Product-to-product research

Auto/Mate DMS vs DealerClick CRM

Auto/Mate on Auto/Mate DMS: The core dealer management system, positioned as large enough to serve and small enough to care. DealerClick on DealerClick CRM: Lead capture, segmentation and automated drip campaigns, pipeline visibility, task automation and DMS integration.

Auto/Mate DMS and DealerClick CRM are different kinds of product, so a fair comparison starts by matching jobs. Auto/Mate describes its DMS, now presented by Solera, as a cloud-based system for franchise dealerships covering inventory, sales, service, F&I, parts and accounting in one interface, from a single rooftop to a multi-store group, with digital deal structuring, shared repair orders and customizable reports.

Direct answer

Choosing between Auto/Mate DMS and DealerClick CRM

DealerClick describes a CRM built inside its own DMS for independent dealers, tracking prospects from lead to sale, with desking and mobile tools for retail, wholesale, buy here pay here, leasing and rent-to-own deals.

What to check before you choose

The real comparison is DMS with DMS, or CRM with CRM. Auto/Mate's CRM and DealerSocket's CRM sit in the Solera family.

DealerClick's CRM is a module of its own DMS. A franchise store would look at the first group, an independent store at the second.

If you are comparing these two because you run a franchise and an independent operation, you probably need separate answers for each.

Name changes add confusion. Auto/Mate, DealerSocket and Solera all appear in older material, and Solera lists a second DMS, IDMS, under the DealerSocket brand. A store should ask which product it is being sold, which manufacturers it is certified with and which name will appear on its contract.

Ask Auto/Mate about data conversion, training and contract terms, and how its certifications apply to your brand. Ask DealerClick how leads are captured, how texting consent is recorded and how data leaves on exit. Ask both what a month-end close looks like and who supports it.

A useful test is to run one week of real deals through each. Start with a deal that includes a trade and a lien, a finance quote and a delivery. Count the steps and the places where someone retypes information.

Ask for two references and ask them what they would change. Keep the notes.

One more practical step is to list every system that touches a deal today, such as the website, the CRM, the desking tool, the lender portals and the accounting package, and mark which would be replaced and which kept. Ask each vendor to confirm in writing which of those connections it supports and who pays for them.

That list shows how large the change really is. Ask each vendor for a one-page summary of the fees, the term and the data you keep on exit, and file it with the contract.

A

Auto/Mate DMS

Auto/Mate describes it this way: The core dealer management system, positioned as large enough to serve and small enough to care.

Solera-owned DMS with dealership-wide workflow modules.

Auto/Mate describes itself as a dealer management system provider, with a site headline that calls it the DMS dealers want on their team. Its home page says the company has combined Auto/Mate with DealerSocket so that CRM, inventory management, digital retailing and websites sit on one connected platform.

Who it says it serves: Franchised and independent automotive dealerships.

Office Suite - Auto/Mate | Auto/Mate: Office Suite Managing the dealership’s finances doesn’t have to be painful anymore Auto/Mate’s Office Suite comes equipped with the tools and software you need

Sections on that page: Office Suite; Managing the dealership’s finances doesn’t have to be painful anymore; Office Suite | Modules & Features; A DMS Large Enough to Serve. Small Enough to Care..

Variable Ops - Auto/Mate | Auto/Mate: Variable Ops Put the Power Back in Your Profits Give your customers the options they deserve, while maximizing your dealership’s profits and productivity. We

Sections on that page: Variable Ops Suite; Put the Power Back in Your Profits; Variable Ops | Modules & Features; A DMS Large Enough to Serve. Small Enough to Care..

Core Values - Auto/Mate | Auto/Mate: Core Values It's not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are. One Team 'Ohana: We win together by supporting each other.

Sections on that page: Core Values; It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.; A DMS Large Enough to Serve. Small Enough to Care..

Auto/Mate DMS record → · Auto/Mate profile →

B

DealerClick CRM

DealerClick describes it this way: Lead capture, segmentation and automated drip campaigns, pipeline visibility, task automation and DMS integration.

Dealer management system for auto, RV and powersports dealers, including buy-here-pay-here, lease-here-pay-here and wholesale workflows, with inventory, CRM, websites and lender connections.

DealerClick describes itself as a dealer management system for auto, RV and powersports dealers doing retail, wholesale, buy-here-pay-here, lease-here-pay-here, leasing or rent-to-own sales. Its site says the system is web-based, accessible from any device, and includes inventory, CRM, websites and connections to lenders.

Who it says it serves: Independent auto, RV and powersports dealers.

Auto Dealer CRM Software | Text and Email | DealerClick DMS: DealerClick's Auto Dealer CRM keeps independent dealers connected to every lead with automated text, email, and follow-up sequences.

Sections on that page: Simple Auto Dealer CRM Software; Simplified Customer Relationship Management; Text Message and Email Automation; What DealerClick CRM Actually Does Day to Day; Lead Capture That Covers Every Source; Segmentation and Automated Drip Campaigns; Pipeline Visibility and Task Automation; DMS Integration, Mobile Access, and Reporting.

DMS for Independent Dealers | DealerClick DMS: DealerClick is a cloud-based dealer management system (DMS) built for independent dealers — retail desking, inventory pricing, F&I, titling, and DMV compliance in one platform instead of per-module add-on pricing.

Sections on that page: Premier Auto Dealer Software; Cloud-Based Desking Solutions for Auto Dealers; Advanced Desking Tools for Streamlined Operations; Flexible Deal Structures: Optimize Every Transaction; Inventory Management: Smarter Decisions, Better Deals; Titling & Temp Tags: Efficient Management Solutions; Finance & Insurance: Simplify with Integrated Solutions; A Dealer Management System Built for Independent Operators.

Auto Dealer Websites and Digital Retailing | DealerClick DMS: Launch DealerClick auto dealer websites with live inventory sync, payment calculators, AI-guided shopping, and lead capture built for car dealerships.

Sections on that page: DealerClick Digital Retail Experience; Every Section Works Like Your Best Salesperson; Showroom-Ready Inventory Journey; Advanced Search & Comparison Flows; Pricing, Payments & Personalized Offers; High-Converting Lead Generation Engine; Content & SEO Growth Framework; Personalization & Premium Themes.

DealerClick CRM record → · DealerClick profile →

Auto/Mate DMS vs DealerClick CRM
FieldAuto/Mate DMSDealerClick CRM
ProviderAuto/MateDealerClick
Corporate parentDealerSocket (Solera)None recorded
Primary marketUSNorth America or market-specific
Typical segmentFranchiseIndependent dealers
Mapped workflowsDealer management systems (DMS)Dealer management systems (DMS)
Named offerings on its own site55
Connection records in the directory30
Where they meet

Overlap and divergence

Auto/Mate DMS and DealerClick CRM are both mapped to dealer management systems (DMS).

Read from automate.com, dealerclick.com. To score Auto/Mate DMS against DealerClick CRM on the same questions, use the demo scorecard.