How much does dealership software cost?

Build the complete cost schedule

Include subscriptions, implementation, migration, training, hardware, usage, communications, media, data, integrations, support tiers, travel, annual increases and taxes where applicable.

Normalize every quote

Ask each provider to price the same rooftops, users, volumes, modules, implementation assumptions and term. Separate optional items and pass-through charges from the base configuration.

Price the exit

Include overlap during transition, data exports, archive access, de-installation, hardware return and vendor assistance. A low starting price can be misleading when expansion and termination costs are omitted.

Why quotes cannot be compared directly

Vendors price on different units: per rooftop, per user, per module, per transaction, per message or as a share of spend. A quote built on users looks cheap for a small team and expensive at scale, while one built on rooftops moves the other way.

Until every provider prices the same rooftops, users, volumes and term, the numbers describe different purchases. Normalizing the assumptions first is the step that makes any comparison meaningful.

Build the three-year schedule

Put every line in a table with three columns for year one, two and three: subscription, implementation, training, hardware, usage, integrations, support and taxes. Add the contractual increase to each renewal year and a row for anything that scales with volume. A schedule like this shows which vendor is cheaper in month one and which is cheaper across the term, which are often different providers.

Common mistakes when pricing software

Treating implementation as free, ignoring the increase clause, and leaving out per-message or per-integration charges are the usual omissions. Another is assuming today's volume will hold: a usage-based price can change materially with a busy season or a new rooftop. Finally, price the overlap period when moving between providers, because two systems are paid for until the old one is switched off.

Questions for each vendor

Is there a minimum term? What is included in the base price and what is optional?

What is the increase at renewal and how is it calculated? What usage triggers extra charges?

What do integrations cost and who bills them? What does it cost to leave?

Put the answers in the same table for every candidate, dated and signed off by the vendor.