Used car inventory management software for independent lots
GARAGEBIRDS keeps your whole lot on one sheet you can search and filter, with one record per car: the VIN, year, make and model, specs, mileage, colors, photos, status and asking price, plus every dollar you’ve put into it. The deal, the state’s forms and, on Pro, your marketplace listings all read from that record, so a car is typed in once. It’s on the Free plan, with no cap on the number of vehicles and unlimited users.
What is the best inventory software for a used car lot?
For an independent lot, the best inventory software is one that knows what each car cost you, not just what it is. A list of VINs and asking prices tells you what’s on the lot; it doesn’t tell you which car makes money. In GARAGEBIRDS the purchase price, the fees, transport and every recon dollar go on the car itself, so the lot sheet shows each car’s total investment and estimated gross next to its asking price, and you price with the real number in front of you.
One record per car
- Starts from the VIN. Type or paste the 17-character VIN and the year, make, model and specifications fill in, ready to check before you save.
- Everything about the car in one place: mileage, colors, photos, status, notes and the asking price.
- The whole lot on one sheet you can search and filter, with no cap on the number of vehicles.
- Typed once. The deal, the title and registration forms and, on Pro, your marketplace listings fill in from the record, so the VIN and the specs are never copied by hand.
Every cost on the car
Log the purchase price and everything attached to it — auction fees, transport, inspection, keys — then parts, labor, paint and detailing as the recon is done, each with its receipt. Wherever you bought the car and whoever did the work, the cost lands on the car.
- Total investment updates with every entry.
- Estimated gross is the asking price less the total investment, so you see the margin before you set the price.
- Actual gross and margin are recorded once the car sells.
That’s cost tracking with true profit per vehicle, and it’s on the Free plan too. Here’s how to know your true profit per vehicle, or try the true profit calculator on one car.
Listings that stay in step with the car
On Pro, every listing is kept on the car with a reminder to update it when the price changes or the car sells, so a sold car doesn’t stay up on a marketplace, and the Posting Assistant for Chrome autofills the listing form on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, OfferUp, eBay Motors, Cars.com, AutoTrader and more from the vehicle record: the details, the price and the photos you choose, in your order. You check it and publish it. More on the Posting Assistant.
The whole team on one lot sheet
GARAGEBIRDS has unlimited users on both plans, so the person buying, the person running recon and the person selling all work from the same record, and nobody keeps a private copy of the spreadsheet. It runs in a web browser on a Mac, Chromebook or Windows PC, with nothing to install.
Free and Pro
Inventory management and listings, VIN decode and cost tracking with true profit per vehicle are all on the Free plan, free forever with no credit card. Pro, at $49 a month billed yearly ($588 a year), adds assisted marketplace posting, finance desking, your own contracts, leads, private-party purchases and consignment. Pro’s 14-day Pro trial with no card, started by an admin from Billing.
Questions
What is the best inventory software for a used car lot?
One that tracks what each car cost you, not just what it is, so you see the profit before you price it. GARAGEBIRDS keeps one record per car with the VIN, specs, photos, status and asking price, puts every cost on the car with its receipt, and shows each car’s total investment and estimated gross. It’s free, with no cap on the number of vehicles.
Is there free car dealer inventory software?
Yes. Inventory management and listings are on the GARAGEBIRDS Free plan, free forever with no credit card, no cap on the number of vehicles and unlimited users. VIN decode and cost tracking with true profit per vehicle are free too.
How do I keep track of inventory on a used car lot?
Give every car one record, started from its VIN, and keep everything on it: specs, photos, status, asking price and every cost with its receipt. Then run the deal, the paperwork and the listings from that record, so nothing is copied by hand and nothing drifts out of date.
What should a vehicle inventory record include?
The VIN, year, make, model and specs, mileage, colors, photos, status and asking price, plus the purchase price and every cost since: fees, transport and each recon job. With the costs on the record, it can show the car’s total investment and estimated gross.
Can I see the profit on each car in inventory?
Yes. In GARAGEBIRDS each car shows its total investment and its estimated gross, the asking price less that investment, and both update as you log costs. Once it sells, the actual gross and margin are recorded.
Put the lot on one sheet
Free forever, no credit card, no cap on the number of vehicles.