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Real Estate · head to head

CoStar vs LoopNet

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
LoopNet logo

LoopNet

Real Estate

Commercial property listing marketplace owned by CoStar, where searching is free and the paid product is advertising exposure for brokers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only LoopNet has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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.; LoopNet loopNet is owned by CoStar, the dominant CRE data provider, so paying for LoopNet placement indirectly reinforces a single company dominant position across both listings and data in commercial real estate.
  • They diverge on capability: CoStar covers Property and ownership records, LoopNet covers Free listing search.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CoStar and LoopNet actually diverge.

Attributes where CoStar and LoopNet differ
AttributeCoStarLoopNet
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteFree to search; paid tiers for listing advertisers
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android

Identical on both: 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 LoopNet

  • Free listing search
  • Tiered ad packages
  • CoStar network exposure
  • Syndication
  • Lead and view analytics
  • Saved search alerts

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

LoopNet

  • A broker wanting one listing to reach both general public searchers and CoStar professional subscriber base without a second paymentnot CoStar
  • A property owner marketing a for-sale or for-lease asset who wants syndication across 150+ partner sites from a single listingnot CoStar
  • A tenant or investor searching for available commercial space for free without needing a paid accountnot CoStar
  • A brokerage comparing LoopNet advertising spend against its overall CoStar data subscription, since both are owned by the same companynot 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.

LoopNet

  • LoopNet is owned by CoStar, the dominant CRE data provider, so paying for LoopNet placement indirectly reinforces a single company dominant position across both listings and data in commercial real estate.
  • Paid tiers scale from Silver at roughly $131 a month upward, and Gold and Platinum pricing is not published, making budget comparison against competitors like CREXi harder to do cleanly.
  • Because listing quality and exposure correlate with ad spend tier, owners and brokers who cannot justify higher tiers get less visibility even for genuinely strong properties.
  • As a marketplace dependent on the CoStar data ecosystem, any pricing, policy or antitrust exposure affecting CoStar Group (including the June 2026 price-fixing lawsuit naming major brokerages) has knock-on relevance for LoopNet advertisers.
  • Free searchers and casual browsers create high traffic volume that is not itself the paying customer, so lead quality for advertisers varies and includes non-serious enquiries.

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

LoopNet

Free
  • Search (public)Free
    • Free browsing of listings, no account required for basic search
  • Silver listing plan$undefined/month
    • Entry paid advertising tier for brokers and owners
  • Gold / Platinum$undefined/month
    • Higher-visibility placement and expanded marketing tools, quote for exact pricing

Which should you pick?

Choose CoStar if

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

Choose LoopNet if

  • You need free listing search.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want tiered ad packages.
LoopNet review

Questions people ask

Is CoStar or LoopNet better?
Neither clearly leads. CoStar starts at On request and LoopNet at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CoStar or LoopNet?
LoopNet has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for CoStar and Free for LoopNet.
Does CoStar or LoopNet run on more platforms?
CoStar runs on Web. LoopNet runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use LoopNet for free?
Yes. LoopNet has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CoStar starts at On request.
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 LoopNet is typically brought in for.
What can CoStar do that LoopNet cannot?
CoStar covers Property and ownership records, Lease and sales comparables, Tenant and space data, Market analytics. LoopNet covers Free listing search, Tiered ad packages, CoStar network exposure, Syndication.

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.

LoopNet: Is LoopNet free to use?

Searching and browsing listings is free. Payment is required only if you are the one advertising a property for sale or lease.

CoStar: Is CoStar pricing published anywhere?

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

LoopNet: Who owns LoopNet?

CoStar Group, which acquired it in 2012 for roughly $860 million; it remains part of the same company that owns the CoStar data subscription product.

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.

LoopNet: How much does listing advertising cost?

The Silver plan starts around $131 a month; Gold and Platinum tiers are priced higher with more placement and marketing tools, quoted directly.

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