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Levy Fleets vs HQ Rental Software
HQ Rental is the most complete system in its price band for running a rental agency. Levy is built for the rental where nobody hands over a key.
1 user, 1 location; $399/mo for unlimited users and API
Of car-sharing revenue, no per-user or per-location pricing
HQ gates API behind the $399/mo Scale tier
Peak Insurance program turns waivers into a revenue line
HQ for the agency. Levy for the cars that rent themselves.
These products are not mutually exclusive and plenty of operators would be badly served by picking only one. HQ Rental is strong at the things a rental agency does during business hours: quoting, contracts, counter product sales, maintenance scheduling, and the CRM that keeps repeat renters coming back. Levy is strong at the thing an agency cannot do without staff on site: letting a verified renter arrive, verify, unlock, and drive away. Running HQ for the counter fleet and Levy for a self-serve subset is a smaller change than replacing either, and it opens hours you currently turn away.
Levy Fleets
United States
HQ Rental Software
United States
Where per-seat pricing starts to bite
HQ’s Growth plan is $149/month for two users, with additional users at roughly $20 each per month. A rental operation with an owner, two counter staff, and two field agents is five users — about $209/month on Growth, or a jump to the $399/month Scale plan for unlimited users, which is also where API access lives. Levy has no per-seat pricing at all: role-based access for admins, operators, and field teams is included, and the API and webhooks are on every plan. On a small single-user operation HQ is cheaper; as the team grows, the gap narrows considerably.
Detailed Comparison
Pricing & Access
Booking & Agency Workflow
Vehicle Technology
Fleet Scope & Operations
| Category | Levy Fleets | HQ Rental Software |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & Access | ||
| Pricing model | 8% of car-sharing revenue, no platform minimum on the car plan | $129/mo Essentials, $149/mo Growth, $399/mo Scale |
| Per-user pricing | None — role-based access for admins, operators, and field staff included | 1 user on Essentials, 2 on Growth, ~$20/user/mo beyond that |
| Per-location pricing | Multi-location and multi-subaccount included | 1 location on Essentials and Growth; unlimited on Scale |
| API access | Full API and webhooks on every plan | Scale plan only ($399/mo) |
| Cost for a small operation | $3/vehicle/mo — a 10-car fleet is $30/mo | $129/mo flat at the Essentials tier, whatever the fleet size |
| Cost when vehicles are idle | $0 on the revenue-share plan | Full subscription owed regardless |
| Annual discount | Revenue share does not prepay | Roughly 20% off with annual billing |
| Booking & Agency Workflow | ||
| Website booking | Branded booking flow with your rates, terms, and agreement | Reservation plugin embedding into WordPress, Squarespace, or Wix with live availability |
| Customer CRM | Customer records, booking history, and rider profiles | Purpose-built CRM for repeat renters |
| Maintenance and repair cost tracking | Per-vehicle service scheduling, cost tracking, and profitability | Garage module with maintenance schedules and repair cost attribution |
| Counter insurance product sales | Insurance workflow with configurable per-rental options | Peak Insurance Counter Product Program as a margin line |
| Digital contracts | Your own agreement, e-signed per booking and stored with the record | Digital contracts with eSignature |
| Field staff mobile app | Operator app for field teams with vehicle management and task assignment | Mobile app for inspections and curbside returns |
| Vehicle Technology | ||
| Vehicle access and remote unlock | Native access layer with gated guest unlock across configured providers | Telematics integrations (Zubie, Geotab) — reporting rather than commanding |
| Unattended pickup | Bookings complete with nobody on site | Assumes a key handover, curbside or at the counter |
| Access gating | Phone OTP, device binding, host ID gate, trip window, post-trip lock grace | Not applicable — no guest-facing unlock |
| Command audit trail | Every attempt, denial, provider response, and revoke logged against the session | Telematics event data from the integrated provider |
| Automated check-in/check-out data | Odometer and fuel or charge level captured through the access provider, or through the Geotab integration | Automated via Zubie or Geotab integration |
| AI damage detection | Google Gemini AI reviews check-in and check-out photos | Inspection photos captured in the mobile app, reviewed manually |
| Fleet Scope & Operations | ||
| Vehicle types | Cars, scooters, e-bikes, mopeds, golf carts, and LSVs on one dashboard | Cars and light commercial vehicles |
| Managed operations | Managed plans cover rider support, payment operations, disputes, and fraud | Software only — priority support on higher tiers |
| Toll and violation handling | Built-in toll pipeline and violation assignment to the responsible renter | Handled within the rental workflow |
| Condition reports | Structured pre- and post-rental reports with required photos | Inspection workflow through the mobile app |
| Damage review queue | Reports route to subaccount admins and require a recorded outcome | Not a documented dedicated queue |
| Payments | Built-in Stripe at negotiated volume rates (2.6% + $0.20) | Immediate payment capture at booking; processing separate |
| Vehicle procurement | Turnkey help sourcing and procuring vehicles | Software only |
What self-serve pickup adds to an agency that already has software
HQ Rental already handles booking well, so the question is not whether to replace it — it is what unattended pickup adds on top.
Incremental demand assumes 10–15% additional utilization from serving hours the counter cannot. Levy only charges on what it actually books, so on this framing the platform fee scales with the revenue it creates rather than with the fleet you already have.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Levy Fleets | HQ Rental Software |
|---|---|---|
| Booking plugin for WordPress / Squarespace / Wix | ||
| Counter insurance product program | ||
| Dedicated maintenance / repair cost module | ||
| Purpose-built renter CRM | ||
| Flat predictable monthly price | Levy Rental is a flat $3/vehicle/mo | |
| API and webhooks on every plan | Scale tier only | |
| No per-user seat fees | ||
| No per-location fees | Unlimited on Scale only | |
| No cost when vehicles are idle | ||
| Native connected vehicle access (unlock) | ||
| Unattended pickup with gated guest unlock | ||
| Guest phone OTP + device binding before unlock | ||
| Command audit trail with provider responses | ||
| Telematics integration (Zubie / Geotab) | Levy publishes a Geotab integration; HQ adds Zubie — Levy: Geotab yes; Zubie not integrated | |
| AI damage detection | ||
| Damage review queue requiring an outcome | ||
| Mixed fleets (cars + micromobility) | ||
| Managed rider support and dispute handling | ||
| Vehicle procurement assistance | ||
| Digital contracts with eSignature | ||
| Field staff mobile app |
When to Choose Each Platform
Choose Levy Fleets if you...
- You want renters collecting vehicles outside staffed hours, gated by verification and trip window
- You need API access and webhooks without paying for the $399/month tier
- Your team is more than two people and per-seat fees are adding up
- You operate from more than one location and do not want to jump to the top tier for it
- Damage disputes are costing money and you want AI detection plus a photo evidence trail
- You run scooters, bikes, mopeds, or golf carts alongside cars
- Your fleet is seasonal and a fixed monthly subscription is dead weight in the off months
- You want the option of managed rider support, payment operations, and chargeback defence
Choose HQ Rental Software if you...
- You run a staffed rental agency and the counter workflow is the core of the business
- You want booking embedded into an existing WordPress, Squarespace, or Wix site
- Maintenance and repair cost accounting per vehicle is central to how you manage the fleet
- Selling insurance and waivers at the counter is a meaningful revenue line
- You are a one- or two-person operation where $129–149/month flat is simply cheaper
- You already use Zubie and want that specific telematics integration rather than an access layer
Why Operators Choose Levy Over HQ Rental Software
Connected vehicle access is native rather than a telematics integration — unlock, not just tracking
Guest unlock gated by phone OTP, device binding, host ID gate, and trip window with a full command audit
API and webhooks on every plan rather than only on the $399/month Scale tier
No per-user pricing — role-based access for admins, operators, and field staff at no extra seat cost
AI damage detection on check-in and check-out photos plus a damage review queue requiring an outcome
Cars run alongside scooters, e-bikes, mopeds, golf carts, and LSVs on one dashboard
Two to three weeks to add a self-serve channel
Most operators keep HQ Rental and add Levy for a subset of vehicles rather than migrating outright.
Choose the self-serve subset
Pick vehicles that are OEM-connectable and parked somewhere a renter can reach outside counter hours. Newer model years connect through Smartcar with nothing installed.
Configure access and terms
Set the access path per vehicle and verify lock and unlock. Configure rates, mileage rules, deposits, the rental agreement, and ID verification for the self-serve channel.
Publish after-hours availability
Open the hours the counter cannot serve and take the first unattended bookings. Levy syncs external iCal feeds per vehicle and publishes its own, so if HQ can exchange an iCal availability feed the two block each other automatically; otherwise allocate the two fleets separately rather than sharing one pool.
Questions from operators considering the switch
Is Levy a replacement for HQ Rental Software?
HQ integrates with Geotab and Zubie. Is that the same as Levy’s vehicle access?
Which is cheaper?
Does Levy have anything like the Garage maintenance module?
What about selling insurance at the counter?
About HQ Rental Software
HQ Rental Software is widely regarded as the strongest all-round system for independent rental operators — more capable than a booking plugin, less unwieldy than an enterprise platform. It drops a reservation plugin into an existing WordPress, Squarespace, or Wix site that queries live fleet availability and takes payment immediately, then layers on a "Garage" module tracking maintenance schedules and repair costs for per-vehicle profitability, digital contracts with eSignature, a customer CRM, and telematics integrations with Zubie and Geotab. Its Peak Insurance partnership lets operators sell supplemental liability and collision waivers at the counter as a revenue stream. Levy overlaps on booking and diverges on the vehicle: connected access, gated guest unlock, and mixed fleets.
HQ Rental Software Features
- Reservation plugin embedding into WordPress, Squarespace, or Wix with live availability
- Immediate payment capture at booking
- "Garage" module for maintenance schedules, repair costs, and per-vehicle profitability
- Digital rental contracts with eSignature
- Customer CRM for repeat renters
- Telematics integrations with Zubie and Geotab
- Peak Insurance "Counter Product Program" for selling liability and collision waivers
- Mobile app for field staff vehicle inspections and curbside returns
- Rate management with seasonal and length-of-rental pricing
- Multi-location support on the Scale plan
- API access on the Scale plan
HQ Rental Software Pricing
Essentials is $129/month covering 1 user, 1 location, and basic booking plus payments — aimed at startups under roughly 15 cars. Growth is $149/month for 2 users and 1 location, adding a custom website and priority support, aimed at fleets of roughly 15–50 cars. Scale is $399/month with unlimited users and locations, advanced analytics, and API access, aimed at regional chains of 50+ cars. Additional users on the Growth plan cost approximately $20 per user per month. Annual billing offers roughly 20% off. Payment processing is separate.
Ready to Launch Your Fleet?
See why operators of all sizes choose Levy Fleets. Flexible pricing, full feature set on every plan, and US-based support included.