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Real Estate · head to head

CoStar vs Redfin

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
Redfin logo

Redfin

Real Estate

We pair local Redfin agents with powerful technology to help you buy, sell, or rent

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.; Redfin listing fee of 1 percent is half the industry average but still deducted from seller proceeds
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CoStar and Redfin actually diverge.

Attributes where CoStar and Redfin differ
AttributeCoStarRedfin
Pricing modelquotetransaction

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 Redfin

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

Redfin

  • Real estate brokerage and home buying/selling servicesnot CoStar
  • Property transaction coordination for home buyers and sellersnot 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.

Redfin

  • Listing fee of 1 percent is half the industry average but still deducted from seller proceeds
  • No published fees for buyer services, rental listings, or specific service tiers
  • Maximum savings calculation based on combined purchase and sale, not guaranteed

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

Redfin

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Redfin review.

Which should you pick?

Choose CoStar if

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

Choose Redfin if

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

Redfin review

Questions people ask

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

Redfin: What are Redfin's seller fees?

Redfin charges a 1 percent listing fee for sellers, described as half of what other brokerages typically charge. Specific details about buyer service fees are not published on this page.

Source
CoStar: Is CoStar pricing published anywhere?

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

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.

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