Tool profile
Protractor: cost, fit and limits
Protractor is a shop management software product made by Protractor Software Inc., described as powered by Vehlo, that combines work orders, inspections, scheduling, marketing and accounting links for established auto repair shops in North America.
What to know first
Protractor lists four tiers: Core, Performance, Prestige and Elite. Core starts at $399 a month in Canadian dollars, with a second set of figures starting at $449, and annual billing lowers both. Performance adds inspections from AutoServe1, Prestige a marketing suite from Autoshop Solutions, and Elite combines everything in one package for shops that want a single vendor. The pages we read name no AI feature.
Protractor at a glance
| Maker | Protractor Software Inc., Not stated on the vendor pages |
|---|---|
| Free plan | No |
| Entry price | $399 per month CAD for Core (a second price set shows $449) |
| API access | No |
| Category | Best AI Auto Repair Shop Software in 2026, rank 7 of 10 |
| Website | protractorsoftware.com |
Who Protractor is best for
Established shops buying a bundle
Elite combines shop management, advanced inspections and digital marketing, so an owner who wants one vendor for all three can buy that.
Shops that want accounting tied in
Epicor integrated accounting is named on the higher plans, which helps a shop that wants ledger entries to flow from invoices.
Canadian shops
Prices appear in Canadian dollars and the privacy notice cites Canada's anti-spam law, which points to the market the product mainly serves and the shops it expects.
Protractor plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Core | $399 per month CAD ($359 billed annually); second set $449 and $404 | Full-featured shop management for high-performing shops, with basic inspections and integrated payments as an add-on. |
| Performance | $599 per month CAD ($539 annually); second set $669 and $602 | Core plus advanced digital vehicle inspections from AutoServe1, replacing the basic inspection that comes with Core. |
| Prestige | $1,099 per month CAD ($989 annually); second set $1,199 and $1,079 | Core plus a digital marketing suite from Autoshop Solutions, aimed at shops that outsource marketing work. |
| Elite | $1,399 per month; also $1,169 CAD and $1,259 billed annually | Shop management, advanced inspections and digital marketing together in the most comprehensive package on the pricing page. |
Checked November 2026.
What Protractor does
- Work orders and repair roadmap
- Work orders include repair roadmap matrices, which give an advisor a way to lay out recommended jobs by timing and priority when presenting an estimate to a customer.
- Digital vehicle inspection
- Core includes a basic inspection, and Performance upgrades to the advanced version from AutoServe1, so a shop can start simple and move up without changing systems.
- Marketing CRM and communication
- A CRM and customer communication tools are listed on the pages, with a fuller marketing suite from Autoshop Solutions on Prestige for shops that want campaigns.
- Parts inventory matrices
- Parts inventory is paired with linear parts and labor matrices, which set selling prices by cost bands so an advisor does not price each part by hand.
- Online service scheduler
- Customers can request appointments through an online service scheduler, and the requests feed the shop calendar so the front desk sees them next to booked work.
How Protractor handles your data
The privacy policy points to an Information Security Policy that was not opened, and the pages read do not state whether customer data trains AI models, how long records are kept, or where data is hosted. The privacy notice references Canada's anti-spam law, which suggests the product addresses Canadian users, but a headquarters country is not stated. Payments are listed as an add-on with 360 Payments named. A shop should request the security policy, a retention schedule and hosting location before moving customer records.
Where Protractor falls short in practice
- Highest entry price. Core at about $399 CAD is roughly double the cheapest printed entry prices on this list, and the upper tiers exceed $1,000 a month, which narrows the audience.
- Confusing price pages. Two sets of figures appear on the page, one with a CAD label and one without, so a written quote is needed to know what a shop would actually pay.
- Modules come from partners. Inspections and marketing come from AutoServe1 and Autoshop Solutions, so a support question about either one may involve a second company beyond Protractor itself. That can slow down fixes.
Works with
Alternatives to Protractor
Protractor: common questions
Why does Protractor show two sets of prices?
The pricing page shows Core at $399 a month CAD and also a figure of $449 without a currency label, with annual figures of $359 CAD and $404. The page text does not explain the second set. Ask for a quote that states currency, billing term and tax.
What does the Performance tier add in Protractor?
Performance adds advanced digital vehicle inspections from AutoServe1 on top of Core. It is priced at $599 a month CAD, or $539 on annual billing, so the upgrade costs about $200 more than Core. Compare it against the inspection tools included in cheaper products.
Does Protractor include marketing tools?
Prestige adds a digital marketing suite from Autoshop Solutions to Core, at $1,099 a month CAD or $989 on annual billing. Elite combines marketing with advanced inspections. A shop that already runs its own marketing should compare Core or Performance first and skip the extra cost.
Does Protractor have AI features?
The pricing, features and homepage pages we read name none. A shop wanting AI receptionist or notes tools should look at the products ranked above it. Ask the vendor what AI it plans to ship and treat the answer as unverified until it appears on a vendor page.
Which accounting system does Protractor connect to?
Integrated accounting with Epicor is named on the higher plans. The pages we read do not list QuickBooks. A shop that keeps its books elsewhere should confirm which export or sync exists, and what it costs, before choosing Protractor over a tool with a named QuickBooks link.