SBM Portal vs Tekmetric
Which platform fits your auto repair shop best?
Overview
Tekmetric is a US-based shop management system known for strong reporting and digital vehicle inspections, built exclusively for auto repair. SBM Portal is a Canadian-built, all-in-one platform covering online booking, digital inspections, work orders, invoicing, and payments — for auto repair shops and other service businesses, priced in CAD.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | SBM Portal | Tekmetric |
|---|---|---|
| Online booking | Yes, customer self-serve 24/7 | Yes |
| Digital vehicle inspections | Built-in | Built-in (a core strength) |
| VIN decoder | Included | Included |
| Work orders & bay management | Yes | Yes |
| Invoicing | Built-in from work orders | Yes |
| Reporting & analytics | Revenue, busy days, top services | Deep shop analytics |
| Payment processing | Stripe + Interac | Tekmetric Payments |
| SMS reminders | Included (Growing plan) | Included |
| Multi-branch | Yes | Yes (higher tiers) |
| Multi-industry | Auto repair + other service businesses | Auto repair only |
| Pricing | $29.99–$199.99 CAD/mo | From ~$179 USD/mo (~$245 CAD) |
| Free trial | 14 days, no credit card | Demo-based |
Competitor pricing based on publicly listed rates at time of writing — check Tekmetric's site for current plans.
Key Differences
Reporting depth
Tekmetric's analytics are a genuine strength — technician efficiency, gross profit per RO, and detailed shop performance metrics. SBM Portal covers the reports most independent shops actually use day to day: revenue trends, busy days, top services, and customer analytics.
Price and currency
Tekmetric starts around $179 USD per month (~$245 CAD) and scales up by tier. SBM Portal starts at $29.99 CAD, and the top unlimited plan is $199.99 CAD — less than Tekmetric's entry price after currency conversion.
Built for Canadian shops
SBM Portal bills in CAD, supports Interac, and handles Canadian provincial taxes out of the box. Tekmetric is built for the US market.
The Bottom Line
If you run a large US shop and live in deep shop-performance analytics, Tekmetric is worth its price. For Canadian independent shops that want booking, inspections, invoicing, and payments with CAD pricing and no currency surprises, SBM Portal covers the operational core for significantly less.