Softwr

Real Estate · head to head

CoStar vs Lofty

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
-
Full reviewWebsite
Lofty logo

Lofty

Real Estate

AI-powered real estate CRM

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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.; Lofty no pricing published on website; quote-based model requires request form submission
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CoStar and Lofty actually diverge.

Attributes where CoStar and Lofty differ
AttributeCoStarLofty
Pricing modelquotesubscription

Identical on both: starting price (On request), 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 Lofty

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 Lofty
  • An institutional investor or lender wanting standardised market analytics across submarkets for portfolio decisionsnot Lofty
  • A corporate real estate team needing lease administration through CoStar Real Estate Managernot Lofty
  • An appraiser needing sourced, defensible comparable transaction data for valuation reportsnot Lofty

Lofty

  • Generating buyers and sellers through 33+ channelsnot CoStar
  • Converting website visitors into qualified leadsnot CoStar
  • Booking appointments autonomously via AI Sales Agentnot CoStar
  • Managing transaction paperwork and sphere outreachnot 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.

Lofty

  • No pricing published on website; quote-based model requires request form submission
  • Four tiers offered (Agent, Team, Broker, Enterprise) but specific seat counts or feature differences not disclosed

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

Lofty

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Lofty review.

Which should you pick?

Choose CoStar if

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

Choose Lofty if

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

Lofty review

Questions people ask

Is CoStar or Lofty better?
Neither clearly leads. CoStar starts at On request and Lofty at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CoStar or Lofty?
CoStar starts at On request and Lofty at On request.
Does CoStar or Lofty 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 Lofty is typically brought in for.
What can CoStar do that Lofty 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.

Lofty: How much does Lofty cost?

Lofty does not publish pricing on its website. The platform offers four subscription packages: Lofty Agent, Lofty Team, Lofty Broker, and Lofty Enterprise, each tailored to different organization sizes. Customers must submit a Request Pricing form, and Lofty will contact them with personalized pricing based on user count and feature requirements.

Source
CoStar: Is CoStar pricing published anywhere?

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

Lofty: What Lofty plans are available?

Lofty offers four main subscription tiers: Lofty Agent for individual agents, Lofty Team for team operations, Lofty Broker for brokerage organizations, and Lofty Enterprise for large enterprises. All plans include CRM, email, texting, dialer, marketing automation, and AI tools.

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.

Lofty: What add-on services does Lofty offer beyond the base subscription?

Lofty offers paid add-ons including Lead Generation Services, Power Dialer, text message packages, Hyperlocal SEO websites, website design, AI Agents (Sales, Social, Homeowner), direct mail, and digital advertising programs.

Source
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