MotorDesk

What it is

MotorDesk is a dealership management platform for stock, advertising, customer communications, sales, social media and websites. Dealers can look up vehicle data by VRM or VIN, value stock, create AI descriptions, run vehicle checks, automate the stock book and edit listings in bulk. Stock can be published to marketplaces including AutoTrader, MOTORS, eBay Auction, CarGurus.co.uk and AA Cars. Enquiries and messages from websites, email, SMS, WhatsApp, social channels and AutoTrader Leads are brought together. Sales tools cover offers, invoices, VAT and margin-scheme invoicing, online payments, and integrations certified by Sage Cloud Accounting, Intuit QuickBooks and Xero Accounting. Website live chat is included across membership plans without extra cost. The website package includes a free domain option, an SSL certificate option and UK-based cloud hosting. MotorDesk works in browsers and offers apps for Android, iOS, Mac, Windows and Linux. Plans start at £79 per month for Starter, which allows five vehicles for sale and one staff/email account; prices exclude UK VAT. A 30-day free trial requires quick business verification to activate.

Who it suits. MotorDesk may suit dealerships selling cars, motorbikes, vans, trucks, plant, caravans, farm vehicles or motorhomes. Its stock, messaging and sales tools may help dealers managing listings and customer enquiries across channels.

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Overview

MotorDesk is a dealership management platform that combines stock, advertising, communications, sales and website functions. It suits dealers and other vehicle retailers who want those operations in one system; its value depends on whether the vehicle and staff limits in each plan match the business.

Its broad vehicle support and marketplace publishing make it relevant beyond car dealers, while the entry plan is tightly capped and excludes some sales and website options. The 30-day trial offers time to assess the fit, but activation requires a quick business verification.

Key features

Stock and advertising

Dealers can look up vehicle data by VRM or VIN, manage valuations and vehicle checks, automate the stock book, create AI descriptions and edit stock in bulk. Publishing to marketplaces including AutoTrader, MOTORS, eBay Auction, CarGurus.co.uk, Carhuna, AA Cars, CarsVansandBikes and Dealer Auction helps bring listings into several channels from the same platform. These tools are most useful to businesses with enough stock turnover to benefit from automation; optional vehicle data and valuation services can add charges.

Enquiries and sales

Website enquiries, email, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, LINE and AutoTrader Leads feed into one communications system. Lead routing, lead-source capture, SMS messaging and workflow automation support follow-up, and website live chat is included across all plans without limits or extra cost. Sales tools cover offers, online payments, invoices and VAT and margin-scheme invoicing, with accounting integrations certified by Sage Cloud Accounting, Intuit QuickBooks and Xero Accounting.

Websites, access and support

The website service includes UK-based high-availability cloud hosting and an option for a free domain name and SSL certificate. Staff role and privilege controls help manage access. MotorDesk works in web browsers and offers mobile and desktop apps for iOS, Android, Mac, Windows and Linux. Technical support is available; weekday sales hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm London time.

Pricing

MotorDesk has no free plan. Its paid plans are billed monthly, with prices excluding UK VAT. Limits are based on vehicles published for sale and staff/email accounts, so growing dealers should compare both quotas against current needs and likely headroom.

Starter is aimed at a very small operation: it allows only five vehicles and one staff/email account, and excludes online checkout, the deal builder and premium website templates. Growth raises the cap to 25 vehicles and three accounts; Scale to 50 and five. Conquer, Command and Excel step up to 100/10, 200/20 and 350/35 respectively, while Prevail is for operations publishing at least 500 vehicles with up to 50 accounts. Optional vehicle data, valuations, image background removal and messaging may cost extra, so the monthly plan price is not necessarily the full operating cost.

A 30-day free trial is offered, subject to quick business verification to activate an account. There is no free plan.

Platforms

Browser access and apps cover iOS, Android, Mac, Windows and Linux. This breadth suits teams working across phones and desktop systems, rather than requiring a single operating environment.

Who it's for

MotorDesk supports dealerships selling cars, motorbikes, vans, trucks, plant, caravans, farm vehicles and motorhomes. It is strongest for businesses seeking a shared stock, lead and sales workflow, especially where marketplace feeds and several messaging channels matter. Very small dealers may find Starter's five-vehicle and one-account limits restrictive; businesses with larger teams or stock should budget for higher tiers and possible usage add-ons.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Broad VRM/VIN stock tools, bulk editing and stock-book automation reduce the number of separate steps involved in preparing listings.
• Pros: Enquiries from multiple social, messaging and marketplace channels are brought together, with lead routing and workflow automation to support follow-up.
• Pros: Live chat is included on every plan without a usage cap or extra charge.
• Pros: VAT and margin-scheme invoicing, online payments and certified accounting integrations give sales and finance work a place alongside stock and leads.
• Cons: Starter's five vehicles and one account, plus its exclusions for checkout, deal builder and premium templates, make it a narrow entry point.
• Cons: Published plan prices exclude UK VAT, and optional data, valuation, image and messaging services can increase the bill.
• Cons: Prevail requires a custom quote, leaving larger operators without a published monthly figure for budgeting.

Alternatives

For a comparison set focused on dealership CRM software, see Dealership CRMs.

Get My Auto CRM is a paid alternative with a 60-day free trial and a CRM + Ava plan at $695 a month after the trial; its stated plan includes one user and 5,000 text blasts per month. It may suit a buyer prioritising that plan's stated text allowance and longer trial, while MotorDesk offers dealership stock, marketplace and website functions in its stated remit.

VinSolutions is another paid dealership software option for buyers comparing alternatives.

Vital Software is another paid option for buyers comparing dealership software.

DealersCloud CRM is a paid alternative whose Core Platform combines CRM and lead management, inventory and VIN decoding, deal desking and F&I, accounting reports, marketing feeds and a custom dealership website; its price is custom.

DealerCenter CRM may suit buyers comparing fixed monthly CRM plans: CRM Plus is $99 a month with unlimited emails and 2,000 texts, while CRM Pro is $199 a month with 4,000 texts.

Dealerpull offers paid Small Dealer and Medium Dealer plans with user, inventory and deal-volume bands for buyers comparing those limits.

DriveCentric is a paid alternative with an Engagement Hub priced by rooftop and units sold, under an annual or multi-year agreement invoiced monthly, with add-ons available.

AutoRaptor is a paid alternative with tiered plans for dealerships of different sizes and no free trial.

Verdict

MotorDesk is a strong fit for dealerships and specialist vehicle sellers that want stock, marketplace publishing, multichannel enquiries and sales administration under one roof. Its breadth, cross-platform access and included live chat are the clearest reasons to choose it. Look elsewhere if the Starter cap is too restrictive, if a predictable total cost is essential despite usage-based extras, or if a larger operation needs a published price before engaging sales.

Getting started

1. Visit https://motordesk.com/.
2. Choose a plan based on vehicles for sale and staff/email accounts.
3. Start the 30-day free trial.
4. Complete the quick business verification required to activate an account.
5. Use MotorDesk in a web browser or its Android, iOS, Mac, Windows or Linux apps.

Limits

Starter costs £79/month and allows five vehicles for sale and one staff/email account. It excludes online checkout, deal builder and premium website templates. Optional vehicle data, valuations, image background removal and messaging can incur additional charges; prices exclude UK VAT.