Switching from TechMan to Autopilot
Most garages looking at a TechMan alternative are not unhappy with the diary. They are tired of paying to get started, paying again to unlock the bits they actually need, and signing a minimum term to get the sensible price. Autopilot is one monthly figure with nothing to pay upfront, and the features you would expect are not held back for a higher tier.
Vehicle health checks from £99 a month. No upfront fee, no minimum term, and nothing extra per technician or per user.
Four steps, and most of the work is ours
Account and kick off call
You sign up, we book you straight in with a UK onboarding specialist. Company details, VAT, labour rates and users get set on the call, along with your parts and accountancy integrations and your service packages built out for you.
Your data comes across
Send us an export from your old system. Customer records, vehicle history and invoice history are mapped, imported and checked back with you.
Team training, your way
We offer a range of training packages to suit different garages, whether that is remote over a call, us coming to you, or your team coming to us, with sessions as short or as thorough as you need.
Run it for real, free
Book real jobs, send real invoices, on the full plan. Support is UK based and on the end of a phone. If it does not earn its keep, cancel and pay nothing.
Side by side on the things garage owners ask about
Upfront cost
None. You pay the monthly price and nothing else to get started.
Upfront fees of £199 to £1,300 on their 30-day rolling plans, covering onboarding, setup and data migration.
Cost per technician
None. Your price does not change as your team grows.
Pay extra on some plans
Cost per user
None. Add reception, techs and owners at no extra cost.
Pay extra on some plans
Contract
No contract. Stay because it works, not because you signed.
A minimum-term agreement to get their lower rate, or a 30-day rolling plan that costs more each month and charges upfront.
What the entry plan gives you
The full job, customer, invoicing and parts workflow, plus vehicle health checks, from £99 a month.
Their £99 Starter limits the diary to 3 columns and stock control to one user, and charges £199 upfront. Digital check sheets start at £315 a month.
Online booking
Included on AutoPilot Pro at £279 a month, with deposits, reminders and your own booking link.
Their web booking tool is on the Pro plan, from £415 a month, with up to £1,300 upfront.
Support & Development
UK support from people who know garages. You get through to a human.
Support available from their team but development work is very slow.
Data migration
Customers, vehicle history and invoice history brought across within 48 hours.
They can migrate your data depending on your current system
Trial on the full plan
Yes. Book real jobs and send real invoices before you commit.
No free trial advertised
Scroll the table sideways on a phone. Comparison based on publicly available information, last reviewed September 2026.
Switching from TechMan? Your questions answered
How much does TechMan cost?+
TechMan publish four plans, from £99 a month for Starter up to £529 a month for Pro. The lower price on each plan applies to a minimum-term agreement; their 30-day rolling plans cost more each month and carry an upfront fee of between £199 and £1,300 covering onboarding, setup and data migration. Autopilot is £99, £179 or £279 a month with nothing to pay upfront.
Does TechMan have a free trial?+
TechMan do not advertise a free trial. Autopilot gives you 30 days on the full plan, booking real jobs and sending real invoices, before you decide anything.
Is there a contract with TechMan?+
To get their lower monthly rate you sign a minimum-term agreement. Their 30-day rolling alternative costs more each month and charges the setup fee upfront. Autopilot has no contract and no minimum term.
Can I move my data from TechMan to Autopilot?+
Yes. Send us an export from TechMan and we bring your customer records, vehicle history and invoice history across within 48 hours, then check it back with you before you go live.
Is Autopilot a good TechMan alternative for a busy workshop?+
It is where Autopilot is strongest. AutoPilot Pro is £279 a month with the technician app, online booking, deposits and the full reporting suite included, and it costs the same whether you run three technicians or fifteen. The comparable TechMan plans are £415 to £529 a month, with up to £1,300 upfront, and some plans charge per technician on top.
Ask Scott what he made us change
Scott Walsh owns MB Liverpool and is a partner in Autopilot. He has used most of the systems on the market, so he knows what you are living with and what you want instead. Nothing gets built here without going past him.
Every garage we have shown Autopilot to has told us the same thing: it is simpler and easier to use than what they had. Talk to Scott and judge it for yourself.
See it on your own jobs before you decide
Twenty minutes on a call is usually enough to tell whether Autopilot suits your workshop. If it does, we will bring your data across and get your team trained. If it does not, we will tell you.