The LaunchControl alternative
with a free start and UK data.

Yes. Multi-site is on Workshop (£79/month) and Multi-Bay (£149/month), at £49/month per additional site, with every site under one login and every report switching between a single site and a combined All sites view. Straight answer on cost: at three branches that is £79 + £98 = £177/month against LaunchControl's £147, so LaunchControl is cheaper per location at that size. Autera's case is the free tier to start on, dual Xero and QuickBooks, official DVLA and MOT data, and native iOS and Android apps, not a lower price at three sites.

Yes. Autera Solo is free forever, no card required, so any workshop can run real jobs through it indefinitely. Paid plans (Starter £29, Workshop £79, Multi-Bay £149 per month) add a 14-day free trial on top. LaunchControl has no free tier, just a 28-day trial before its £49 per location per month starts.

LaunchControl is one plan, Business, at £49 per location per month with unlimited users. Autera is tiered: Solo £0, Starter £29, Workshop £79, Multi-Bay £149, with unlimited mechanics and unlimited admin users on every paid plan. Neither of us charges per seat, so headcount is not the deciding number: at one site compare the plan prices directly, and for a group compare Autera’s £49 per extra site against LaunchControl’s £49 per location. For a single mechanic or a small team Autera usually starts cheaper, and you can begin for free.

Yes. Autera syncs to both Xero and QuickBooks. LaunchControl also connects to Xero, QuickBooks Online, Sage and FreeAgent, so accounting is not a reason to choose between us.

Autera pulls first-party DVLA Vehicle Enquiry Service data for reg lookups and reads MOT history from the official DVSA API, on every plan, with nothing to set up. LaunchControl does reg lookups too, included in its Business plan, though it says what comes back depends on the lookup service configured for the workshop, and its MOT history area retrieves UK test history when the supported MOT service is configured. The difference is that Autera’s government feeds are built in and on by default.

Not today. LaunchControl is genuinely strong here: it orders parts from the job sheet through LKQ Euro Car Parts and bundles HaynesPro labour times and wiring diagrams. Autera does not include a parts-ordering integration or a technical-data database yet, parts ordering is on the roadmap. If live parts ordering and manufacturer labour times are central to your day, LaunchControl may suit you better right now.

Yes to both. Autera has native iOS and Android apps for technicians, plus a native customer app on both stores. LaunchControl is browser-based on both sides: its own site says it works on any phone, tablet or desktop with no app to download, and its LaunchPad FAQ says LaunchControl and LaunchPad are fully responsive, so LaunchPad for technicians and LaunchBay for customers are responsive web interfaces rather than native apps.