Side-by-side comparison
The multi-site comparison
What a third branch costs you
| Feature | Autera | Motion Bookings |
|---|---|---|
| Free planWIN | Solo, free forever, one mechanic | None; 14-day trial |
| Trial without a cardCredit where due: Motion asks for no card either. The difference is that our free plan has no end date. | Free plan, no card, no clock | 14-day trial, no card required |
| Starting priceWIN | £29 / month (£290 / year) | £39 / month |
| Seat modelNeither charges per head. | Unlimited mechanics and admin users | No per-mechanic fees |
| Customer-facing online bookingMotion wins this clearly. A public booking page and an enquiry widget are in their entry plan; ours is Workshop-tier. | Workshop+ (£79) | Included at £39 |
| MOT managementAlso theirs. Scheduling tests and tracking results against DVSA is more than Autera does, and it is in their cheapest plan. | Reminders by email and text, Workshop+ | DVSA-integrated scheduling and automatic alerts, at £39 |
| SMS reminders | Workshop+, 150 texts a month | Included at £39 |
| Live UK reg lookup (DVLA)Both read the registration. Autera also carries full DVSA MOT history and puts it on the free plan. | Unlimited, on every plan including free | Auto-detects MOT class from the plate |
| Native iPhone & Android appsWINMotion advertises a responsive web app rather than native apps. Autera’s apps are the whole product, offline-tolerant, in a pocket. | Works on mobile and tablet (web) | |
| Customer job tracking linkWIN | Workshop+, no app or login for the customer | Not advertised |
| InvoicingComparable. Motion’s deposit links on bookings are a nice touch Autera does not have. | VAT invoices, Stripe pay-by-link | One-click VAT invoices, Stripe deposit links |
| ADAS calibration certificates (PAS 1880)WIN | Workshop+ | Not advertised |
| Two sitesMotion is cheaper at two sites and we would rather you knew. | £149 flat (Multi-Bay) | £138 (Pro £89 + £49) |
| Three sitesWINThis is where it turns. Autera’s multi-site price does not move when you open another branch. | £149 flat | £187 (Pro £89 + £49 × 2) |
| Five sitesWIN | £149 flat | £285 (Pro £89 + £49 × 4) |
| Best fit | Garages that want to start free, work from a phone, or run more than two sites | Single-site garages wanting booking and MOT management at the lowest paid price |
Comparison reviewed August 2026. Pricing and feature sets change frequently, check motionbookings.co.uk for the latest from Motion Bookings.
Why UK garages choose Autera
Free has no end date
Motion gives you a fortnight and asks for no card, which is fair. Autera Solo is free forever for a one-mechanic garage. You can run real jobs through it in a quiet week, ignore it for a month, and come back without a countdown or a decision to make.
Flat when you grow
Motion charges £49 to £75 per additional location on top of the plan. Autera Multi-Bay is £149 whether that is two units or six. At two sites they are cheaper; at three you are paying them £187 against our £149, and the gap widens with every branch.
Actual apps, not a responsive site
Motion works on mobile and tablet through the browser. Autera has native iPhone and Android apps carrying the full product: jobs, photos, quotes, invoicing, payments. If your technicians work off a phone in the bay rather than a tablet at a desk, that difference shows up daily.
Where Motion is genuinely better
Customer-facing online booking and DVSA-integrated MOT scheduling are both in Motion’s £39 plan. In Autera both sit on Workshop at £79. If online booking is the reason you are shopping and you run one site, Motion is the cheaper answer and we would rather say it here than waste your fortnight.
Ten pounds a month, and a floor beneath it
Autera Starter is £29 against Motion’s £39, or £290 a year against £468. The bigger difference is what sits underneath: Motion’s cheapest plan is £39, ours is nothing.
Respect for a real competitor
Motion Bookings publishes its prices, does not charge per mechanic, asks for no card to trial, and its DVSA MOT integration is properly done. It is the strongest product on the shortlist we are usually compared against. Autera wins on starting free, on native apps, and on what happens when you open a second and third branch.
Common questions
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