Automotive · head to head
CarNow vs Cars.com
The short version
- Each has a real cost: CarNow pricing is not published on the site; the vendor requires contacting sales by phone or email for a quote; Cars.com cars.com charges shoppers nothing; it is a free listings site monetised via dealer advertising, per the 31 Dec 2020 archive capture
- They diverge on capability: CarNow covers Lease processing, Cars.com covers Vehicle listing.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which CarNow and Cars.com actually diverge.
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Automotive).
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 CarNow
- Lease processing
- Document automation
- Compliance management
- Lease tracking
- Customer portal
- Warranty integration
- Fleet management
- DMS systems
Only in Cars.com
- Vehicle listing
- Marketplace access
- Lead generation
- Dealer profile
- Performance tracking
- Mobile responsive
- Photo and video gallery
- Consumer research tools
Both cover
- Payment processing
- CRM systems
- SSL encryption
- Secure authentication
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
CarNow
- Auto dealerships managing digital retailing, leasing compliance, and online-to-in-store customer handoffnot Cars.com
Cars.com
- Dealership Managementnot CarNow
- Service Schedulingnot CarNow
- Inventory Managementnot CarNow
- Sales Operationsnot CarNow
- Customer Relationshipnot CarNow
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
CarNow
- Pricing is not published on the site; the vendor requires contacting sales by phone or email for a quote
Cars.com
- Cars.com charges shoppers nothing; it is a free listings site monetised via dealer advertising, per the 31 Dec 2020 archive capture
Pricing, plan by plan
CarNow
$800/month- Starter$800/month
- Lease processing
- Document automation
- Basic compliance
- Professional$1800/month
- Everything in Starter
- Advanced compliance
- Multi-location support
- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Everything in Professional
- Custom integrations
- Advanced reporting
Cars.com
$299/month- Basic$299/month
- Vehicle listings
- Marketplace visibility
- Basic lead management
- Standard$699/month
- Everything in Basic
- Advanced lead tools
- CRM integration
- Premium$1199/month
- Everything in Standard
- Priority placement
- Marketing support
Which should you pick?
Choose CarNow if
- You need lease processing.
- You work on Web, Mobile, Api.
- You also want document automation.
Choose Cars.com if
- You need vehicle listing.
- You work on Web, Mobile, App.
- You also want marketplace access.
Questions people ask
- Is CarNow or Cars.com better?
- Neither clearly leads. CarNow starts at $800/month and Cars.com at $299/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, CarNow or Cars.com?
- CarNow starts at $800/month and Cars.com at $299/month.
- Does CarNow or Cars.com run on more platforms?
- CarNow runs on Web, Mobile, Api. Cars.com runs on Web, Mobile, App.
- What is CarNow best used for?
- CarNow is most often used for auto dealerships managing digital retailing, leasing compliance, and online-to-in-store customer handoff. Of those, auto dealerships managing digital retailing, leasing compliance, and online-to-in-store customer handoff is not what Cars.com is typically brought in for.
- What can CarNow do that Cars.com cannot?
- CarNow covers Lease processing, Document automation, Compliance management, Lease tracking. Cars.com covers Vehicle listing, Marketplace access, Lead generation, Dealer profile. Both handle Payment processing, CRM systems, SSL encryption, Secure authentication.