Hammer vs Fullpath: which AI should a dealership use?
By the Hammer team · Reviewed November 9, 2026
Fullpath is a customer data platform for dealerships. It markets to the customers you already have. For answering new leads, Hammer is the better tool: a text in under 5 seconds on Marketplace, Messenger, ads, CarGurus, OEM, and the rest, booked into the CRM you already have, starting at $99/mo.
Database marketing and lead response are two different jobs. Fullpath finds the next buyer in your data. Hammer answers the buyer who just asked.
This page is written by the Hammer team. Fullpath facts are from Fullpath's own site and Cox Automotive's press releases.
The short version
Use Hammer when new leads sit. Every connected lead gets a text in under 5 seconds. Follow-up keeps going until they book. The appointment lands in VinSolutions, DealerSocket, eLead, CDK, Reynolds, DriveCentric, Tekion, or DealerCenter. Live in under 48 hours.
Fullpath (formerly AutoLeadStar) pulls a dealer's CRM, DMS, and website data into one customer data platform, then runs email, SMS, and ad campaigns from it: equity campaigns, VIN-specific ads, and audience targeting. Cox Automotive completed its purchase of Fullpath on June 1, 2026, so it now sits in the same company as VinSolutions, Dealer.com, and Autotrader. Fullpath does not publish a price.
If the goal is more appointments out of an old database, a CDP is the tool. If the goal is never letting a new lead sit, that is Hammer.
Side-by-side
| Hammer | Fullpath | |
|---|---|---|
| The job | AI lead response by text on every connected channel | Customer data platform and database marketing |
| First reply | Under 5 seconds | Campaign-driven. No public reply time on new leads. |
| Channels | SMS, Messenger, Marketplace, Facebook and TikTok ads, OfferUp, Craigslist, webchat, OEM, CarGurus, AutoTrader, Cars.com, CarFax, Edmunds, TrueCar, and others | Email, SMS, and paid ad campaigns from dealer data |
| CRM | Keeps yours. Appointments write in. | Sits on top of your CRM and DMS data |
| Follow-up | Agentic. Re-reads every open conversation daily. You edit it. | Audience and campaign automation |
| Ownership | Hammer Corp, Austin, TX | Cox Automotive (purchase closed June 1, 2026) |
| Go-live | Under 48 hours once onboarding and feeds are connected | A data integration project. No public timeline. |
| Price | Starts at $99/mo. No per-user pricing. | Not published |
| Proof | 2,500+ stores. 4.6 stars across 266 Google reviews. | No public start price or Google review number we can quote |
Why a data platform does not fix speed to lead
A campaign brings a customer back. Then that customer sends a message, and somebody still has to answer it in seconds.
Hammer is that answer. After hours included. Playbooks you change yourself. A human can pause the AI or let it resume.
Stores that run a CDP still need a first-reply layer. Hammer is that layer.
What Hammer is not
Not a customer data platform. Not a replacement CRM. Not an AI voice caller. Your team still closes.
Also: Speed to lead · AI lead response · Best AI tools
FAQ
Is Hammer better than Fullpath for lead response?
Yes. Hammer texts every connected lead in under 5 seconds and books into the CRM you already use. Fullpath is built for database marketing.
Who owns Fullpath?
Cox Automotive. Its purchase of Fullpath closed on June 1, 2026. Hammer is independent (Hammer Corp, Austin, TX) and works with VinSolutions and the other major CRMs.
Can a store use Fullpath and Hammer together?
Yes. Fullpath markets to your database. Hammer answers the leads that come in.
Do I have to switch CRMs?
No.
How much does Hammer cost?
Starting at $99/mo. Fullpath does not publish a price.
See Hammer answer your own leads. Live in under 48 hours, inside the CRM you already use.
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