Comparison

CarGurus Dealer vs design auto

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

CarGurus Dealer

Manage your dealership inventory and pricing on the go. Access real-time market values, review deal ratings, and track lead metrics directly from your mobile device.

Highlights
  • Pricing Tool
  • IMV Scan
  • Inventory Listings
  • Lead Metrics
  • Deal Ratings
Features
Read full description

The power of the CarGurus dealer dashboard – now on the go! You’re not spending your time behind a desk – you're out on the lot, running your dealership. Now we've made it easier for you to get the information you need on the fly, with the new CG Dealer app. With the app you can access your current CarGurus account to: • Use the Pricing Tool to review your current deal ratings and make price changes • Access IMV Scan so you can quickly and easily get the Instant Market Value of a potential trade-in or auction vehicle • See your current inventory listings • Review recent lead metrics More to come soon!

About

design auto

Discover and purchase luxury and exotic vehicles from verified dealerships. Browse thousands of listings, participate in live auctions, and connect directly with sellers. Save your favorites and stay updated with the latest arrivals.

Highlights
  • Browse thousands of luxury and exotic vehicles
  • Filter by make, model, year, price, and mileage
  • Just Listed feed for new arrivals
  • Participate in live auctions
  • Detailed vehicle specifications
  • Save favorite vehicles
  • Connect with dealerships
Features
Read full description

DesignAuto is the premier marketplace for luxury and exotic vehicles. Whether you're searching for your dream car or looking to connect with elite dealerships, DesignAuto puts the world's most exclusive inventory at your fingertips. BROWSE THOUSANDS OF VEHICLES Explore a curated inventory of luxury and exotic cars from verified dealerships. Filter by make, model, year, price, mileage, and type to find exactly what you're looking for. JUST LISTED FEED Never miss a new arrival. The Just Listed feed shows you the freshest inventory the moment it hits the market — like a social feed, but for the cars you love. LIVE AUCTIONS Compete in real-time auctions for rare and sought-after vehicles. Place bids, track countdowns, and win your next car before anyone else. VEHICLE DETAILS THAT MATTER Every listing includes full specifications, interior and exterior options, mileage, pricing, and direct contact with the selling dealership. SAVE YOUR FAVORITES Bookmark vehicles you love and come back to them anytime. Like and comment on listings to engage with the community. DEALERSHIP PROFILES Explore full dealership profiles, browse their complete inventory, and connect directly — all without leaving the app.

Screenshots

CarGurus Dealer4 screens
design auto4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: design auto at 100% against CarGurus Dealer's 0%. design auto also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and update cadence (every 3 days vs weekly). CarGurus Dealer's advantage is ratings volume (222 vs 5). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

design auto holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CarGurus Dealer has 222 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of CarGurus Dealer's written reviews are positive against 100% of design auto's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CarGurus Dealer ships an update weekly, design auto every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
CarGurus Dealer versus design auto: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCarGurus Dealerdesign auto
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (222 ratings)5.0 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings222 — better5
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.515.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size74 MB24 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperCarGurusDesign Auto LLC

Customer experience

CarGurus Dealer

All ratings217 ratings
Positive94.9%
Neutral0.9%
Negative4.1%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative80.0%

design auto

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

CarGurus Dealer

No in-app purchases

None

design auto

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CarGurus Dealer free?
CarGurus Dealer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is design auto free?
design auto is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, CarGurus Dealer or design auto?
design auto is rated higher. CarGurus Dealer averages 4.8 out of 5 from 222 ratings, while design auto averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.
Do CarGurus Dealer or design auto have ads?
Neither CarGurus Dealer nor design auto shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CarGurus Dealer or design auto?
CarGurus Dealer ships an update weekly, and design auto every 3 days. Most recently, CarGurus Dealer was updated on October 30, 2026 and design auto on October 22, 2026.

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