Shop management software for independent auto repair and tire shops

In-Depth Review

AutoFluent is a shop management system from TABS Inc., targeting independent auto repair shops and tire dealers that want a single application covering work orders, parts inventory, and customer records. The platform has been in the market since the late 1980s and runs as a Windows desktop application rather than a browser-based or cloud-hosted system.

What AutoFluent Does for Auto Repair Shops

The core workflow is point of sale and work order management. A service advisor creates a repair order, assigns it to a technician, tracks parts used from inventory, and closes the job with a final invoice. Customer and vehicle history is stored locally: when a customer comes in, the advisor can pull up every prior service visit and any work that was declined in past appointments, which is a practical tool for presenting deferred maintenance at check-in.

Parts inventory integrates with supplier catalogs so advisors can look up parts and place orders without leaving the application. Inventory counts update automatically as parts are consumed on work orders, with configurable reorder thresholds.

Technician time tracking records actual hours against flat-rate hours per job, giving shop owners a direct comparison to evaluate efficiency by tech and by job type.

Pricing

AutoFluent uses a one-time license model rather than a monthly subscription. TABS does not publish per-seat pricing on the website; you need to contact them directly for a quote. The one-time purchase structure is a genuine differentiator for shops that are skeptical of open-ended monthly SaaS fees, particularly if they are already running other software they own outright.

Annual maintenance and support contracts are typical with one-time-license software, so factor that into the total cost comparison against monthly subscription alternatives.

Honest Pros and Cons

The main practical advantage is ownership. You pay once and run the software on your own hardware. Local data storage means shop operations do not depend on internet connectivity, which matters for shops in areas with unreliable connections.

The honest limitation is that AutoFluent’s interface and feature set reflect its origins. Cloud-native competitors like Tekmetric and Shop-Ware have built customer-facing digital inspection workflows where technicians photograph findings on a tablet and customers receive a formatted report via text link. AutoFluent does not match that experience. Mobile technician access, real-time multi-location visibility, and API integrations with modern CRM or marketing tools are also areas where cloud platforms have a structural advantage.

Who This Is Best For

AutoFluent fits a specific profile: an independent shop with two to eight bays, running Windows workstations, where the owner wants to own their software and is not looking to build integrations with third-party marketing or communication tools. Tire dealers are a named target and the inventory system reflects that use case. Multi-location operators who need centralized reporting across sites will find the architecture limiting.

One Thing to Test Before Committing

Run through a complete work order cycle during a demo: write-up with parts lookup, technician labor entry, closing the invoice, and pulling the job in customer history afterward. The daily volume in a busy shop means this process happens dozens of times per day, and friction in any step compounds quickly. Pay attention to how many clicks and screens are required versus what you are currently doing.