Both brands sell big, vehicle-specific screens that keep your factory features working. The real split is backup. AutoTecPro is a Canadian seller with a simple 1-year warranty and free return shipping inside Canada and the United States for 14 days. Workshop 12 has been around since 2015 and backs its products for much longer. Compare the exact model for your vehicle, then weigh that backup difference.
What Both Brands Sell
You want a modern screen without buying a new truck. If you drive a Silverado, Sierra, F-150, F-250, RAM, or Tundra, you have probably come across both Workshop 12 and AutoTecPro.
Workshop 12 is a Canadian brand based in Toronto. It sells Premium Tesla-Style Screens, ultra-wide screens, and digital clusters, plus accessories like OBDII scanners, screen protectors, and the 12 Smart Box. Its catalog runs deep in trucks and performance cars: RAM, GMC Sierra, Ford F-Series, Toyota Tundra, Nissan 350Z and 370Z, Infiniti G37, Hyundai Genesis, Ford Mustang, and Maserati GranTurismo, among others. Larger screens are on the way, with no date or size stated.
AutoTecPro sells Tesla-style screens, plus OEM-fit Android screens and digital gauge clusters. Its vehicle coverage found on its own site includes Ford (F-150, F-250/350/450/650, Explorer, Expedition, Mustang), Chevrolet (Silverado, Colorado, Camaro), GMC (Sierra), Dodge RAM (1500/2500/3500, including Classic trim and new body style), Nissan (Titan, GTR), Toyota (Tacoma, RAV4, Highlander, Sienna), Infiniti (Q50/Q60, G25/G35/G37, FX/QX70), BMW (X5/X6, 3 Series), Mercedes-Benz (ML/GL), and Chrysler (300).
Both promise the same core outcome: a big modern screen with CarPlay and Android Auto, while your cameras, steering wheel controls, climate, and sound keep working. Where they differ is history, catalog depth, testing, warranty, and the policies around your purchase.
Prices vary by model, so compare the exact model for your vehicle rather than assuming one brand is cheaper across the board. For one close RAM comparable, AutoTecPro lists the Dodge RAM (2013-2023) 14.4 inch IPS QHD 2K, Android 14, at $1,092.69 USD, while the comparable Workshop 12 RAM 14.4 inch 2014-2023 is $1,149.12 USD from prior research, a difference of about $56 on that one model. That single example is not a blanket price win for either brand. Specs also vary by model, so check the exact product page for the unit you are considering.
Comparison at a Glance
| Workshop 12 Inc. | AutoTecPro | |
|---|---|---|
| In business | Since 2015, 11 years | Not stated. Founding year is not stated on its own site. |
| Headquarters and shipping origin | Toronto, Canada warehouse | Canadian, Toronto area. Markham storefront at 7725 Birchmount Rd. Unit 22, Markham, ON, L3R 9X3, Canada. Shipping origin: Not stated. |
| Shipping | Calculated at checkout; tracking is sent once the unit is tested and packed, typically 3 to 8 business days after tracking in general transit, 8 to 15 business days from order for the full window; US delivery 2 to 3 days once shipped; USA duties, tariffs, customs, and brokerage fees covered for US customers, so the checkout total is the total you pay | Cost: Not stated. Speed: Not stated. Its about page says only "fast and secure shipping," and product descriptions say "Express Worldwide Shipping." |
| Repairs | In-house, by Workshop 12's own technicians in Toronto | Not stated as in-house. Its warranty page refers to returns going to "our depot" where "our technician will inspect" them. |
| Warranty | Limited Lifetime Warranty, tiered (see Warranty and Returns below) | 1 year from date of purchase, covering defects in materials and workmanship, including parts and labor for the repair process. Camera accessories: 90 days. Extended warranty can be purchased separately; price Not stated. |
| Return Window | 30 days from delivery; 31 to 60 days case by case; no returns after 60 days | 14 days from receipt |
| Restocking Fee | 12% | No general restocking fee stated for undamaged, uninstalled returns within 14 days. 20% if the original product package is damaged or the product has ever been installed. |
| Cancellation Fees | Full refund as long as the product has not shipped | Not stated |
| Install support | Step-by-step install videos on YouTube, written install guides, fitment help by dashboard photo, and unlimited complimentary 1-on-1 video calls, plus phone support. Support hours: Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm. | Install videos, full installation instructions stated as included, fitment help by dashboard photo, and phone support at (905) 477-5888. Video calls: Not advertised on its own site. Installer network: Not stated on its own site. |
| USA Tariffs | Covered by Workshop 12: duties, tariffs, customs, and brokerage fees | No customs or duty charges for Canada and United States deliveries, per its warranty page. Outside Canada and the United States, the customer pays customs duties, import taxes, and fees. |
Policies and prices change, so check each brand's product page before you buy. The comparison below reflects both brands' own sites as of November 2026.
History: Workshop 12's Documented Story
You are buying a screen that has to live in your truck for years. Who built the company behind it matters, and here only one side has a story you can check.
Workshop 12 Inc was founded in 2015 by co-founders Tim Neil and Rob Williams, and its first product was Brainiac. The idea came from Tim's own project car, a 1989 replica Batmobile he wanted to automate from his phone. He called it the BatBerry, Batman meets BlackBerry, after the company he worked for at the time. Tim spent six years building it in his garage, and Brainiac began as the system to control it: the suspension, the canopy, and the replica weapons on the hood, all from a phone. He and Rob had been building prototypes of connected car technology for it, and they kept running into the same frustration: the exciting new tech only showed up in concept cars, and if it ever reached a production vehicle, it landed in an $80,000 to $100,000 plus car. So they built the thing they could not buy: a computer for the dashboard of the car you already own. Before all-in-one Tesla-style units were the standard upgrade, Workshop 12 was designing vehicle-specific housings that mounted a Samsung Android tablet behind a factory-style bezel, starting with cars like the Subaru WRX/STI, Nissan 350Z, and Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ/Toyota 86, then expanding to the 370Z, Infiniti G37, and Hyundai Genesis Coupe.
That history still shows up in support today. Brainiac went through two generations (MK1, then MK2 with a magnetic face plate for easy tablet access), got its own Brainiac Car Launcher app on Google Play, and is no longer sold as a new kit. Workshop 12 still supports existing kits, including printing warranty parts, with driver-exposed plastics in heat-resistant materials (PETG behind the dash, Nylon rated to 163C/325F for sun-exposed surfaces, because a dashboard in the sun is no place for ordinary plastic). Brainiac was Workshop 12's own platform. The question that turned it into a company was simple: what if Brainiac wasn't just for the Batmobile? Tim and Rob later took Brainiac to Kickstarter, introducing it to drivers far beyond the forums where it began.
AutoTecPro does not state a founding year on its own site. Its about page says only "After many years of services in In-Dash navigation industry." That is not a claim that AutoTecPro is newer or older than Workshop 12. It means the documented history above is a clean, verifiable edge in this comparison: a decade spent fixing fitment problems, answering install calls, and supporting old units counts when you are buying for the long term.
Testing Before It Ships
A faulty screen costs you a second install. So what gets checked before the box leaves?
Workshop 12 does not dropship. Every product is thoroughly tested by Workshop 12 before it reaches you. Workshop 12 is upfront that this care can add a slight delay to delivery. You wait a little longer, and the unit that arrives has already been checked by Workshop 12, by the team that will answer your install call.
AutoTecPro makes no pre-shipment configuration, bench test, or quality-control claim on its own site. That is not stated, not proof that it does or does not test units. Its warranty page tells customers to test the system before fully installing it, and says returned items are inspected by "our technician" at "our depot." That shows a technician and depot presence for returns, not a stated pre-ship testing process. The difference is documentation: one brand states testing before shipping, and the other does not state a pre-ship testing claim.
Install Support: Who Answers When You Are Stuck in the Dash
The hard part is rarely ordering. It is the afternoon you are halfway into the dash and a harness connector does not match the video.
Workshop 12 publishes step-by-step install videos on YouTube and maintains written install guides for its top sellers, and it offers complimentary 1-on-1 video calls during installation. Support is unlimited lifetime support, by video call, from Workshop 12. Support hours are Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm. When a connector does not match, you are talking to people who have installed the same unit, not reading a script. Workshop 12 was the first company in this space to offer 1-on-1 video calls during installation, a practice competitors have since followed.
AutoTecPro offers installation videos, states that full installation instructions are included, asks customers uncertain about compatibility to send a photo of their original dash to technical support, and lists phone support at (905) 477-5888. It also has a physical storefront with walk-in hours. Workshop 12 offers the same fitment help by dashboard photo and phone support, and its own physical shop and warehouse are in Toronto. Video calls are not advertised on its own site as a customer offer, and no installer program is stated on its own site. If a video call during installation matters to you, Workshop 12 offers it, and AutoTecPro does not advertise it.
Warranty and Returns
Warranties only matter when something breaks. Here is what each one actually does then.
Workshop 12 offers a Limited Lifetime Warranty on its products. It is tiered: 0 to 60 days means full replacement of confirmed defective hardware (you cover shipping to Workshop 12); 61 days to 1 year means free repair (you cover shipping); after 1 year, repair labor is free but you cover shipping plus replacement parts. Products from third-party brands carry the original brand's warranty only. Returns are 30 days from delivery minus a 12% restocking fee, 31 to 60 days case by case with the same fee, and no returns after 60 days. You pay return shipping, original shipping is non-refundable, and a Return Authorization number is required before sending anything back.
AutoTecPro offers a 1-year warranty from date of purchase on its Warranty and Policy page, covering defects in materials and workmanship, including parts and labor for the repair process. Camera accessories carry a 90-day warranty from receipt, and an extended warranty can be purchased separately at a price that is not stated. Warranty claims go by email to info@autotecpro.com with the order number and defect description. If it is more than 14 days after receipt, the customer pays to ship the product to AutoTecPro; AutoTecPro covers shipping the repaired or replacement product back. Its warranty page also states "Life time software update," with no further detail stated about the update mechanism. Its cancellation fee policy is not stated.
Its return window is 14 days from receipt. The item must be unused, in original packaging with all accessories, un-installed, and unaltered or untampered, and AutoTecPro repeatedly advises testing the system before fully installing it. Returns are free within Canada and the United States within the 14 days, excluding Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam, and original shipping costs are non-refundable. Outside Canada and the United States, buyers pay return shipping, and on refund the return cost is deducted, with exceptions for defective items on arrival and AutoTecPro shipping errors. Refunds go to the original payment method within 5 to 7 business days after the return is approved. Third-party installation charges are not covered under its refund and warranty terms.
So the trade is clear. AutoTecPro gives you a simpler warranty and free return shipping inside Canada and the United States within 14 days. Workshop 12 gives you a longer return window and a longer warranty horizon.
One more difference matters years after the sale. Workshop 12 repairs its own screens, with warranty repairs handled directly by its own technicians. That is how it can keep repairing a product long after a fixed warranty window has ended. It is the only company in this comparison that states it repairs its own screens. AutoTecPro covers repair parts and labor for 1 year but does not state that repairs are done by its own team.
Shipping
You also need to know what the checkout total really covers, and when the box arrives.
AutoTecPro does not state a shipping cost, a shipping speed, or a ship-from location on its own site. Its about page says only "fast and secure shipping," and product descriptions say "Express Worldwide Shipping." No free-shipping threshold is published on its own site. For duties, orders delivered within Canada and the United States are not subject to additional customs or duty charges per its warranty page, while orders outside Canada and the United States pay customs duties, import taxes, and fees.
Workshop 12 ships worldwide from its Canadian warehouse, with shipping calculated at checkout. Tracking is sent once the unit is tested and packed: typically 3 to 8 business days after tracking in general transit, and 8 to 15 business days from order for the full window. For US customers, delivery is 2 to 3 business days once shipped. For US customers, Workshop 12 covers all USA duties, tariffs, customs, and brokerage fees, so the total you pay at checkout is the total you pay, with nothing extra due on delivery for duties, tariffs, customs, or brokerage fees. Canadian orders are charged HST/GST and pay no customs or duties, since Workshop 12 is a Canadian business. International buyers outside the US and Canada should still check whether duties apply to their country.
Because AutoTecPro does not state a shipping speed, there is no basis to compare delivery times between the two brands beyond Workshop 12's stated times above.
Who Should Choose AutoTecPro
AutoTecPro is a good fit if you:
- Want a brand with a physical Markham storefront (Workshop 12's shop and warehouse are in Toronto)
- Want free return shipping within Canada and the United States inside a 14-day return window, with a 20% restocking fee only if the original package is damaged or the product was installed
- Want a simple 1-year warranty covering parts and labor for the repair process, plus a stated lifetime software update
- Want a specific AutoTecPro model that fits your vehicle at a price that suits you on that exact model
AutoTecPro is a serious Canadian seller with a physical location and a straightforward warranty and return policy. Compare its exact model, price, and terms against Workshop 12's for your vehicle before you buy.
Who Should Choose Workshop 12
Workshop 12 is the better choice if you:
- Want the brand that built tablet-based car screens with Brainiac back in 2015, before all-in-one units were the standard
- Already own a Brainiac kit and want the shop that still supports it, including printed warranty parts
- Drive a truck or performance car in Workshop 12's deep catalog, especially a 350Z, 370Z, G37, Genesis Coupe, Mustang, or GranTurismo, or you want an ultra-wide screen or a digital cluster
- Want every unit tested by the shop that will support it
- Are a US customer who wants all USA duties, tariffs, customs, and brokerage fees covered, so the total you pay at checkout is the total you pay
- Want a warranty that keeps going after year one, warranty repairs done by Workshop 12's own technicians, and unlimited lifetime support by video call, Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm
- Are based in Canada and prefer a Canadian brand with a warehouse in Canada and no customs or duties on Canadian orders
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does shipping take?
Workshop 12 ships from its Canadian warehouse. Tracking is sent once the unit is tested and packed: typically 3 to 8 business days after tracking in general transit, and 8 to 15 business days from order for the full window. For US customers, delivery is 2 to 3 business days once shipped.
AutoTecPro does not state a shipping speed on its own site. Its about page says only "fast and secure shipping," and product descriptions say "Express Worldwide Shipping," so no delivery time is quoted for AutoTecPro here.
With Workshop 12 you will hear your timeline directly: Workshop 12 makes the post-order call described in the fit question below to walk through shipping, so you are not guessing from a tracking page.
Who has the better warranty?
It depends what you value. Workshop 12 offers a Limited Lifetime Warranty: full replacement of confirmed defective hardware in the first 60 days, free repair from 61 days to 1 year, and free repair labor after 1 year (you cover parts and shipping). Repairs are done by Workshop 12, and support is unlimited lifetime support by video call, Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm.
AutoTecPro offers a simpler promise: a 1-year warranty covering defects in materials and workmanship, including parts and labor for the repair process, plus a stated lifetime software update with no further detail stated.
If you want the longest coverage horizon and Workshop 12 repairs years after the sale, Workshop 12. If you want the simplest 1-year promise, AutoTecPro is straightforward, with the trade-off of a shorter warranty horizon and a 14-day return window.
What if the unit does not fit or does not work in my car?
Send a dashboard photo for fitment confirmation before you buy, with either brand.
Workshop 12's return window is 30 days from delivery minus a 12% restocking fee, with a Return Authorization required. From 31 to 60 days, returns are case by case with the same fee, and there are no returns after 60 days.
AutoTecPro offers a 14-day return window from receipt, for items unused, in original packaging with all accessories, un-installed, and unaltered or untampered. Returns are free within Canada and the United States within those 14 days, excluding Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam, and original shipping costs are non-refundable. A 20% restocking fee applies only if the original product package is damaged or the product has ever been installed. Refunds go to the original payment method within 5 to 7 business days after the return is approved.
Video-call support is available from Workshop 12 if you want troubleshooting help before returning anything. Video calls are not advertised on AutoTecPro's own site. Both brands offer install videos and included instructions, and both offer phone support. Workshop 12 adds video calls and also calls every customer within 24 to 48 hours of ordering to confirm compatibility before your unit ships.
We are both Canadian. Does that change anything?
Not much on its own. AutoTecPro is Canadian owned, operating from the Toronto area with a Markham storefront, and Workshop 12 is based in Toronto, so neither brand adds cross-border shipping for a Canadian buyer, and AutoTecPro states there are no customs or duty charges for Canada and US deliveries. Where they differ is backup: AutoTecPro offers a 1-year warranty, parts and labor, against Workshop 12's Limited Lifetime Warranty with repairs by Workshop 12, and Workshop 12 adds testing before shipping and 1-on-1 video install calls that AutoTecPro does not advertise.
AutoTecPro offers free return shipping. Is its return policy better?
On shipping cost, yes. AutoTecPro offers free return shipping within Canada and the US in the first 14 days, excluding Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Guam, while Workshop 12 asks you to pay return shipping. On time, Workshop 12 is more generous: 30 days minus a 12% restocking fee, against 14 days for an unused, uninstalled unit, with a 20% restocking fee only if the package is damaged or the unit was ever installed. So AutoTecPro is cheaper to return, and Workshop 12 gives you longer to decide.
Does AutoTecPro test units before they ship?
No pre-ship testing claim was found on AutoTecPro's site. It offers install videos plus YouTube, phone, and email support, as Workshop 12 does, but 1-on-1 video install calls are not advertised, and no installer network was found. Workshop 12 tests every unit before it ships, and offers unlimited complimentary 1-on-1 video calls during installation, Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm.
Final Verdict
AutoTecPro is a solid Canadian option, and if a specific model fits your vehicle at a price and terms that suit you, it deserves a serious look.
On balance, Workshop 12 is the stronger buy for most readers here. It has the documented history, the testing and repair setup, the truck and performance catalog, and backing that does not end after a year. That combination, quality you expect, service you deserve, is why it has lasted in a market where newcomers come and go.
If you drive a vehicle Workshop 12 covers, Workshop 12 is the buy.