Head to head
Garage Hive vs Motasoft: enterprise analytics or budget simplicity?
At opposite ends of the UK garage software market. Garage Hive offers Microsoft Business Central's Power BI reporting and Autodata integration. Motasoft VGM focuses on affordability with Haynes Pro data. Here's an honest look at both, plus where Garegi offers a middle ground.
Garage Hive at a glance
Garage Hive starts at £145/month, but the total cost depends heavily on team size. Microsoft Business Central adds roughly £62 per user per month. On-site implementation is listed at £3,000 on Microsoft Marketplace. The return is genuine enterprise reporting: Power BI dashboards, Autodata technical data across all plans, dynamic scheduling and a large, active community of UK garage owners.
Motasoft VGM at a glance
Motasoft is the budget-friendly option: Standard at £65/month, Plus at £95/month and Premium at £135/month. Free setup, no contract, DVLA included. Haynes Pro technical data is available from the Plus tier. SMS is charged separately as credit packs. A website add-on costs £50/month.
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Garage Hive | Motasoft VGM | Garegi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | £145/month + MS licence | £65/month | £200/month flat |
| Setup fee | Not published; £3,000 on-site implementation on MS Marketplace | None | None |
| Per-user fees | ~£62/user/month | None | None |
| Contract | Monthly rolling | None | Monthly rolling |
| Technical data | Autodata (all plans) | Haynes Pro (from Plus) | No |
| Power BI reporting | Yes | No | No |
| DVLA lookup | Included | Included | Included |
| Booking website | Online booking widget | Add-on (£50/month) | Full website included |
| SMS | Included | Credit packs (separate) | 300/month included |
| Parts ordering | GSF | Yes | GSF + Bond |
| Car sales module | Yes | No | Yes (£80/month) |
| Vehicle hire module | No | No | Yes (£80/month) |
| Multi-site | Yes | No | No |
| Community | Large Facebook community | Smaller user base | Growing |
All pricing from publicly available sources. Pricing reflects standard published rates and does not include promotional offers, limited-time discounts or negotiated rates. Figures checked 19 August 2026. Confirm current pricing directly with each provider.
Where Garage Hive wins
There's no contest on reporting: Power BI dashboards give Garage Hive a depth of analytics that neither Motasoft nor Garegi can match. Autodata on all plans, multi-site support and the active community are genuine advantages. For garages that run on data and want manufacturer service schedules built in, Garage Hive justifies its higher cost.
Where Motasoft wins
Motasoft wins on cost. At £65/month with free setup and no contract, it's the cheapest way into a capable UK GMS. Haynes Pro from £95/month adds technical data at a fraction of Garage Hive's total cost. For a one-person or two-person workshop watching every pound, Motasoft's value is hard to beat.
Where Garegi fits in
Garegi sits between the two. At £200/month flat, it's more than Motasoft but without Garage Hive's per-user licensing or setup fees. The included booking website and 300 SMS messages mean there are no add-on surprises. It suits garages that want more than Motasoft offers but find Garage Hive's cost structure too complex. See the full pricing breakdown.
Common questions
Is Motasoft much cheaper than Garage Hive?
Yes. Motasoft Standard starts at £65/month with free setup. Garage Hive starts at £145/month plus ~£62 per user per month for Microsoft licensing, with on-site implementation listed at £3,000 on Microsoft Marketplace. For a single-user garage, Motasoft can be less than a third of Garage Hive's total cost.
Does Motasoft have Autodata like Garage Hive?
Motasoft uses Haynes Pro (from the Plus tier at £95/month), not Autodata. Both provide service schedules and technical data, but they're different databases.
Which has better reporting?
Garage Hive offers Power BI dashboards through Microsoft Business Central, giving it significantly deeper analytics than Motasoft's standard reports.
Is there a middle-ground option?
Garegi charges a flat £200/month, more than Motasoft but without Garage Hive's per-user fees. It includes a booking website and 300 SMS, which neither system bundles at no extra cost.
Want to compare all three in practice?
Book a demo and bring your questions. We'll be honest about where Garegi fits.