SOLUTIONS
Custom app or platform for car dealerships
Most car dealerships don't need a native app first — a custom website or web platform usually covers it. When a car dealership does need real logged-in workflows, a platform starts from $16,000 one-time or $1,399/mo for 24 months at Nabee Studio; a native app from $25,000 or $2,099/mo. We'll tell you honestly which tier fits after one scoping pass.
Most dealerships don't need a native app, and buying one first would be a mistake. Car buying is infrequent — nobody keeps a dealer's app on their phone between purchases — and every shopping behavior (browsing inventory, valuing a trade, booking a test drive) works better on the web, where it's reachable from a search result.
What a dealership actually needs sits closer to a web platform: live inventory search, lead routing, financing pre-qual, and service scheduling, all integrated. That's a platform built into your own website, replacing the vendor tool — not an app-store download. If a large dealer group ever wants an owner-loyalty or service app, that's a later, separate conversation; the first build is the web platform.
The reality for most car dealerships
Inventory search is clunky and slow
Buyers filter by make, model, price, mileage, and features — and bounce if search is painful. A fast, well-designed inventory experience fed by your live feed keeps shoppers on your lot's site instead of a third-party marketplace.
Vendor platforms lock you into high monthly fees
Many dealers pay steep monthly platform costs for a site they don't own and can't fully customize. A custom build with your inventory feed integrated removes the lock-in and the recurring vendor bill.
Trade-in and financing leads are worked by phone
Trade valuations and financing pre-qualification are high-intent moments, but forcing them through a phone call loses buyers. Online trade-in intake and financing pre-qual capture that intent while it's hot.
What does it cost?
One scoping pass, one fixed number — no hourly billing. A dealership's inventory search, lead routing, and service scheduling amount to a logged-in operational platform; a very small lot could start with a website plus an inventory feed.
- Website — from $4,500 one-time (standard from $7,500), or $499/mo for 24 months with the Maintenance Plan and hosting included.
- Platform — from $16,000 one-time, or $1,399/mo for 24 months with Website Update + Maintenance included.
The monthly plan totals somewhat more than paying up front — that's the honest trade for spreading the cost and having us operate everything for two years. Details in the payment plan guide and on the pricing page.
Start a project — one scoping pass, a fixed number within one business day.
Related: Custom website for car dealerships · Business automation for car dealerships · Booking system for car dealerships · Nabee for car dealerships · website cost guide
Common questions
- Does a car dealership need a mobile app?
- Usually not first. A well-built website or web platform covers most needs without app-store friction. A native app makes sense when push notifications, offline use, or device features are central — see our app vs website guide.
- What does an app or platform cost?
- A web platform is from $16,000 one-time or $1,399/mo for 24 months with updates and maintenance included; a native app from $25,000 or $2,099/mo. Fixed prices after one scoping pass.
- How long does it take to build?
- Most platform builds ship in two to three months. Tight scoping — a clear core first version — is what keeps both the timeline and the price down.
- Can we start with a website and grow into a platform?
- Yes, and it's usually the right order. A custom website built by the same team becomes the foundation — accounts, data, and workflows get added when the business is ready.