Hive’s advertised starting price of £145/month. The packages differ; compare the features you need.
• Your whole team included: Pistonlog includes unlimited users. Reception, technicians and the owner can each have access without increasing the subscription for extra users. Confirm Garage Hive's allowance for your package.
• The essentials in Basic: Pistonlog includes job cards, customer and vehicle records, bookings and invoicing in its entry plan. Both providers document these core workshop functions.
• A clear step up to Pro: Add digital inspections, your private Diagnostic Library and advanced reports with Pistonlog Pro. Garage Hive also documents vehicle health checks; confirm package inclusion.
• Accounting and integrations: Garage Hive publishes built-in accounting and named accounting and supplier integrations. Ask each provider to demonstrate the connections you actually use.

The pricing references are Pistonlog's plans and Garage Hive's pricing page. Feature details are linked in the sections below.

Published prices that make budgeting straightforward

Pistonlog pricing

Basic costs £99 per month, or £950 per year paid upfront. It includes unlimited users and job cards, customer and vehicle records, a drag-and-drop job board, invoicing, calendar bookings and user permissions.

Pro costs £179 per month, or £1,720 per year paid upfront. It adds digital vehicle inspections, the private Diagnostic Library, advanced reports and priority support. Enterprise options are available for businesses with multiple workshops.

Pricing is per workshop. Automated SMS and email reminders use separately purchased credits. The annual amounts above are upfront totals, not monthly payments. See current Pistonlog pricing for plan details and the three-day money-back guarantee.

Garage Hive pricing

Garage Hive's public page advertises prices from £145 per month with a one-month rolling contract. It does not establish the total for your particular workshop, so request a written quote covering your users, features and implementation requirements. Source: Garage Hive pricing.

Compare the complete packages before deciding which is cheaper. A starting price does not tell you whether two quotes cover the same work. In particular, comparing Pistonlog Basic against a package that includes inspections would miss the cost of moving to Pro.

For either provider, ask for subscription costs, setup, migration, training, messaging, integrations and VAT to be itemised. These are quote questions, not claims that either company charges every item separately. Check cancellation terms and what happens to your data when you leave.

Give the whole workshop access to the same job information

A busy workshop needs answers quickly: which car is ready, what work is outstanding, and what needs to go on the invoice? Pistonlog puts job cards, customer and vehicle records, bookings and invoicing in the same system.

Unlimited users makes that practical for the whole team. You can give a new technician or receptionist their own access without an extra per-user subscription charge. User roles and permissions help you control what each person can do. That is a concrete reason to choose Pistonlog when you want everyone using the workshop system.

Pistonlog's digital job cards and workflow board keep work visible to the team. Its scheduling and reminders support the diary and follow-up. Garage Hive's published feature list includes jobsheets, dynamic scheduling and invoicing. Source: Garage Hive features and pricing.

Give the person who answers your phone a turn at the keyboard. Ask them to find the vehicle, identify what is holding up the job and explain the next step without asking the technician. Then ask a technician to update the same job from the device they would use in the bay.

That exercise tells you more about fit than a polished tour. Record where the team needs help, where information must be entered twice and whether a colleague can pick up the job after a shift change.

Add inspections and keep your workshop knowledge with Pro

Choose Pistonlog Pro when you want the core workflow plus structured inspections and a place for workshop knowledge. Its digital vehicle inspections help the team record findings, while the private Diagnostic Library gives diagnostic knowledge a home inside your workshop system.

Both sit alongside advanced reports and priority support in the published Pro plan. You can see the upgrade cost before making a decision, and unlimited users remains included.

Garage Hive describes custom checklists connected to jobsheets, images and comments, and sharing completed checks with customers. It also documents creating estimates from inspection findings for online authorisation. Source: Garage Hive electronic vehicle health checks.

Use one sample inspection in both demonstrations. Include an item that passes, an advisory and a repair the customer declines. Check how findings appear to the customer and how the workshop retrieves them on the next visit. Ask to see the full process through to invoicing.

When should integrations decide the purchase?

Start with the connections your garage actually needs. If your main problem is keeping track of jobs and invoices, assess Pistonlog against that workflow first. If integrated bookkeeping or supplier ordering is essential, make it a requirement in your comparison.

Garage Hive describes built-in accounting and integrations for Xero, Sage and QuickBooks products, as well as stock locations and branch transfers. Confirm the supported product and package with its team. Source: Garage Hive accountancy.

Its supplier directory lists connections including GSF, LKQ Euro Car Parts, NAPA Auto Parts and Autodata. Check availability, subscription requirements and the tasks each connection supports. Source: Garage Hive supplier integrations.

Pistonlog's invoicing features should not be treated as a promise of equivalent accounting integrations. If automatic transfer into your existing accounts package is essential, ask us to confirm support before subscribing.

Write down the actual result you need: for example, an invoice arriving in the right ledger without retyping, or a part being ordered and assigned to the correct job. Have the provider demonstrate that result. A familiar logo on a feature page is only the starting point.

Our recommendation: start with Pistonlog for everyday workshop management

For an independent garage prioritising job organisation, team access and a clear subscription price, Pistonlog is our recommended starting point. Basic gives you the everyday workflow from £99/month, with unlimited users. Pro adds inspections, diagnostic knowledge and advanced reporting when those become part of your requirements.

Garage Hive remains worth considering if its accounting and supplier connections are essential to your operation. We would not recommend switching away from a required integration without first confirming how the replacement workflow will work.

These recommendations reflect the documented products and the priorities above. The right decision depends on how your team uses the software. Before signing up, run this practical check:

1. Bring representative data. Use fictional customer details and a job similar to work you do every week.
2. Test a complete job. Go from booking to inspection, additional work and invoice, including a customer who declines a repair.
3. Involve reception and a technician. Both need to be comfortable keeping the record up to date.
4. Check migration and exit. Agree which records can move across and how you can export them later.
5. Get the total in writing. Match user access, features, support and billing terms to the same requirements.

Ready to get your workshop organised? Choose your Pistonlog plan, or talk to us about moving your workshop to Pistonlog. Tell us how you handle bookings, jobs and invoices today, and we can help you assess the right plan. Every plan includes unlimited users, and paid subscriptions have a three-day money-back guarantee.

See the Pistonlog workflow you are comparing

The Pistonlog screenshot shows job cards, assigned team members and a job inspector beside the status columns. In your demonstration, ask your team to find an awaiting-parts job and explain what must happen next. Use the same task when assessing Garage Hive. This image shows Pistonlog only; it is not evidence of a hands-on Garage Hive test.