Comparison
TradeBasis vs vAuto
A Canadian-built appraisal and market intelligence platform for used-vehicle dealers — with live provincial comps, transparent comp sets, no setup fees, and no multi-year contracts. Plans from $99 CAD/month. Built by a 20-year auto industry operator who wanted a number you can stand behind, not one that bends to whatever you want it to be.
The short version
vAuto is a category-defining tool and we're not pretending otherwise. It's been refined for two decades and the Cox Automotive ecosystem (Provision, Stockwave, Conquest, iRecon, 20-group reporting) is genuinely powerful for multi-rooftop groups that live inside it. TradeBasis isn't trying to displace that workflow.
What TradeBasis is built for: Canadian franchised and independent dealers who want a defensible appraisal number based on live provincial market data, a transparent comp set you can click through, and pricing that doesn't require a sales call. The Lite tier is $99 CAD/month for the walk-the-lane workflow. The Pro tier is $499 CAD/month for the full desk: custom comp sets, exclusions, recon, MDS, inventory with live re-pricing, and the Workbench KPI dashboard. No setup fees. Cancel anytime.
Feature comparison
| TradeBasis | vAuto Provision | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Canadian franchised + independent dealers | US market; Canadian dealers use a US-weighted data set |
| Market data scope | Live Canadian provincial comps with cascading radius (province → 100mi → national → year-bracket fallback) | Continental data, US-weighted |
| Entry price | $99 CAD/month (Lite, 1 user) | Quote-based; not publicly listed |
| Setup fees | None | Yes; industry-reported setup fees in the multi-thousand range |
| Contract length | Month-to-month, cancel online | Multi-year contracts are standard |
| Sign-up | Online in under two minutes, no sales rep required | Sales call and demo cycle required |
| Comp set transparency | Every comparable vehicle is clickable with source listing visible | Comp set abstracted behind adjustable knobs |
| Mileage adjustment | Logarithmic — a 200k-km unit isn't penalized the same per-km as a 60k-km unit | Linear per-km adjustments |
| Condition slider | One slider, capped 85–98% of market — intentionally can't be massaged into a fairy tale | Multiple adjustment knobs; a determined user can land on a wide range of numbers for the same car |
| Velocity / Days-on-Market penalty | Automatic four-band: hot (≤30d) 0%, normal (31–60d) 2%, slow (61–90d) 5%, frozen (90+d) 10% | Days Supply metric (MDS); penalty logic varies by configuration |
| Trim matching | VIN-aware with synonym dictionary and Tesla / BMW / Porsche variant normalization | Trim handling varies by integration |
| Customer trade walk-down sheet | Included in Pro | Available |
| Inventory + live re-pricing | Included in Pro | Available |
| 20-group reporting | Not available | Yes — major reason groups stay |
| Parent company | Basis Software Inc. — Canadian, independent | Cox Automotive |
| Headquarters | Vancouver, British Columbia | Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois |
Where TradeBasis is materially different
Canadian provincial market data, not a US data set with Canadian listings sprinkled in
vAuto's underlying market data is dominated by US transactions. For a Vancouver dealer appraising a 2021 RAV4 Hybrid, the right comp set is BC and Alberta dealer listings — not a Texas-weighted average. TradeBasis runs cascading radius searches that start provincial and only widen when the local comp set is thin, with a documented fallback ladder you can audit.
A comp set you can click through, not a black box
Every comparable listing TradeBasis pulls into your number is visible. You can see the source listing, kick the $30k declared-accident car out of the set, and watch the appraisal recalculate. The full Pro worksheet shows every line item — mileage adjustment, velocity penalty, recon, target gross — as a labeled, editable input. Nothing happens behind the curtain.
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. The constraint is a feature.
Pricing you can read on the homepage
$99 CAD/month for Lite. $499 CAD/month for Pro. No setup fee. No annual commitment. Sign up online without a sales call. If it's not for you, cancel.
Who TradeBasis is for
- Canadian independent and franchised dealers who want a defensible appraisal number grounded in provincial market data
- Stores that want a second data set alongside their existing tools — TradeBasis pulls comprehensive Canadian dealer listings, not just one syndicated feed
- Operators frustrated with month-long sales cycles, multi-thousand setup fees, and multi-year contracts
- Dealers who want the manager and the appraiser working off the same numbers, with the comp set fully visible to both
Who shouldn't switch
- Stores already locked into vAuto for 20-group reporting — that's a real workflow and TradeBasis doesn't replicate it
- Groups that live inside the broader Cox Automotive stack (Stockwave, Conquest, iRecon, Dealertrack DMS) and need that ecosystem's integrations
- US-only operations — TradeBasis is Canada-only for now, with the US market on the roadmap
If you're in either of the first two categories, TradeBasis can still live alongside vAuto as a second data set — many operators run both for exactly that reason.
Frequently asked questions
What's the best Canadian alternative to vAuto?
For Canadian dealers, the practical alternatives include TradeBasis (Canadian-built, $99–$499 CAD/month, no setup fees), Carbly (US-built mobile appraisal tool, used by some Canadian operators), and Vinly (Canadian-built, AI-positioned). vAuto itself remains the standard for multi-rooftop groups using Cox Automotive's 20-group reporting. The right alternative depends on whether you need 20-group reporting (stay on vAuto), a Canadian-grounded data set with transparent comp sets (TradeBasis), or a US-style mobile workflow (Carbly).
How much does vAuto cost in Canada?
vAuto Provision pricing is not publicly listed and is quoted per dealership based on rooftop count, modules, and contract length. Industry-reported setup fees are in the multi-thousand-dollar range, and multi-year contracts are standard. TradeBasis publishes pricing on its homepage: $99 CAD/month for Lite, $499 CAD/month for Pro, no setup fees, month-to-month.
Can I switch from vAuto to TradeBasis without paying a setup fee?
Yes. TradeBasis has no setup fees, no implementation charges, and no annual contract. You sign up online, complete a short onboarding tour, and start appraising. If you're mid-term on a vAuto contract, running both tools in parallel until your renewal date is the common path — TradeBasis is cheap enough that this is a realistic option.
Does TradeBasis use Canadian market data?
Yes. TradeBasis runs cascading radius searches that start with provincial comparables and only widen when the local comp set is thin. The data set is comprehensive Canadian dealer listings, not a US-weighted average with Canadian inventory mixed in. The minimum comp set threshold is 8 vehicles, with a flagged fallback to 5.
What's the difference between TradeBasis Lite and Pro?
Lite ($99 CAD/month, 1 user) is the walk-the-lane workflow: VIN + km in, defensible number out, with one condition slider capped 85–98% of market. Pro ($499 CAD/month, up to 10 users) adds the full appraisal worksheet, custom comp sets, individual listing exclusions, recon adjustments, market days supply, the customer trade walk-down sheet, inventory management with live re-pricing, the Workbench KPI dashboard, Vehicle Locator, and appraisal history.
How is TradeBasis different from Carbly?
Carbly is a US-built mobile appraisal tool that some Canadian dealers have adopted. TradeBasis is Canadian-built with a Canadian-first market data set, transparent comp sets that are clickable down to the source listing, and a desk-tool tier (Pro) with full inventory and KPI workflows. Carbly's strength is the mobile-first auction-lane workflow; TradeBasis's strength is provincial data grounding and the depth of the desk tool.
Is TradeBasis owned by Cox Automotive or any of the major dealer software groups?
No. TradeBasis is built by Basis Software Inc., a Canadian independent company based in Vancouver. It is not owned by, affiliated with, or a reseller for Cox Automotive, CDK, Reynolds, or any other dealer software group.
Do I need to sign a contract?
No. TradeBasis is month-to-month. Cancel online any time. There is no annual commitment, no early-termination fee, and no setup fee.
Try TradeBasis on a real appraisal
Pull a VIN you ran through vAuto this week. Compare the number, compare the comp set, compare the time it took. No contracts. Cancel anytime.
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