AutoChain vs LaunchControl
How AutoChain and LaunchControl compare on price, contract, trial, users and the features UK garages use every day. Every LaunchControl fact comes from LaunchControl's own website, and where it does not publish something, we say so.
Last checked: October 2026. Facts about LaunchControl come from LaunchControl's own website. Prices and features change, so confirm the details with LaunchControl before you buy.
Live in AutoChain today, listed as coming soon by LaunchControl
LaunchControl lists these on its Pro plan or integrations pages as coming soon. In AutoChain they are already in the core plan.
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AI invoice scanning
AutoChain: Photograph or upload a supplier invoice and every line is read and matched to your jobs, purchase orders and stock, for you to check and confirm. 25 scan credits a month included.
LaunchControl: "Document scanning" is listed under the Pro plan, marked "Coming soon".
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Customer satisfaction surveys
AutoChain: Customer Intelligence sends a 0-10 survey after every paid invoice and shows the reasons, an employee leaderboard and revenue at risk.
LaunchControl: "Questionnaires and surveys" and "Customer ranking" are listed under the Pro plan, marked "Coming soon".
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Pay-online links on invoices
AutoChain: Choose online payment on an invoice and the email includes a Stripe pay link. The invoice is marked paid when the customer pays.
LaunchControl: Stripe takes payments during online booking today; "Stripe payment links for outstanding invoices are marked as coming soon".
Two good systems, built for different garages
LaunchControl
LaunchControl says it is built to get garages online with as little friction as possible. Its Business plan, at £49 per location a month plus VAT, includes the LaunchControl workshop system, the LaunchPad technician app, a LaunchBay website and customer portal, the Apollo AI assistant, unlimited users, free VRM lookups and HaynesPro repair times and service schedules, with LKQ Euro Car Parts and Bond International ordering from the job card. A Pro plan at £99 is listed as coming soon.
AutoChain
AutoChain suits independent garages that want features that are live today: AI invoice scanning that reads supplier invoices into jobs and stock, Customer Intelligence surveys after every paid invoice, and pay-online links on invoices, all in the core plan at £69.99/mo + VAT, with GSF parts, GroupTyre stock search and live Xero, QuickBooks Online or Sage Accounting sync. It costs more a month than LaunchControl's Business plan, and HaynesPro is an add-on rather than included.
AutoChain and LaunchControl compared
| Comparison point | AutoChain | LaunchControl |
|---|---|---|
| Price model | One monthly plan with everything core included, plus optional add-ons. | Monthly subscription per location. Business plan now; Pro plan marked "Coming soon"; Enterprise price on application. |
| Published price | £69.99/mo + VAT. Add-ons: SMS £15/mo + VAT with 200 credits, HaynesPro £49.99/mo + VAT per site, multi-site priced per site. | Business £49 per location a month; Pro £99 per location a month (coming soon). Prices exclude VAT. Business includes HaynesPro repair times and service schedules; the full HaynesPro data pack needs a licence from LKQ Euro Car Parts, connected at no extra LaunchControl charge. SMS and postcode lookups are pay as you go. |
| Contract | Monthly rolling, cancel anytime. No setup fee. | Month to month, no long-term contract or lock-in, cancel anytime. No setup fees. |
| Free trial | First month free, no card needed. Add-ons are billed from day one. | 28-day free trial of the Business plan, no credit card required. Demos not offered. |
| Users and seats | Unlimited employees, no per-seat fees. | Unlimited users, no per-seat fees. |
| VRM and DVSA MOT lookup | Yes, free: VRM lookup and full DVSA MOT history by registration. | Free full VRM lookups. MOT history when the supported UK MOT service is configured. |
| Health checks with online authorisation | Yes, in the core plan. Customers review the health check and authorise work online. | Digital inspections on a phone or tablet in the LaunchPad technician app. Customers review and authorise estimates online, including through the customer portal. |
| Online booking | Yes, an online booking widget for your website, in the core plan. | Yes, through the included LaunchBay website, with online tyre search and optional automatic confirmation. |
| Online payments | Yes. Pay-online invoice links and card payments through Stripe (Stripe fees apply). | Stripe payments during online booking. Stripe payment links for outstanding invoices: listed as coming soon. |
| Parts and tyre ordering (GSF, GroupTyre, Bonds Tyres) | GSF: yes, parts picked in GSF TradeHub land on the job and are ordered from the job. GroupTyre: search trade prices and depot stock by tyre size, then order with GroupTyre as usual. Bonds Tyres: not available. | LKQ Euro Car Parts (parts) and Bond International (tyres): order from the job card, included. GSF: not published. GroupTyre: not published. |
| AI invoice scanning | Yes, live. Photograph or upload a supplier invoice; every line is read and matched to your jobs, purchase orders and stock for you to check and confirm. 25 scan credits a month included, then top-up packs. | "Document scanning" listed under the Pro plan, marked "Coming soon". |
| Customer satisfaction surveys (Customer Intelligence) | Yes, live. Customer Intelligence sends a 0-10 survey after every paid invoice, with the reasons customers give, an employee leaderboard, revenue at risk and Google review requests. | "Questionnaires and surveys" and "Customer ranking" listed under the Pro plan, marked "Coming soon". |
| Workshop board | Yes. The Workshop screen: bookings by fortnight, week or day, Live, On site, Undated and Completed, colour-coded by job type. | Yes. The workshop planner has month, week, day, timeline, kanban and list views. |
| Job clocking | Yes. Technicians clock on and off each work item; the Live tab shows who is on what, and time saved against the estimate is banked. | Yes. A built-in time clock: technicians clock onto jobs and work groups. |
| Online estimate approval | Yes. Customers approve or decline each estimate line from a link sent by email or text; decisions given by phone are recorded with who gave them. | Yes. Customers review and authorise estimates online, including in the customer portal. |
| Warranty company invoicing | Yes. Bill a job to a warranty company: payer per work item, customer excess, pro-forma approval, and separate warranty and customer invoices. | Not published. |
| Staff leave management | Yes. Staff request leave and managers approve it, with an allowance and carry-over for each employee, shown on the calendar. | Holidays, sickness and training sit on the diary as events, and the time clock respects them. Leave requests and allowances: not published. |
| Accounting | Live sync with Xero, QuickBooks Online or Sage Accounting. CSV export for Sage 50. | Xero (sales invoices, receipts and purchase invoices, both ways), QuickBooks Online and Sage Accounting (sent from LaunchControl). FreeAgent also listed. |
| Support | Phone, Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm, and email. Included in the plan. | Live chat in the app during working hours (hours not published). |
See every AutoChain price on the pricing page, or how 11 systems compare in our guide to the best garage management software in the UK.
Switching from LaunchControl to AutoChain
- Export your data from LaunchControl first. LaunchControl says you can export all your data from the app free of charge, and it is month to month, so there is no term to wait out.
- Create your account and add your garage details, opening hours and staff. Most garages are set up in about 10 minutes.
- Add customers and vehicles as they come in. Enter a registration and AutoChain fills in the vehicle and its MOT history, so there is no need to type everything in on day one.
- Connect your accounts (Xero, QuickBooks Online or Sage Accounting) and your GSF or GroupTyre account if you use them.
- Turn on automated MOT reminders, and add the booking widget to your website when you are ready.
For the week-by-week plan, read our guide to switching to garage management software.
Still deciding? Read what to check before you leave LaunchControl, or book a free demo and we will walk you through AutoChain on your own jobs.
AutoChain vs LaunchControl: questions
How does AutoChain pricing compare with LaunchControl?
LaunchControl costs less. Its Business plan is £49 per location a month plus VAT, and AutoChain's core plan is £69.99/mo + VAT. Both include unlimited users with no setup fee and no long-term contract. LaunchControl's Pro plan, at £99 per location a month, is marked coming soon. LaunchControl charges pay as you go for SMS and postcode lookups; AutoChain's SMS add-on is £15/mo + VAT with 200 credits included.
Is HaynesPro included?
LaunchControl's Business plan includes HaynesPro repair times and service schedules at no extra cost. Its full HaynesPro data pack, with wiring diagrams, OEM repair procedures and technical bulletins, needs a full HaynesPro licence from LKQ Euro Car Parts, which LaunchControl connects at no extra LaunchControl charge. In AutoChain, HaynesPro is an optional add-on at £49.99/mo + VAT per site, covering repair times, servicing, wiring diagrams, diagnostics and more for every user at the site.
Do both have AI invoice scanning?
AutoChain does, today: photograph or upload a supplier invoice and it is read and matched to your jobs and stock for you to confirm, with 25 scan credits a month included. LaunchControl lists document scanning under its Pro plan, marked coming soon.
Do both send customer satisfaction surveys?
AutoChain's Customer Intelligence sends a 0-10 survey after every paid invoice. LaunchControl lists questionnaires and surveys, and customer ranking, under its Pro plan, marked coming soon.
Can I try AutoChain or LaunchControl first?
Yes. LaunchControl has a 28-day free trial of its Business plan with no credit card, and says it does not offer demos. AutoChain's first month is free with no card needed, and you can also book a free demo.
Run your garage smarter from today
Join 100+ UK garages, from single-bay workshops to multi-site groups, already streamlining jobs, customers, MOTs and online bookings with AutoChain from £69.99/mo + VAT.
- Set up in about 10 minutes
- No long-term contract
- Cancel anytime