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Software · head to head

Carfax vs Kelley Blue Book

Carfax logo

Carfax

Software

Vehicle history reports and information

From
$2.99/report
Rated
-
Kelley Blue Book logo

Kelley Blue Book

Software

Industry-leading vehicle valuation and pricing

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Kelley Blue Book has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • They diverge on capability: Carfax covers Vehicle history reports, Kelley Blue Book covers Vehicle valuations.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Carfax and Kelley Blue Book actually diverge.

Attributes where Carfax and Kelley Blue Book differ
AttributeCarfaxKelley Blue Book
Starting price$2.99/reportFree
Free tierNoYes
Founded19841926

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web, Mobile, App), 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 Carfax

  • Vehicle history reports
  • Service records
  • Accident information
  • Ownership history
  • Title information
  • Manufacturer recalls
  • Odometer readings
  • Price analysis

Only in Kelley Blue Book

  • Vehicle valuations
  • Market pricing
  • Trade-in values
  • Market trends
  • Historical data
  • Pricing intelligence
  • Vehicle comparisons
  • Mobile tools

Both cover

  • SSL encryption
  • Secure authentication

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Carfax

  • Dealership Management
  • Service Scheduling
  • Inventory Management
  • Sales Operations
  • Customer Relationship

Kelley Blue Book

  • 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.

Carfax

  • CARFAX's dealer-facing mobile app is restricted to business subscribers and explicitly cannot be used with a consumer CARFAX account

Kelley Blue Book

Nothing recorded yet. See the Kelley Blue Book review.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Kelley Blue Book

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic valuations
    • Market data
    • Pricing tools
  • Professional$99/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Advanced valuations
    • Historical data
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Everything in Professional
    • Bulk pricing
    • Custom integrations

Which should you pick?

Choose Carfax if

  • You need vehicle history reports.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, App.
  • You also want service records.

Choose Kelley Blue Book if

  • You need vehicle valuations.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, App.
  • You also want market pricing.

Questions people ask

Is Carfax or Kelley Blue Book better?
Neither clearly leads. Carfax starts at $2.99/report and Kelley Blue Book at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Carfax or Kelley Blue Book?
Kelley Blue Book has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $2.99/report for Carfax and Free for Kelley Blue Book.
Does Carfax or Kelley Blue Book run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Mobile, App, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Kelley Blue Book for free?
Yes. Kelley Blue Book has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Carfax starts at $2.99/report.
What is Carfax best used for?
Carfax is most often used for dealership management, service scheduling, inventory management, sales operations.
What can Carfax do that Kelley Blue Book cannot?
Carfax covers Vehicle history reports, Service records, Accident information, Ownership history. Kelley Blue Book covers Vehicle valuations, Market pricing, Trade-in values, Market trends. Both handle SSL encryption, Secure authentication.

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