Softwr

Automotive · head to head

Tekmetric vs TrueCar

Tekmetric logo

Tekmetric

Automotive

Complete shop management for independent shops

From
$179/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
TrueCar logo

TrueCar

Automotive

Transparent pricing and deals on cars

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only TrueCar has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Tekmetric every price is per shop, and each additional location needs its own plan subscription; TrueCar trueCar's consumer car-shopping and pricing tools are free to use; the company is monetized through dealer partnerships rather than a consumer subscription
  • They diverge on capability: Tekmetric covers Work order management, TrueCar covers Price transparency.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Tekmetric and TrueCar actually diverge.

Attributes where Tekmetric and TrueCar differ
AttributeTekmetricTrueCar
Starting price$179/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
Founded20162005

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web, Mobile, App), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Automotive).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Tekmetric

  • Work order management
  • Vehicle history
  • Customer management
  • Scheduling system
  • Estimating tools
  • Invoicing
  • Customer portal
  • Mobile application

Only in TrueCar

  • Price transparency
  • Inventory search
  • Dealer ratings
  • Consumer reviews
  • Lead generation
  • Pricing reports
  • Market analysis
  • Mobile app

Both cover

  • Payment processors
  • Mobile apps
  • SSL encryption
  • Secure authentication

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Tekmetric

  • Shop management for independent auto repair shops: repair orders, estimates and invoicingnot TrueCar
  • Digital vehicle inspections shared with customersnot TrueCar
  • Managing parts inventory, vendors and technician job clocksnot TrueCar

TrueCar

  • Dealership Managementnot Tekmetric
  • Service Schedulingnot Tekmetric
  • Inventory Managementnot Tekmetric
  • Sales Operationsnot Tekmetric
  • Customer Relationshipnot Tekmetric

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Tekmetric

  • Every price is per shop, and each additional location needs its own plan subscription
  • Two-way texting, the real-time shop dashboard, the technician board and employee performance analytics require the Scale plan at $439 per month
  • The labor guide, time and job clocks and parts and inventory reports are withheld from the entry Start plan at $199 per month
  • Integrated payments, a dedicated account manager and quarterly business reviews are Enterprise only, and Enterprise is custom priced with no published rate
  • Multi-shop management is a $70 per month per shop add-on on top of a plan subscription at every location
  • The Tire Suite add-on costs an extra $39 per month per shop
  • The Marketing add-on costs an extra $345 per month per shop, more than the Scale plan itself
  • The discounted rates such as $179 per month require annual billing

TrueCar

  • TrueCar's consumer car-shopping and pricing tools are free to use; the company is monetized through dealer partnerships rather than a consumer subscription

Pricing, plan by plan

Tekmetric

$179/month
  • Start$199/month
    • Inventory management
    • Digital vehicle inspections
    • Smart jobs
  • Grow$349/month
    • All Start features
    • Labor guide
    • Maintenance schedule
  • Scale$439/month
    • All Grow features
    • Two-way texting
    • Real-time shop dashboard
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • Custom pricing
    • Integrated payments
    • Dedicated account manager

TrueCar

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Vehicle search
    • Price estimates
    • Dealer ratings
  • Dealer Plus$299/month
    • Lead generation
    • Dealer profile
    • Performance metrics
  • Enterprise$799/month
    • Everything in Dealer Plus
    • Custom integration
    • API access

Which should you pick?

Choose Tekmetric if

  • You need work order management.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, App.
  • You also want vehicle history.
Tekmetric review

Choose TrueCar if

  • You need price transparency.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, App.
  • You also want inventory search.
TrueCar review

Questions people ask

Is Tekmetric or TrueCar better?
Neither clearly leads. Tekmetric starts at $179/month and TrueCar at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Tekmetric or TrueCar?
TrueCar has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $179/month for Tekmetric and Free for TrueCar.
Does Tekmetric or TrueCar run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Mobile, App, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use TrueCar for free?
Yes. TrueCar has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Tekmetric starts at $179/month.
What is Tekmetric best used for?
Tekmetric is most often used for shop management for independent auto repair shops: repair orders, estimates and invoicing, digital vehicle inspections shared with customers, managing parts inventory, vendors and technician job clocks. Of those, shop management for independent auto repair shops: repair orders, estimates and invoicing and digital vehicle inspections shared with customers are not what TrueCar is typically brought in for.
What can Tekmetric do that TrueCar cannot?
Tekmetric covers Work order management, Vehicle history, Customer management, Scheduling system. TrueCar covers Price transparency, Inventory search, Dealer ratings, Consumer reviews. Both handle Payment processors, Mobile apps, SSL encryption, Secure authentication.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Tekmetric: Are there per-user fees?

No, Tekmetric charges per shop, not per user. All plans include unlimited users, unlimited repair orders (ROs), unlimited support, and no hidden fees.

Source
Tekmetric: Can I pay annually?

Yes, Tekmetric offers both month-to-month and annual subscriptions. Annual billing typically provides savings, and there are no long-term contracts required.

Source
Tekmetric: What add-ons are available?

Tekmetric offers Multi-Shop Management ($70/month per shop), Tire Suite ($39/month per shop), Marketing ($345/month per shop), and Integrated Payments (included in Enterprise plan).

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Tekmetric

More on TrueCar

Keep looking

Other head to heads