Tool profile
Shop Boss: cost, fit and limits
Shop Boss is a cloud auto repair shop management system made by CSB Technologies, a Vehlo Purchaser, LLC entity, offering scheduling, inspections, inventory and payments with an AI note feature called ProNotes inside its BOSS AI menu.
What to know first
Shop Boss sells Gold at $199 a month, Platinum at $349 and Premier at $449, each with a cheaper annual-toggle figure. All three include unlimited repair orders, users and two-way text and email. ProNotes, the named AI feature, sits on Platinum together with the business intelligence dashboard and full labor guides. Premier adds website design and maintenance, reviews and training rather than more shop tools.
Shop Boss at a glance
| Maker | CSB Technologies, a Vehlo Purchaser, LLC entity, Not stated on the vendor pages |
|---|---|
| Free plan | No |
| Entry price | $199 per month ($179 per month with the annual toggle) |
| API access | No |
| Category | Best AI Auto Repair Shop Software in 2026, rank 4 of 10 |
| Website | shopboss.net |
Who Shop Boss is best for
Shops tracking profit per hour
Gold includes profit per hour forecasting, so an owner who manages labor margin closely gets that view from the entry package without upgrading to a higher tier.
Teams with many staff accounts
Users are unlimited on all packages, which removes the per-seat arithmetic that matters when advisors, technicians and owners all need logins.
Owners who want a website handled for them
Premier bundles a responsive website, maintenance and monthly digital reporting, so a shop without marketing staff can buy both from one vendor.
Shop Boss plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Gold | $199 per month ($179 with the annual toggle) | Calendars, inventory and vendors, embedded payments, canned jobs and sublets, time and job clocks, profit per hour forecasting and guide integrations. |
| Platinum | $349 per month ($314 with the annual toggle) | Gold plus full labor guides with diagrams, business intelligence dashboard, comprehensive inspections, real-time dashboard, tire ordering and AI ProNotes. |
| Premier | $449 per month ($404 with the annual toggle) | Platinum plus responsive website, site maintenance and design, monthly digital reporting, quarterly reviews and custom one-to-one training. |
Checked November 2026.
What Shop Boss does
- AI ProNotes
- Named in the navigation as part of BOSS AI and listed on Platinum. The pages read do not describe its inputs, so a trial should show what it writes from.
- Profit per hour forecasting
- Included from Gold, it projects effective labor margin, which helps an owner decide whether to change shop rates or rebalance how technicians are scheduled across the week.
- Canned jobs and sublets
- Gold stores repeatable job templates and handles sublet work with time and job clocks, so common services are priced consistently from one advisor to the next.
- Embedded payment processing
- Payments are included on each package, though the pages read do not print processing rates, so a shop should request the rate sheet before it counts on the savings.
- Digital vehicle inspection integration
- Inspections tie into labor guides, parts and inventory, so a finding recorded during the inspection can flow into an estimate without anyone retyping the part or labor line.
How Shop Boss handles your data
The privacy policy says account data is retained after deactivation to preserve business records and transactions for legal purposes. It names CSB Technologies, a Vehlo Purchaser, LLC entity, as the operator. The pages we read do not state whether customer records are used to train AI models, where the data is hosted, or whether the product holds a security certification. A shop evaluating ProNotes should ask what text is sent to the AI feature, and who processes it, before turning it on for real customer jobs.
Where Shop Boss falls short in practice
- One AI feature only. ProNotes is the only AI item named, and it sits on Platinum at $349 a month. A shop wanting a receptionist or parts AI will not find one on the pages read.
- Premier is a service tier. The top package adds a website, reporting and reviews, not extra shop software, so the step from $349 to $449 buys marketing help more than product depth.
- Two price figures per plan. Each package shows a monthly figure and a lower annual-toggle figure, which means any quote should state the billing term in writing before it is compared with another vendor's number.
Alternatives to Shop Boss
Shop Boss: common questions
What does Shop Boss ProNotes do?
The pages name AI ProNotes on the Platinum package and under BOSS AI in the navigation. They do not detail its inputs, output format or limits. Ask for a trial on live inspections and confirm what customer text the feature reads before staff rely on it for estimates.
Are users really unlimited on Shop Boss?
Yes, according to the pricing page, which lists unlimited repair orders, unlimited users and unlimited two-way text and email on all packages. That changes the cost comparison with vendors that cap seats. It does not remove add-on charges, so ask what payment processing and tire ordering cost.
What is the difference between Gold and Platinum?
Platinum adds full labor repair guides with diagrams, a business intelligence dashboard, comprehensive inspections, a real-time shop dashboard, employee performance analytics, tire ordering integration and AI ProNotes. At $349 against $199 monthly, the extra $150 suits shops that use inspections heavily.
Does Shop Boss include a website?
Only Premier does. It lists a responsive website, website maintenance and design, monthly website and digital reporting, quarterly reviews and custom one-to-one training for $449 a month. Gold and Platinum cover shop operations only, so a shop with its own site can skip Premier.
Who is behind Shop Boss?
The privacy policy names CSB Technologies, a Vehlo Purchaser, LLC entity. Vehlo also appears on the Shop-Ware and Protractor pages. A headquarters country is not stated on the pages we read, so ask where support and data processing happen if that matters for your contracts.