You want a bigger, modern screen in your truck without buying a new truck, and you want your cameras, steering wheel controls, climate, and sound to keep working. Workshop 12 and Merge Screens both promise that. They differ in how long they have been doing it, how deep their catalog runs, and what happens when something goes wrong years later.
What Both Brands Sell
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 Coupe, Ford Mustang, and Maserati GranTurismo, among others.
Merge Screens sells Tesla-style screens and CarPlay modules focused on trucks and SUVs. Its headline vehicles are the Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-150, F-250 and F-350, RAM 1500/2500/3500, GMC Sierra, and Toyota Tundra, with a broader list spanning 22 makes.
Comparison at a Glance
| Workshop 12 Inc. | Merge Screens | |
|---|---|---|
| In business | Since 2015, 11 years | No founding year stated; counts 10,000+ vehicles upgraded since 2020 |
| Headquarters and shipping origin | Toronto, Canada warehouse | Origin not stated on homepage |
| Shipping | Calculated at checkout; tracking sent once the unit is tested and packed; general transit 3 to 8 days after tracking, US delivery 2 to 3 days once shipped, full window 8 to 15 days from order; USA duties, tariffs, customs, and brokerage fees covered for US customers, so the checkout total is the total you pay | Processing time of 3 to 5 business days. Free Standard Shipping: estimated transit time of 8 to 12 business days. Premium Shipping: estimated transit time of around 6 business days |
| Repairs | In-house, by Workshop 12's own technicians in Toronto | Not stated on homepage |
| Warranty | Limited Lifetime Warranty | 1-year warranty advertised on homepage |
| Return Window | 30 days from delivery | 90-day test drive advertised |
| Restocking Fee | 12% | 20% |
| Cancellation Fees | Full Refund as long as the product has not shipped. | Cancel within 48 hours before shipment: Full Refund. Cancel after 48 hours but before shipment: 5% Cancellation Fee |
| Install support | Step-by-step install videos on YouTube, written install guides, and unlimited complimentary 1-on-1 video calls | Install video guide, 1-on-1 video-call support, and a network of 236 certified installers across the US |
| USA Duties, Tariffs, Customs, and Brokerage Fees | Covered by Workshop 12 | Covered by Merge Screens in rare cases, per its shipping policy |
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.
1. History: A Documented Track Record vs No Founding Year Stated
A screen stays in your truck for years, so it matters whether the company behind it has already spent years fixing fitment problems.
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 shows up in the product 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 itself. Brainiac was Workshop 12's own platform, not a generic unit with a logo on it. The question that turned it into a company was simple: what if Brainiac was not just for the Batmobile? Tim and Rob later took Brainiac to Kickstarter, introducing it to drivers far beyond the forums where it began.
Merge Screens, by its own homepage, counts "10,000+ vehicles upgraded since 2020," with a 4.8 star rating across 700+ verified reviews, and its Silverado screen launch was announced in August 2026. That is a fast-growing brand doing real volume, and its reviews and video testimonials are worth reading. It is not an 11-year track record yet.
2. Testing Before It Ships
Nobody wants to find a fault after the dash is back together.
Workshop 12 does not dropship. Every product is thoroughly tested before it reaches you, by the same shop that will answer your install call. Workshop 12 likewise confirms the unit for your exact year, trim, and factory options before it ships. 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.
Merge Screens configures each unit for your exact vehicle and runs a 24-hour test run before it is boxed up, then ships free via UPS on standard shipping. That is a strong process too. The difference is depth: Workshop 12's testing comes from the shop that tested your unit and will support it for years.
3. Install Support: Who Answers When You Are Stuck in the Dash
The hardest part is usually mid-install, when 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. That matters mid-install: 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.
Merge Screens offers an install video guide and 1-on-1 video-call support as well, plus a network of 236 certified installers across the US, with installs capped at $350 to $450 when scheduled through them. If you would rather not touch the dash yourself, that installer network is a genuine advantage, and it is the one area where Merge Screens clearly offers something Workshop 12 does not publish: a bookable local installer.
If you install it yourself, both brands will get on a video call with you. If you want a pro to do it, Merge Screens makes that booking easier.
4. Warranty and Returns
Warranties only matter when something breaks, and that is usually after the first year.
Workshop 12 offers a Limited Lifetime Warranty on its own products, which it describes as the only Limited Lifetime Warranty in the category. 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 manufacturers, such as the tablet inside a Brainiac kit, carry the original manufacturer'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.
Merge Screens advertises a 1-year warranty and a 90-day test drive: drive with it, and if it is not the upgrade you expected, send it back. It charges a 20% restocking fee if you do not like the unit. A genuine technical issue Merge cannot resolve after troubleshooting is eligible for a full refund under its refund policy. For approved returns, return shipping arrangements are provided or explained by their team, and original shipping charges are not refundable.
Merge Screens gives you a simpler included warranty (1 year, with a purchasable 1-year extension to 2 years total) and a longer test drive (90 days versus 30).
One more difference matters years after the sale: Workshop 12 repairs its own screens. 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 does its own repairs. Merge Screens advertises a 1-year warranty but does not state where or by whom repairs are done.
5. Shipping
The price you see should be close to the price you pay, and you need to know when the unit will land.
Merge Screens ships free on standard shipping via UPS: processing takes 3 to 5 business days, then free standard shipping runs 8 to 12 business days in transit (premium shipping around 6 business days). Merge's standard total is 3 to 5 business days of processing plus 8 to 12 business days in transit, 11 to 17 business days from order, against Workshop 12's 8 to 15 business days from order. Free standard shipping, not speed, is Merge's advantage here. That makes the all-in cost easy to predict: the price you see is close to the price you pay, before any local taxes.
Workshop 12 ships worldwide, with shipping calculated at checkout. Tracking is sent once the unit is tested and packed. General transit is 3 to 8 days after tracking, US delivery is 2 to 3 days once shipped, and the full window is 8 to 15 days from order. 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 are subject to duties, tariffs, taxes, and brokerage fees, which Workshop 12 does not pay or refund.
Who Should Choose Merge Screens
Merge Screens is a good fit if you:
- Want free standard shipping
- Want a 90-day test drive and a simple 1-year warranty
- Want a certified installer nearby, with installs capped at $350 to $450 when booked through them
- Need a product that Workshop 12 does not carry
Merge Screens is a serious, fast-growing brand with strong reviews.
Who Should Choose Workshop 12
Workshop 12 is the better choice if you:
- Want the brand that introduced 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 your unit tested by the shop that will support it for years
- 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 Limited Lifetime Warranty on Workshop 12 products and unlimited lifetime support by video call
- Want warranty repairs done by Workshop 12's own technicians
- Are based in Canada and prefer a Canadian brand with no customs or duties on Canadian orders
Frequently Asked Questions
What if the unit is not compatible with my car?
Check before you buy, not after it arrives. Both brands ask you to confirm fitment first: send a photo of your dashboard showing the OEM radio and climate panel, and they will confirm the unit matches your year, trim, and factory options. Workshop 12 adds one more step: we call every customer within 24 to 48 hours of ordering to thank you, answer any questions you still have, walk through your shipping timeline, and confirm compatibility before your unit ships. If the unit is not compatible with your car, you find out before it leaves, not after it is in your dash.
Merge Screens configures each unit for your exact year and model before it ships, and says a dashboard photo helps them get it right.
How long does shipping take?
Workshop 12 ships: tracking is sent once the unit is tested and packed. General transit is 3 to 8 days after tracking, US delivery is 2 to 3 days once shipped, and the full window is 8 to 15 days from order. Merge Screens takes 3 to 5 business days of processing, then free standard shipping runs 8 to 12 business days in transit (premium shipping around 6 business days).
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 its own technicians, and support is unlimited lifetime support by video call.
Merge Screens offers a simpler promise: a 1-year warranty, plus a 90-day test drive.
If you want the longest coverage horizon and repairs years after the sale, Workshop 12. If you want the simplest 1-year promise and the longest trial, Merge Screens.
Is it safe to buy from USA?
Yes, if you are buying from Workshop 12 as a US customer. Orders ship from Workshop 12's warehouse, US delivery is 2 to 3 business days once shipped, and for US customers Workshop 12 covers all USA duties, tariffs, customs, and brokerage fees, so the checkout total is the total you pay. You also get the post-order call described above before your unit ships. Returns work the same way across the border: 30 days minus a 12% restocking fee, with a Return Authorization, and you cover return shipping.
Why does Workshop 12's history matter?
Because fitment knowledge compounds. Eleven years of building Brainiac housings, testing units, and answering install calls means the company has already seen your vehicle's quirks, and its support team is still there years after the sale. A newer brand can build a good screen. It cannot buy a decade of solved problems.
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 minus a 12% restocking fee, with a Return Authorization required.
Merge Screens offers a 90-day test drive, with a 20% restocking fee if you do not like the unit. For approved returns, return shipping arrangements are provided or explained by their team, and original shipping charges are not refundable.
Video-call support is available from both brands if you want troubleshooting help before returning anything.
Final Verdict
Merge Screens is a strong brand, and if a local installer is your top priority, it deserves a serious look.
When you weigh the whole purchase, Workshop 12 comes out ahead where it counts most. That combination, quality you expect, service you deserve, is why Workshop 12 has lasted 11 years in a market where newcomers come and go.
If you drive a vehicle Workshop 12 covers, Workshop 12 is the buy.