MDMS vs Auto-IT EQUIP — The Cloud-Native Alternative for Independent Dealers
Auto-IT is one of the largest dealer management software companies in Australasia, with more than 40 years in market, and its EQUIP DMS is the incumbent at many large multi-franchise agricultural, truck and construction equipment dealer groups. If you're weighing EQUIP against a modern cloud platform, here's an honest look at where each one fits.
Two platforms built for two different dealers
Auto-IT EQUIP and MDMS are not aimed at the same dealership. EQUIP is enterprise software: it targets large, multi-franchise agriculture, truck and construction equipment dealer groups, is sold through a sales-led process, and is delivered with vendor-run training and implementation. Auto-IT describes EQUIP as running on the Windows Server platform, deployed on infrastructure you choose — a physical, virtual or cloud server. MDMS is a cloud-native platform for independent and multi-brand equipment dealers — you sign in from a browser on any device, and there is no server to run and no implementation project to schedule.
Who should choose Auto-IT EQUIP
Large multi-franchise dealer groups whose OEMs require — or fund — a factory-integrated DMS are squarely in EQUIP's territory. Auto-IT's OEM and factory integration depth is real and long-established: the company maintains a dedicated OEM Engagement Manager, and John Deere's dealer-systems subsidiary JDIS selected EQUIP as its recommended dealer software. Since 2024, Auto-IT has been part of Constellation Software's Perseus Group.
If factory-integrated ordering and OEM-mandated systems drive your dealer group's operations, EQUIP is built for that world — and MDMS does not offer OEM factory EDI integrations. In MDMS, OEM parts and price data arrive through bulk price-file imports, and warranty claims run through MDMS's own recovery workflow rather than electronic factory submission.
Who should choose MDMS
Independent and multi-brand equipment dealers who want a modern system without an enterprise procurement cycle are who MDMS is built for. It's cloud-native with nothing to install, the field-service app keeps working offline on remote sites, pricing is published on the website, and you can start a self-serve 14-day free trial today. You get the dealership essentials — CPQ quoting, build orders and commissioning, workshop and field service, parts, rental, warranty recovery and finance — without a scoped implementation project.
Getting started: sales-led rollout vs self-serve trial
Auto-IT does not publish pricing and does not offer a self-serve trial — evaluation runs through their sales team, with training and implementation delivered by Auto-IT. That's a reasonable model for enterprise rollouts across a dealer group; it's also a long runway if you're a one- or two-branch dealer. MDMS publishes its per-module pricing, the trial is self-serve, and the guided setup wizard gets a dealership operating without vendor involvement.
Run MDMS alongside EQUIP first
Replacing an incumbent DMS is a big call, and you don't have to make it in one step. Because MDMS is modular, dealers can start with a single wedge — run CPQ quoting for one sales team, or put the workshop's service board and field app in first — alongside EQUIP, and judge the difference on real work before moving anything else.
Planning a switch from Auto-IT EQUIP?
You don’t have to move everything at once. Many dealers start with a single MDMS module running alongside their current system, then migrate the rest when the team is ready. Our import tools cover customers, parts, equipment, suppliers and open balances.
See how migration to MDMS worksMDMS vs Auto-IT EQUIP — frequently asked questions
- Is Auto-IT EQUIP cloud-based?
- Auto-IT describes EQUIP as running on the Windows Server platform, with deployment on a physical, virtual or cloud server. That is a different architecture from a browser-native SaaS like MDMS, where there is no server of yours at all — nothing to install, host or patch. Verify Auto-IT's current deployment options directly with the vendor.
- Who is Auto-IT EQUIP best suited to?
- Large multi-franchise agricultural, truck and construction equipment dealer groups — particularly where an OEM requires or funds a factory-integrated DMS. Auto-IT's OEM integration depth, including John Deere's dealer-systems subsidiary JDIS selecting EQUIP as its recommended dealer software, is the product's stated strength.
- Does MDMS offer OEM factory integrations like EQUIP?
- No. MDMS does not offer OEM factory EDI integrations. Dealers load OEM parts and price files through bulk imports, and warranty claims are managed in MDMS's own warranty recovery workflow rather than submitted electronically to the factory. If factory EDI is mandatory for your franchise, an EQUIP-class system is the fit; if not, MDMS covers the dealership lifecycle without the enterprise footprint.
- Can I trial MDMS while still running EQUIP?
- Yes. The 14-day trial is self-serve, and MDMS is modular — many dealers run one module, such as CPQ quoting or the service board, alongside their incumbent DMS first, then migrate customers, parts, equipment and open balances with the built-in import tools when they're ready.
See how MDMS compares across the board
Our compare page covers self-service onboarding, Australian compliance, field service, build orders, warranty, and technology across MDMS and the platforms Australian dealers most often shortlist — including a detailed MDMS vs Auto-IT EQUIP breakdown.
Competitor details are based on each vendor's publicly documented capabilities as of July 2026. Products change — verify current features, pricing and terms directly with the vendor before making a decision.
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