Comparison

CDK Service Mobile Desktop vs MDL Mobile

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

CDK Service Mobile Desktop

Streamline automotive service operations with a mobile solution for service advisors. Greet customers, scan VINs, create repair orders, and perform vehicle walk-arounds with photos and touch markups directly on an iPad. Enhance customer service and efficiency in dealership service departments.

Highlights
  • Customer greeting and VIN scanning
  • Repair order creation and management
  • Customizable vehicle walk-arounds
  • Photo and touch markup for damage
  • Customer and vehicle history access
  • eSignature for authorization
  • Paperless write-up
Read full description

Current CDK Service clients you’ve been upgraded! We are releasing the next evolution in CDK Service software with CDK Service Mobile Desktop, making it faster and easier than ever to take care of customers on the drive! CDK Service state-of-the-art mobile technology gets Service Advisors out from behind the counter to meet the needs of today's consumers. Service Advisors can greet customers at their vehicle, scan their VIN, and roll the appointment into an RO with a couple of taps on the iPad. No appointment? No problem. Just scan the VIN, enter the customers information and move on. Advanced DMS integration makes creating a new customer faster than ever before. Perform a customized vehicle walk around in the time it takes in most systems to retrieve customer information with our new application. Attach pictures of damage to the Repair Order, perform touch vehicle markup, note concerns, and even upsell services all on the iPad while your customer is still standing next to you. With access to customers and vehicle history, including any previously declined services, Service Advisors are equipped to provide the highest level of customer service. With CDK eSignature enabled when it's time to get authorization, customers simply sign the iPad. Paperless write up keeps you with your customer and their vehicle at all times. Faster, easier, and more profitable than anything ever seen in automotive fixed operations, CDK Service takes Automobile Dealership Service Departments to the next level.

About

MDL Mobile

This app enables retail vehicle dealership staff to manage inventory and service vehicles using RFID, LPR, and Bluetooth technologies. It provides real-time event notifications, vehicle lot mapping, and integration with industry partners to enhance dealership operations and customer service.

Highlights
  • RFID, LPR, and Bluetooth vehicle tracking
  • Assign RFID & Bluetooth tags to vehicles
  • Push notifications for events
  • Graphical mapping of vehicle lots
  • Integration with industry partners
Features
Read full description

The MDL autoMation Mobile app provides retail vehicle dealership staff with access to MDL's core functionality rendered by RFID, LPR and Bluetooth technologies (MDL Bloodhound). MDL mobile apps are designed to be flexible and easy to use. Push notifications of events keep you informed instead of having to call or walk around for status. Additionally this app gives any dealership employee the power to easily assign RFID & Bluetooth tags to service or inventory vehicles, thus increasing the number of tagged vehicles in their customer fleet and improving the overall functionality of their MDL system. This app also provides graphical mapping of vehicle lots for vehicle location and integration with MDL's partners such as AutoAlert, automotiveMastermind, TSD, and KeyPer Systems. --- About MDL autoMation™ (MDL) MDL is the country’s leader in providing total process improvement through Instant Guest Recognition & Messaging using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and License Plate Recognition technologies (LPR) through its Service Drive Concierge™ program. MDL’s Bloodhound™ Bluetooth beacon solution provides both Sales and Service departments with affordable vehicle location management. Dispatch Master effectively manages the movement operation of guest or inventory vehicles from any origin and destination point in a dealership. MDL systems are installed in leading U.S. dealerships enabling a ‘Ritz Carlton’ level of service, increased customer retention, improved CSI / SSI, and sales opportunities. MDL is fully integrated with leading industry partners in CRM, Sales Analytics, Service iPads, TSD Loaner Management, Tire Scan, Customer Loyalty, and Guest Messaging (CIM). ---

Screenshots

MDL Mobile4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: MDL Mobile at 3.0 against CDK Service Mobile Desktop's 2.3. MDL Mobile also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). CDK Service Mobile Desktop's advantage is review sentiment (17% vs 0%) and ratings volume (18 vs 6). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

MDL Mobile holds the better App Store score, 3.0 against 2.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 18 and 6 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 17% of CDK Service Mobile Desktop's written reviews are positive against 0% of MDL Mobile's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
CDK Service Mobile Desktop versus MDL Mobile: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCDK Service Mobile DesktopMDL Mobile
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.3 (18 ratings)3.0 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews16.7% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings18 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB7 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperCDK Global, Inc.MyDealerLot (MDL)

Customer experience

CDK Service Mobile Desktop

All ratings18 ratings
Positive27.8%
Neutral5.6%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive16.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative83.3%

MDL Mobile

All ratings6 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

None

CDK Service Mobile Desktop

No in-app purchases

None

MDL Mobile

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CDK Service Mobile Desktop free?
CDK Service Mobile Desktop is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is MDL Mobile free?
MDL Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, CDK Service Mobile Desktop or MDL Mobile?
MDL Mobile is rated higher. CDK Service Mobile Desktop averages 2.3 out of 5 from 18 ratings, while MDL Mobile averages 3.0 from 6 ratings.
Do CDK Service Mobile Desktop or MDL Mobile have ads?
Neither CDK Service Mobile Desktop nor MDL Mobile shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CDK Service Mobile Desktop or MDL Mobile?
CDK Service Mobile Desktop ships an update every 3 months, and MDL Mobile every 3 months. Most recently, CDK Service Mobile Desktop was updated on November 1, 2026 and MDL Mobile on November 1, 2026.

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