--- description: Learn how Real-Time Labor Guide can help your business. GetApp provides users in South Africa with the most detailed information on software tools, prices and features. image: https://gdm-localsites-assets-gfprod.imgix.net/images/getapp/og_logo-94fd2a03a6c7a0e54fc0c9e21a1c0ce9.png title: Real-Time Labor Guide Reviews, Prices & Ratings | GetApp South Africa 2026 --- Breadcrumb: [Home](/) > [Car Repair Software](/directory/202/auto-repair/software) > [Real-Time Labor Guide](/software/122091/real-time-labor-guide) # Real-Time Labor Guide Canonical: https://www.getapp.za.com/software/122091/real-time-labor-guide Page: 1 / 4\ Next: [Next page](https://www.getapp.za.com/software/122091/real-time-labor-guide?page=2) > Real-time Labor Guide is an auto repair software designed to help businesses calculate labor costs and create job estimates. Mechanics can quickly access labor charges for domestic and foreign cars, SUVs, and heavy-duty trucks. > > Verdict: Rated **4.3/5** by 80 users. Top-rated for **Likelihood to recommend**. ----- ## Overview ### Key benefits of Real-Time Labor Guide • Access information on labor times for both domestic and foreign vehicles, as well as historical data on each vehicle. This data is collected from real repair artists working in the field, in order to ensure it's accurate in real-life conditions. • Provide customers with branded documents such as invoices and estimates and print them from within the Real-Time Labor Guide platform. • Gain full control over all labor costs by configuring multiple custom labor rates. Real-Time Labor Guide allows users to input custom prices for individual jobs or complete packages. • Access Real-Time Labor Guide from anywhere using a Windows, Mac, or Linux device, as well as any browser type. • Create custom manufacturer lists within Real-Time Labor Guide. Mechanics can define which types of vehicle they work with and hide all others from the system. ## Quick Stats & Ratings | Metric | Rating | Detail | | **Overall** | **4.3/5** | 80 Reviews | | Ease of Use | 4.6/5 | Based on overall reviews | | Customer Support | 4.4/5 | Based on overall reviews | | Value for Money | 4.5/5 | Based on overall reviews | | Features | 4.2/5 | Based on overall reviews | | Recommendation percentage | 90% | (9/10 Likelihood to recommend) | ## About the vendor - **Company**: Dowell Systems - **Founded**: 1989 ## Commercial Context - **Starting Price**: US$17,50 - **Pricing model**: Per User (Free Trial) - **Pricing Details**: Each service level offers a 21-day free trial. Real-Time Labor Guide is available for $17.50/month per user. Real-Time Pro is available for $35.00/month for the first user, $17.50/month for additional users. ShopDriver Elite is available for $100/month and includes 2 users\! Additional users are $17.50/month. - **Target Audience**: Self Employed, 2–10, 11–50, 51–200, 201–500, 501–1 000, 1 001–5 000, 5 001–10 000, 10 000+ - **Deployment & Platforms**: Cloud, SaaS, Web-based, Android (Mobile), iPhone (Mobile), iPad (Mobile) - **Supported Languages**: English - **Available Countries**: Canada, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, United States ## Features - Alerts/Notifications - Billing & Invoicing - CRM - Customer Database - Customer History - Data Import/Export - Estimating - Inventory Management - Labor Cost Reporting - Labor Rates - Parts Management - Point of Sale (POS) - Quotes/Estimates - Reporting & Statistics - Service History - Third-Party Integrations - User Management - VIN Lookup - Vehicle Information - Work Order Management ## Integrations (6 total) - 360 Payments - Gmail - Microsoft Outlook - QuickBooks Online - Yahoo Mail - iCloud ## Support Options - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Phone Support - Chat ## Category - [Car Repair Software](https://www.getapp.za.com/directory/202/auto-repair/software) ## Alternatives 1. [ARI](https://www.getapp.za.com/software/131559/ari) — 4.6/5 (600 reviews) 2. [AutoLeap](https://www.getapp.za.com/software/2039015/autoleap) — 4.8/5 (742 reviews) 3. [AutoRepair Cloud](https://www.getapp.za.com/software/124971/autorepair-cloud) — 4.9/5 (163 reviews) 4. [NAPA TRACS](https://www.getapp.za.com/software/2057637/napa-tracs) — 4.2/5 (258 reviews) 5. [Shopmonkey](https://www.getapp.za.com/software/121019/shopmonkey) — 4.6/5 (263 reviews) ## Reviews ### "Great product at an affordable price" — 5.0/5 > **Robert** | *01 June 2020* | Automotive | Recommendation rating: 10.0/10 > > **Pros**: I am able to make estimates and invoices for the customers records as well as mine. I use the lower priced option, but it still helps me price and sell jobs with ease. > > **Cons**: I have nothing bad to say. It has been a great product. > > I have used this product since before the website version. It has helped me grow my business and keep the jobs coming in. ----- ### "Easy to navigate" — 5.0/5 > **Elisabeth** | *12 February 2019* | Automotive | Recommendation rating: 9.0/10 > > **Pros**: Easy to navigate. Very functional, its great that I can add parts and specific labor to our shop and store for quick reference. > > **Cons**: Customer Service has not been the easiest to get ahold of the few times I've needed too. ----- ### "Horrible times" — 1.0/5 > **Mike** | *28 February 2014* > > I mostly started using it to print estimates and invoices but it does not save them, so you cannot make a diag estimate and come back and add the fix to print your invoice, you have to start all over, including customer information. Second, the flat rate times are horribly innacurate. I just started my own mobile repair business and wanted to get a feel for the market before getting alldata and dedicating myself to that kind of monthly bill. The innaccurate times of this program easily cost me 10 hours per week, and I have a very leisurely schedule. I would only recomend this program for a highschool/college kid working on his friends cars a few times a month at most. It was worth the $10 to get a better feel for how to be my own service advisor but this is the easy-bake-oven of labor tools. If you run any sort of business. Skip it. I guess on the plus side my low invoices have made some extremely happy first customers. ----- ### "IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ. PAYS FOR ITSELF\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!" — 5.0/5 > **BYRON** | *14 January 2017* | Automotive | Recommendation rating: 10.0/10 > > **Pros**: KEEP A FINANCIAL ACCOUNT OF HOW MUCH YOU RAISED THE PRICE WHEN YOU DOUBLE CHECKED REAL TIME \& I BET YOU BE LOOKING AT A MINIMUM $ A MONTH IN ADDITIONAL INCOME. PLUS IF YOU EVER WORK ON A MEDIUM TO LARGE TRUCK - REAL TIME HAS THAT INFO AT NO EXTRA COST. A DOUBLE BONUS\!\!\!\! > > **Cons**: NONE > > I'VE READ SOME OF THE COMPLAINTS OF OTHER SHOPS. THEY WANT EVERY SINGLE ESTIMATE TO BE PERFECT. NONE OF THESE PROGRAMS ARE PERFECT. OVER THE YEARS I'VED USE REAL-TIME AS A BACK UP TO EITHER MITCHELL \& OR ALLDATA. REAL TIME HAS SAVED ME FROM LOOSING A TON OF MONEY $$$$$$ IF I HAD WENT STRICKLY WITH THE "BIG BOYS PRICING" I'D BE IN THE "POOR HOUSE" NOW. THIS ESTIAMTING GUIDE IS A MUST HAVE. AND YOU GUYS THAT WANT MORE FROM THE PROGRAM, THEY HAVE AN ADVANCED PROGRAM TOO. ----- ### "Real-Time labor guide helps with estimating" — 5.0/5 > **Nick** | *25 March 2020* | Automotive | Recommendation rating: 9.0/10 > > **Pros**: I like the low,avg,high industry labor times and the notes on certain jobs indicating errors with traditional labor guides. > > **Cons**: I have to buy separate licenses for each copy. Also, navigating the menu is a bit dated. I'd like to see more effort put into integration so advisors can build a labor estimate quickly. > > Overall, Real-Time Labor Guide has gotten us out of some jams for sure. Had we used the traditional labor times we would have short changed ourselves. ----- Page: 1 / 4\ Next: [Next page](https://www.getapp.za.com/software/122091/real-time-labor-guide?page=2) ## Links - [View on GetApp](https://www.getapp.za.com/software/122091/real-time-labor-guide) ## This page is available in the following languages | Locale | URL | | de | | | de-AT | | | en | | | en-AE | | | en-AU | | | en-CA | | | en-GB | | | en-IE | | | en-NZ | | | en-SG | | | en-ZA | | | es | | | es-CL | | | es-CO | | | es-MX | | | fr | | | fr-BE | | | fr-CA | | ----- ## Structured Data