6 Apps for Buying or Selling Vehicles Online (2024)

By Tire Agent Staff

October 27, 2023

6 Apps for Buying or Selling Vehicles Online (1)

If you’re selling a used car or looking to buy a new car, you've got options other than your local car dealership. It’s actually possible to shop around for the best price through the web rather than at a physical location. Leverage the wide availability of these online marketplaces so you get the best deal on a new or used car.

Car buying and selling apps generally fit into 3 main categories:

1. Marketplaces

These apps allow buyers to browse car offers across dealerships to compare prices and surf through listings. A buyer can search through the listings based on price or a vehicle’s specifications. Note that marketplaces may not allow private sales directly between two individuals. You may eventually still have to go into a dealership to work out a deal. Examples of car-selling marketplaces include Cars.com, TrueCar and Edmunds.

2. Digital auto retailers

These apps are run by companies that handle the car buying and selling process online rather than in person. Vehicles can be purchased directly through their app or website and then delivered wherever you’d like. If you’re a seller, these apps will quote you on how much they’d pay for your car and then schedule an appointment to come and inspect your car. If you’re purchasing, the vehicle will be delivered directly to you, and you may or may not be able to test drive the vehicle before purchasing. But these apps will generally have some sort of return policy to prevent you from being locked into owning a car you don’t like. Examples of digital auto retailers include CarMax and Carvana.

3. Private sales platforms

Apps where private individual owners can sell their cars for cash or make a deal are what we mean by private sales platforms. Buyers and sellers can both take advantage of these platforms and forego the “middle man.” That said, these platforms are generally rife with scammers, and it may be difficult to be protected against potential scams. We won’t be reviewing any of those here, but they are an option if you’re looking to make the most out of your car sale with a little extra work. They include Craigslist (use with extreme caution), eBay motors (which can also be a digital auto retailer), Facebook Marketplace (again, use caution) and Autotrader (proceed with caution). While it is possible to sell and buy good cars through these apps, the user reviews suggest they are easy playgrounds for scammers.

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With that outlined, here are some of the best car buying and selling apps on the market. We’ll mention what type of app it is and what makes it so great.

CarMax

CarMax is a digital auto retailer that has a self-stated goal of making the car buying process hassle-free. This app allows you to buy or sell your car through their app. They allow 24-hour test drives, a 30-day warranty, and even offer financing options for vehicles. If you’re looking to sell your vehicle, you can enter your vehicle information online and immediately get a quote. Even if you’re not planning on trading in your vehicle, you can still sell your car through CarMax.

6 Apps for Buying or Selling Vehicles Online (2)

CarMax is best if you’re not looking to negotiate or haggle the price of your vehicle - just look up vehicles you’re interested in and compare the options.

CarGurus

CarGurus is a digital marketplace that lets you browse vehicle offers across the web. You’ll see offersin their digital catalog for cars from dealerships, digital auto retailers, and private sellers. With CarGurus, you’ll have access to selling your own car, buying a new or used car, and financing a car. You can also search for vehicles based on their ratings and what they’re good for, rather than a specific make or model. Keep in mind that if you pursue purchasing a vehicle, you may have to eventually work with a dealership or private seller.

6 Apps for Buying or Selling Vehicles Online (3)

CarGurus is best for when you’re looking for a specific vehicle or type of vehicle and want to be more efficient about your search rather than going in person to look for cars. You’ll still have room for negotiating if pursuing a vehicle owned by a dealer or private seller.

Carvana

Carvana is another popular digital auto retailer that offers a wide variety of cars with fast delivery. Carvana is popular in major metropolitan cities as they can deliver your vehicle within the week. They also allow you to sell or trade in your current car. You can enter your vehicle’s information to get an offer immediately and get paid right after they inspect your car.

6 Apps for Buying or Selling Vehicles Online (4)

Like many other digital auto retailers, Carvana is intended to make the car buying process as easy as possible, with no haggling or underhanded sales tactics. You may not get the cheapest price through Carvana, but you will get your car quickly if you’re in a major city.

Cars.com

Cars.com is a digital marketplace that emphasizes filtering your car selection to exactly what you’re looking for at the best price available. Cars.com also allows you to see the reviews for both the dealership that is selling the car and the individual sales people that you’ll be dealing with. They also allow you to filter for vehicle deliveries, if you prefer to shop remotely rather than in person.

6 Apps for Buying or Selling Vehicles Online (5)

Cars.com is an extremely useful app for those new to the car buying process and wanting the most information possible about the vehicle and the seller. However, their interface is a bit clunky to use, and sometimes it’s not immediately clear how to use all the filters effectively.

TrueCar

TrueCar is another digital marketplace that allows you to sort, search, and filter vehicles by almost any criteria that you can think of. For example, if you need a car with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, you can search for the top-rated, best priced cars with both of these factors. You can also look at possible cash rebates or compare multiple cars that you’re interested in. TrueCar will comb the web for all the dealers in your area so you can find the best deal before going into the dealership.

6 Apps for Buying or Selling Vehicles Online (6)

TrueCar is the best if you have very specific criteria that you’re looking for in your car. You will also need to sign up for a TrueCar account if you want access to their search functions. You may also find that your information is distributed to car dealers, resulting in unwanted calls.

Edmunds

Edmunds is a digital marketplace that helps you find a car model that’s the best for you. Before you even begin to look at dealerships or sellers, you can look at customer reviews, professional ratings, and reports for specific car models. If you like to research your cars before you buy them, you can find just about any stat that you’re looking for about every car model on Edmunds. If you’re a seller, you can even use the Edmunds app to appraise your car if you’re looking to sell.

6 Apps for Buying or Selling Vehicles Online (7)

Edmunds is great if you’re not sure what you’re looking for and trying to find some of the best, trusted options out there. The Edmunds brand has been around for over 50 years, starting as a print publication that helps drivers make buying decisions about vehicles. If you want to base what you get on proven customer reviews and research, Edmunds is a great place to start. They will also show you a few of the options at dealerships in your area.

Photo 110778596 | Car Shopping Online | Alexey Novikov | Dreamstime.com

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6 Apps for Buying or Selling Vehicles Online (2024)

FAQs

What is the best app for buying and selling cars? ›

  • Cars.com. Cars.com is one of the best car buying and selling apps out there. ...
  • Carvana. Carvana is one of the only apps with a buying process that's 100% online. ...
  • CarMax. CarMax is another great app for buying a car. ...
  • TrueCar. ...
  • Vroom. ...
  • Carfax.
Aug 22, 2024

What is the best online car buying site? ›

  • Our Top Picks.
  • CarGurus.
  • Autotrader.
  • CarsDirect.
  • Hemmings.
  • Autolist.
  • AutoTempest.
  • Cars & Bids.

What is the best place to sell your car? ›

Best Sites For Private Party Car Sales
  • Facebook Marketplace for Used Cars. ...
  • Craigslist for Selling a Vehicle Locally. ...
  • Private Auto Sales on eBay Motors. ...
  • Bring a Trailer Classic Vehicle Auctions. ...
  • Hemmings Classic Auctions and Auto Classifieds.
Aug 31, 2024

What is the best social media way to sell cars? ›

10 Powerful Marketing Strategies To Use Social Media For Selling Cars
  1. Know Your Target Audience. ...
  2. Choose the Right Social Media Platforms. ...
  3. Create Engaging Content. ...
  4. Utilize Social Advertising. ...
  5. Leverage Influencer Marketing. ...
  6. Showcase Your Inventory. ...
  7. Engage and Respond to Customers. ...
  8. Create an Inspiring Introduction Video.
Dec 29, 2023

What is the number one buying and selling app? ›

Forbes Advisor Ratings
CompanyCost to listStarting transaction fee
eBayFree (up to 250 listings per month)Up to 15% plus 30 cents per order
Facebook MarketplaceFreeNone
PoshmarkFree20% for sold items above $15
DepopFree10%
3 more rows
Apr 30, 2024

What car app pays the most? ›

Ride-Hailing and Delivery Driving Apps to Make Money
  • Lyft. Pay per hour: $17-30. ...
  • Uber. Pay per hour: $18-33. ...
  • Shipt. Pay per hour: $17-27. ...
  • Spark Driver. Pay per hour: $18. ...
  • Amazon Flex. Pay per hour: $17-21. ...
  • Roadie. Pay per hour: $17. ...
  • GoShare. Pay per hour: $20-36. ...
  • FedEx SameDay. Pay per hour: $21-32. Google Play link: 4.5 (272K reviews)
Jul 29, 2024

What is the best online car shopper? ›

Some of the most popular online car buying sites include CarGurus, AutoTrader, Cars.com, TrueCar, and Hemmings.

Which is the best site for second-hand cars? ›

  • Motorpoint. Everything about a car should make your life simpler. ...
  • Motors. Second to Autotrader, the best used car website, is Motors. ...
  • Autotrader. If there's one company that dominates the used car space, it's Autotrader. ...
  • CarGurus. Bargain-hunters delight – CarGurus is the place to go! ...
  • 8. Facebook Marketplace.

What is the best used car website for 2024? ›

  1. Autotrader.com: Best Site for Selling Used Cars. ...
  2. KBB.com: The Best Site to Evaluate Car's Value. ...
  3. CarGurus.com: Best for Cheap Cars. ...
  4. Cars.com: Best for finding used cars from dealerships. ...
  5. RelayCars.com: Best Site for Consumer Reviews. ...
  6. Carfax.com: Largest Vehicle History Database.
Aug 19, 2024

What is the best platform to sell a car? ›

5 Recommended Platforms for Car Selling
  • Cars.com: Editor's Choice. Best for: Selling newer vehicles in good condition. ...
  • Carvana: Most Seamless Process. ...
  • Peddle: Good Choice for Older Vehicles. ...
  • TrueCar: Good for Quick, Fixed-Price Offers. ...
  • 5. Facebook Marketplace: Good for Private Local Sales.
Aug 31, 2024

Who pays the most to sell my car? ›

You can likely get the most money for your car by selling it privately. This is because you're selling to the next owner directly instead of through a middleman like a dealership or car buying website.

What is better, Carvana or CarMax? ›

Both Carvana and CarMax advertise no-haggle pricing, but Carvana offers a seamless selling process that helps it come out ahead in our rankings. We give Carvana the edge over CarMax as a car selling website. Our team rates CarMax just slightly ahead of Carvana for its car buying services.

Which website pays the most for used cars? ›

Between Carmax, Vroom, and Carvana, Carmax offered the highest amount for used vehicles 63% of the time.

How can I sell my car without getting scammed? ›

On top of protecting your physical safety, consider taking these financial and legal safety precautions when selling your car:
  1. Ask for the driver's proof of insurance. ...
  2. Get everything in writing. ...
  3. Wait for the money to come in. ...
  4. Keep your car insured while it's yours. ...
  5. Complete the paperwork.

What is the best app to buy and sell stuff? ›

11 Best Apps to Sell Stuff Online in 2024
  • eBay: The best overall app for selling stuff.
  • Facebook Marketplace: Best for selling home goods and for local sales.
  • Nextdoor: Best for selling to neighbors and local communities.
  • OfferUp: Best for selling everyday items.
  • Poshmark: Best for selling old clothes and accessories.
Mar 26, 2024

Is the autotrader app free? ›

A free app for Android, by Auto Trader.

We have been in the business of car buying and selling for over 40 years and have millions of customers across the UK. Our main focus is to help our customers find the best deals on new and used cars for sale in the UK.

Do I need to clean my car before selling to Carvana? ›

Do I Need to Clean My Car Before Selling to Carvana? No, you do not.

Is there an app for negotiating car prices? ›

My Best Car Price App is your very own private negotiator that tells you the exact questions to ask in order to get the necessary information you'll need to accelerate the process. It comes with easy to follow foolproof cheat sheets you can use on your phone while negotiating any cash, lease, or finance deals.

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