You've decided to upgrade from spreadsheets and sticky notes. Good move. But now you're staring at a dozen software options and they all claim to be the best. Here's how to cut through the noise.

The Non-Negotiables

Any repair shop software worth your money should do these things well. If it doesn't, keep looking.

1. Job Tracking

This is the core of everything. Your software should let you:

Create work orders quickly (under 60 seconds)
Track job status through your workflow (intake → diagnosis → repair → ready → complete)
Assign jobs to specific technicians
Add notes, photos, and parts lists to each job
Search and filter jobs by status, customer, date, or tech

Red flag: If creating a work order takes more than a few clicks, your team won't use it.

2. Customer Management

You need a customer database that:

Stores contact info, device history, and notes
Links customers to all their past jobs
Lets you search by name, email, or phone
Tracks how they found you (for marketing data)

Red flag: If the software treats customers as one-off entries per job instead of persistent profiles, you'll lose history.

3. Invoicing

Generate invoices from job data — don't re-enter everything. Look for:

Auto-populate from parts and labor logged on the job
Tax calculation
Payment tracking (partial payments, multiple payment types)
Email or text invoices to customers
Print-friendly format

4. Search and History

When a customer walks in saying "you fixed my laptop last year," you should find that job in seconds. Any good system needs:

Full-text search across jobs, customers, and notes
Filter by date range, status, tech, device type
Complete audit trail (who did what, when)

Nice-to-Haves That Matter

Customer-Facing Features

The best shop software isn't just for your team — it's for your customers too:

Status lookup — Customers check their repair status without calling you
Public page — Your own branded page with services, contact info, and intake forms
Online service requests — Customers submit repair requests from your website

These features reduce phone calls, set expectations, and make your shop look professional.

Reporting

You can't improve what you don't measure:

Revenue trends over time
Jobs by status, tech, or type
Average job value
Customer acquisition source tracking

Even basic reporting is better than nothing. But if the software forces you to export to Excel to get insights, that's a problem.

Team Management

If you have more than one person:

Role-based access (owner, admin, tech, front desk)
Job assignment and workload visibility
Individual tech performance metrics

Mobile Access

Repairs happen at the bench, not at a desk. The software should work well on:

Tablets (great for intake at the counter)
Phones (for checking status on the go)
Desktop (for detailed work and reporting)

What to Avoid

Overly Complex Systems

If the software needs a week of training before your team can use it, it's too complex for most repair shops. You need something your new hire can figure out on day one.

Feature Bloat

Some platforms try to be everything: CRM, accounting, HR, project management, email marketing. For a repair shop, you need depth in job tracking and customer management — not breadth across 50 categories.

Long Contracts

Avoid software that locks you into annual contracts before you've tested it. Look for:

Free trial (14 days minimum)
Monthly billing
Easy data export if you leave

"Enterprise" Pricing

If the per-user pricing means a 3-person shop pays $200+/month, that software isn't built for you. Repair shop software should be affordable for small teams.

The Real Test

Don't trust demos or feature lists. The only way to evaluate shop software:

Sign up for a free trial
Create a real customer and job — time yourself
Walk through your actual workflow — intake, diagnosis, repair, invoice, close
Have your least technical team member try it — if they struggle, everyone will
Check the mobile experience — pull it up on your phone at the bench

If it feels natural in 15 minutes, you've found a winner.

Our Bias (Full Disclosure)

We built techsbox because we couldn't find shop software that met these criteria at a fair price. It starts at $15/month, has a 14-day free trial, and was designed by a former repair tech.

But honestly — whether you choose us or someone else, just stop using spreadsheets. Your shop deserves better.

Try techsbox free for 14 days →

What to Look For in Repair Shop Software (2026 Guide)