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Real Estate · head to head

CoStar vs Follow Up Boss

CoStar logo

CoStar

Real Estate

Commercial real estate data subscription with strict per-seat licensing, sold on multi-year contracts and enforced through active anti-piracy litigation against password sharing

From
On request
Rated
-
Follow Up Boss logo

Follow Up Boss

Real Estate

AI that works for you, like you: personalized, painless, productive

From
$69/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: CoStar per-seat licensing with no published rate makes budgeting for headcount growth unpredictable, since adding users typically requires a new negotiation rather than a self-service upgrade.; Follow Up Boss pro plan is priced for a 10 user minimum at $499 per month, with additional seats at $49 per month each
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CoStar and Follow Up Boss actually diverge.

Attributes where CoStar and Follow Up Boss differ
AttributeCoStarFollow Up Boss
Starting priceOn request$69/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Real Estate).

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 CoStar

  • Property and ownership records
  • Lease and sales comparables
  • Tenant and space data
  • Market analytics
  • STR hospitality data
  • CoStar Real Estate Manager

Only in Follow Up Boss

Nothing recorded that CoStar does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

CoStar

  • A commercial brokerage needing lease and sales comparables to support underwriting and pitch materialsnot Follow Up Boss
  • An institutional investor or lender wanting standardised market analytics across submarkets for portfolio decisionsnot Follow Up Boss
  • A corporate real estate team needing lease administration through CoStar Real Estate Managernot Follow Up Boss
  • An appraiser needing sourced, defensible comparable transaction data for valuation reportsnot Follow Up Boss

Follow Up Boss

  • Distributing leads automatically across real estate agentsnot CoStar
  • Automating follow-up sequences from first contact through closingnot CoStar
  • Coordinating team calling, texting, and email from one CRMnot CoStar
  • Tracking lead source performance and agent activity in real-timenot CoStar

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

CoStar

  • Per-seat licensing with no published rate makes budgeting for headcount growth unpredictable, since adding users typically requires a new negotiation rather than a self-service upgrade.
  • CoStar actively pursues legal action against password sharing and unauthorised access, which is a genuine compliance and litigation risk for a firm that is loose about login discipline, intentionally or not.
  • A June 2026 antitrust lawsuit names CoStar alongside major brokerages over an alleged price-fixing scheme, a live legal matter that could affect the company standing or practices during a long-term contract.
  • Multi-year contract structures reduce a buyer flexibility to switch providers even if a cheaper or better data source emerges during the term.
  • The breadth of the platform (property, hospitality via STR, lease admin) means a firm often pays for modules it does not use just to access the specific data set it needs.

Follow Up Boss

  • Pro plan is priced for a 10 user minimum at $499 per month, with additional seats at $49 per month each
  • Platform plan requires a 30 user minimum at $1,000 per month
  • Calling is not included on the entry Grow plan and costs an extra $39 per user per month
  • Discounted per user rates require annual billing

Pricing, plan by plan

CoStar

On request
  • CoStar$undefined/year
    • Per named user licensing, no published rate
    • Multi-year contracts standard
    • Terms explicitly prohibit password or login sharing

Follow Up Boss

$69/month
  • Grow$69/month
    • For individual agents and small teams
    • Lead organization, smart lists, automation
    • Calling, texting, email
  • Pro$499/month
    • Includes 10 users (additional users $49/month each)
    • Unlimited calling and texting for all users
    • AI features: smart summaries, smart messages, suggested tasks
  • Platform$1000/month
    • Includes 30 users (additional users $20/month each)
    • All Pro features plus teams within teams
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose CoStar if

  • You need property and ownership records.
  • You also want lease and sales comparables.

Choose Follow Up Boss if

Nothing in the data separates Follow Up Boss from CoStar on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Questions people ask

Is CoStar or Follow Up Boss better?
Neither clearly leads. CoStar starts at On request and Follow Up Boss at $69/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CoStar or Follow Up Boss?
CoStar starts at On request and Follow Up Boss at $69/month.
Does CoStar or Follow Up Boss run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is CoStar best used for?
CoStar is most often used for a commercial brokerage needing lease and sales comparables to support underwriting and pitch materials, an institutional investor or lender wanting standardised market analytics across submarkets for portfolio decisions, a corporate real estate team needing lease administration through costar real estate manager, an appraiser needing sourced, defensible comparable transaction data for valuation reports. Of those, a commercial brokerage needing lease and sales comparables to support underwriting and pitch materials and an institutional investor or lender wanting standardised market analytics across submarkets for portfolio decisions are not what Follow Up Boss is typically brought in for.
What can CoStar do that Follow Up Boss cannot?
CoStar covers Property and ownership records, Lease and sales comparables, Tenant and space data, Market analytics.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CoStar: Can multiple people share one CoStar login to save cost?

No. Terms explicitly prohibit this, and CoStar has an active pattern of suing individuals and firms for unauthorised access under shared credentials.

Follow Up Boss: What is the cheapest Follow Up Boss plan?

The Grow plan starts at $69 per user per month. This includes basic features like lead organization, smart lists, automation, calling, texting, email, and mobile app access. Add-ons like calling features may incur additional charges.

Source
CoStar: Is CoStar pricing published anywhere?

No. It is quote-only, licensed per named user, on multi-year contracts.

Follow Up Boss: How many users are included in Follow Up Boss plans?

Grow is priced per user. Pro includes 10 users for $499/month with additional users at $49/month. Platform includes 30 users for $1,000/month with additional users at $20/month. The Pro and Platform tiers offer significant per-user discounts for additional team members.

Source
CoStar: Is there a current legal risk in signing with CoStar?

A June 2026 antitrust lawsuit names CoStar and several major brokerages over an alleged price-fixing conspiracy; buyers with long-term contracts should track that litigation.

Follow Up Boss: Does Follow Up Boss offer a free trial?

Yes, Follow Up Boss offers a 14-day free trial with easy migration and no contracts required. All plans include 7-day/week phone and email support, unlimited contacts, lead sources, and integrations.

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