Glass's Guide Alternative: Motorly vs Glass's Guide Valuations
Glass's Guide is a trade-oriented valuation reference used mainly by dealers, lenders and insurers to estimate what a vehicle should be worth; Motorly is a free consumer valuation priced from current Australian dealer listings that also returns up to three real, competing offers from licensed dealers.
Glass's Guide has been a fixture of the Australian motor trade for decades, and its figures sit behind a lot of the numbers you'll be quoted at a dealership. It is built for the trade, not for the seller — the guide tells a dealer what a car is worth to them. Motorly approaches it from the seller's side: price the specific car against the live market, then let dealers compete for it.
Motorly vs Glass's Guide: side by side
| Factor | Motorly | Glass's Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Who it's built for | The seller | The motor trade, lenders and insurers |
| Access | Open to anyone, free, no account | Primarily a trade subscription product |
| What it produces | A live market range plus up to three real dealer offers | Estimated trade and retail value bands |
| How current it is | Calculated when you request it | Updated on a publication cycle |
| Vehicle-specific adjustment | Kilometres, condition, service history and state | Variant and age based, with trade condition assumptions |
| Trade recognition | Not used as a settlement reference | Widely accepted across the industry |
| Historical depth | Focused on cars currently trading | Long-running coverage of discontinued models |
| Can you sell through it | Yes — accept an offer and a licensed dealer buys the car | No — it is a reference product |
Choose Motorly if
- You're a private seller, not a dealer, and want a number you can act on.
- You want competing offers rather than a single trade band.
- You don't have access to a trade subscription and don't want to pay for one.
Choose Glass's Guide if
- You work in the trade and need a consistent reference across a whole portfolio of vehicles.
- You need an industry-recognised figure for a finance, lease or insurance settlement.
- The vehicle is old or discontinued enough that current listings are thin.
The verdict
Glass's Guide tells you what the trade thinks a car is worth. Motorly tells you what licensed dealers will actually pay for yours — and because Motorly's data shows offers on the same car varying by a median of 13.1%, that difference matters. If you're selling rather than stocktaking, start with the free valuation and real offers, and keep the guide figure as a cross-check.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a Glass's Guide valuation as a private seller?
Glass's Guide is primarily a trade product, so most private sellers encounter its figures indirectly through a dealer or lender rather than looking them up directly.
What's a free alternative to Glass's Guide?
Motorly's valuation is free and open to anyone, takes about 60 seconds, and prices your car against current Australian dealer listings rather than a published trade band.
Why would a dealer's offer differ from a guide figure?
Guide figures are averages across a variant. A dealer prices the car in front of them — its kilometres, condition, service history, colour and how quickly they expect to move it — and how badly they want that stock at that moment.
Is one more accurate than the other?
They answer different questions. A guide estimates a typical value; a dealer offer is a real price someone will pay today. For selling, the offer is the number that decides what you receive.
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