If you’ve started shopping for workshop software, you’ve probably noticed options split into two camps: cloud-based systems you access through a browser, and desktop software you download and install on your computer. The sales pages all sound the same, but these are fundamentally different approaches to running your business.
This guide is about which approach fits your workshop, your team, and how you actually work. We make Hoist, which is cloud software, so read the desktop case with that in mind.
What We’ll Cover
What is Cloud-Based Workshop Software?
Cloud software runs on servers managed by the software company. You access it through a web browser (Chrome, Safari, Edge, whatever you use). There’s nothing to install on your computer.
When you log in, you’re connecting to your data stored in a data centre. Any device with internet can access it: your workshop PC, your phone, your home laptop, a tablet on the shop floor.
How Cloud Software Works
- Your data lives on the provider’s servers (not your computer)
- Access from any device with internet
- Updates happen automatically, so you always have the latest version
- Backups are handled by the provider
- Usually paid monthly (subscription model)
Examples of cloud workshop software include Hoist (that’s us), Mechanic Desk, Workshop Software, and Auxo’s webSAM and Auxo Workshop. Most systems built in the last 10 years are cloud.
What is Desktop Workshop Software?
Desktop software is a program you download and install on your computer, just like Microsoft Word or a game. The software and your data both live on that specific machine.
You typically buy a licence upfront (often a significant one-time cost) and may pay extra for annual support or updates. The software runs locally, meaning it doesn’t need internet to function once installed.
How Desktop Software Works
- Software installed on your specific computer
- Data stored locally on that machine
- Works without internet (once installed)
- You manage your own backups
- Usually a large upfront cost plus optional annual fees
The best-known NZ example is desktop SAM, which Auxo still sells alongside its cloud products, plus various legacy systems still running on old Windows machines in workshops across the country.
Key Differences That Actually Matter
Marketing materials love to list features, but here’s what actually affects your daily life running a workshop:
Access & Flexibility
| Scenario | Cloud | Desktop |
|---|---|---|
| Check jobs from home | Yes, any device | No (unless complex VPN setup) |
| Multiple users at once | Yes, built-in | Requires network version (extra cost) |
| Tech updates job on phone | Yes | No |
| Works during internet outage | No (needs a connection) | Yes |
| Main computer dies | Log in from another device, keep working | You’re down until fixed/restored |
Data Safety & Backups
This is where the real risk lies.
With cloud software: Your data is stored in data centres with redundant backups. If your computer catches fire tomorrow, you log in from a new device and everything’s there. The software company handles the backup infrastructure; keeping your data safe is their business model.
With desktop software: Your data lives on your hard drive. Hard drives fail. Computers get stolen. Ransomware encrypts everything. Unless you’re religiously backing up to an external drive or cloud storage AND testing those backups regularly, you’re one hardware failure away from losing years of customer records and business data.
Updates & Maintenance
Cloud: Updates happen automatically. You log in one morning and there’s a new feature. No installation, no compatibility issues, no “update failed” messages.
Desktop: You need to download and install updates manually (or pay for annual maintenance that includes updates). This often means coordinating downtime, checking compatibility with your Windows version, and hoping the update doesn’t break something. Many workshops run years-old versions because updating is a hassle.
Integrations
Modern cloud software connects to other services easily. Rego lookups, Xero accounting, email, SMS: these connections are built in.
Desktop software struggles here. Each integration requires separate configuration, and many older systems simply can’t connect to modern services. You end up manually exporting and importing data between systems.
New Zealand-Specific Considerations
Internet Reliability
NZ internet isn’t always perfect. If you’re in a rural area with spotty connectivity, this matters.
The reality in 2026, though:
- Most urban areas have reliable fibre or VDSL
- 4G coverage is solid across most of NZ
- Brief outages are rare, not daily occurrences
- A phone hotspot covers you for critical moments
If your internet goes down for an hour, you can’t use cloud software for that hour (Hoist runs in the browser on any phone or tablet, and it needs a connection). Weigh that against the very real risk of hardware failure or data loss with desktop systems.
Rego Lookup
One big advantage of modern cloud systems is instant rego lookup from official NZ vehicle records. Enter a number plate and get make, model, year, VIN and WoF expiry automatically, instead of typing them.
Desktop software typically can’t do this, or requires clunky manual lookups through separate websites.
Xero (NZ’s Standard)
Xero is the dominant accounting software in New Zealand. Cloud workshop software connects to it directly: invoices sync automatically, no double entry.
Desktop software usually requires exporting invoices as CSV files and importing them into Xero manually. It works, but it’s tedious and error-prone.
Cost Comparison
This is where people often get confused. Here’s how the costs break down over time.
| Cost Factor | Desktop | Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Large licence fee | None or minimal |
| Ongoing cost | Optional support fees | Monthly subscription |
| Updates | May require paid upgrades | Included |
| IT support | You manage (or pay IT) | Provider handles it |
| Backups | Your responsibility | Included |
| New computer | May need reinstall/relicence | Just log in |
Thinking About Total Cost
Compare the full picture, not the sticker price. Desktop software has upfront licence fees plus ongoing maintenance, IT support, and backup costs. Cloud software has a predictable monthly fee with updates and backups included.
A worked example: Hoist is $140 + GST a month, with 3 users included and $10 a month per extra user. That’s $1,320 + GST for the first year. Desktop SAM has no public price (it’s quote-only), so ask Auxo for the licence, the annual support fee, and the cost of a networked version, then compare the two over three years. We’ve laid out what Auxo does publish in Auxo Workshop & webSAM Pricing in NZ.
Which is Right for Your Workshop?
Desktop Software Might Suit You If:
- You’re in a remote area with unreliable internet
- You have existing desktop software that works well and migration is too painful
- You’re a single-person operation who never needs remote access
- You have strong IT skills and maintain proper backup procedures
- You prefer large upfront costs over ongoing subscriptions (accounting reasons)
Cloud Software is Probably Better If:
- You want to check jobs from home or on your phone
- You have multiple staff who need access
- You want automatic backups without thinking about them
- You use Xero and want invoices to sync automatically
- You want rego lookups built in
- You don’t want to worry about updates or maintenance
- You’re starting fresh and want a modern system
The Industry Direction
Nearly all new workshop software is cloud-based, and the NZ incumbent has followed: Auxo now sells webSAM and Auxo Workshop alongside desktop SAM. If you buy desktop software today, you’re buying into an approach the industry is moving away from. That’s not necessarily wrong (some workshops will run the same desktop system for 20 years), but go in with your eyes open.
What “export your data” should mean before you sign up to anything: ask which formats you get (CSV of customers, vehicles, jobs and invoices at minimum), whether you can export it yourself at any time, and how long you have to retrieve it after cancelling.
If you’re shopping for new software, try before you commit. Most cloud providers offer free trials. Use it for a couple of weeks with real work and see what fits.
Try Hoist Free
We offer a 14-day free trial with full access to everything: cloud-based, works in the browser on any device, includes rego lookup from official NZ vehicle records and Xero sync. No credit card required. See if cloud works for your workshop.