Let's address the elephant in the room: you searched for "free workshop software" and ended up here. We get it. Software costs add up, and when you're running a workshop, every dollar matters. So here's the deal - we're going to give you the honest truth about free vs paid workshop software, even though we sell paid software ourselves.
Yes, you can run a workshop without paying for software. People have done it for decades. But there are trade-offs, and understanding them will help you make the right decision for your business.
What's Actually Free (No Catch)
First, let's talk about what you can genuinely get for free, right now, with no credit card required:
Spreadsheets
Google Sheets and Excel (if you have Office) are legitimately free and can handle basic job tracking, customer lists, and simple invoicing. Plenty of small workshops run on spreadsheets.
Free Accounting Software
Wave Accounting is genuinely free for invoicing. Xero and MYOB have free trials. These handle invoicing well but don't manage workshop-specific tasks.
Free Calculators & Tools
We offer free workshop calculators - labour rate calculator, job profitability calculator, parts markup calculator. No signup needed, use them forever.
Paper Systems
Job cards, invoice books, and filing cabinets. Not glamorous, but they work. Cost is basically just paper and time.
Free Workshop Software Options (With Limitations)
There are some genuinely free workshop software options out there. Here's what you'll typically find:
| Type | What You Get | The Catch |
|---|---|---|
| Open Source Software | Full features, self-hosted | Requires technical skills to install, maintain, and secure. No support. |
| Freemium Plans | Basic features free forever | Limited users, limited jobs, missing key features. Upgrade pressure. |
| Free Trials | Full features, limited time | Usually 7-30 days. Then you pay or lose access. |
| Ad-Supported | Free to use with advertising | Ads can be intrusive. Your data may be shared with advertisers. |
The Reality of "Free" Open Source
Open source workshop software exists, and it's genuinely free to use. But here's what you need to know:
- • You'll need to set up and maintain your own server
- • Security and backups are your responsibility
- • Updates require manual installation
- • There's no support team to call when things break
- • NZ-specific features (NZTA integration, GST handling) are rare
For a tech-savvy workshop owner, this might work. For most, the time cost exceeds the money saved.
What Paid Workshop Software Actually Gives You
Let's be honest about what you're paying for when you choose paid workshop software:
Time Savings
Automated invoicing, instant rego lookups, one-click reports. Features that save 5-10 hours per week translate to real money - often more than the subscription costs.
Integration
Xero sync, NZTA vehicle lookups, payment processing - these integrations take months to build and maintain. You're paying for someone else to do that work.
Support
When something goes wrong at 4pm on a Friday and you have cars to get out, having someone to call matters. Free software doesn't come with a support team.
Security & Backups
Your customer data, job history, and financial records are protected and backed up. Losing this data would be catastrophic - paid software handles this for you.
Continuous Improvement
New features, bug fixes, compliance updates. The software gets better over time without you having to do anything.
The True Cost Comparison
Here's a realistic comparison of what free vs paid actually costs for a typical small workshop:
| Cost Factor | Spreadsheet/Free | Paid Software ($60-100/mo) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly subscription | $0 | $60-100 |
| Admin time (weekly) | 5-8 hours | 1-2 hours |
| Manual data entry errors | Common | Rare |
| Missed invoicing | $200-500/month typical | Near zero |
| NZTA rego lookups | Manual (slow) | Instant |
| Xero sync | Manual double-entry | Automatic |
| Service reminders | Manual or forgotten | Automatic |
If your time is worth $40/hour and you save 5 hours per week, that's $800/month in time savings alone - far more than most software costs.
When Free Actually Makes Sense
There are legitimate scenarios where sticking with free tools is the right call:
Free tools might be right for you if:
- • You're just starting out and cash flow is genuinely tight
- • You do fewer than 10 jobs per week
- • You're comfortable with manual processes and double-entry
- • You don't need integrations (no Xero, no NZTA lookups)
- • You have time but not money (the trade-off is real)
Starting with spreadsheets and upgrading later is a perfectly valid approach. Many successful workshop owners did exactly that.
When It's Time to Upgrade
Here are the signs that free tools are costing you more than paid software would:
- • You're spending more than 2 hours per day on admin
- • Jobs are falling through the cracks (missed invoices, forgotten follow-ups)
- • You can't easily answer "how profitable was last month?"
- • Customers are getting invoices days after work is done
- • You've hired staff and need to track their work
- • You're manually entering data into Xero after already entering it elsewhere
If more than two of these apply, the "free" option is probably costing you more than you realise.
Try Before You Buy
Here's our honest advice: take advantage of free trials. Don't commit to paid software without testing it properly in your workshop.
Our Approach
We offer a 14-day free trial with full access to everything - no credit card required, no features locked. If it's not right for your workshop, no hard feelings. We also provide free calculators you can use forever, whether you become a customer or not.
The goal isn't to trick you into paying for something you don't need. It's to help you run a better workshop - and if that means using free tools, that's genuinely fine.
The Bottom Line
Free workshop software exists, but it comes with trade-offs. The question isn't "can I run my workshop for free?" (you can), it's "what's the true cost of free?"
For very small operations, free tools work fine. As you grow, the time cost of manual processes, the risk of missed invoicing, and the headache of disconnected systems usually exceeds the cost of proper software.
Do the maths for your workshop. If paid software saves you 5 hours per week and prevents $200/month in missed billing, a $60/month subscription isn't a cost - it's an investment that pays for itself several times over.
And if you're not ready to commit to paid software? That's okay. Start with our free calculators, get your pricing right, and upgrade when it makes sense for your business.