Software · head to head
Black Book vs Carfax
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Black Book luxury sedans show larger spreads between Black Book and consumer valuations when market demand is weak; Carfax cARFAX's dealer-facing mobile app is restricted to business subscribers and explicitly cannot be used with a consumer CARFAX account
- They diverge on capability: Black Book covers Real-time pricing, Carfax covers Vehicle history reports.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Black Book and Carfax actually diverge.
| Attribute | Black Book | Carfax |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $199/month | $2.99/report |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web, Mobile, App |
| Founded | 1955 | 1984 |
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Black Book
- Real-time pricing
- Wholesale valuations
- Market trends
- Pricing reports
- Dealer insights
- Auction data
- Vehicle history
- Price alerts
Only in Carfax
- Vehicle history reports
- Service records
- Accident information
- Ownership history
- Title information
- Manufacturer recalls
- Odometer readings
- Price analysis
Both cover
- CRM systems
- SSL encryption
- Secure authentication
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Black Book
- Dealership Management
- Service Scheduling
- Inventory Management
- Sales Operations
- Customer Relationship
Carfax
- Dealership Management
- Service Scheduling
- Inventory Management
- Sales Operations
- Customer Relationship
Both are used for dealership management, service scheduling, inventory management, sales operations, customer relationship, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Black Book
- Luxury sedans show larger spreads between Black Book and consumer valuations when market demand is weak
- Electric vehicle valuations are highly volatile due to rapidly changing battery technology and market demand
Carfax
- CARFAX's dealer-facing mobile app is restricted to business subscribers and explicitly cannot be used with a consumer CARFAX account
Pricing, plan by plan
Black Book
$199/month- Basic$199/month
- Wholesale pricing
- Basic reports
- Single user
- Professional$399/month
- Everything in Basic
- Advanced reports
- Multiple users
- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Everything in Professional
- API access
- Custom feeds
Carfax
$2.99/report- Single Report$2.99/report
- One vehicle history report
- Service records
- Accident history
- Unlimited Reports$34.99/month
- Unlimited reports
- Service history
- Accident information
- Dealer Package$299/month
- Unlimited reports
- Dealer branding
- Customer tools
Which should you pick?
Choose Black Book if
- You need real-time pricing.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want wholesale valuations.
Choose Carfax if
- You need vehicle history reports.
- You work on Web, Mobile, App.
- You also want service records.
Questions people ask
- Is Black Book or Carfax better?
- Neither clearly leads. Black Book starts at $199/month and Carfax at $2.99/report, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Black Book or Carfax?
- Black Book starts at $199/month and Carfax at $2.99/report.
- Does Black Book or Carfax run on more platforms?
- Black Book runs on Web, iOS, Android. Carfax runs on Web, Mobile, App.
- What is Black Book best used for?
- Black Book is most often used for dealership management, service scheduling, inventory management, sales operations.
- What can Black Book do that Carfax cannot?
- Black Book covers Real-time pricing, Wholesale valuations, Market trends, Pricing reports. Carfax covers Vehicle history reports, Service records, Accident information, Ownership history. Both handle CRM systems, SSL encryption, Secure authentication.