Automotive · head to head
Cars.com vs DealerSocket
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; DealerSocket pricing is not published for any of its CRM, inventory, or DMS products; buyers must speak with a sales rep for a quote
- They diverge on capability: Cars.com covers Vehicle listing, DealerSocket covers Customer CRM.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Cars.com and DealerSocket actually diverge.
| Attribute | Cars.com | DealerSocket |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $299/month | On request |
| Pricing model | subscription | quote |
| Platforms | Web, Mobile, App | Web, Ios, Android, Api |
| Founded | 1998 | 2001 |
Identical on both: 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 Cars.com
- Vehicle listing
- Marketplace access
- Lead generation
- Dealer profile
- Performance tracking
- Mobile responsive
- Photo and video gallery
- Consumer research tools
Only in DealerSocket
- Customer CRM
- Lead management
- Inventory management
- Desking tools
- Marketing automation
- Digital retail
- Analytics dashboard
- Mobile app
Both cover
- DMS platforms
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Cars.com
- Dealership Managementnot DealerSocket
- Service Schedulingnot DealerSocket
- Inventory Managementnot DealerSocket
- Sales Operationsnot DealerSocket
- Customer Relationshipnot DealerSocket
DealerSocket
- Auto dealerships managing CRM, inventory pricing, and lead workflows across a suite of dealership productsnot Cars.com
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
DealerSocket
- Pricing is not published for any of its CRM, inventory, or DMS products; buyers must speak with a sales rep for a quote
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$1199/month
- Everything in Standard
- Priority placement
- Marketing support
DealerSocket
On request- CRM$undefined/month
- Lead management
- Sales desking
- Activity tracking
- Inventory+$undefined/month
- Inventory management
- Pricing tools
- Photo management
- Complete Platform$undefined/month
- Full CRM
- Inventory+
- Digital retail
Which should you pick?
Choose Cars.com if
- You need vehicle listing.
- You work on Web, Mobile, App.
- You also want marketplace access.
Choose DealerSocket if
- You need customer crm.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
- You also want lead management.
Questions people ask
- Is Cars.com or DealerSocket better?
- Neither clearly leads. Cars.com starts at $299/month and DealerSocket at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Cars.com or DealerSocket?
- Cars.com starts at $299/month and DealerSocket at On request.
- Does Cars.com or DealerSocket run on more platforms?
- Cars.com runs on Web, Mobile, App. DealerSocket runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
- What is Cars.com best used for?
- Cars.com is most often used for dealership management, service scheduling, inventory management, sales operations. Of those, dealership management and service scheduling are not what DealerSocket is typically brought in for.
- What can Cars.com do that DealerSocket cannot?
- Cars.com covers Vehicle listing, Marketplace access, Lead generation, Dealer profile. DealerSocket covers Customer CRM, Lead management, Inventory management, Desking tools. Both handle DMS platforms.