Pitlane vs Tekmetric
Pitlane vs Tekmetric: different tools for different jobs.
Honest comparison: Tekmetric is a cloud shop management system; Pitlane is the CRM and retention layer. How to choose — or use them together.
The short version.
Tekmetric is a cloud-based shop management system popular with independent shops. It handles the repair order lifecycle end-to-end: estimates, parts catalogs, labor guides, DVIs, messaging, accounting integrations. It's one of the better modern SMS options for shops that want to move off paper or desktop software.
Pitlane is the CRM and retention layer. It's not an SMS replacement. The overlap with Tekmetric is small and intentional — both have texting, both have reviews, both have DVIs — but Pitlane's focus is the customer relationship after the RO is closed, and Tekmetric's focus is the RO workflow itself.
Which one should you pick?
Most shops running Tekmetric already like the RO workflow and don't want to change it. The common reason they add Pitlane is for the retention side — aggressive review automation, automated win-backs, declined-work recovery, and PitCrew AI — which Tekmetric does at a much lighter level.
If you're shopping from scratch: Tekmetric if your daily pain is the RO workflow and the paper/desktop software you're replacing; Pitlane if your daily pain is losing customers between visits and wanting the follow-up to run itself.
Use Tekmetric when…
- You need full RO workflow with parts catalog integration
- You're moving off paper or desktop software
- You want labor guides and vehicle data built in
- You need accounting integration (QuickBooks etc.)
Use Pitlane when…
- You want hands-off Google review automation with 4-to-5-star filtering
- You want win-backs at 90/120/180 days running automatically
- You want AI that drafts review replies in your voice
- You want a shop concierge chat that answers questions from your real data
- You want one flat monthly price with 0% Stripe platform fee
When shops switch from Tekmetric entirely
Pitlane Growth at $197/mo (or $158/mo annual) is roughly $1,200/yr cheaper than a typical Tekmetric Pro setup, before you count the 0% Stripe platform fee on payments.
Tekmetric raised pricing significantly through 2024–2025. 2-3 bay shops we talk to report monthly bills crossing $300, sometimes $400 with the messaging and reporting add-ons. The ASOG threads about it are easy to find.
- Published pricing on the website — no quote, no sales call
- $97 / $197 / $297, all-in, with the same features at every shop size
- 0% platform fee on Stripe payments (Tekmetric varies by processor)
- Month-to-month, cancel anytime — no notice period
- Weekly product motion vs. quarterly Tekmetric releases
Native repair-order writing is in beta as of May 2026. Shops migrating off Tekmetric today usually keep an SMS for the RO workflow and let Pitlane run the customer side end-to-end.
Side by side.
| Feature | Pitlane | Tekmetric |
|---|---|---|
| Shop management (ROs, parts, labor guides) | Runs alongside | Full end-to-end SMS |
| Vehicle-aware CRM (VIN, service history) | Core feature | Built in |
| Automated Google review requests | Star-gated + 2-touch | Basic |
| Win-back sequences (90/120/180 days) | Fully automated on Pro | Manual campaigns |
| Declined-work follow-up automation | 30/60/90-day sequences built in | Manual |
| Digital vehicle inspections (DVI) | Customer-approval focused | Yes, integrated with ROs |
| PitCrew AI morning briefing | Every day, free | — |
| PitCrew AI review replies and rewrites | Built in | — |
| In-app concierge chat | Pro plan | — |
| Stripe platform fee | 0% (you connect your own) | Varies by processor |
| Typical monthly price | $97–$297/mo | Quote-based, typically $300+/mo |
| Contract | Month-to-month | Varies |
“Tekmetric runs your shop floor. Pitlane runs everything that happens after the customer drives off. Most shops benefit from both.”
Questions about switching.
Can I import my Tekmetric customer list into Pitlane?
Yes. Export customers, vehicles, and service history as CSV from Tekmetric, upload to Pitlane, map the columns, and you're live. Most shops are fully migrated in under a day.
Will Pitlane sync ROs from Tekmetric automatically?
There's no direct integration today. Most shops manually close the loop: mark a service complete in both tools, or rely on Pitlane's service records for the customer-facing side (reviews, follow-ups, win-backs) and Tekmetric for the RO details.
Does Pitlane replace Tekmetric's DVI?
It depends on how you want to use DVIs. Tekmetric's DVIs are tied into the RO and estimate workflow. Pitlane's DVIs are tied into customer approval from a phone — Pass/Attention/Fail, required photos, item-by-item approval — and declined items flow into automated recovery sequences. If your goal is to close more declined work over the next 90 days, Pitlane's DVI workflow is purpose-built for it.
Try Pitlane alongside Tekmetric. Switch when you’re ready.
30-day free trial, no credit card. CSV import from Tekmetricruns in under 10 minutes. Or keep both side-by-side as long as you want — there’s no cancellation clock on either tool.
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