Comparison

ACV Auctions vs PrivateAuto

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

Head to head
About

ACV Auctions

This platform connects car dealers for wholesale vehicle sales through live, timed auctions. Sellers can easily list vehicles by scanning VINs and uploading photos, while buyers can place bids and negotiate directly on their mobile devices. All payment and title transfers are managed through the service.

Highlights
  • Live 20-minute auctions
  • VIN scanning for listings
  • Detailed condition reports
  • Live and proxy bidding
  • Real-time negotiation
  • Integrated payment and title transfer
Features
Read full description

ACV Auctions is a dealer-to-dealer marketplace. The app replaces the physical wholesale car auctions that facilitate the sale of approximately 15 million vehicles every year. This platform allows dealers to engage in our live 20 minute auctions. It's easy for sellers to create an auction. Simply scan the VIN, enter vehicle condition information, and snap a few photos. Tap "Send to Auction" and your auction is instantly sent to thousands of potential bidders. Buyers review the condition report and bid to own using live and proxy bids. Auctions are live for 20 minutes. The system prevents last-second bid sniping so you're sure to get a fair chance in every auction. Once an auction ends, sellers can accept or send the high bidder a counter offer to start a live, real-time negotiation session with the buyer. Buyers can accept the counter offer or negotiate further. All of this right from the convenience of your mobile phone. All payments and title transfers are handled through our office. Buyers can pay instantly with an electronic check or floorplan. For sellers, we email prepaid FedEx® labels for sending in titles. Bill of sales get emailed for your records. ACV Auctions is free for dealers to use. There are no monthly fees or contracts. Our buyer and seller fees are considerably lower than physical auctions. Sign up for a completely free account at http://www.acvauctions.com/ (requires proof of valid dealer license). This app collects personal information. To see our Privacy Policy / Notice at Collection, please follow the link in the App Privacy section below.

About

PrivateAuto

Facilitate private car sales with enhanced security and convenience. Verify buyer and seller identities, schedule test drives, and securely transfer funds directly through the app. Streamline the entire selling and buying process with digital tools and instant payment options.

Highlights
  • Buyer and seller ID verification
  • Vehicle history reports
  • In-app chat and scheduling
  • Digital Bill of Sale e-signing
  • Instant and secure fund transfers
  • Buyer financing options
Features
Read full description

The easiest and safest way to sell a car privately. The only way to close the sale with confidence. Know the buyer and seller like never before with email, phone, and driver's license verification, including facial recognition technology. Experience dealer-like services in the palm of your hand. Schedule test drives and conveniently e-sign your Bill of Sale or state-specific documents. Want to share important documents with the other party? You can do that too. Transfer funds anywhere, instantly. PrivateAuto Pay is a direct banking integration that ensures payments are safely transferred without the risks associated with cash or cashier’s checks. Experience escrow-like safeguards without relying on a third party. With the PrivateAuto App, you can: Sell a car -Buyer ID verification -Vehicle history report -Window brochure with QR code -In app chat -Schedule test drives -Counter offers -E-sign the bill of sale -Verified buyer funds -Instant secure payment Buy a car -Seller ID verification -Vehicle history report -In app chat -Schedule test drives -Make offer tool -E-sign the bill of sale -Buyer financing -Instantly send funds Buyers can apply for financing in the app. Approved funds are loaded right into your PrivateAuto Pay account so you can buy a car from a private party without the hassle of meeting at the bank.

Screenshots

ACV Auctions4 screens
PrivateAuto4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: ACV Auctions at 4.4 against PrivateAuto's 3.8. ACV Auctions also leads on ratings volume (1.3K vs 29). PrivateAuto's advantage is review sentiment (71% vs 55%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.4.1). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

ACV Auctions holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ACV Auctions has 1.3K ratings behind it against 29, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 55% of ACV Auctions's written reviews are positive against 71% of PrivateAuto's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ACV Auctions ships an update every 2 weeks, PrivateAuto every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
ACV Auctions versus PrivateAuto: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterACV AuctionsPrivateAuto
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (1.3K ratings) — better3.8 (29 ratings)
Positive reviews55.1% of reviews71.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.3K — better29
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.4.113.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size168 MB27 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperACV Auctions IncPrivate Auto Inc

Customer experience

ACV Auctions

All ratings1,250 ratings
Positive85.1%
Neutral2.1%
Negative12.8%
Written reviews176 reviews
Positive55.1%
Neutral6.8%
Negative38.1%

PrivateAuto

All ratings25 ratings
Positive72.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative28.0%
Written reviews21 reviews
Positive71.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative28.6%

Bugs and requests

ACV Auctions

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes when navigating between vehicles
  • Notifications not working consistently
  • Inability to view ended auctions and sold vehicles
  • Lack of landscape mode support on tablets

Requested features

5 requests
  • Watchlist feature to track interested vehicles
  • Faster bidding times
  • Improved notification system
  • Easier access to account and payment information
  • Better integration between mobile app and website

PrivateAuto

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

ACV Auctions

No in-app purchases

None

PrivateAuto

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ACV Auctions free?
ACV Auctions is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PrivateAuto free?
PrivateAuto is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ACV Auctions or PrivateAuto?
ACV Auctions is rated higher. ACV Auctions averages 4.4 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while PrivateAuto averages 3.8 from 29 ratings.
Do ACV Auctions or PrivateAuto have ads?
Neither ACV Auctions nor PrivateAuto shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ACV Auctions or PrivateAuto?
ACV Auctions ships an update every 2 weeks, and PrivateAuto every 3 weeks. Most recently, ACV Auctions was updated on November 6, 2026 and PrivateAuto on November 3, 2026.

Other comparisons