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Automotive · head to head

Cars.com vs Epicor DMS

Cars.com logo

Cars.com

Automotive

Your trusted automotive marketplace

From
$299/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Epicor DMS logo

Epicor DMS

Automotive

Enterprise dealership management solutions

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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; Epicor DMS pricing is not publicly available and requires custom quotes
  • They diverge on capability: Cars.com covers Vehicle listing, Epicor DMS covers Sales desking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cars.com and Epicor DMS actually diverge.

Attributes where Cars.com and Epicor DMS differ
AttributeCars.comEpicor DMS
Starting price$299/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWeb, Mobile, AppCloud, On-Premise, Hybrid
Founded19981999

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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
  • Lead generation
  • Dealer profile
  • Performance tracking
  • Mobile responsive
  • Photo and video gallery
  • Consumer research tools

Only in Epicor DMS

  • Sales desking
  • F&I management
  • Service scheduling
  • Parts management
  • Accounting
  • CRM
  • OEM integration
  • Business intelligence

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

Epicor DMS

  • 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

Epicor DMS

  • Pricing is not publicly available and requires custom quotes
  • No free trial available to evaluate the system
  • Requires significant implementation time and customization

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

Epicor DMS

On request
  • Standard$undefined/month
    • Core DMS functionality
    • Sales management
    • Service management
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • All Standard features
    • Advanced CRM
    • Multi-rooftop support

Which should you pick?

Choose Cars.com if

  • You need vehicle listing.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, App.
  • You also want marketplace access.
Cars.com review

Choose Epicor DMS if

  • You need sales desking.
  • You work on Cloud, On-Premise, Hybrid.
  • You also want f&i management.
Epicor DMS review

Questions people ask

Is Cars.com or Epicor DMS better?
Neither clearly leads. Cars.com starts at $299/month and Epicor DMS at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cars.com or Epicor DMS?
Cars.com starts at $299/month and Epicor DMS at On request.
Does Cars.com or Epicor DMS run on more platforms?
Cars.com runs on Web, Mobile, App. Epicor DMS runs on Cloud, On-Premise, Hybrid.
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 Epicor DMS cannot?
Cars.com covers Vehicle listing, Marketplace access, Lead generation, Dealer profile. Epicor DMS covers Sales desking, F&I management, Service scheduling, Parts management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cars.com: Is Cars.com free to use?

Yes. Cars.com is a free platform for shopping, researching, and comparing vehicles. Access to new, used, and certified pre-owned listings, expert reviews, safety recall information, and car payment calculators requires no subscription.

Source
Epicor DMS: Does Epicor DMS support both cloud and on-premise deployment?

Yes. Epicor offers multiple deployment options including cloud, on-premises, and hybrid deployments, allowing customers to choose based on their requirements and migrate between models.

Source
Cars.com: Can I sell my car on Cars.com for free?

Yes. Cars.com offers free listings for private sellers. The platform also provides tools to obtain instant cash offers for vehicles at no cost.

Source
Epicor DMS: What integrations does Epicor DMS provide for dealerships?

Epicor provides integrated parts sourcing through the Epicor Parts Portal, service estimating tools, CRM capabilities for customer relationship management, and warehouse management through Epicor Indago WMS.

Source
Cars.com: Does Cars.com charge dealers for listings?

The homepage mentions free listing options but does not specify dealer pricing. For dealer advertising rates and premium listing options, you would need to visit the dealer section or contact Cars.com directly.

Source
Epicor DMS: How many part numbers are available in Epicor's database?

Epicor's platform provides access to more than 17 million part numbers for over 1.4 billion unique vehicle applications.

Source
Epicor DMS: Does Epicor offer a free trial?

No free trial is available. Pricing is based on custom quotes due to varying factors like usage, number of users, and custom modules required.

Source
Epicor DMS: What are the deployment costs for Epicor DMS?

For cloud ERP solutions, costs typically run between $150-$200/user/month for a basic package. For on-premise solutions, perpetual licenses range from $3,200-$4,800 per user.

Source
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