Best body shop check-in software in 2026: an honest roundup
Updated
There is no single best body shop check-in software; the right pick depends on what you already run. Collision shops on CCC ONE can use its Engage package (photo estimate requests, and Lobby kiosk check-in per CCC's 2022 setup guide) and CCC ONE Touch signatures; general shop systems such as Tekmetric, Shopmonkey, AutoLeap and Shop-Ware include digital authorizations; and a standalone intake tool such as IntakeBay ($200 a month per company) adds kiosk, phone, website and tow-in check-in beside whatever system you use.
Disclosure: we make IntakeBay, one of the tools on this list. To keep this useful anyway, every claim about another product comes from that vendor's own public pages (or labeled trade press), checked on October 24, 2026 and linked in the sources below. Where a price isn't published we say "not public". There are no scores or star ratings, because we have no fair way to measure products we don't use every day.
How we compared body shop check-in software
"Check-in" here means the moment a customer reaches the shop: their contact, vehicle and insurance details, damage photos, and a signed repair authorization. We looked at what each product says it does for that step, who it is built for, and what it publicly charges. We did not test the products hands-on, so treat this as a map of what to ask each vendor, not a verdict. Features and prices change; confirm before you buy.
Body shop check-in software at a glance
| Tool | Built for | Check-in and authorization features (per vendor) | Public price |
|---|---|---|---|
| CCC ONE with Engage | Collision repair | Lobby kiosk check-in that syncs to CCC ONE Estimating (per a 2022 setup guide); photo estimate requests; online booking; e-signature in CCC ONE Touch | Not public |
| Mitchell RepairCenter | Collision repair | Management "from vehicle check-in to check-out"; repair status by text and email | Not public |
| Nexsyis Collision | Collision MSOs, independents, dealers | Vehicle check-in, e-authorization, text and email, customer repair portal | Not public |
| EasyRepair | Collision repair | Texts, photos and repair updates; signatures and approvals from any device; review requests | Not on vendor site; 30-day free trial |
| Tekmetric | Independent auto repair, multi-location | Digital authorizations; digital approval with e-signature; two-way texting on Scale | $199, $349 or $439 a month |
| Shopmonkey | Repair shops of every type, single-bay to multi-location | Digital authorizations, e-signatures and two-way SMS on every plan | $239, $399 or $499 a month |
| AutoLeap | General repair, tire, mobile, lube and others | Verified eSignatures; two-way texting on Pro and above | $199, $349 or $449 a month, plus a setup fee |
| Shop-Ware | Auto repair | Customers approve and sign for work online (DVX); two-way texting | $279 to $999 a month per location |
| Tjekvik | Car dealerships | Self-service check-in kiosks with key lockers and a signature step | Not public |
| DocuSign eSignature | Any business | E-signature only | $11 a month, or $30 or $45 per user a month (annual) |
| IntakeBay | Auto body and collision | Kiosk, phone and website check-in; estimate, drop-off and tow-in flows; photos; initialed, versioned authorization; status texts | $200 a month per company |
Collision management suites: CCC ONE, Mitchell, Nexsyis
These are full collision platforms. Check-in is one part of a system that also writes estimates, links to insurers and runs production.
CCC ONE (with Engage and CCC ONE Touch)
CCC's setup guide describes CCC ONE Lobby as a check-in kiosk that "streamlines the check-in process for collision repair facilities by eliminating the need to rekey" customer and vehicle information, synchronized with CCC ONE Estimating. Lobby is part of the CCC ONE Engage package. CCC's Engage pages describe photo-based estimate requests around the clock, an AI-predicted cost range from customer photos, online booking through your website, Google Business Profile and Carwise, and automated repair status updates by email or text. A separate CCC training guide shows signature templates in CCC ONE Touch, including an "Authorization to Repair" template signed on a tablet. Both guides are dated through 2022. Pricing is not public.
Best for: collision shops already writing estimates in CCC ONE that want check-in data to land straight in the estimate.
Mitchell RepairCenter
Mitchell describes RepairCenter as collision shop management that covers the repair "from vehicle check-in to check-out", with modules you can buy as a package or one at a time. Its Online Repair Status feature keeps customers updated by text and email. It also lists parts, accounting and dealer management system integrations. We couldn't find customer self check-in or e-signature on its public pages (October 2026). Pricing is not public.
Best for: shops on Mitchell estimating, and dealer-owned collision centers that need the DMS link.
Nexsyis Collision
Nexsyis presents itself as cloud-based, all-in-one collision management for MSOs, independents and dealerships. Its homepage lists vehicle check-in, e-authorization, integrated text and email with reminders and status updates, and a customer repair portal for documents, photos and online payments. Pricing is not public; the site offers a demo.
Best for: collision operators replacing their whole management system who want intake built in.
Shop systems with digital authorization: Tekmetric, Shopmonkey, AutoLeap, Shop-Ware
These general shop management systems publish their prices and include digital authorizations. Their pricing pages describe repair shops in general and don't mention collision or body shops specifically, so ask how they handle insurance claims and supplements if that is most of your work. Shopmonkey also has a body shop page (October 2026), though it doesn't mention insurance claims or estimating-system integrations.
- Tekmetric: Start $199, Grow $349 and Scale $439 a month (or $179, $309 and $409 a month billed annually), plus $70 a month for each additional shop. Start includes digital authorizations and invoicing; the comparison table lists digital approval with e-signature; two-way texting is listed on Scale. Trade press reported in 2021 that customers sign with a finger or mouse and shops see an authorization history for every repair order.
- Shopmonkey: Basic $239, Clever $399 and Genius $499 a month (up to 10% less billed annually), with custom multi-shop pricing. Digital authorizations, e-signatures and two-way SMS and email are listed on every plan.
- AutoLeap: Essentials $199, Pro $349 and Elite $449 a month ($179, $309 and $409 billed annually), plus a one-time setup fee whose amount isn't published, and no free trial. "Verified eSignatures" are on every plan; two-way texting starts on Pro (Essentials has one-way texting).
- Shop-Ware: Startup $279, Pro $389, Master $499 and Ultimate+ $999 a month per location ($251 to $899 billed annually). Startup has limited two-way texting and Pro unlimited. Its DVX page says customers can see the "out the door" cost and sign for additional work online, and approve an estimate before they arrive.
Best for: mechanical or mixed shops that want one system for repair orders, invoicing, texting and authorizations, and are happy to have staff start the check-in.
Collision communication tools: EasyRepair and Bodyshop Booster
EasyRepair calls itself software "built for collision repair businesses." Its homepage lists texts, photos and repair updates, signatures and approvals from any device (forms sent as a link and signed on the customer's phone), and timed review requests. It offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card and no contracts; pricing is not on the homepage. Best for: collision shops that want customer messaging and phone signatures without changing their estimating system.
Bodyshop Booster is AI lead capture and booking for collision shops: it responds to inbound leads and books repairs. We found no check-in or e-signature on its homepage (October 2026), and pricing is not public. Best for: shops whose problem is converting phone and web leads, not paperwork at the counter.
Kiosks and generic e-signature
Tjekvik makes self-service check-in and check-out kiosks with 20 key lockers, a signature step and an advisor tablet version. Its product page is aimed at car dealerships, and pricing is not public. Best for: dealer service departments that want customers to check in and drop keys in lockers without waiting for an advisor.
DocuSign eSignature costs $11 a month for Personal (5 envelopes a month), $30 per user a month for Standard and $45 per user a month for Business Pro, billed annually, with 100 envelopes per user per year on the team plans. It signs any document well, but it is a general tool: you build the form yourself, it has no vehicle or repair-status features, and each check-in uses an envelope. Best for: a shop that only needs an occasional remote signature on its own PDF.
Generic online form builders also offer free "auto repair authorization form" templates. They are cheap and flexible, but you build and maintain every field, clause and state notice yourself.
IntakeBay
IntakeBay is digital customer check-in for auto body and collision shops, made by Smart Apps Lab LLC in Houston and built with Santa Ana Body Shop. Customers check in on a counter tablet, on their own phone (QR sign or texted link, no app) or from your website and Google profile. There are estimate request, drop-off and tow-in flows; the tow-in owner signs from wherever they are. The repair authorization has initials on the clauses you mark, a finger signature and a typed name, with starter templates for all 50 states and DC (have your attorney review yours), versioning and SHA-256 fingerprints, and a signed PDF with time, IP address and device. It adds opt-in status texts with two-way replies, a live inbox with CSV export, English and Spanish customer screens, and several locations. It costs $200 a month per company (a limited-time price; regularly $250) for every location and user, with free setup and no sales call. See pricing.
Its limits, plainly: no estimating, parts, scheduling or accounting, and no integration with CCC, Mitchell or any management system, so staff copy details over by hand or from the CSV. It is a new product with no reviews yet. And it needs an internet connection, so keep paper forms for outages. More on running it beside your system: IntakeBay and your shop management system.
Best for: body shops whose management system doesn't cover customer self check-in, that take tow-ins or after-hours drop-offs, or that want Spanish check-in screens for their customers.
Which body shop check-in software to pick
- You write estimates in CCC ONE: ask CCC about Engage and Lobby (per CCC's 2022 setup guide) first; the data flows into your estimates.
- You run Mitchell: ask about RepairCenter's modules, then decide whether you still need a separate customer-facing check-in.
- You are choosing a whole collision system: compare CCC, Mitchell and Nexsyis on estimating and insurer workflows; intake is secondary.
- You run a mechanical or mixed shop: Tekmetric, Shopmonkey, AutoLeap and Shop-Ware publish prices and include digital authorizations.
- You need customers to check themselves in, sign remotely for tow-ins, or start from your website, without changing systems: a standalone tool such as IntakeBay or EasyRepair.
- You only need the odd remote signature: DocuSign or a similar e-sign tool.
- Volume is low and everyone walks in: a good paper form may be enough. See IntakeBay vs paper check-in forms.
Prices and features were taken from each vendor's public pages on October 24, 2026 and change often. Prices are monthly in US dollars unless noted. We make IntakeBay.
Questions
Do I need a separate check-in tool if I already use CCC ONE?
Not necessarily. CCC's setup guide (dated 2022) describes CCC ONE Lobby kiosk check-in as part of its Engage package, and CCC ONE Touch captures signatures on a tablet. A separate tool makes sense if you don't have Engage or need things like tow-in signing from the customer's phone; ask CCC what your subscription includes first.
Which body shop check-in software is cheapest?
Among the shop-specific tools with public prices on October 24, 2026, entry plans ranged from $199 a month (Tekmetric Start, AutoLeap Essentials) to $279 a month per location (Shop-Ware Startup), and IntakeBay was $200 a month per company. CCC, Mitchell, Nexsyis and EasyRepair don't publish prices. Compare what each plan includes, not just the number.
Which tools let a customer sign without coming to the shop?
Per their own pages, EasyRepair sends forms as a link signed on the customer's phone, Shop-Ware lets customers sign for additional work online, and IntakeBay has a tow-in flow where the owner signs from their phone. DocuSign can send any document for remote signature. Ask other vendors directly.
Does IntakeBay have reviews?
Not yet. It is a new product built with Santa Ana Body Shop in Houston, and it has no reviews or ratings on any review site so far.
Can I use a general e-signature tool instead?
Yes, for signatures alone. DocuSign and similar tools sign any document, but you build the fields yourself, they have no repair-status tracking, and team plans include a limited number of envelopes per user per year.
Sources
- CCC ONE Lobby: Windows 10 Device Setup (setup guide, ©2017–2022), CCC Intelligent Solutions (vendor) (accessed )
- Capturing Electronic Signatures in CCC ONE Touch (training guide, ©2015–2022), CCC Intelligent Solutions (vendor) (accessed )
- Digital Estimates & Online Appointments: CCC Engage, CCC Intelligent Solutions (vendor) (accessed )
- Consumer engagement solutions for collision repair shops, CCC Intelligent Solutions (vendor) (accessed )
- Mitchell RepairCenter: collision repair and auto body shop management software, Mitchell International (vendor) (accessed )
- Nexsyis Collision homepage, Nexsyis (vendor) (accessed )
- EasyRepair homepage, EasyRepair (vendor) (accessed )
- Bodyshop Booster homepage, Bodyshop Booster (vendor) (accessed )
- Tekmetric pricing, Tekmetric (vendor) (accessed )
- Tekmetric launches digital authorization update (Nov. 3, 2021), MOTOR (trade press) (accessed )
- Shopmonkey pricing, Shopmonkey (vendor) (accessed )
- Shopmonkey body shop software, Shopmonkey (vendor) (accessed )
- AutoLeap pricing, AutoLeap (vendor) (accessed )
- Shop-Ware packages and pricing, Shop-Ware (vendor) (accessed )
- Digital vehicle inspection vs DVX, Shop-Ware (vendor) (accessed )
- Tjekvik products in dealership kiosks, Tjekvik (vendor) (accessed )
- DocuSign eSignature plans and pricing, Docusign (vendor) (accessed )