Automotive · head to head
Cars.com vs TrueCar
The short version
- Only TrueCar has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- 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; TrueCar trueCar's consumer car-shopping and pricing tools are free to use; the company is monetized through dealer partnerships rather than a consumer subscription
- They diverge on capability: Cars.com covers Vehicle listing, TrueCar covers Price transparency.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Cars.com and TrueCar actually diverge.
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web, Mobile, App), 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
- Dealer profile
- Performance tracking
- Mobile responsive
- Photo and video gallery
- Consumer research tools
- Lead scoring
Only in TrueCar
- Price transparency
- Inventory search
- Dealer ratings
- Consumer reviews
- Pricing reports
- Market analysis
- Mobile app
- Analytics tools
Both cover
- Lead generation
- CRM systems
- DMS platforms
- Email marketing
- Mobile apps
- SSL encryption
- Secure authentication
- Data protection
- Privacy standards
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
TrueCar
- 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
TrueCar
- TrueCar's consumer car-shopping and pricing tools are free to use; the company is monetized through dealer partnerships rather than a consumer subscription
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
TrueCar
Free- FreeFree
- Vehicle search
- Price estimates
- Dealer ratings
- Dealer Plus$299/month
- Lead generation
- Dealer profile
- Performance metrics
- Enterprise$799/month
- Everything in Dealer Plus
- Custom integration
- API access
Which should you pick?
Choose Cars.com if
- You need vehicle listing.
- You work on Web, Mobile, App.
- You also want marketplace access.
Choose TrueCar if
- You need price transparency.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Mobile, App.
- You also want inventory search.
Questions people ask
- Is Cars.com or TrueCar better?
- Neither clearly leads. Cars.com starts at $299/month and TrueCar at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Cars.com or TrueCar?
- TrueCar has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $299/month for Cars.com and Free for TrueCar.
- Does Cars.com or TrueCar run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Mobile, App, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use TrueCar for free?
- Yes. TrueCar has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Cars.com starts at $299/month.
- 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 TrueCar cannot?
- Cars.com covers Vehicle listing, Marketplace access, Dealer profile, Performance tracking. TrueCar covers Price transparency, Inventory search, Dealer ratings, Consumer reviews. Both handle Lead generation, CRM systems, DMS platforms, Email marketing.