--- title: "Dealer Essential Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra" description: "With the help of Capterra, learn about Dealer Essential Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other Auto Dealer products and more." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/10025378/Dealer-Essential/" page_type: "product" language: "en" --- # Dealer Essential Software Review 2026: Features, Reviews, Integrations, Pros & Cons Last updated on September 16, 2026 Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Description](#description)[Use cases](#use-cases)[Alternatives](#alternatives)[FAQs](#faqs)[Features](#features)[Pricing](#pricing)[Support](#support) Dealer Essential ## What is Dealer Essential? Dealer Essential is a comprehensive, all-in-one dealership management software designed to streamline and automate your dealership’s operations. By integrating inventory management, CRM, website development, digital marketing, and accounting tools into a single, easy-to-use cloud platform, Dealer Essential helps dealerships save time and grow their business. Key features include AI-powered automated inventory listings, enabling fast and accurate posting across multiple platforms, a CRM with automated follow-ups that nurtures leads and boosts customer relationships, a website builder that creates high-performance, mobile-optimized sites, and real-time analytics for tracking sales, marketing efforts, and overall performance. With Dealer Essential, you can simplify complex workflows, improve operational efficiency, and gain access to cutting-edge technology that enhances your dealership’s productivity and growth. ## What is Dealer Essential used for? [Auto Dealer](https://www.capterra.com/auto-dealer-software/) Top alternative Featured Overall rating Based on 0 user reviews Reviews sentiment Positive \- Neutral \- Negative \- Starting price $59 Flat Rate, Per Month Free trial available Free version not included Capterra Shortlist charts the highest-rated and most popular products... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Do you work for Dealer Essential?[Manage this product listing](https://www.g2.com/products/dealer-essential/claim_requests/new?auto=true) ## Compare with a popular alternative Capterra selects software alternatives based on relevant features, verified user reviews and user interactions. Placement may be influenced by client status. ### Dealer Essential 0.0 VS. [4.9 (1,485)](https://www.capterra.com/p/71935/DealerCenter/reviews/) Starting Price $59 Flat Rate, Per Month Starting Price $99 Flat Rate, Per Month Free Trial Free Version Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version Ease Of Use 0.0 (0) Ease Of Use 4.8 (2,363) Value For Money 0.0 (0) Value For Money 4.8 (2,206) Customer Service 0.0 (0) Customer Service 4.9 (2,185) ## Dealer Essential alternatives [Carsforsale.com](https://www.capterra.com/p/178449/CarsForSale/) [4.6 (2,363)](https://www.capterra.com/p/178449/CarsForSale/reviews/) Starting price $99.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 90% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/178449/CarsForSale/) [AutoManager](https://www.capterra.com/p/10010509/DeskManager/) [4.9 (239)](https://www.capterra.com/p/10010509/DeskManager/reviews/) Starting price $50.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 97% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/10010509/DeskManager/) [Frazer](https://www.capterra.com/p/34553/Frazer-Auto-Dealer-Software/) [4.6 (152)](https://www.capterra.com/p/34553/Frazer-Auto-Dealer-Software/reviews/) Starting price Contact vendor for pricing Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 91% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/34553/Frazer-Auto-Dealer-Software/) [AutoRaptor CRM](https://www.capterra.com/p/118844/AutoRaptor-CRM/) [4.6 (275)](https://www.capterra.com/p/118844/AutoRaptor-CRM/reviews/) Starting price $399.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 90% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/118844/AutoRaptor-CRM/) ## FAQs about Dealer Essential Overview ### What company size and specific industries is Dealer Essential built for? Dealer Essential is designed for used car dealerships of all sizes, including small businesses, mid-sized operations, and larger enterprises in the automotive retail sector. It supports dealership teams that need help with inventory management, sales activity, marketing automation, and customer relationship tasks. Features and Usability ### What are the key features of Dealer Essential? Dealer Essential offers accounting and QuickBooks integration, plus inventory management, inventory tracking, and stock management for automotive dealerships. It also includes lead capture and lead management, appointment management and automated scheduling, document storage and forms management, and real-time reporting, analytics, activity dashboards, alerts/notifications, and website management. Pricing ### How much does it cost and what fees or limitations are included? Dealer Essential starts at $59 per month for the Basic plan, which supports up to 30 vehicles and includes unlimited users. The Pro plan costs $79 per month for up to 100 vehicles, and the Enterprise plan costs $99 per month for up to 200 vehicles. A free trial is available, and add-ons can be added to any plan. Integrations ### Which third-party tools and platforms does Dealer Essential integrate with? Dealer Essential connects natively to QuickBooks Desktop for accounting and bookkeeping workflows. Getting Started and Support ### What training and onboarding options does Dealer Essential offer? Dealer Essential provides in person training, live online sessions, documentation, and videos to help teams get started. In person and live online formats support guided instruction, while documentation and videos offer written and visual reference materials for self-paced learning and review. Getting Started and Support ### What customer support options does Dealer Essential offer? Dealer Essential offers Email/Help Desk, FAQ/Forum, Knowledge Base, Phone Support, 24/7 Live Rep, and Chat. No reviewer feedback about support is available in the catalog data, so user experience with response times, helpfulness, or common frustrations cannot be described here. ## Features AI summary Based on 1,696 Auto Dealer reviews Capterra data shows that buyers of auto dealer software rank the following features as their top priorities: - **Reporting & Statistics** (**71%** of reviewers rated this feature as critical) - **Inventory Management** (**53%**) - **Customer Database** (**64%**) Dealer Essential supports all three features that reviewers rate most highly: **Reporting & Statistics**, **Inventory Management**, and **Customer Database**. Together, these capabilities help dealerships track performance, manage vehicle stock accurately, and maintain organized customer records, allowing teams to make better sales decisions and deliver more consistent customer service. Accounting Built-in accounting to manage ledger, accounts payable/receivable, financial reports, etc. Accounting Integration Integrate with a third-party accounting system Activity Dashboard Dashboard to view the status of ongoing processes, identify current incidents and track past activities Alerts/Notifications Alerts or notifications of various types such as pop-up messages, sounds, banners, or badges Appointment Management Manage various aspects of appointments including booking, rescheduling, canceling Automated Scheduling Automatically create schedules based on business needs or employee availability and qualifications Dealer Essential 36 features ### All Features - Accounting: Built-in accounting to manage ledger, accounts payable/receivable, financial reports, etc. - Accounting Integration: Integrate with a third-party accounting system - Activity Dashboard: Dashboard to view the status of ongoing processes, identify current incidents and track past activities - Alerts/Notifications: Alerts or notifications of various types such as pop-up messages, sounds, banners, or badges - Appointment Management: Manage various aspects of appointments including booking, rescheduling, canceling - Automated Scheduling: Automatically create schedules based on business needs or employee availability and qualifications - Barcode/Ticket Scanning: Scan barcodes to ensure accurate pricing and label tracking - Calendar Management: Track and manage schedules and meetings via an integrated calendar - Communication Management: Manage and track all internal and external communication conducted via calls, email, text, or chat - Contact Database: Centralized database of stakeholders and their contact information such as names, address, phone number etc. - Customer Database: A collection of customer information such as contact details, demographics, previous interactions, etc. - Customer History: Access previous interactions or concerns to maintain customer relationships - Discount Management: Track products that are for sale at a reduced price or part of coupon promotions - Document Management: Store, manage, and track all electronic documents in a centralized location - Document Storage: Store and organize documents in a centralized system - Email Management: Manage, store and organize emails within the system or via third-party apps - Financing Management: Financing arranged by the dealership - For Automotive Dealerships: For automotive/car dealerships - Forms Management: Store, manage and track all forms in a centralized location - Inventory Management: Track and manage inventory levels to maintain proper supply - Inventory Tracking: Track and monitor inventory items, such as raw materials, unfinished goods, and ready-to-sell items - Invoice Management: Captures invoice data and maintains comprehensive records for auditing and reporting purposes - Lead Capture: Automatically identify and save contact information of potential customers - Lead Management: Store information about leads or contacts and track, manage and nurture them throughout the sales process - Price/Margin Management: Track and manage the profit margin between the cost of a product and its selling price. - QuickBooks Integration: Integrates with QuickBooks - Real-Time Analytics: Analyze and gain insights into data in real-time - Real-Time Reporting: Active reporting of data and metrics - Real-Time Updates: Receive system updates as soon as any changes are made - Reporting & Statistics: Collection, analysis, and representation of numerical data and generation of reports to understand various patterns - Reporting/Analytics: View and track pertinent metrics to find patterns and gain insights from data - Sales Reports: Reports specific to sales analysis for trends and strategies - Stock Management: Manage the buying, selling, and holding of stocks - Third-Party Integrations: Set up connections to third-party platforms to improve business processes - Used Car Dealer: For used/pre-owned car dealerships - Website Management: Built-in website builder or integration with third-party site --- Get Advice We can help you find the software with the features you need. ## Pricing Free Trial [View pricing plan details](https://www.capterra.com/p/10025378/Dealer-Essential/pricing/) Basic $59.00 Flat Rate,Per Month It includes: - Up To 30 Vehicle Inventory Management - Fast SEO-optimized Website - Deal Management - Google Vehicle Listing - Sales Documents Printing - Monthly & Annual Report Printing - Mobile App - Unlimited Users - Access From Anywhere Pro $79.00 Flat Rate,Per Month It includes: - Up To 100 Vehicle Inventory Management - Everything In "Basic" Plan Enterprise $99.00 Flat Rate,Per Month It includes: - Up To 200 Vehicle Inventory Management - Everything In "Basic" Plan Connect with a Capterra advisor for a free 15-minute consultation Get a personalized software list aligned to your business needs with guidance from our expert advisors. Our team has helped 1 million+ businesses like yours find options that fit their needs. ## Support, customer service and training options Support - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - 24/7 (Live rep) - Chat Training - In Person - Live Online - Webinars - Documentation - Videos Deployment - Web - Android - iPhone/iPad Typical users - Freelancers - Small businesses - Mid size businesses - Enterprises ## Top-rated software of 2026 ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.