Compare · AutoManager
Motorvar and AutoManager, compared honestly.
AutoManager and Motorvar are built for different jobs. Here is an honest look at both, with every AutoManager fact taken from AutoManager's own website and linked to the page it came from.
Who each one is for.
Motorvar
Independent used-car lots that want each car's costs, recon, listing, leads and deal on one record, with every feature at one monthly price, and that handle financing paperwork somewhere else.
AutoManager
AutoManager says it's "designed specifically for used car dealers", priced for small independents, and serves car, truck, boat, RV and even airplane dealers. Source: AutoManager home page, AutoManager company page
Side by side.
| Topic | Motorvar | AutoManager |
|---|---|---|
| Price model | One plan price covers every feature. Lot $99 a month (one rooftop, up to 5 people), Dealership $199 (one rooftop, as many people as you need), Group $349 (two rooftops, plus $149 for each one after). | The DMS starts at $88 a month, Website & Marketing at $70, CRM & Text Marketing at $140, and a DMS and website bundle at $144. Footnotes mention a required PowerSEO subscription and KBB and J.D. Power subscriptions. A setup fee isn't published. Source: AutoManager pricing |
| What's included | Inventory and recon, car pages and your storefront, a website feed and embed, leads and follow-up, deals with paperwork checklists, a buyer's order, odometer record and Buyers Guide worksheet, reports and CSV exports, and team roles. | DeskManager Online covers inventory, desking, buy-here-pay-here and lease-here-pay-here, forms, accounting, RouteOne, CUDL and Dealertrack, QuickBooks sync, and parts and service. The CRM is Selly Automotive CRM. Source: AutoManager dealer software page, AutoManager CRM page |
| Per-transaction fees | None. Nothing is charged per deal, per lead or per listing. | A pricing footnote says a per-vehicle posting cost applies; the amount isn't published. Source: AutoManager pricing |
| Contract and cancelling | Month to month. Cancel anytime; your plan runs to the end of the month you've paid for. Then the account is read-only for 30 days so owners can download every record, and after that its data is deleted. | Monthly subscribers must give written notice at least one month before the end of the subscription to cancel. All sales are final, with no refunds, and on cancellation AutoManager may delete your data permanently. Source: AutoManager online service agreement, AutoManager refund policy |
| Free trial | 14 days free. The owner adds a card to start, and cancelling before day 14 costs nothing. | Not published. The site has a "Start Free Trial" button but doesn't say how long the trial lasts. |
| Platform | Any web browser, on a Windows PC, a Mac, a Chromebook, a tablet or a phone. | DeskManager Online is cloud-based and runs on Windows, Mac, iOS and Android. Pre-printed forms need an Okidata dot-matrix printer. Source: AutoManager dealer software page, AutoManager technical FAQ |
| Import or migration | CSV import for cars, customers, leads and past deals. Every row is checked before anything is saved, and an inventory import can be undone. | Published only for moving from DeskManager 11 to DeskManager Online. Moving from other vendors isn't published. Source: AutoManager technical FAQ |
When AutoManager is the better fit.
- You desk deals and handle F&I and contracts in the same system, with RouteOne, CUDL or Dealertrack. Source: AutoManager dealer software page
- You run buy-here-pay-here or lease-here-pay-here, or a parts and service department. Source: AutoManager dealer software page
- You sell RVs, boats or other vehicles beyond cars and trucks. Source: AutoManager company page
Motorvar doesn't submit deals to lenders, write contracts, run buy-here-pay-here or handle parts and service, and it's built for car and truck lots. It can run alongside a dealer management system, or on its own at a lot that does its paperwork elsewhere.
How to switch from AutoManager.
Give AutoManager written notice at least a month before your subscription ends, and export your records before you cancel, since its service agreement says it may delete your data permanently afterwards. Source: AutoManager online service agreement
Then bring your records into Motorvar in this order: cars, customers, leads and past deals, as CSV files that use our template's column names. Motorvar checks every row before it saves anything, and if an inventory import goes wrong, you can undo it.
How moving to Motorvar worksQuestions about AutoManager and Motorvar.
What happens to my records if I leave?
With Motorvar, your plan runs to the end of the month you've paid for. Then your car pages go offline, and owners have 30 days to download every record, photo and document before the data is deleted. AutoManager's service agreement says that on cancellation it may delete your data permanently, so export first.
Can Motorvar do everything AutoManager does?
No. Motorvar has no lender submission, F&I or contracts, buy-here-pay-here servicing, accounting, or parts and service. If you need those, keep them in a dealer management system and use Motorvar for inventory, recon, listings, leads and deals.
Can I try Motorvar before I switch?
Yes. Every plan starts with a 14-day free trial. Tell us about your lot on the free-trial page and we'll set it up with you. The owner adds a card to start, and if you cancel before day 14 you pay nothing.
Facts from AutoManager's website, checked October 2026.
Every AutoManager fact on this page comes from AutoManager's own website. "Not published" means we looked there and found nothing. Prices and terms change, so check their site before you decide.
Try Motorvar free for 14 days.
We set up your dealership with you and help bring your records over. Already using Motorvar? Sign in.