A Shopmonkey alternative that goes deep on trucks and fleets.
Shopmonkey is a popular, modern system for auto repair shops. BigShop AI is built around heavy-duty and fleet repair, with an AI agent on every plan and a team that builds what shops ask for.
Credit where it's due.
From Shopmonkey's own website, as of November 2026.
Shopmonkey helped make cloud shop software the norm for auto repair. Founded in 2016, it's known for being easy to pick up, and thousands of shops run on it.
It covers a lot in one place: texting, inspections, online payments with pay-over-time options, an accounting add-on, and MOTOR labor data, including MOTOR's medium and heavy-duty data.
BigShop AI and Shopmonkey, side by side.
| Topic | BigShop AI | Shopmonkey |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Heavy-duty truck, trailer and fleet repair; auto shops too. | Auto repair first, plus tire, quick lube, heavy-duty and other shops. |
| Track record | Newer and smaller. Built from shop owners' requests, with new features every week. | Founded in 2016; used by thousands of shops. |
| Where it runs | Cloud, in any browser, with BigShop apps for iPhone and Android. | Cloud, in the browser, with Shopmonkey for Techs on iOS and Android. |
| AI | An AI agent on every plan: reads vendor invoices into purchase orders, builds quotes from your own history, takes voice commands. | AI receptionist add-on, AI review replies and AI smart replies in messaging. |
| Accounting | Built-in general ledger, bank feeds and financial reports, or two-way QuickBooks Online sync. | Accounting add-on with a ledger, P&L and balance sheet; QuickBooks Online, or Desktop for an extra fee. |
| Fleet & telematics | Samsara mileage, engine hours and fault codes; invoices sent to Fleetio, QuickManage and DataTruck. | See Shopmonkey's site. |
| Customers | Two-way texting, a customer portal with service requests and quotes, signed approvals, online payments, visit ratings. | Two-way texting and email, inspections by text, e-signed approvals, online payments with pay-over-time, online booking. |
| Labor times & repair info | Global Labor Guide of typical hours and a web lookup of book times. No OEM repair procedures. | MOTOR labor data (Fleetcross for medium and heavy-duty); ALLDATA on higher plans. |
| Pricing | Published, from $199 a month. Free trial after a demo, no card needed. Month to month, no contract. | Published. Monthly, or annual at a discount. |
| Data migration | Free on every plan, usually 5 to 10 hours. | A one-time data migration fee, per its pricing page. |
| Support | Chat and email, and calls with our team when you need one. 24/7 on Pro. | Phone, live chat and email, weekdays 8am to 8pm Eastern. |
Shopmonkey details from shopmonkey.io, checked November 2026. Products change; if something here is out of date, email support@bigshopai.com and we'll fix it.
The small things shops love.
Most of these started as a shop owner's request.
- Shop TV boardsLive boards for the shop TV: who's on which job, and what's arriving today and tomorrow.
- Part scannersScan a barcode or part label on the web or the phone to find the part, its bin and stock.
- FaceID clock-inTechs clock in at a shop tablet in under a second. No cards, no buddy punching.
- Team chatGroup chats, @mentions and a chat on every work order. The app speaks seven languages.
- Ratings to reviewsCustomers rate each visit, and happy ones are offered your Google review link.
- A free shop websiteYour own website with Express Check-In for drivers, free on every plan.
An honest take.
Both are good cloud systems. The type of work in your bays matters most.
Shopmonkey may fit better if
- Most of your work is passenger cars and light trucks.
- You want CARFAX or PartsTech connected to your shop system.
- You want pay-over-time financing for customers.
BigShop AI may fit better if
- Your work is trucks, trailers and fleet accounts.
- You want AI that reads invoices, writes quotes and takes voice commands.
- Your fleet customers use Fleetio, QuickManage, DataTruck or Samsara.
- You want features built on request, and a team you can call.
We've done it before.
Our migration team moves your Shopmonkey data for you, free on every plan. How switching works.
- Everything that mattersCustomers, vehicles, past work orders and invoices, payments and open balances, parts and vendors.
- Usually 5 to 10 hoursMost migrations take 5 to 10 hours, while you keep running the shop.
- Checked before go-liveCompare customers, invoices and balances with Shopmonkey before you switch over.
- No contractMonth to month, cancel anytime.
BigShop AI vs Shopmonkey questions
Is BigShop AI a good Shopmonkey alternative?
It is if your shop does truck, trailer or fleet work. Both are cloud systems with texting, inspections and online payments. BigShop AI is built around heavy-duty and fleet repair and includes an AI agent on every plan. Shopmonkey started in auto repair and has a large user base and a wide set of integrations.
Can you move my data from Shopmonkey?
Yes. We've moved shops from Shopmonkey before. Our team migrates customers, vehicles, work orders, invoices, payments and inventory for free, and most migrations take 5 to 10 hours.
How does pricing compare?
BigShop AI's plans are $199, $399 and $699 a month by number of users, month to month with no contract, with every AI feature and data migration included. Shopmonkey publishes its prices on its website; check there for its current plans.
Does BigShop work for auto repair shops too?
Yes. BigShop AI is strongest on heavy-duty and fleet work, and auto repair shops use it too.
Is BigShop AI as established as Shopmonkey?
No. Shopmonkey serves thousands of shops and has been around longer. BigShop AI is newer and smaller, which means quick answers, calls when you need them, and features built from shop owners' requests.
See it with your own shop's work.
A 30-minute demo, a free trial with no credit card, free data migration and no contracts.