Free dealer management software for independent used-car dealers
GARAGEBIRDS has a Free plan that is free forever, not a trial. It covers inventory management and listings, VIN decode, cost tracking with true profit per vehicle, cash desking, built-in state forms for all 50 states, with auto-fill, contacts, and unlimited users, with no credit card. Pro is $49 a month billed yearly ($588 a year), or $59 billed monthly, for finance desking, your own contracts, assisted Facebook Marketplace posting and leads.
On their own pricing pages, DealerVLO, DealerCenter and Frazer list no free plan. DealerVLO offers a 14-day free trial, DealerCenter a 30-day free trial (optional), and Frazer offers a demo. Each of them includes things GARAGEBIRDS doesn’t, so the table below shows both sides.
A free plan and a free trial are different things
A free trial is a paid product you can use for a while before the first bill. When it ends you subscribe, or you stop. A free plan has no end date: you can run your lot on it for as long as it covers what you need, and pay only when you want what’s on the paid plan. Before you put real cars into any system, check which of the two you are signing up for, whether it asks for a card, and what the price is once the trial ends.
What GARAGEBIRDS Free includes
- Inventory management and listings, with one record per car: VIN, specs, mileage, photos, status and asking price. There’s no cap on the number of vehicles.
- VIN decode, so the year, make, model and specs fill in from the VIN.
- Cost tracking with true profit per vehicle. The purchase price, fees, transport and every recon expense go on the car, so you see what it really cost before you price or sell it.
- Cash desking, with a per-deal margin view, so you see the gross on a deal before you close it.
- Built-in state forms for all 50 states, with auto-fill: over 300 official forms, from title applications and bills of sale to odometer disclosures and powers of attorney, filled in from the vehicle and the deal. Every built-in form is on the Free plan, with no limit.
- Contacts, saved automatically from your deals.
- Unlimited users, so everyone who works the lot can sign in to the same account.
Every feature is described on the features page.
What Free doesn’t include
Pro adds finance desking with amortization tables and multiple deal structures, Smart Print Forms for your own contracts and documents, assisted Facebook Marketplace posting, leads, and contact history and follow-ups. An admin starts Pro’s 14-day trial from Billing, with no card. Some things aren’t in GARAGEBIRDS on any plan: buy here pay here, lender or credit-application integration, a dealer website, listing feeds, e-signatures, multi-location, and accounting.
GARAGEBIRDS, DealerVLO, DealerCenter and Frazer at a glance
| GARAGEBIRDS | DealerVLO | DealerCenter | Frazer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry price | Free plan $0. Pro $49 a month billed yearly ($588 a year), or $59 billed monthly | $29 a month per dealership, one plan ($348 a year, billed monthly) | $99 a month for the DMS | Desktop $129 a month, $387 a quarter, or $1,299 a year; Hosted from $199 a month |
| Free plan | Yes. Free forever, no credit card | None | None listed | None listed; offers a demo |
| Trial | 14-day Pro trial with no card, started by an admin from Billing | 14-day free trial | 30-day free trial (optional) | Not stated on its pricing page; offers a demo |
| Contract or setup fee | No contract | No setup fee, no per-user fee, no contract; month to month | Not stated on its pricing page | No setup costs or hidden fees. Free on-site installation and training, in most states |
| How it runs | In a web browser | In a web browser, with no install | Web-based, with a mobile app | Windows software: Windows 10 or 11, not available on Mac or Chromebook, even with virtualization software. Hosted Frazer is a cloud-based version of Frazer DMS, opened from the Hosted Frazer Client icon on a PC desktop |
| Users | Unlimited users | Unlimited | Unlimited users, with free training and support | 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: federal documents (Bill of Sale, Buyers Guide, Odometer Disclosure); state title and registration forms for all 50 states; built-in e-signatures | Included in the DMS: contract management with a free forms library | Unlimited forms printing and customization, with thousands of free forms |
| Buy here pay here (BHPH) | No | Included: BHPH payment ledger | Add-on module, $50 a month | Yes, included in both plans |
| Lender access | No. Finance desking (Pro) works out the payment; it does not send a credit application to a lender | Doesn't send credit applications to lenders | 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) | Lists finance companies and credit reporting among its integrations |
| Dealer website | No | Included: Public dealer website with custom domain | Add-on module: Premium Website $99 a month, or Premium Pro $125 a month | Through a website from partner Dealer Car Search, bundled on request |
| Listing syndication | No feeds. Assisted Facebook Marketplace posting (Pro) | Included: feeds to CarGurus, AutoTrader and Cars.com, plus Google and Facebook catalog feeds | Add-on module: Online Ad Post Premium, $50 a month, with direct feeds to any third-party listing site | Internet advertising included, through integrations with hundreds of automotive classifieds and dealer websites |
| Profit and cost tracking | Yes. Cost tracking with true profit per vehicle, on Free | Included: P&L reporting with expense tracking | 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 | Add vehicles and costs in inventory, and a full accounting suite included |
Sources. Competitor information from each vendor’s public website, checked October 14, 2026. Prices and features change; see the linked pages for current details.
- DealerVLO: dealervlo.com/pricing, dealervlo.com/new-used-car-dealer-software
- DealerCenter: dealercenter.com, dealercenter.com/pricing, dealercenter.com/dealer-management-system
- Frazer: frazer.com/frazer-pricing, frazer.com/frazer-system-requirements, frazer.com/frazer-products, frazer.com
GARAGEBIRDS details are from our pricing section and features page. DealerVLO, DealerCenter and Frazer are trademarks of their owners; GARAGEBIRDS is not affiliated with them.
When a paid DMS is the better buy
- You want a website, listing feeds and e-signatures in one price. DealerVLO is $29 a month per dealership, one plan, and lists a Public dealer website with custom domain, feeds to CarGurus, AutoTrader and Cars.com, plus Google and Facebook catalog feeds, and built-in e-signatures. GARAGEBIRDS has none of the three.
- You’ll arrange bank financing from day one. DealerCenter’s DMS, at $99 a month, includes credit-application submission and lender decisions through RouteOne and Dealertrack. GARAGEBIRDS doesn’t send credit applications either, and DealerVLO says it doesn't send credit applications to lenders.
- You carry your own notes and want the books in the same system. At Frazer, buy here pay here is included in both plans, with a full accounting suite; the Desktop plan is $129 a month. DealerVLO lists a BHPH payment ledger, and DealerCenter’s BHPH module is $50 a month.
If none of those applies yet, a free plan lets you run your first cars, see your real profit on each one, and decide what to pay for once you know how your lot sells.
Questions
Is there a free dealer management system?
Yes. GARAGEBIRDS has a Free plan that is free forever, with no credit card: inventory management and listings, cost tracking with true profit per vehicle, VIN decode, cash desking with a per-deal margin view, built-in state forms for all 50 states, with auto-fill, contacts, and unlimited users. DealerVLO, DealerCenter and Frazer list no free plan on their pricing pages.
Is GARAGEBIRDS really free forever?
The Free plan has no time limit and doesn’t ask for a card. You pay only if you choose Pro, which is $49 a month billed yearly ($588 a year), or $59 billed monthly, and there’s no contract.
What’s the catch with a free DMS?
The free plan has to stop somewhere, though not at the size of your lot or your team: there’s no cap on the number of vehicles, and unlimited users. In GARAGEBIRDS, finance desking, Smart Print Forms for your own contracts and documents, assisted Facebook Marketplace posting, and leads and contact history are on Pro. Buy here pay here, lender integration, a dealer website and listing feeds aren’t offered on any plan.
Can I move from Free to Pro later?
Yes. Your cars, deals and contacts stay where they are. An admin starts Pro’s 14-day trial from Billing, with no card, and subscribes when the trial shows it’s worth it.
Does free dealer software include title paperwork?
Yes, in GARAGEBIRDS: over 300 official forms across all 50 states are built in (title applications, bills of sale, odometer disclosures, powers of attorney and more), and they fill in from the vehicle and the deal. Every built-in form is on the Free plan, with no limit. Smart Print Forms on Pro is for your own contracts and documents, like your own purchase agreement or retail installment contract. For your state’s official forms, see paperwork by state.
Start on the free plan
Free forever, no credit card, no contract.