SBM Portal vs Shopmonkey
Compare a Canadian booking-and-billing platform with a deeper auto-shop workflow ecosystem.
Overview
Shopmonkey is a US-based, cloud shop-management platform with strong customer messaging, parts ordering, labor guides, and auto-specific workflows. SBM Portal combines online booking, digital inspections, VIN decoding, work orders, invoicing, and payments for auto repair and other service businesses.
Choose Shopmonkey for parts and labor depth, established shop processes, and multi-shop workflows. Choose SBM Portal for a lower-cost Canadian operational core, customer self-booking, and payment processing through your own Stripe or Square account.
Feature comparison
| Feature | SBM Portal | Shopmonkey |
|---|---|---|
| Online booking | Customer self-serve 24/7 | Available |
| Digital vehicle inspections | Built-in with customer approval | Included; unlimited from Clever |
| VIN decoder | Included | Included |
| Work orders and bay management | Included | Included |
| Invoicing | Created from work orders | Unlimited estimates and invoices |
| Payment processing | Your Stripe or Square; manual Interac e-Transfer | Shopmonkey Payments |
| SMS reminders | Included from Growing, subject to allowance | Calendar and automated reminders |
| Multi-branch | Included | Custom multi-shop package |
| User licensing | Included within each plan limit | Included licenses vary by tier; extra licenses available |
| Pricing | From $29.99 CAD/month | Basic: $239/month or $215/month billed annually |
| Evaluation | 14-day free trial, no credit card | Demo and paid subscription |
Reviewed October 30, 2026. Shopmonkey details and current prices: official Shopmonkey pricing. SBM Portal prices come from the active plans table and can change; see current plans.
Where Shopmonkey is stronger
- Parts lookup and ordering
- Labor guides and canned-job workflows
- Inventory and purchase-order depth
- Multi-shop and franchise workflows
Shopmonkey's included user licenses and add-ons also affect total cost. Compare your actual staff count and required modules rather than only the entry price.
Where SBM Portal fits better
- Lower entry cost in CAD with a self-serve trial
- Payments settle through your own Stripe or Square account
- Customers book from real availability across staff and branches
- Work orders become invoices without a separate billing workflow
- Interac e-Transfer proof review is available alongside card payments
What SBM Portal does not replace
Do not treat SBM Portal as a like-for-like replacement for Shopmonkey's deepest parts, labor-guide, inventory, and franchise functions. If those are central to your operation, validate them before changing platforms.
Migrating from another shop system
- Export customers, vehicles, and services, then map them to the supported import fields.
- Import and reconcile those records before creating new work.
- Configure branches, technician availability, bays, services, and booking rules.
- Connect your payment gateway and test one booking, inspection, invoice, and payment.
- Reconcile open work and any parts or labor data that requires a separate migration review.
Contact us before migrating if you need to preserve parts inventory, labor guides, or historical repair orders.