About Us
The State of Automotive is an independent, affiliate-free research directory of dealership software vendors.
What this directory is
A structured, plain-spoken reference covering roughly 150 vendors across every major category of dealership technology — DMS platforms, CRMs, website providers, digital marketing tools, AI engagement systems, data analytics and retention platforms, inventory management and pricing tools, and fixed operations software. Every vendor page follows a consistent format covering what it does, why dealership leaders look at it, what it does well, what to watch out for, who it is best for, and questions to ask before signing.
How the research works
Every vendor guide is the product of systematic research combining public signals from 23,000+ franchise dealerships, product evaluations, market positioning analysis, and documented user feedback. We accept sponsored ad placements and featured listings, which are clearly labeled as such — but editorial assessments, vendor rankings, and the content of every guide remain independent and fact-based. No vendor can buy a positive review, a favorable comparison, or suppression of critical findings.
The research is transparent about what we know, what we have inferred, and where confidence is lower. The goal is thoroughness and honesty, not comprehensiveness — it is more useful to get one assessment right than to publish fifty shallow reviews.
What we do not do
No affiliate commissions. We do not accept referral fees from vendors. Every vendor earns their place in our guides based on our assessment of their capabilities and market relevance — not on commissions.
No paywalled content. Every guide, comparison, and resource on this site is free to access. We do not gate our research behind subscription fees, email captures, or registration walls.
Transparent sponsorship. We accept clearly labeled sponsored ad placements and featured listings. These are marked as sponsored and do not influence our editorial assessments, research methodology, or vendor rankings. Our editorial independence remains our highest priority — sponsorship simply helps sustain the directory and keep our research freely accessible.
Interested in featuring your brand? Learn more about advertising on The State of Automotive.