Nekaf vs. Stella Automotive AI for Dealerships

Two dealership voice agents, one question: which one should answer your service line? Stella Automotive AI is a Tampa company backed by Reynolds and Reynolds and nine dealer groups. Nekaf is an Amsterdam company built for garages and dealerships in the Netherlands, Germany and the United States. Here is what each does, from public sources checked in September 2026, and where they differ.

Quick comparison

| | Nekaf | Stella Automotive AI | | --- | --- | --- | | Built for | Independent garages, dealerships, body shops and tire centers | Franchise dealerships | | Markets | Netherlands, Germany, United States | North America | | Integrations | Keyloop, CDK, Reynolds and Reynolds, Dealertrack, Xtime, incadea, garage planners, any open API | Xtime, CDK Global, Reynolds and Reynolds, Dealer-FX, myKaarma, Affinitiv, Tekion, per Stella | | Languages | English, Dutch and German | English, Spanish and Canadian French | | Data residency | EU or US | Not stated on Stella's site | | Pricing | Published, from $299 per month, tied to outcomes, no setup fee | "A low setup fee and a monthly subscription", per Stella's FAQ | | Time to live | 48 hours, standalone from day one | Not stated on Stella's site |

Overview of Stella Automotive AI

Stella Automotive AI was founded in 2022 in collaboration with dealers and industry investors, according to its site, and is based in Tampa, Florida. In May 2024 it closed a $19.7 million Series A with Reynolds and Reynolds as strategic partner and nine dealer groups as investors. Stella sells four products. STELLA Reception answers inbound calls simultaneously on the first ring, around the clock. STELLA Service books service appointments into the dealership's scheduler. STELLA Catalyst runs outbound campaigns such as recalls, equity calls and lead follow-up. STELLA Insights reports performance. Stella is an approved FordDirect vendor, and one Ford dealer group quoted on its site reports converting 56 percent of booking opportunities into confirmed appointments, 70 percent at its best store.

Overview of Nekaf

Nekaf answers every call for garages, dealerships, body shops and tire centers, books into the dealer system or workshop planner with the right job and duration, tells callers when their car is ready and routes breakdowns by the rules the service manager approved. It is trained on more than 10,000 automotive terms, part names and job types, and speaks English, Dutch and German. Each agent runs a week in shadow mode on real calls and is scored by the Reviewer before it goes live. Pricing starts at $299 per month, covers the console, unlimited users, setup and support, and follows the outcomes agreed up front. Data is stored in the EU or the US. Most workshops are live within 48 hours on their existing number.

Where they overlap

Both answer unlimited simultaneous calls, book service appointments from live availability, run outbound reminders and recalls, report in a dashboard and integrate with Xtime, CDK and Reynolds and Reynolds.

Where they differ

• Geography and language. Stella serves North American dealers in English, Spanish and Canadian French. Nekaf serves the Netherlands, Germany and the United States in English, Dutch and German, with EU data residency for European dealers.
• Scope. Stella is a dealership product. Nekaf also runs the phones of independent garages, body shops and tire centers, which matters for groups that own both.
• Pricing. Stella charges a setup fee and a monthly subscription, quoted on request. Nekaf publishes its starting price, charges no setup fee and ties the fee to results.
• Oversight. Nekaf's shadow mode shows a week of real calls before the agent acts, and the Reviewer scores sampled calls on accuracy, tone and your rules. Stella reports through STELLA Insights.
• Depth in the workshop. Nekaf's library adds car-ready status, quote follow-up, intake and check-in, post-repair follow-up and claim and estimate review as separate agents.

Who should choose Stella

• Franchise dealers in the United States or Canada, in particular Ford stores working through FordDirect
• Groups on Xtime, Dealer-FX, myKaarma or Affinitiv that want a vendor already connected
• Dealers with Spanish-speaking or French-speaking customers

Who should choose Nekaf

• Dealerships in the Netherlands or Germany, or groups with stores on both sides of the Atlantic
• Groups that run both franchised stores and all-makes workshops
• Service managers who want published, outcome-based pricing with no setup fee

Verdict

Stella is a credible dealership voice agent for North America with strong scheduler integrations and dealer investors behind it. Nekaf is the better fit for European dealers, for groups that mix dealerships with independent workshops, and for managers who want to pay for booked jobs rather than a subscription. Test both on your own recordings. The one that books the right job with the right duration, in your customers' language, is the one to keep.

Frequently asked questions

Does Stella work in Europe?

Stella's public materials describe North American dealerships and list English, Spanish and Canadian French. Nekaf speaks Dutch and German and stores European data in the EU.

Can Nekaf book into Xtime like Stella does?

Yes. Nekaf writes bookings to Xtime, CDK, Reynolds and Reynolds, Keyloop, Dealertrack and incadea, and reads each booking back before confirming it to the customer.