A Carsforsale.com dealer software alternative with a free plan
GARAGEBIRDS is dealer management software for independent used-car dealers who want to know what every car really made. The Free plan is free forever, with no credit card: inventory, true profit per vehicle, cash desking, built-in state forms for all 50 states, with auto-fill, contacts and unlimited users. Pro is $49 a month billed yearly ($588 a year), or $59 billed monthly.
Carsforsale.com starts from the other end: listings on Carsforsale.com, which it says gets 18 million page views a month, with a DMS, a website and lender access bundled in for $99 a month ($199 a month for dealers with 100-plus listings). Its plan includes RouteOne and Dealertrack integrations, with access to 1,400-plus lenders, e-signatures and exports to 400-plus partners, which GARAGEBIRDS doesn’t have. If what you need first is to run the cars and the deals, GARAGEBIRDS lets you start for free.
GARAGEBIRDS and Carsforsale.com at a glance
| GARAGEBIRDS | Carsforsale.com | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | Free plan $0. Pro $49 a month billed yearly ($588 a year), or $59 billed monthly | $99 a month; $199 a month for dealers with 100-plus listings |
| Free plan | Yes. Free forever, no credit card | None listed |
| Trial | 14-day Pro trial with no card, started by an admin from Billing | Not stated on its pricing page; it offers a live demo |
| Contract or setup fee | No contract | No contracts or setup fees |
| How it runs | In a web browser | Cloud-based, in a web browser |
| Users | Unlimited users | Not stated on its pricing page |
| Forms | Built-in state forms for all 50 states, with auto-fill: over 300 official forms, all on Free. Smart Print Forms: upload and map your own contracts and documents (Pro) | Included: hundreds of digital state and federal forms, with e-signatures |
| Buy here pay here (BHPH) | No | Not mentioned on its site |
| Lender access | No network access. Finance desking (Pro) structures a financed deal for any lender, but it does not submit credit applications to lenders electronically | Included: RouteOne and Dealertrack integrations, with access to 1,400-plus lenders |
| Dealer website | No | Included: custom-designed dealer websites |
| Listing sites and marketplaces | Assisted marketplace posting — Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, OfferUp, eBay Motors, Cars.com, AutoTrader and more (Pro). Every listing kept on the car, with a reminder to update it when the price changes or the car sells. No automatic feeds | Included: listings on Carsforsale.com, which it says gets 18 million page views a month, exports to 400-plus partners and a Marketplace Listing Assistant |
| Profit and cost tracking | Yes. Cost tracking with true profit per vehicle, on Free | Included: profit and expense tracking, with a profit and loss dashboard |
| Private-party purchases | Pro: a purchase record with the seller, the payoff and the state’s transfer forms | Not mentioned on its site |
| Consignment | Pro: the agreement, owner-approved costs, payout due dates and the owner’s statement | Not mentioned on its site |
Sources. Competitor information from each vendor’s public website, checked November 11, 2026. Prices and features change; see the linked pages for current details.
- Carsforsale.com: dealers.carsforsale.com, dealers.carsforsale.com/pricing-demo, dealers.carsforsale.com/dealer-management-system
GARAGEBIRDS details are from our pricing section and features page. Carsforsale.com is a trademark of its owner; GARAGEBIRDS is not affiliated with it.
Choose Carsforsale.com if…
- You want your cars on a shopper marketplace as part of the price. The plan includes listings on Carsforsale.com, which it says gets 18 million page views a month, and exports to 400-plus partners.
- You submit deals to lenders electronically. It includes RouteOne and Dealertrack integrations, with access to 1,400-plus lenders. GARAGEBIRDS does not submit credit applications to lenders electronically.
- You want a website and e-signatures in one bill. It includes custom-designed dealer websites and e-signatures. GARAGEBIRDS has neither.
Choose GARAGEBIRDS if…
- You already get your buyers from Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and the like. On Pro, the Posting Assistant autofills the listing form on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, OfferUp, eBay Motors, Cars.com, AutoTrader and more from the car’s record, and keeps every listing on the car, with a reminder to update it when the price changes or the car sells.
- You want to start without a monthly bill, and pay only when you need what’s on Pro.
- You want the true profit on every car: the purchase price, auction fees, transport and every recon dollar counted against the sale, on the Free plan.
- You take cars on consignment or buy from private sellers. Pro keeps the agreement, owner-approved costs, payout due dates and the owner’s statement, and a purchase record with the seller, the payoff and the state’s transfer forms.
A marketplace with a DMS, or a DMS on its own
Carsforsale.com is a listing site first: its dealer plan puts your cars in front of its shoppers, and the DMS, website and CRM come with it. No contracts or setup fees, its pricing page says. GARAGEBIRDS is the system you run the lot on. Every car keeps its costs, every deal shows its gross before you close it, and the state’s paperwork fills in from the deal. Where your cars are listed is up to you; Pro helps you post them and keeps each listing on the car’s record.
What GARAGEBIRDS doesn’t do
- No marketplace of its own, no dealer website and no automatic listing feeds.
- No lender integration and no e-signatures: finance desking on Pro structures a financed deal for any lender, and documents print ready to sign in ink.
- No buy here pay here, no multi-location, and no accounting.
Questions
How much does Carsforsale.com cost for dealers?
Its pricing page lists $99 a month, and $199 a month for dealers with 100-plus listings. No contracts or setup fees, it says. Prices change, so check Carsforsale.com’s pricing page for current figures.
Is there a free alternative to Carsforsale.com’s dealer software?
GARAGEBIRDS Free has no time limit and needs no credit card: inventory, cost tracking with true profit per vehicle, cash desking, over 300 official forms across all 50 states, contacts and unlimited users. It doesn’t include a marketplace, a website or lender access.
Does Carsforsale.com have buy here pay here?
Not mentioned on its site: we found no buy here pay here on its home, pricing, DMS or inventory pages. GARAGEBIRDS has no buy here pay here either.
Does Carsforsale.com have state forms?
Its DMS lists hundreds of digital state and federal forms, with e-signatures. GARAGEBIRDS has over 300 official forms across all 50 states, filled in from the vehicle and the deal: every built-in form is on the Free plan, with no limit.
Start free, and see your true profit on the next car
Free forever, no credit card, no contract.