Guitar & instrument repair shop software comparison

Most "repair shop software" was built for phone screens, bike chains, and small engines — then relabeled for instruments. FretWork was built on the bench, for the bench. Here's how it stacks up.

FretWork Shopflow Music Shop 360 Orderry RepairShopr LuthierPro
Built for instrument repair Yes Yes YesRetail/POS-first — repair is a module NoAlso serves auto, HVAC, jewelry, bikes NoAlso serves phones, computers, watches Yes
Minimum monthly price $4.99/mo $60/moFirst 2 techs included; +$20/tech/mo after UndisclosedEntry tier ($99/mo) excludes repair/work orders $39/moHobby: 2 employees, 100 orders/mo cap $59.99/moBilled annually; $69.99/mo month-to-month $9/moFree tier for directory only — Pro required for shop management
Cost for 10 instruments/mo $4.99/moStarter — up to 10 included $60/mo Undisclosed $39/mo $59.99–69.99/moStarter — 75 tickets/mo, 1 user $9/mo
Cost for 50 instruments/mo $49/moShop — up to 50 included $60/mo2 techs still within free tier Undisclosed $39/mo $129.99–139.99/mo2 users → Repair Shop tier $9/mo
Cost for 100 instruments/mo $99/moStudio — 100+ included $100/mo2 free techs + 2 × $20/mo Undisclosed $75/mo $129.99–139.99/mo $9/mo
Pricing model Flat rate by instrument volume — no per-seat fees Base fee + $20/tech/mo beyond first 2 Custom quote By employee count + order-volume cap on entry By ticket volume + user seats Flat rate — one Pro tier
Setup fee None None stated Historically $750Currently waived via promo — verify current terms Not listed Not listed None
Free trial 30 days — no charge until month 2 None advertised"Get started" opens a demo booking Not listed 7 days 14 days 7 days
Self-serve signup — no demo call Yes — live in minutes NoEvery plan opens a Calendly demo booking NoEvery tier requires "talk with an expert" Yes Yes Yes
Unlimited technicians on every plan Yes — no per-tech fee NoFirst 2 free, then +$20/tech/mo Not listed NoCapped per tier No1–10 users depending on tier YesUnlimited staff on Pro
Customer repair status page Yes Not listed Not listed Not listed Not listed Yes
Automated customer notifications Yes Not listed Not listed Yes Yes Yes
Stripe invoicing Yes Not listed Not listed Not listed Not listed No
Square payments (M2 reader, Tap to Pay) Yes Not listed Not listed Not listed Not listed No
Online booking with deposit YesPublic booking page, deposit via Square or Stripe, auto-applies to ticket Not listed Not listed Not listed Not listed Not listed
Service reminder emails YesFilter lapsed customers by days since last service Not listed Not listed Not listed Not listed Not listed
Shop directory listing YesFree listing on fretwork.io/repair-shops — searchable by ZIP Not listed Not listed Not listed Not listed YesDirectory on free tier
Live support from repair professionals Yes[email protected] — U.S. repair professionals on the team Not listed Not listed NoUkraine-based, ticketing only NoU.S.-based but forum/ticket only NoEuropean company, email only
Built by working repair professionals Yes40+ combined years of repair experience LikelyAffiliated with Nashville repair veteran Joe Glaser — not explicitly credited on Shopflow Not stated General SaaS company General SaaS company Not stated

Pricing and feature data sourced from vendor public marketing pages, August 2026. Competitor pricing and features change — verify against each vendor's current pricing page before deciding. Spot something out of date? Let us know.

What FretWork has that others don't

Every product in this comparison can create a work order. Here's what's specific to FretWork.

Online booking with deposits
Give customers a public booking page. They pick a time, describe their instrument, and pay a deposit upfront — so every appointment that shows up is already committed. The deposit applies automatically when you convert to a work ticket. No other instrument-specific product publicly lists this feature.
Square & Stripe — your choice
Most shops already have Square or Stripe. FretWork connects to both. Charge via M2 Bluetooth reader, Tap to Pay on iPhone, or send an invoice link. No forced payment processor, no extra per-transaction platform fee on top of what your processor already charges.
Service reminders
See which customers haven't been in for 90, 180, or 365 days and send one-click reminder emails branded to your shop. A simple tool that consistently brings customers back for their next setup or string change. No other product in this comparison publishes this feature.
Pricing that starts at $4.99
The next-cheapest instrument-specific option is $9/mo with fewer features. General-purpose platforms start at $39–60/mo and charge more per technician. FretWork's entry plan costs less than a pack of strings and includes every feature on the platform.
Built by working repair techs
FretWork is built by a team with 40+ combined years on the repair bench — including running a brick-and-mortar shop actively using FretWork today. Every feature decision gets pressure-tested against real shop workflow before it ships.
Real support — not a ticket queue
Email [email protected] and you'll hear from a U.S.-based repair professional who uses the software. Not a tier-1 rep reading a script. Every other platform in this comparison routes support through a ticket queue or forum.

Common questions

What is the cheapest instrument repair shop software?

FretWork is the lowest-priced option at $4.99/month for up to 10 instruments. RepairShopr starts at $59.99/month, Shopflow at $60/month, and Orderry at $39/month. FretWork includes every feature and unlimited technicians at every price point — you pay for volume, not seats.

How does FretWork compare to RepairShopr?

RepairShopr is a general repair platform serving phone, computer, watch, and other repair businesses alongside instruments. FretWork was built specifically for instrument repair. FretWork starts at $4.99/month vs RepairShopr's $59.99/month, and includes unlimited technicians on all plans while RepairShopr charges per user seat.

Which options let me try without booking a demo call?

FretWork, Orderry, LuthierPro, and RepairShopr all offer self-serve signups. Shopflow and Music Shop 360 require a demo conversation before you can access the product — even at entry pricing. FretWork's trial is 30 days with no charge until after the first month.

Is there software built specifically for luthiers and guitar repair?

FretWork and Shopflow are both built specifically for instrument repair. FretWork starts at $4.99/month and is self-serve. Shopflow starts at $60/month and requires a demo call at all plan levels. Orderry and RepairShopr serve a broader range of repair industries.

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