Comparison
TradeBasis vs Carbly
A Canadian appraisal platform built on live Canadian dealer listings and provincial market data — not US guide books with Canadian inventory layered on top. Flat $99 CAD/month entry. No per-data-source pricing. No US dollar billing. Built by a 20-year auto operator who wanted Canadian comparables for Canadian cars.
The short version
Carbly is a well-built mobile appraisal tool with a deserved reputation for great support and a powerful US auction-lane workflow. It aggregates multiple US guide books (J.D. Power, KBB, Black Book, Manheim Market Report) and integrates with 300-plus US dealer auctions. For a US auction buyer, Carbly is a serious tool. We're not pretending otherwise.
What TradeBasis is built for: Canadian franchised and independent dealers who appraise off live Canadian dealer listings, not US transaction averages translated through an FX rate. Live provincial comps with cascading radius. One CAD-denominated price with all data included — no incremental data-source charges. Transparent comp sets where every comparable is clickable and excludable. Built by a 20-year Canadian auto operator for the Canadian lot, the Canadian desk, and the Canadian customer in the showroom.
Feature comparison
| TradeBasis | Carbly | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Canadian franchised + independent dealers | US dealers; some Canadian adoption |
| Parent company | Basis Software Inc. — Canadian, independent, Vancouver BC | Ambient Automotive, Inc. — United States |
| Data foundation | Live Canadian dealer listings as the primary comp set | Aggregated US guide books (J.D. Power, KBB, Black Book) + Real Retail US transaction data |
| Geographic coverage | Canada-first with provincial cascading radius (province → 100mi → national → year-bracket) | US-first; Canadian dealers receive data weighted toward US market |
| Billing currency | Canadian dollars (CAD) | US dollars (USD) |
| Entry price | $99 CAD/month (Lite, 1 user, all data included) | $55 USD/month base; scales with each data source added |
| Pricing model | Flat — all data sources included at every tier | Per-data-source — pay incrementally to add books |
| Comp set transparency | Every comparable listing is clickable to the source; individual outliers can be excluded | Aggregated guide-book ranges (SpeedView); individual transaction comps in Real Retail (US) |
| Mileage adjustment | Logarithmic — a 200k-km unit isn't penalized the same per-km as a 60k-km unit | Mileage-adjusted recommended pricing (proprietary, US-data-trained) |
| Velocity / Days-on-Market penalty | Automatic four-band: 0% / 2% / 5% / 10% | Market Days Supply displayed; no automatic penalty applied to the appraisal |
| VIN scanner (camera) | Not available — manual VIN entry with three-layer decode (vPIC, NHTSA, MarketCheck) | Native iOS / Android camera scanner; reads barcodes and printed text |
| Browser extension | Not available | Available — finds VINs on web pages and overlays Carbly data |
| Auction integration | Not available | 300+ US auctions including Manheim, ADESA, EDGE Pipeline, SmartAuction, EBlock |
| Inventory management | Included in Pro — full re-pricing, gross/DOM tracking, photo storage | Lot Sense — turn optimizer, regional performance, DMS feed sync |
| Workbench KPI dashboard | Included in Pro | Performance analytics included |
| Team / multi-user | Up to 10 users on Pro | Free for any team size |
| Platform | Responsive web — runs on any device, no app store install | Native iOS, Android, and desktop sync |
| Contract | Month-to-month, cancel online | Month-to-month, no contract |
Where TradeBasis is materially different
Canadian dealer listings as the primary comp set, not US guide books
Carbly's foundation is excellent at what it does: aggregate multiple US guide books (J.D. Power, KBB, Black Book) and present a recommended range. That paradigm works when the underlying transaction data matches your market. For a Canadian dealer appraising a 2021 RAV4 Hybrid in Surrey, the right comp set is BC and Alberta dealer listings asking real Canadian prices — not a US-weighted average translated through an FX rate. TradeBasis pulls comprehensive Canadian dealer listings directly. The comp set is the comparable vehicles for sale right now in your market.
Flat CAD pricing instead of per-data-source USD billing
Carbly's pricing model adds incrementally: $55 USD base, then more for Black Book, more for J.D. Power, more for KBB, more for Real Retail. Each book is a separate add-on. For a Canadian dealer wanting full data coverage, the monthly USD bill can climb past TradeBasis Pro pricing — and it's denominated in a currency you don't take in at the desk. TradeBasis is one flat number in CAD: $99/month for Lite, $499/month for Pro. All data included. No incremental upcharges.
Click-through, excludable comp sets — not aggregated ranges
Carbly's SpeedView and Appraisal Assistant aggregate multiple book values into a range. That's a sensible design choice when working with multiple data partners. TradeBasis takes the opposite approach: show every comparable dealer listing as a clickable row, let the appraiser see the source, and let them exclude individual outliers (kick the $30k declared-accident car) and watch the appraisal recalculate. Both paradigms work; the TradeBasis paradigm is closer to how dealers actually defend a number to a customer at the desk.
A condition slider that can't be tortured into giving the answer you want
One condition slider, capped between 85% and 98% of market. The cap is intentional. A used-car appraisal that can be massaged to whatever the buyer wants it to be is a liability, not a tool. Carbly's range-based aggregation is a fundamentally different approach to the same problem. TradeBasis chose the constraint deliberately because a number you can stand behind in front of a customer is more useful than a number you can land on by adjusting enough knobs.
Who TradeBasis is for
- Canadian dealers whose primary sourcing is customer trades, walk-ins, and front-line acquisitions — not US wholesale auction
- Operators tired of paying USD for a tool used in a CAD market
- Dealers who want one flat price with all data included, not per-data-source charges that scale month over month
- Lot operators who want a desk tool with inventory management, KPI dashboard, and live re-pricing alongside the appraisal
- Anyone who wants the appraiser and the manager looking at the same clickable comp set, with outliers visibly excludable
Who shouldn't switch
- Dealers whose primary sourcing is US wholesale auction — Carbly's Manheim, ADESA, and EDGE Pipeline integrations are core to that workflow
- Operators who rely on a native camera VIN scanner at auction or on the lot — Carbly's scanner is purpose-built for that workflow
- Dealers who already pay for and value the multi-book aggregation paradigm (NADA/J.D. Power + KBB + Black Book + Real Retail) and want one tool that combines them
- US-only operations — TradeBasis is Canada-only for now
For dealers in the middle — Canadian operators who do some auction work but also want better Canadian comps for trades — TradeBasis can run alongside Carbly as a second data set. Many Canadian operators do exactly that.
Frequently asked questions
Does Carbly work in Canada?
Carbly is available to Canadian dealers, and some Canadian operators do use it. The practical question is whether Carbly's underlying data foundation fits the Canadian market. Carbly's core data partnerships are US-anchored: Manheim Market Report (US auctions), J.D. Power Values (formerly NADA), Kelley Blue Book, Real Retail (US transaction data from approximately 50% of US dealers), and EDGE Pipeline. For pricing a Canadian vehicle against Canadian comparables, that data set is one step removed. TradeBasis is built on live Canadian dealer listings as the primary comp set, with provincial-first cascading radius searches.
How much does Carbly cost compared to TradeBasis?
Carbly's entry pricing starts at $55 USD/month (roughly $75 CAD at current exchange rates), billed in US dollars. Carbly uses a per-data-source pricing model: you pay incrementally to add Black Book, J.D. Power, KBB, Real Retail, and other data partners. TradeBasis is flat-priced in Canadian dollars: $99 CAD/month for Lite, $499 CAD/month for Pro, with all data included. For a Canadian dealer adding multiple Carbly data sources, total monthly cost can exceed TradeBasis Pro.
Is TradeBasis a mobile app like Carbly?
TradeBasis is a responsive web application. It runs on mobile browsers, tablet browsers, and desktop browsers without an app store install. Carbly is a native mobile app (iOS and Android) with a desktop sync. If your primary workflow is auction-lane VIN scanning with a phone camera, Carbly's native scanner is purpose-built for that. If your workflow is on the lot or at the desk, the responsive web approach removes the install step and runs on any device.
Does TradeBasis have a VIN scanner?
TradeBasis decodes VINs from manual entry through a three-layer pipeline: local vPIC PostgreSQL, NHTSA live API, and MarketCheck fallback. There is no camera-based VIN scanner in the current product. Carbly's strength is its native camera VIN scanner that reads both barcodes and printed text. For dealers whose primary workflow is auction-lane VIN capture, that camera feature is a real Carbly advantage.
What's the difference between Carbly's Live Local Market and TradeBasis's comp set?
Carbly's Live Local Market shows similar nearby vehicles for sale with average prices and days on lot, aggregated for display. Carbly's appraisal numbers come from aggregating multiple guide book values (NADA/J.D. Power, KBB, Black Book) into a Wholesale and Retail SpeedView range. TradeBasis pulls comprehensive Canadian dealer listings directly as the comp set, displays each comparable vehicle as a clickable row, and lets the dealer exclude individual listings (kick the $30k declared-accident outlier) and recalculate. Different paradigms: aggregated book values versus live dealer listings as the primary input.
Does Carbly have auction integration that TradeBasis doesn't?
Yes. Carbly integrates with Manheim, ADESA, SmartAuction, EBlock, EDGE Pipeline, and over 300 dealer auctions and digital marketplaces, with auction run list data, advanced search, and watchlists. TradeBasis does not currently integrate with auction platforms. For dealers whose primary sourcing channel is wholesale auction, this is a genuine Carbly advantage. For dealers whose primary sourcing is customer trades and walk-in appraisals, the auction integration is not the deciding factor.
Can I use both TradeBasis and Carbly?
Yes. Many dealers run multiple appraisal tools as a second data set check. TradeBasis is month-to-month with no contract, so adding it alongside an existing Carbly subscription is a common path. The natural split: Carbly for auction-lane workflow and US guide-book aggregation, TradeBasis for the desk and lot workflow with Canadian dealer-listing comps. If one tool's number consistently disagrees with the other on Canadian inventory, that disagreement itself is information.
Is TradeBasis available in the United States?
Not yet. TradeBasis is Canada-only as of 2026, with the US market on the roadmap. US dealers should evaluate Carbly, vAuto, Laser Appraiser, or other US-built tools. TradeBasis is designed for the Canadian market specifically — Canadian provincial data, CAD billing, Canadian dealer listings as the comp source.
Run a real appraisal against your last Carbly number
Pull a recent VIN you ran through Carbly. Run it through TradeBasis. Compare the number, the comp set, and the currency at the bottom of the screen. The disagreement (or the agreement) is the data point.
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