AutoManager vs DealerCenter: which fits your lot?
Both build a dealership’s software around a DMS and sell the rest alongside it. AutoManager’s DMS is from $88 a month, with a dealer website with export to 250-plus marketplaces, from $70 a month and a DMS and website from $144 a month; it runs cloud-based, on Windows, Mac and tablets. DealerCenter’s DMS is $99 a month, with RouteOne, Dealertrack and CUDL access, and its website, buy here pay here, accounting and CRM are modules on top. Choose AutoManager for the widest listing reach and QuickBooks; choose DealerCenter for lender access in the base price and a module menu. If you sell for cash or bring your own lenders and want to start without a monthly bill, GARAGEBIRDS starts free.
AutoManager and DealerCenter, point by point
- Price. AutoManager’s DMS is from $88 a month, and it lists a DMS and website from $144 a month. DealerCenter’s DMS is $99 a month.
- Lenders. AutoManager lists integrations with RouteOne, CUDL and Dealertrack. DealerCenter includes credit-application submission and lender decisions through RouteOne and Dealertrack.
- Website and listings. AutoManager sells a dealer website with export to 250-plus marketplaces, from $70 a month, and lists a Facebook Marketplace auto-posting utility. DealerCenter’s website is $99 a month and its listing feeds $50 a month.
- Buy here pay here and accounting. AutoManager has buy here pay here, with collections through its payments partners, and accounting that syncs to QuickBooks Online. DealerCenter’s buy here pay here is $50 a month and Integrated Accounting $99 a month.
- CRM. AutoManager’s CRM is from $140 a month. DealerCenter’s CRM Plus is $99 a month, CRM Pro $199 a month.
- Consignment. AutoManager has consignment management in DeskManager, its DMS. DealerCenter: Not mentioned on its site.
- How it runs. AutoManager: cloud-based, on Windows, Mac and tablets. DealerCenter: Web-based, with a mobile app.
GARAGEBIRDS, AutoManager and DealerCenter at a glance
| GARAGEBIRDS | AutoManager | DealerCenter | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry price | Free plan $0. Pro $49 a month billed yearly ($588 a year), or $59 billed monthly | DMS from $88 a month; a DMS and website from $144 a month | $99 a month for the DMS |
| Free plan | Yes. Free forever, no credit card | None listed | None listed |
| Trial | 14-day Pro trial with no card, started by an admin from Billing | A free demo and trial, length not stated | 30-day free trial (optional) |
| Contract or setup fee | No contract | Not stated on its pricing page | Not stated on its pricing page |
| How it runs | In a web browser | Cloud-based, on Windows, Mac and tablets (DeskManager Online) | Web-based, with a mobile app |
| Users | Unlimited users | Not stated on its pricing page | Unlimited users, with free training and support |
| 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) | A library of contracts and forms, including Reynolds & Reynolds retail installment contracts and DMV forms | Included in the DMS: contract management with a free forms library |
| Buy here pay here (BHPH) | No | Yes: buy here pay here, with collections through its payments partners | Add-on module, $50 a month |
| 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 | Integrations with RouteOne, CUDL and Dealertrack | Included in the DMS: RouteOne, Dealertrack and CUDL access, and eFax deal submissions to any lender. Credit reports are extra: billed per report, plus a monthly fee for each bureau (Experian: $4.00 a report and $24.99 a month) |
| Dealer website | No | Separate plan: a dealer website with export to 250-plus marketplaces, from $70 a month | Add-on module: Premium Website $99 a month, or Premium Pro $125 a month |
| 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 | With the website plan: export to 250-plus marketplaces and a Facebook Marketplace auto-posting utility | Add-on module: Online Ad Post Premium, $50 a month, with direct feeds to any third-party listing site |
| Profit and cost tracking | Yes. Cost tracking with true profit per vehicle, on Free | Accounting that syncs to QuickBooks Online | Add-on modules: Reconditioning ($99 a month) tracks parts, costs and vendor work tied to each unit; Integrated Accounting ($99 a month) offers centralized tracking of all vehicle sales and cost transactions |
| Private-party purchases | Pro: a purchase record with the seller, the payoff and the state’s transfer forms | Not mentioned on its DMS or pricing pages | Not mentioned on its site |
| Consignment | Pro: the agreement, owner-approved costs, payout due dates and the owner’s statement | Yes: consignment management in DeskManager, its DMS | Not mentioned on its site |
Sources. Competitor information from each vendor’s public website, checked between October 14, 2026 and November 11, 2026. Prices and features change; see the linked pages for current details.
- AutoManager: automanager.com/pricing, automanager.com/technical-support/frequently-asked-questions, automanager.com/auto-dealer-software, automanager.com/inventory-management, support.automanager.com/hc/en-us/articles/5472119132443-Consignors-in-DeskManager-Online, automanager.com/download-a-free-demo
- DealerCenter: dealercenter.com/pricing, dealercenter.com/dealer-management-system, dealercenter.com/?s=consignment, dealercenter.com, dealercenter.com/?s=private+party
GARAGEBIRDS details are from our pricing section and features page. AutoManager and DealerCenter are trademarks of their owners; GARAGEBIRDS is not affiliated with them.
Which one to choose
- Choose AutoManager if you want your cars on as many marketplaces as possible, your books synced to QuickBooks Online, or consignment records in the DMS.
- Choose DealerCenter if you want lender access in the base price and would rather add buy here pay here, accounting or a website one module at a time.
- Choose GARAGEBIRDS if you sell for cash or arrange financing with lenders yourself and want the true profit on every car before you price it. The Free plan has built-in state forms for all 50 states, with auto-fill and unlimited users; Pro is $49 a month billed yearly ($588 a year), with consignment that works out the owner’s payout. GARAGEBIRDS does not submit credit applications to lenders electronically, and has no website or buy here pay here.
Side by side with GARAGEBIRDS: AutoManager and DealerCenter. More options: the best DMS for independent dealers and how much a DMS costs.
Questions
Is AutoManager or DealerCenter cheaper?
AutoManager’s DMS is from $88 a month and DealerCenter’s $99 a month. With a website, AutoManager lists a DMS and website from $144 a month; at DealerCenter a website is $99 a month on top of the DMS.
Does AutoManager connect to lenders like DealerCenter?
Yes. AutoManager lists integrations with RouteOne, CUDL and Dealertrack; DealerCenter includes RouteOne, Dealertrack and CUDL access.
Which one handles consignment?
AutoManager has consignment management in DeskManager, its DMS, recording the consignor, the agreed selling price, notes, a summary of the agreement, and the signed agreement as an attachment. DealerCenter: Not mentioned on its site. GARAGEBIRDS works out the owner’s payout on Pro; see dealer software with consignment.
Is there a free alternative to both?
GARAGEBIRDS has a Free plan, free forever with no credit card: inventory, true profit per vehicle, cash desking, built-in state forms for all 50 states, with auto-fill and unlimited users.
Or start without a monthly bill
Free forever, no credit card, no contract. Pro’s 14-day Pro trial with no card, started by an admin from Billing.