DealerCenter vs Tekion
Head-to-head comparison for car dealers evaluating Core Systems. Both vendors are in the same subcategory, so the comparison is apples-to-apples.
DealerCenter
All-in-one platform for independent dealers
Founded—
HQLos Angeles CA
SegmentINDEPENDENT
PricingTiered
OwnershipPRIVATE
ParentNowcom
Employees—
Websitewww.dealercenter.com
Tekion
Cloud-native automotive retail platform
Founded2016
HQPleasanton CA
SegmentFRANCHISE
PricingPer rooftop / month
OwnershipPRIVATE
ParentIndependent
Employees—
Websitetekion.com
What each vendor does
DealerCenter
DealerCenter combines DMS, inventory, CRM and lender access in one platform for independent dealers, operated by Nowcom within the Hankey Group.
Tekion
Tekion's Automotive Retail Cloud is a born-in-the-cloud DMS with modern APIs, connecting sales, service, accounting and CRM on a single platform.
Integration matrix
| Integration kind | DealerCenter | Tekion | Overlap |
|---|---|---|---|
| dms | — | Self | None |
Only DealerCenter (0)
—
Shared integrations (0)
—
Only Tekion (1)
Self
Feature checklist
| Feature | DealerCenter | Tekion |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile app | ● Yes | ● Yes |
| Open API / webhooks | ● Yes | ● Yes |
| SSO / SAML | ● Yes | ● Yes |
| Native AI tools | ○ — | ○ — |
| Third-party marketplace | ○ — | ○ — |
| Two-way texting | ○ — | ○ — |
| Video messaging | ○ — | ○ — |
| Digital retail workflow | ○ — | ○ — |
| Desking & payments | ○ — | ○ — |
| Credit prequal / soft pull | ○ — | ○ — |
| Inventory syndication | ○ — | ○ — |
| Custom reporting dashboards | ● Yes | ● Yes |
| Call tracking & recording | ○ — | ○ — |
| Spanish-language support | ○ — | ○ — |
| Multi-rooftop management | ● Yes | ● Yes |
Compare more than two?
Build a 2–4 vendor side-by-side and share the URL.
Choose DealerCenter vs Tekion
Choose DealerCenter if…
- ▸You run independent rooftops — this product is designed specifically for that segment.
- ▸Your budget process aligns better with Tiered pricing.
- ▸You want the longer track record in the dealer tech category.
Choose Tekion if…
- ▸You run franchise rooftops — this product is designed specifically for that segment.
- ▸Your budget process aligns better with Per rooftop / month pricing.
- ▸You want the longer track record in the dealer tech category.
- ▸You need broad DMS connectivity — this vendor lists 1 DMS integration.
Quick facts scorecard
| Dimension | DealerCenter | Tekion | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Track record | — | 2016 | B |
| Scale | — | — | — |
| Segment breadth | INDEPENDENT | FRANCHISE | — |
| Integrations listed | 0 | 1 | B |
| DMS connectivity | 0 DMSes | 1 DMS | B |