What an MOT centre needs that other garages do not
MOT work is high volume, tightly slotted and generates a steady stream of advisories that turn into repair work when they are communicated well. That puts particular demands on a garage management system, and it is not the same list a general repair shop would write.
This comes from one of the providers, so judge it accordingly. We have tried to be specific and to say where others do it better.
The five things that matter for MOT work
- Digital health checks with photos and video, because an advisory the customer can see is an advisory they authorise
- Quoting straight from the check, while the car is still on the ramp
- Automated MOT reminders, the most predictable revenue a garage has
- Invoicing that reaches your accounts package without re-keying, because volume means invoice volume
- Printable job cards, since plenty of MOT bays still want paper on the car
From the Autopilot teamAutopilot GMS
Customisable vehicle health checks with photo and video capture, included from the £99 entry plan. Quotes follow straight from the check, invoices sync into Xero, QuickBooks or Sage, and MOT and service reminders go out automatically.
Parts ordering covers GSF, NAPA, partslink24, Group Tyre, Oak Tyres and Castrol, with HaynesPro for repair times. Job cards print cleanly. The technician app puts the check on a tablet at the car.
The reason we would put this first for an MOT centre is that health checks are in the entry plan. On most systems here they are a higher tier.
TechMan
Strong on MOT work, with DVLA integration for MOT history and reminders, and a mature feature set behind it.
The catch is where the digital side sits. Check sheets, tablet access, paperless job cards and media capture begin on their Advanced plan at £315 a month on the minimum-term rate, or £399 on the rolling plan with up to £1,300 upfront. If digital health checks are the reason you are buying, that is the real price.
Bookar
Digital vehicle health checks with photo and video, and a good technical data story through TecRMI and TecDoc. Parts coverage is broad, including NAPA, GSF and SES Autoparts.
Technical data is a £69 a month add-on and the online booking widget another £30. Reminders are charged per message at 8p a text, which for an MOT centre sending a lot of reminders is a running cost worth modelling.
Garage Hive
Health checks, reminders and online booking are all included in the base offer rather than tiered, which suits MOT volume well.
Per-technician and per-user charging is the consideration. An MOT centre with several testers and reception staff will feel that more than a two-person workshop.
Motasoft
Their Complete plan at £149 covers digital job cards, technician tracking, customisable health checks and photo and video capture, which is competitive for the money.
Health checks sit on that top tier rather than the £65 entry plan, and parts ordering does not include NAPA. Accounts work is a direct Xero sync with export files for Sage and QuickBooks.
What we would check before signing
Ask to see a health check sent to a phone, as the customer receives it. That one screen is what decides whether advisories convert, and it varies far more between systems than any feature list suggests.
Then ask which plan it is on.
Prices and features above are taken from each provider’s own published pages and were checked in October 2026. Health check availability by plan is the detail most often missed. Providers change their pricing at any time, so check before deciding.