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Automotive · head to head

NADA Guides vs Tekmetric

NADA Guides logo

NADA Guides

Automotive

Trusted vehicle valuation for dealerships

From
Free
Rated
-
Tekmetric logo

Tekmetric

Automotive

Complete shop management for independent shops

From
$179/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only NADA Guides has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: NADA Guides does not include private party transaction data, only dealer pricing; Tekmetric every price is per shop, and each additional location needs its own plan subscription
  • They diverge on capability: NADA Guides covers Vehicle valuations, Tekmetric covers Work order management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which NADA Guides and Tekmetric actually diverge.

Attributes where NADA Guides and Tekmetric differ
AttributeNADA GuidesTekmetric
Starting priceFree$179/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Mobile WebWeb, Mobile, App
Founded19172016

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 NADA Guides

  • Vehicle valuations
  • Retail pricing
  • Trade-in values
  • Market analysis
  • Dealer reports
  • Historical pricing
  • Regional data
  • DMS systems

Only in Tekmetric

  • Work order management
  • Vehicle history
  • Customer management
  • Scheduling system
  • Estimating tools
  • Invoicing
  • Customer portal
  • Payment processors

Both cover

  • Mobile application
  • SSL encryption
  • Secure authentication

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

NADA Guides

  • Dealership Managementnot Tekmetric
  • Service Schedulingnot Tekmetric
  • Inventory Managementnot Tekmetric
  • Sales Operationsnot Tekmetric
  • Customer Relationshipnot Tekmetric

Tekmetric

  • Shop management for independent auto repair shops: repair orders, estimates and invoicingnot NADA Guides
  • Digital vehicle inspections shared with customersnot NADA Guides
  • Managing parts inventory, vendors and technician job clocksnot NADA Guides

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

NADA Guides

  • Does not include private party transaction data, only dealer pricing
  • Valuations updated monthly or quarterly, not in real-time
  • Accuracy decreases for older and rare vehicle models
  • User input errors for mileage, condition, and trim level significantly affect valuations

Tekmetric

  • Every price is per shop, and each additional location needs its own plan subscription
  • Two-way texting, the real-time shop dashboard, the technician board and employee performance analytics require the Scale plan at $439 per month
  • The labor guide, time and job clocks and parts and inventory reports are withheld from the entry Start plan at $199 per month
  • Integrated payments, a dedicated account manager and quarterly business reviews are Enterprise only, and Enterprise is custom priced with no published rate
  • Multi-shop management is a $70 per month per shop add-on on top of a plan subscription at every location
  • The Tire Suite add-on costs an extra $39 per month per shop
  • The Marketing add-on costs an extra $345 per month per shop, more than the Scale plan itself
  • The discounted rates such as $179 per month require annual billing

Pricing, plan by plan

NADA Guides

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic valuations
    • Pricing reports
    • Mobile access
  • Professional$149/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Advanced reports
    • Market insights
  • Dealer Packages$undefined/month
    • Everything in Professional
    • Custom integrations
    • Data feeds

Tekmetric

$179/month
  • Start$199/month
    • Inventory management
    • Digital vehicle inspections
    • Smart jobs
  • Grow$349/month
    • All Start features
    • Labor guide
    • Maintenance schedule
  • Scale$439/month
    • All Grow features
    • Two-way texting
    • Real-time shop dashboard
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • Custom pricing
    • Integrated payments
    • Dedicated account manager

Which should you pick?

Choose NADA Guides if

  • You need vehicle valuations.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile Web.
  • You also want retail pricing.

Choose Tekmetric if

  • You need work order management.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, App.
  • You also want vehicle history.

Questions people ask

Is NADA Guides or Tekmetric better?
Neither clearly leads. NADA Guides starts at Free and Tekmetric at $179/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, NADA Guides or Tekmetric?
NADA Guides has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for NADA Guides and $179/month for Tekmetric.
Does NADA Guides or Tekmetric run on more platforms?
NADA Guides runs on Web, Mobile Web. Tekmetric runs on Web, Mobile, App.
Can I use NADA Guides for free?
Yes. NADA Guides has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Tekmetric starts at $179/month.
What is NADA Guides best used for?
NADA Guides is most often used for dealership management, service scheduling, inventory management, sales operations. Of those, dealership management and service scheduling are not what Tekmetric is typically brought in for.
What can NADA Guides do that Tekmetric cannot?
NADA Guides covers Vehicle valuations, Retail pricing, Trade-in values, Market analysis. Tekmetric covers Work order management, Vehicle history, Customer management, Scheduling system. Both handle Mobile application, SSL encryption, Secure authentication.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

NADA Guides: Is NADAguides free to use?

Yes, NADAguides.com offers free vehicle valuation estimates. The service allows users to get a VIN-based assessment at no cost.

Source
Tekmetric: Are there per-user fees?

No, Tekmetric charges per shop, not per user. All plans include unlimited users, unlimited repair orders (ROs), unlimited support, and no hidden fees.

Source
NADA Guides: What types of vehicles does NADA Guides cover?

NADA Guides provides pricing information for used and new cars, classic cars, motorcycles, recreational vehicles (RVs), boats, and manufactured homes.

Source
Tekmetric: Can I pay annually?

Yes, Tekmetric offers both month-to-month and annual subscriptions. Annual billing typically provides savings, and there are no long-term contracts required.

Source
NADA Guides: How often are NADA valuations updated?

NADA valuations are updated monthly or quarterly, which means they may not reflect real-time market conditions or sudden shifts in supply and demand.

Source
Tekmetric: What add-ons are available?

Tekmetric offers Multi-Shop Management ($70/month per shop), Tire Suite ($39/month per shop), Marketing ($345/month per shop), and Integrated Payments (included in Enterprise plan).

Source
NADA Guides: Does NADAguides include private party sales data?

No. NADA algorithms use only dealer selling prices and do not include private sale values, which can result in higher valuations that don't reflect typical private market prices.

Source
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