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 priceWINBoth figures are the annual price each of us actually charges: Motion and Autera each take two months off an annual plan, so the gap holds either way. | £29 / month (£290 / year) | £39 / month (£390 / year) |
| Seat modelNeither charges per head. | Unlimited mechanics and admin users | No per-mechanic fees |
| Customer-facing online bookingMotion wins this clearly. A public online booking page is in their £39 Starter plan, where ours is Workshop-tier, and it embeds on your own website at that tier: their booking page offers a shared link or an embedded booking widget, and they put customer-facing web booking on every plan from £39. The separate “get a quote” enquiry widget, which collects leads rather than bookings, is the part that starts on Pro at £89. | 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, reminders by email at £39 (SMS from £89) |
| SMS remindersMotion’s £39 Starter plan has no SMS; its MOT reminders there go out by email. SMS reminders and two-way SMS start on Pro at £89, with 200 texts included. Closely matched at the tier where both have it. | Workshop+ (£79), 150 texts a month | Pro (£89), 200 texts a month |
| Live UK reg lookup (DVLA)Both read the registration and both pull DVSA MOT history. The difference is the plan: Motion’s MOT management with DVLA/DVSA lookup starts on Starter at £39, Autera’s is on the free plan. | Unlimited, on every plan including free | DVSA MOT history pulled in by registration |
| 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-facing job updatesNot a win on substance, only on friction. Motion’s mechanics log red/amber/green findings with photos and the customer approves or declines each item online from the £39 plan up; their booking-history and invoice portal is Pro+ at £149 and the customer signs in. Autera’s link is a status page the customer opens with no account and no app. | Job tracking link, Workshop+, no app or login for the customer | Vehicle Health Check approval online from £39; customer portal on Pro+ (£149) needs a login |
| InvoicingParity on invoicing and on taking the balance by card. Motion also takes a Stripe deposit at the booking stage, which Autera does not. | VAT invoices, Stripe pay-by-link | One-click VAT invoices, Stripe pay-by-link, plus booking deposits |
| 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 £390. Both of us take two months off an annual plan, so the gap holds either way. 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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