Guide
How much does dealer management software cost?
Franchise dealers commonly pay $2,000–$8,000 per rooftop, per month for a DMS, plus implementation that often runs $10,000 or more, plus module and integration fees on top. Independent dealers usually pay far less — roughly $0–$300 a month for lighter tools — but give up the general ledger, service, and parts depth. freeDMS, a complete DMS built for independents, costs $0.
What franchise dealers pay
The franchise market is held by a few large vendors (CDK Global, Reynolds and Reynolds, Dealertrack) and priced by quote, not by list. Dealer-reported figures cluster between $2,000 and $8,000 per rooftop per month for the core system, typically on multi-year contracts. Implementation, data conversion, and training are billed separately and often add $10,000 or more up front. Modules beyond the core — CRM, service scheduling, digital retailing — and integrations with your own data can each carry their own monthly fee.
Because prices are negotiated and contract-bound, two similar stores can pay very different amounts for the same system, and switching is expensive enough that it rarely disciplines the price.
What independent dealers pay
Independent lots mostly run lighter, used-car-focused tools. Entry products are sometimes free or under $150 a month; mid-range independent systems run a few hundred dollars a month, often with per-user or per-module steps as you grow. The trade is depth: many stop at inventory and deal printing, with no real general ledger, no service and parts operation, and accounting handled by export to a separate bookkeeping tool.
The costs that are not on the quote
- Implementation and conversion — moving your inventory, customers, and open deals into a new system.
- Per-user and module fees — the quoted “core” price grows as staff and departments are added.
- Integration tolls — monthly charges to connect the DMS to tools and data feeds you already pay for.
- Data access and exit costs — fees, delays, or lossy exports when you want your own records out.
- Renewal creep — multi-year terms with escalators, priced against the pain of switching.
What freeDMS costs
| Item | Franchise DMS (typical) | Independent tools (typical) | freeDMS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core DMS, per rooftop / month | $2,000–$8,000 | $0–$300 | $0 |
| Per-user fees | Common | Sometimes | None — unlimited users |
| Service & parts included | Module fees | Often absent | Included |
| General ledger included | Yes, at franchise prices | Rarely | Included |
| Data export / API | Often a toll | Varies | Free, in full |
| Contract | Multi-year | Varies | None; MIT open source |
freeDMS can be free because the business model is not rent: on the free tier, operational data contributes to anonymized, aggregated benchmarks (never identifiable, with a paid option to restrict sharing), and AI features are pay-as-you-go. The full model, in plain language, is on the homepage.
Last updated October 27, 2026. Franchise and independent figures are commonly reported ranges from dealer and analyst sources; individual quotes vary.
Questions
Straight answers
Why is DMS pricing never published?
The big vendors sell by quote: price depends on rooftop count, modules, and how the negotiation goes. That opacity is itself a cost — you cannot comparison-shop a number you have to request, and renewals tend to creep. freeDMS publishes its whole price list on its homepage: $0, plus optional pay-as-you-go AI.
What does freeDMS cost per month?
$0 per rooftop per month, for every department and unlimited users. The only things that can ever cost money are optional: pay-as-you-go AI features (metered, with spending caps you set) and a paid tier that restricts your data's contribution to anonymized benchmarks. Neither is required to run the full system.
Are there setup or per-user fees with freeDMS?
No. No setup fees, no per-seat charges, no module fees, and no charge to export your own data or use the API. The hosted pilot is invite-only while it ramps; the software itself is MIT-licensed open source, so you can also run your own copy.
What will I still pay for with a free DMS?
The things a DMS never included: your floorplan, lead providers and marketplaces, state and lender pass-through fees, and your staff's time. A free DMS removes the software rent, not the cost of cars and customers.
Inventory. Deals. Growth. Yours.
Your next DMS costs $0.
The hosted pilot is invite-only. The code is public today.