CDK Drive vs CDK Global
Head-to-head comparison for car dealers evaluating Core Systems. Both vendors are in the same subcategory, so the comparison is apples-to-apples.
CDK Drive
Enterprise DMS for franchise dealers.
Founded1972
HQHoffman Estates, IL
SegmentFRANCHISE
PricingSaaS + per-user
OwnershipPUBLIC
ParentBrookfield
Employees1000+
Websitecdkglobal.com
CDK Global
Leading franchise dealer management system
Founded2014
HQAustin TX
SegmentFRANCHISE
PricingPer rooftop / month
OwnershipPE
ParentBrookfield Business Partners
Employees—
Websitewww.cdkglobal.com
What each vendor does
CDK Drive
Long-standing DMS with deep third-party integrations.
CDK Global
CDK Global provides the most widely installed DMS among US franchise dealers, spanning accounting, sales, parts, service and a large third-party integration program.
Notable customers
CDK Drive
15000+ rooftops
CDK Global
None listed
Integration matrix
| Integration kind | CDK Drive | CDK Global | Overlap |
|---|---|---|---|
| dms | Self | — | None |
Only CDK Drive (1)
Self
Shared integrations (0)
—
Only CDK Global (0)
—
Feature checklist
| Feature | CDK Drive | CDK Global |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile app | ● Yes | ● Yes |
| Open API / webhooks | ● Yes | ● Yes |
| SSO / SAML | ● Yes | ● Yes |
| Native AI tools | ● Yes | ○ — |
| Third-party marketplace | ● Yes | ○ — |
| Two-way texting | ○ — | ○ — |
| Video messaging | ○ — | ○ — |
| Digital retail workflow | ○ — | ○ — |
| Desking & payments | ● Yes | ○ — |
| Credit prequal / soft pull | ○ — | ○ — |
| Inventory syndication | ○ — | ○ — |
| Custom reporting dashboards | ● Yes | ● Yes |
| Call tracking & recording | ○ — | ○ — |
| Spanish-language support | ● Yes | ○ — |
| Multi-rooftop management | ● Yes | ● Yes |
Compare more than two?
Build a 2–4 vendor side-by-side and share the URL.
Choose CDK Drive vs CDK Global
Choose CDK Drive if…
- ▸You value the stability and disclosure of a publicly traded vendor.
- ▸Your budget process aligns better with SaaS + per-user pricing.
- ▸You want the longer track record in the dealer tech category.
- ▸You need broad DMS connectivity — this vendor lists 1 DMS integration.
- ▸You want more reference proof points from named dealer groups.
Choose CDK Global if…
- ▸Your budget process aligns better with Per rooftop / month pricing.
Quick facts scorecard
| Dimension | CDK Drive | CDK Global | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Track record | 1972 | 2014 | A |
| Scale | 1000+ | — | — |
| Segment breadth | FRANCHISE | FRANCHISE | — |
| Integrations listed | 1 | 0 | A |
| DMS connectivity | 1 DMS | 0 DMSes | A |