Carstio review
A free self-hosted foundation for managing core garage workflows.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Carstio is free, MIT-licensed workshop management software for independent auto repair garages and car services. It runs on the web or through self-hosting and focuses on the operational records a small technical team needs: clients, companies, vehicles, estimates, work orders, parts details, payments, scheduling, documents, attachments, and workshop statistics. Vehicle records can include VIN, license plate, brand, and model, while estimates and work orders support labor, parts, miscellaneous items, discounts, tax, statuses, and scheduling.
The pricing model is straightforward: Carstio is free and does not use SaaS subscriptions. Self-hosting is the central deployment choice, with the application running on PHP and using MariaDB or MySQL. That makes the product a better fit for teams comfortable maintaining their own server environment than for shops seeking a managed service with minimal technical administration. Its open-source, MIT-licensed model also suits organizations that want to avoid vendor lock-in.
Carstio’s strongest scope is core workflow management. Teams can create estimates, track approval statuses, manage work orders, record partial-payment and refund statuses, generate PDFs, deliver documents by email, and attach authenticated PDFs, images, and MP4 files. A calendar supports scheduled work orders, and reporting covers workshop statistics and mechanic workload. The parts catalog stores SKU, part number, cost, and selling price fields, but it does not provide parts inventory control. Shops needing a focused, self-hosted operational base should consider Carstio; those prioritizing inventory management or a managed SaaS setup should choose an alternative.
Carstio pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Free, MIT-licensed, and available for self-hosting
- Covers estimates, work orders, scheduling, payments, and PDFs
- Includes workshop statistics and mechanic workload reporting
- Where it doesn't
- Requires PHP with MariaDB or MySQL for self-hosting
- Parts catalog fields do not provide parts inventory control
- Early v0.1.0 product with active ongoing development
Carstio fact sheet, pricing and score →
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