MotorDesk

What it is

MotorDesk puts dealership inventory, advertising, customer communications, sales, accounting, websites and social media in one system. It works in a browser and through mobile and desktop apps. Subscriptions begin at £79 per month and include a 30-day trial. Vehicle and staff/email-account allowances determine plan fit, while certain data and messaging features may cost extra.

Who it suits. Independent dealers seeking a unified system for stock and customer enquiries Teams wanting websites, marketplace feeds and sales paperwork together Dealers needing browser, mobile and desktop access

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What MotorDesk does

MotorDesk serves automotive dealerships handling cars, motorbikes, vans, trucks, plant, caravans, farm vehicles and motorhomes. Its unified platform covers stock, CRM, advertising, sales, accounting, websites and social media.

Registration or VIN lookups help add vehicles, calculate valuations and prepare listings for marketplace publication. Website enquiries and conversations from live chat, email, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, LINE and AutoTrader Leads can be managed together.

Access is available through a web browser plus apps for iOS, Android, Mac, Windows and Linux. The public API uses JSON over HTTPS, with OpenAPI documentation and scoped bearer tokens.

The numbers that shape it

Subscription levels depend on vehicles listed for sale and staff or email accounts. The smallest tier supports five vehicles and one account; published tiers then list capacities of 25, 50, 100, 200 or 350 vehicles, with account allowances increasing too.

For each business, the API permits 300 requests during any 60-second period and 10,000 per day. Website live chat comes with every membership and has no usage limit.

Apple installations require iOS 15.5 or newer, iPadOS 15.5 or newer, or macOS 12.4 or newer on Apple Silicon Macs.

What it costs to run

A 30-day trial is available without payment details or commitment. Subscriptions begin at £79 monthly: that tier permits five vehicles and one staff or email account, while the £149 option permits 25 vehicles and three accounts.

The £269 level allows 50 vehicles; £499 allows 100. Pricing of £849 covers 200 vehicles and 20 accounts, while £1,349 covers 350 vehicles and 35 accounts. Capacity above 500 vehicles is quoted on request.

Vehicle data, valuations, background-removal images and messaging are optional chargeable services. Published prices do not include UK VAT. For Sale or Reserved vehicles count toward caps, and hitting a cap can mean upgrading or adding an add-on.

How the plans compare

As monthly prices rise, plans generally provide room for more published vehicles and staff or email accounts. The Growth, Scale and Conquer plans list checkout, the deal builder and premium website templates; the £79 Starter version leaves those features out.

All membership levels provide a dealership website, free domain, email, SSL, live chat and responsive templates. Therefore, choosing a tier is chiefly about stock capacity, account allowance and sales features rather than obtaining a basic website.

If you are comparing categories rather than tiers, MotorDesk sits among dealership CRMs while also covering websites, marketplace feeds and accounting connections.

Who MotorDesk suits

MotorDesk suits automotive dealers seeking one place for inventory, customer enquiries, sales documents, accounting and online listings. It also supports lead routing, SMS, workflow automation, source capture and mobile access.

Its website tools support test-drive, viewing and custom appointment forms. Social automation can post vehicle content to Facebook, Instagram, Google Business, X, LinkedIn, TikTok and YouTube.

The API and official PHP SDK offer a way to connect in-house systems, subject to the stated request limits.

Trade-offs to weigh

A growing stock list may run into the cap because For Sale and Reserved vehicles are counted. Adding more vehicles may require a higher tier or an add-on, while staff-account allowances are set by plan.

At £79 per month, Starter omits online checkout, the deal builder and premium website templates. Optional data, valuation, image and messaging services can increase the bill, and UK VAT is added to listed prices.

MotorDesk has UK-specific elements, including weekday sales hours stated in London time and support for the HMRC VAT Margin Scheme.

Verdict

MotorDesk is a broad dealership system with a clear starting price and a useful trial period. It suits an independent dealer wanting one workspace for stock, enquiries, websites, sales documents and accounting links. Five vehicles is a small Starter allowance, so larger operations should plan for higher tiers and possible add-on charges. Check vehicle capacity, account needs and checkout requirements before selecting a plan.

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.