Compare · DealerCenter
Motorvar and DealerCenter, compared honestly.
DealerCenter and Motorvar are built for different jobs. Here is an honest look at both, with every DealerCenter fact taken from DealerCenter'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.
DealerCenter
DealerCenter describes itself as "a feature-rich, web-based dealer management system designed specifically for the used car dealership". It covers desking, lender submission, F&I, contracts, e-titling, buy-here-pay-here servicing and accounting, each as a monthly module. Source: DealerCenter company page, DealerCenter DMS page, DealerCenter buy-here-pay-here page, DealerCenter pricing
Side by side.
| Topic | Motorvar | DealerCenter |
|---|---|---|
| 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). | Sold module by module, per month: DMS $99, BHPH $50, Integrated Accounting $99, Reconditioning $99, CRM Plus $99 or CRM Pro $199, and a Premium Website at $99 or $125, among others. A setup fee isn't published. Source: DealerCenter 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. | Each module adds its area: the DMS brings desking, lenders and F&I; the CRM brings marketplace leads and Facebook Messenger; others add reconditioning, accounting, buy-here-pay-here and websites. The pricing page says every product includes unlimited users, free training and support. Source: DealerCenter pricing, DealerCenter DMS page, DealerCenter CRM page |
| Per-transaction fees | None. Nothing is charged per deal, per lead or per listing. | eContract $3.00 per contract, DC Deal Printing $5 per contract, AutoCheck $10 per report, and credit reports at $3.25 to $5.70 each plus a monthly subcode fee of $15.95 to $40. Source: DealerCenter 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. | The term is set in your Confirmation of Services and renews automatically for the same length. If you cancel, the fees through the end of the term are still due, with no refund. After termination, data can be retrieved for 30 days, and only if everything due is paid. Source: DealerCenter terms and conditions |
| Free trial | 14 days free. The owner adds a card to start, and cancelling before day 14 costs nothing. | The demo request form offers an optional 30-day free trial. Source: DealerCenter home page |
| Platform | Any web browser, on a Windows PC, a Mac, a Chromebook, a tablet or a phone. | Web-based, with iOS and Android apps. Source: DealerCenter home page, DealerCenter company page |
| 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. | Not published on dealercenter.com. Their terms let you export your own data while your subscription runs. Source: DealerCenter terms and conditions |
When DealerCenter is the better fit.
- You structure and contract financed deals in software: lender submission through RouteOne, Dealertrack or CUDL, retail installment contracts and eContracting. Source: DealerCenter DMS page
- You run buy-here-pay-here and want collections, ACH and card payments and credit reporting in the same system. Source: DealerCenter buy-here-pay-here page
- You want accounting, e-titling and temp tags, or a service bay module, alongside your inventory. Source: DealerCenter pricing, DealerCenter DMS page
- You want a full website built for you, or a CRM plan that includes text messages. Source: DealerCenter pricing
Motorvar doesn't do these. It can run alongside a dealer management system that handles the financing paperwork, or on its own at a lot that does its contracts elsewhere.
How to switch from DealerCenter.
Export your records before your DealerCenter term ends. Their terms allow self-service export during the term, and after termination data can be retrieved for 30 days only if all amounts due are paid. Source: DealerCenter terms and conditions
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 DealerCenter and Motorvar.
Can Motorvar do everything DealerCenter does?
No. Motorvar has no lender submission, retail installment contracts, e-titling, buy-here-pay-here servicing, accounting or credit reports. If you need those, keep a dealer management system for them and use Motorvar for inventory, recon, listings, leads and deals.
How does the price compare?
Motorvar is $99, $199 or $349 a month, with every feature in every plan. DealerCenter prices each module separately: its DMS is $99 a month, and CRM, reconditioning and a website are each listed as separate monthly lines. Compare only the modules you would really use, since DealerCenter's include things Motorvar doesn't, such as contracts and a full website.
Source: DealerCenter pricing
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 DealerCenter's website, checked October 2026.
Every DealerCenter fact on this page comes from DealerCenter'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.