Autera vs Sesar

The Sesar alternative
with native apps and a free plan.

Sesar is a UK workshop platform at £89.99/month with unlimited SMS and VRM lookups bundled in. Autera starts free, has native iOS and Android apps instead of a PWA, and offers tiered pricing from £29/month.

Autera is best for garages who want to start free, need native phone apps for the team, and want to pick a plan that fits their size.

Sesar is best for workshops that send a lot of SMS reminders and want unlimited VRM lookups and SMS included in one flat price, with no credit packs.

Start free. No card.Book a demo

✓Already on Sesar? Free migration included →

FEATURE COMPARISON

Side-by-side comparison

Monthly cost, no contract

The price to run a small garage

Sesar

£89.99/month

One flat price. Unlimited SMS and VRM lookups included. No tiers. 14-day free trial to start.

Autera Starter

£29/month

Unlimited mechanics and office logins, unlimited jobs, invoices and quotes, native iOS and Android apps, and live accounting sync. Free Solo plan below it.

4 clear winsAutera leads on 4 features Sesar doesn’t match

Feature	Autera	Sesar
Free planWINAutera Solo is free with no time limit. Sesar has no free plan. They offer a 14-day free trial.	Solo, free forever
Free trialSesar offers a 14-day trial with full access and no card. Autera skips the trial: the Solo plan is free forever.	Free plan instead	14 days, no card
Sign yourself upBoth let you sign up online without talking to anyone.	Yes, in minutes, no card	Yes, self-serve
Monthly priceWINSesar charges one flat price of £89.99/month for everyone. Autera Starter is £29/month, Workshop is £79/month. Both include unlimited users.	From £29/month	£89.99/month
Unlimited usersBoth include unlimited users. A draw.
ContractBoth are month-to-month with no contract. A draw.	Month-to-month	Month-to-month
Native iPhone and Android appWINAutera ships native iOS and Android apps through the App Store and Google Play. Sesar uses a PWA that can be installed on a phone without an app store. A PWA works offline, but push notifications, camera access and performance are more limited than a native app.		PWA (installable, no app store)
Unlimited SMS includedSesar includes unlimited SMS on the flat plan with no credit packs. Autera sends SMS reminders on Workshop and above. If your garage sends a high volume of SMS, Sesar bundles it more simply.	Workshop+ (credits)
Unlimited VRM lookups includedBoth include VRM lookups without per-lookup charges.	Included on all plans
AI phone receptionistSesar lists a 24/7 AI phone receptionist. Autera does not have this feature.
DVLA reg lookup
Quote, job card, invoice flow
Vehicle inspections
MOT and service reminders	Workshop+
Xero, QuickBooks and Sage syncBoth sync with Xero, QuickBooks and Sage.	Starter+
Online booking
Data migrationWIN	Free, usually within one working day	Not stated

Comparison reviewed October 2026. Pricing and feature sets change frequently, check sesar.co.uk for the latest from Sesar.

WHY AUTERA

Why UK garages choose Autera

Three times less to start

Autera Starter is £29/month. Sesar is £89.99/month flat. Both include unlimited users.

A free plan, not a 14-day trial

Sesar gives you two weeks to decide. Autera gives you a free plan with no time limit and no card.

Native apps, not a PWA

Autera ships through the App Store and Google Play. Push notifications, camera and performance work as your team expects from a native app.

Plans that grow with you

Solo is free. Starter is £29. Workshop is £79. Pick the tier that fits, instead of paying £89.99 from the start.

DVLA lookups included

DVLA lookups are included on every plan. No credits, no packs, no per-lookup charge.

Free data migration

Send whatever you have. We load your customers, vehicles, job history and staff free, usually within one working day.

QUESTIONS

Common questions

Is Autera cheaper than Sesar?

Yes. Autera Starter is £29/month against Sesar at £89.99/month. And Autera Solo is free with no time limit. Sesar does include unlimited SMS in its price, which Autera reserves for Workshop and above.

Does Sesar have a mobile app?

Sesar uses a PWA (Progressive Web App) that can be installed on iOS and Android without an app store. It works offline and syncs when back online. Autera has native apps through the App Store and Google Play. Native apps have better push notifications, camera access and performance.

What does Sesar do better than Autera?

Unlimited SMS and VRM lookups in one flat price, with no credit packs or tiers to think about. A 24/7 AI phone receptionist. If your garage sends a lot of texts and wants everything bundled, their pricing model is simpler.

Can I try Sesar for free?

Yes. Sesar offers a 14-day free trial with full access and no card. Autera takes a different approach: the Solo plan is free forever.

How do I move from Sesar to Autera?

Export what you can, in whatever format it comes out in. We load your customers, vehicles, job history and staff free, usually within one working day. No fee, on any plan.

Comparing other UK garage software too?

vs ServiceM8 vs Garage Hive vs Garage Assistant vs MAM Autowork vs LaunchControl

Or explore Autera by feature:

Garage management software MOT reminders Invoicing Vehicle health checks

GET STARTED