First, the basics
This post compares Shiftly Auto and OpenList, two tools that help car sales reps get their dealership’s vehicles onto Facebook Marketplace. Here’s what each one is, then how they differ day to day, so you can pick the one that fits how you work.
What is a Facebook Marketplace listing tool?
Posting a vehicle to Marketplace by hand means saving its photos, typing in the year, make, model, price, mileage and description, then uploading it all, one vehicle at a time. That’s about 15 minutes per listing. A listing tool brings in your dealership’s vehicles and does that typing for you, so more of your lot gets posted and more of your day goes to buyers.
What is Shiftly Auto?
Shiftly Auto is listing software for dealerships, paired with a marketing team that can also run your Facebook ads. Dealerships sign up through a demo with its sales team, and reps post through its Chrome extension, Shiftly Auto Lister, once onboarding is done.
What is OpenList?
OpenList is a Chrome extension built for car sales reps. It brings in your dealership’s used vehicles from its website and fills in Marketplace’s vehicle form for you, then you check it and press Publish. You can sign up and start a free 7-day trial on your own, with no sales call.
The short answer
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How you get started OpenList: sign up and start posting today, with a free 7-day trial. No sales call. Shiftly Auto: talk to their sales team first. From the first call to your first listing can take 7 to 14 days.
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How simple it is to use OpenList: built for the rep. It fills in the form, and you press Publish. Shiftly Auto: built around a traditional sales and onboarding process, with more steps before and after you sign up.
Side by side
| Feature | OpenList | Shiftly Auto |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | ||
| Start without a sales call | Yes, sign up online | No, book a demo first |
| Time to get started | Same day | 7 to 14 days |
| Free trial | 7 days, no card | None listed |
| Price | $100 a month per rep | Custom quote |
| What you need to connect | Just your dealership’s website | DMS, website or integration required |
| Posting | ||
| Easy to use from day one | Fills in the form, you press Publish | Onboarding needed first |
| Facebook Marketplace | Yes | Yes |
| Sold vehicles and price changes | Both flagged every day | Sold alerts only |
| Teams and extras | ||
| Manager dashboard | Yes | Yes |
| Help running Facebook ads | No | Yes, extra service |
Setup
With OpenList, you can start right now. Sign up, type in your dealership’s website, and your used vehicles show up with photos, price and mileage. There’s nothing to connect and no file to send. You get 7 days free on up to 35 vehicles, with no card.
Shiftly Auto is sold the traditional way. You book a demo or fill in a form, wait for their sales team to follow up with a quote, then connect your DMS or website with their team and go through onboarding. From what reps tell us, that usually takes 7 to 14 days before your first listing goes up. Their website doesn’t mention a free trial, and their refund policy says sales are final.
Posting
OpenList is built for the person doing the posting. Pick a vehicle, choose the photos and click Post to Facebook. It fills in Marketplace’s vehicle form for you in a few seconds. You look it over and press Publish yourself, from your own Facebook account. We never ask for your Facebook password.
Every day, OpenList checks your dealership’s website and tells you which vehicles sold and which prices changed, so your listings stay current.
Shiftly Auto also uses a Chrome extension, Shiftly Auto Lister, which you get set up with during onboarding. It sends an alert when a vehicle sells, but it doesn’t tell you when a price changes, so keeping prices current on Facebook is up to you.
Teams and extras
If you’re a manager, both give you a dashboard to see who’s posting. With OpenList you see each rep’s posts by day and who’s gone quiet, and you invite reps and handle billing in one place.
Shiftly Auto also offers a separate service that runs Facebook ads for your dealership, and it works for RVs, powersports, trailers and more. If you want someone to manage your ads, it’s worth a look.
Which one should you pick?
Pick OpenList if you…
- don’t want to talk to a salesperson or sit through a sales process
- want to start using it today, on your own vehicles
- want to see results in your first week, not after onboarding
Pick Shiftly Auto if you…
- want to talk it through with a salesperson before you buy
- don’t mind a longer setup with their team
- want someone to run your Facebook ads
Common questions
How long does it take to get started?
With OpenList, a few minutes. Sign up, add your dealership’s website and post the same day. With Shiftly Auto, you go through a demo, a quote and onboarding first. Reps tell us that usually takes 7 to 14 days.
What does Shiftly Auto cost per month?
Shiftly Auto doesn’t list its prices. It gives each dealership a custom quote after a demo. OpenList’s prices are on our pricing page, and you can try it free for 7 days before you pay anything.
Does Shiftly Auto have a free trial?
Not that we could find. Their website doesn’t mention one, and their refund policy says sales are final. OpenList has a 7-day free trial with no card needed.
Can I switch from Shiftly Auto to OpenList?
Yes. Your vehicles come from your dealership’s website, so there’s nothing to move over, and the listings you already have on Marketplace stay up. Shiftly takes cancellations by help form or phone, and they take effect at the end of your billing cycle.
Does OpenList work with my DMS?
It doesn’t need to. OpenList reads your dealership’s website and checks it every day.
Is OpenList part of Facebook or Shiftly Auto?
No. OpenList isn’t affiliated with Facebook, Meta or Shiftly Auto.