Automotive · head to head
Fleetio vs DealerSocket
The short version
- Only Fleetio has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Fleetio priced per vehicle per month, so cost scales with fleet size rather than with the number of people using it; DealerSocket pricing is not published for any of its CRM, inventory, or DMS products; buyers must speak with a sales rep for a quote
- They diverge on capability: Fleetio covers Vehicle tracking, DealerSocket covers Customer CRM.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Fleetio and DealerSocket actually diverge.
| Attribute | Fleetio | DealerSocket |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | On request |
| Pricing model | subscription | quote |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Founded | 2012 | 2001 |
Identical on both: platforms (Web, Ios, Android, Api), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Automotive).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Fleetio
- Vehicle tracking
- Maintenance scheduling
- Fuel management
- Digital inspections
- Work orders
- Parts inventory
- Vendor management
- Analytics & reports
Only in DealerSocket
- Customer CRM
- Lead management
- Inventory management
- Desking tools
- Marketing automation
- Digital retail
- Analytics dashboard
- Mobile app
Both cover
- SOC2
- Data encryption
- Role-based access
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Fleetio
- Fleet maintenance scheduling and vehicle inspection trackingnot DealerSocket
- Managing parts inventory, work orders and fuel across a vehicle fleetnot DealerSocket
DealerSocket
- Auto dealerships managing CRM, inventory pricing, and lead workflows across a suite of dealership productsnot Fleetio
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Fleetio
- Priced per vehicle per month, so cost scales with fleet size rather than with the number of people using it
- The Professional and Premium plans are billed annually only, with no monthly option
- Tire management is excluded from both Essential and Professional
- API access is rate limited by plan, at 50 requests a minute on Professional against 250 on Premium
- Active automations are rationed, at 5 on Professional against 40 on Premium
- The published per vehicle prices assume a 5 asset band, so a different fleet size is a different rate
DealerSocket
- Pricing is not published for any of its CRM, inventory, or DMS products; buyers must speak with a sales rep for a quote
Pricing, plan by plan
Fleetio
Free- FreeFree
- Up to 5 vehicles
- Basic tracking
- Service reminders
- Pro$5/month
- Unlimited vehicles
- Fuel tracking
- Inspections
- Advanced$8/month
- Everything in Pro
- GPS integrations
- Fuel card integration
DealerSocket
On request- CRM$undefined/month
- Lead management
- Sales desking
- Activity tracking
- Inventory+$undefined/month
- Inventory management
- Pricing tools
- Photo management
- Complete Platform$undefined/month
- Full CRM
- Inventory+
- Digital retail
Which should you pick?
Choose Fleetio if
- You need vehicle tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
- You also want maintenance scheduling.
Choose DealerSocket if
- You need customer crm.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
- You also want lead management.
Questions people ask
- Is Fleetio or DealerSocket better?
- Neither clearly leads. Fleetio starts at Free and DealerSocket at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Fleetio or DealerSocket?
- Fleetio has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Fleetio and On request for DealerSocket.
- Does Fleetio or DealerSocket run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Ios, Android, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Fleetio for free?
- Yes. Fleetio has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. DealerSocket starts at On request.
- What is Fleetio best used for?
- Fleetio is most often used for fleet maintenance scheduling and vehicle inspection tracking, managing parts inventory, work orders and fuel across a vehicle fleet. Of those, fleet maintenance scheduling and vehicle inspection tracking and managing parts inventory, work orders and fuel across a vehicle fleet are not what DealerSocket is typically brought in for.
- What can Fleetio do that DealerSocket cannot?
- Fleetio covers Vehicle tracking, Maintenance scheduling, Fuel management, Digital inspections. DealerSocket covers Customer CRM, Lead management, Inventory management, Desking tools. Both handle SOC2, Data encryption, Role-based access.