Honest, side-by-side comparisons. No marketing fog. Where competitors are better, we say so.
| System | Best for | Typical price | Built-in SMS | Live supplier search | AI invoice scan | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HelmDMS | Independent marine dealers | $499 / mo flat | ✓ included | ✓ exclusive | ✓ via ExoInvoice | Month-to-month |
| Blackpurl | Small multi-vertical shops | ~$400–600+ / mo | Add-on / partner | No | No | Month-to-month |
| Lightspeed EVO | Mid-size powersports/marine | ~$500–1,500+ / mo | Via Kenect / partner | No | No | 1–3 yr contracts |
| DealerVu | Multi-location enterprise | Quote only ($$$$) | Partner | No | No | Annual |
| Sharpe DMS | Small marine independents | Quote only | Varies | No | No | Varies |
| QuickBooks alone | Single-person shops | $30–200 / mo | No | No | No | Month-to-month |
Pricing approximate, drawn from public reports and dealer conversations. Confirm with each vendor before deciding.
The system most independent dealers are leaving. Where it shines, where it falls short.
Read comparisonThe deep-feature incumbent (now under CDK). Powerful — and priced like it.
Read comparisonBuilt for multi-location chains. If you run one shop, this isn't your match.
Read comparisonA small marine-focused option. Honest look at what each one does well.
Read comparisonRunning on QuickBooks + spreadsheets + sticky notes? Read this first.
Read comparisonIdeal Marine, DX1, Systems 2000, Evopos, or something else? We'll do the comparison for you.
Ask us →We migrate your data as part of founding-dealer onboarding.
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