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Software · head to head

Cars.com vs Carfax

Cars.com logo

Cars.com

Software

Your trusted automotive marketplace

From
$299/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Carfax logo

Carfax

Software

Vehicle history reports and information

From
$2.99/report
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Cars.com cars.com charges shoppers nothing; it is a free listings site monetised via dealer advertising, per the 31 Dec 2020 archive capture; 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: Cars.com covers Vehicle listing, Carfax covers Vehicle history reports.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cars.com and Carfax actually diverge.

Attributes where Cars.com and Carfax differ
AttributeCars.comCarfax
Starting price$299/month$2.99/report
Founded19981984

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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 Cars.com

  • Vehicle listing
  • Marketplace access
  • Dealer profile
  • Performance tracking
  • Mobile responsive
  • Photo and video gallery
  • Consumer research tools
  • Email marketing

Only in Carfax

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

Both cover

  • Lead generation
  • CRM systems
  • DMS platforms
  • Mobile apps
  • SSL encryption
  • Secure authentication
  • Data protection

What people use each for

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

Cars.com

  • 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.

Cars.com

  • Cars.com charges shoppers nothing; it is a free listings site monetised via dealer advertising, per the 31 Dec 2020 archive capture

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

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

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 Cars.com if

  • You need vehicle listing.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, App.
  • You also want marketplace access.
Cars.com review

Choose Carfax if

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

Questions people ask

Is Cars.com or Carfax better?
Neither clearly leads. Cars.com starts at $299/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, Cars.com or Carfax?
Cars.com starts at $299/month and Carfax at $2.99/report.
Does Cars.com or Carfax run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Mobile, App, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Cars.com best used for?
Cars.com is most often used for dealership management, service scheduling, inventory management, sales operations.
What can Cars.com do that Carfax cannot?
Cars.com covers Vehicle listing, Marketplace access, Dealer profile, Performance tracking. Carfax covers Vehicle history reports, Service records, Accident information, Ownership history. Both handle Lead generation, CRM systems, DMS platforms, Mobile apps.
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