Auto repair invoicing for solo shops and mobile mechanics. $99.99 one time instead of $39.99 a month.
ARI is a solid app and the closest thing to GarageCodex on the market. The difference is the bill. ARI Pro is $39.99 every month, with credits on top for its advanced features. GarageCodex is $99.99 once, runs fully offline on Android, and keeps your records on your own device.
Free to try·$99.99 one-time unlock·No subscription
ARI prices checked on October 19, 2026 on ari.app and ari.app/credits. Vendors change pricing, so confirm there before you decide. ARI is a trademark of its owner; GarageCodex is not affiliated with ARI.
Pick GarageCodex if you're a one-person or small shop working from an Android phone or tablet, you want to stop paying every month, and you want the records to live with you, not on someone's server.
Pick ARI if you need iOS, Windows, or a web login, want built-in labor guides, OBD tools, or customer marketing, or run several people on several devices at once. Those are real features, and GarageCodex doesn't have them.
What each one costs and what you actually get. ARI column from ARI's published pages.
| GarageCodex | ARI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $99.99 once. Free tier to try, no time limit. | $39.99/mo (Pro) or $59.99/mo (Pro Plus). $399.99 or $599.99 per year if billed yearly. |
| Free tier | Free download: 3 customers, 3 work orders, watermarked PDFs. Never expires. | Free trial up to 5 invoices, estimates, clients, and vehicles, then it prompts you to subscribe. |
| Extra fees | None. The one unlock includes every feature, every update. | Credits for advanced features (OBD port locator, repair reports, AI damage detection, mass SMS/email). Packs from $3.99 per 100 credits; Pro Plus includes a one-time 3,000. |
| Works with no internet | Yes Everything. No account, no login, no signal needed. | Partly Cloud account. ARI advertises an offline mode on its Windows app. |
| Where your data lives | On your device. Optional backup to your own Google Drive. CSV and PDF export anytime. | ARI's cloud, under your subscription. |
| Platforms | Android phones and tablets | Android, iOS, web browser, Windows |
| Multiple users / devices | No One device, one shop. No multi-user sync. | Yes Shared account across devices. |
| Work orders, estimates, invoices | Yes Auto-numbered, status workflow, labor + parts + tax, PDF estimate → invoice. | Yes |
| Payments | Partly Records cash/card/check payments and balances. No built-in card processing. | Yes Payment tracking; see ARI for processing options. |
| Digital inspections | Yes 24-point inspection with photos, printed on the PDF. | Yes |
| VIN scanning | Yes Barcode scan; decodes year offline, full make/model/trim when online. | Yes |
| Labor guides, OBD, AI | No No labor guides, OBD tools, or AI features. | Yes Several use credits. |
| Customer texting / marketing | No No customer texting or marketing. Share PDFs by any app on the device. | Yes Mass SMS/email use credits. |
| Mobile mechanic tools | Yes Mobile mode: service address + Navigate, service-call fee, GPS trip miles, IRS mileage log, deposits. | Partly Mobile-first apps; check ARI's feature list for mileage tracking. |
| Expenses & year-end taxes | Yes Expense log + a year-end, Schedule-C-shaped tax summary PDF. | See ARI's feature list. |
| Accounting integration | No No QuickBooks link. CSV export of invoices, payments, expenses, and mileage. | See ARI's integrations page. |
Rows marked “See ARI's …” are features we didn't verify on ARI's pricing pages and won't guess at.
Using ARI's yearly-billed Pro price ($399.99/yr), the lowest ARI publishes. Month-to-month is $479.88/yr.
Pro Plus is $599.99/yr. Credit packs are extra on both plans. GarageCodex updates are free; a future major version may be a separate one-time purchase, never a subscription.
A comparison that only lists our wins isn't worth your time.
Not automatically. There's no importer. You'd re-enter your active customers and vehicles (the VIN scanner makes vehicles fast). For most one-person shops that's an afternoon. Keep your ARI exports as the historical record.
Yes. One in-app purchase unlocks everything: unlimited customers and work orders, clean PDFs, Settings, Mobile mode, parts price lookup, Google Drive backup. There are no credits, add-ons, or per-invoice fees. Updates are free.
No. It's limited by size: 3 customers and 3 work orders, with a watermark on PDFs. You can run real jobs for as long as you want before unlocking.
GarageCodex keeps rotating backups on the device, and you can turn on backup to your own Google Drive. Reinstall on the new device, restore, and your purchase comes back through Google Play.
Download it free and run real jobs today. When you're ready, one $99.99 in-app purchase unlocks the full shop. One time, forever, no subscription.
Built and supported by one independent developer. No investors, no ads, no reselling your data. Questions? support@garagecodex.app
