CoStar vs PropTracer: Complete 2026 Comparison
CoStar is the $40B CRE data giant — but it can't tell you who actually owns the building or give you their real phone number.
The Bottom Line
CoStar is the gold standard for CRE market intelligence, but it is not a skip tracing or contact intelligence platform. PropTracer fills the gap by providing 94-98% accurate owner contacts, LLC penetration, and coverage for both commercial and residential properties — at a fraction of CoStar's cost.
Choose CoStar if
You need deep market analytics, lease comps, tenant data, and commercial property listings for market research.
Choose PropTracer if
You need to actually contact property owners with verified phone numbers, especially when ownership is hidden behind corporate structures.
How They Compare
What CoStar Actually Does
CoStar Group is the largest commercial real estate information and analytics provider in North America, with a market cap exceeding $40 billion. The company owns LoopNet, Apartments.com, and several other platforms. CoStar provides extensive market analytics, lease comps, tenant data, property listings, and market research reports. It is the industry standard for CRE market intelligence and is used by nearly every major brokerage and institutional investor.
- Comprehensive CRE market analytics and research reports
- Lease comparables and tenant data
- Commercial property listings via LoopNet
- Apartment listings via Apartments.com
- Sales transaction history and market trends
- Building-level detail including photos, floor plans, and specs
What PropTracer Actually Does
PropTracer complements platforms like CoStar by providing what they lack: accurate, verified owner contact information. While CoStar tells you everything about a building's market value and lease rates, PropTracer tells you who actually owns it and gives you their real phone number. PropTracer's AI penetrates corporate structures to find the decision-maker behind the entity, with 94-98% phone accuracy verified monthly.
- 94-98% verified phone number accuracy (monthly verification)
- AI-powered LLC and corporate ownership penetration
- Both commercial AND residential property coverage
- Interactive map search with advanced filtering
- Bulk upload and export (thousands of properties at once)
- Parcel boundary overlays and viewport targeting
- Confidence scoring on every data point
- Unlimited property searches — credits only for contact pulls
CoStar vs PropTracer: Features
| Feature | CoStar | PropTracer |
|---|---|---|
| Phone Number Accuracy | Limited | 94-98% |
| Commercial Properties | Yes | Yes |
| Residential Properties | No | Yes |
| LLC/Corporate Penetration | No | Yes |
| Monthly Data Verification | No | Yes |
| Unlimited Property Searches | Limited | Yes |
| Bulk Export | Limited | Yes |
| Map Search with Filters | Yes | Yes |
| Market Analytics & Lease Comps | Yes | No |
| Per-User Pricing | Yes | No |
| Free Trial | No | Yes |
| Credit Rollover | No | Yes |
CoStar vs PropTracer: Pricing
See the real cost of ownership for your team.
CoStar
$10K-$50K+/yr per user
Enterprise pricing varies by module, market coverage, and user count
- Per-user/seat pricing
- No free trial available
- Credits do not roll over
PropTracer
RecommendedFrom $99/mo
No per-user fees. Entire team shares one account.
- No per-user pricing — entire team shares one account
- 7-day free trial, no credit card required
- Unused credits roll over
A single CoStar seat often costs more than PropTracer for your entire team for an entire year
A 5-person team on CoStar can cost $50K-$250K/yr. The same team on PropTracer costs ~$3,588/yr on the Pro plan.
Why Teams Switch to PropTracer
Purpose-Built Contact Intelligence
CoStar is a market analytics platform. PropTracer is a contact intelligence platform. PropTracer delivers 94-98% phone accuracy for property owners — something CoStar was never designed to do.
LLC & Corporate Penetration
CoStar shows you the entity name on the deed. PropTracer's AI finds the actual human decision-maker behind LLCs, trusts, and shell companies.
Commercial + Residential Coverage
CoStar focuses on commercial. PropTracer covers both commercial and residential, giving you a single platform for all property types.
Fraction of the Cost
One CoStar seat can cost $10K-$50K+/year. PropTracer's Pro plan serves your entire team for approximately $3,588/year with no per-user fees.
Common Limitations of CoStar
Based on user feedback and industry analysis.
- 1
Limited Contact Data
CoStar is not designed as a contact intelligence platform. Owner phone numbers and emails are secondary to its market analytics, and accuracy is not its focus.
- 2
Enterprise-Only Pricing
CoStar's pricing often runs $10K-$50K+ per user per year, making it inaccessible for smaller teams or firms that primarily need contact data.
- 3
No Corporate Ownership Breakdown
CoStar identifies the entity that owns a property but does not penetrate LLC structures to reveal the actual decision-maker behind the entity.
- 4
No Residential Coverage
CoStar focuses exclusively on commercial real estate. Teams that work across both sectors need a separate solution for residential properties.
Who Should Use Which
An honest framework to help you decide.
Go with CoStar when:
- You need deep CRE market analytics, lease comps, and tenant data
- You need access to commercial property listings via LoopNet
- Market research and valuation analysis are your primary needs
- You need institutional-grade market reports
Go with PropTracer when:
- Your primary goal is reaching property owners by phone
- You need to find the real person behind corporate ownership structures
- You work with both commercial and residential properties
- You want accurate contact data at a fraction of enterprise pricing
- You need bulk skip tracing with monthly-verified accuracy
Explore PropTracer Features
CoStar vs PropTracer: Your Questions Answered
- Is CoStar better than PropTracer?
- CoStar and PropTracer serve different primary purposes. CoStar excels at CRE market analytics, lease comps, and property listings. PropTracer excels at finding accurate owner contact information (94-98% phone accuracy) and penetrating corporate ownership structures. Many professionals use CoStar for market research and PropTracer for outreach.
- How much does CoStar cost compared to PropTracer?
- CoStar's enterprise pricing typically ranges from $10,000 to $50,000+ per user per year, depending on modules and market coverage. PropTracer starts at $99/month with no per-user fees. A 5-person team on PropTracer's Pro plan costs approximately $3,588/year total — often less than a single CoStar seat.
- Does CoStar provide skip tracing?
- CoStar provides limited contact information for some property owners, but it is not a skip tracing platform. Its primary value is market analytics and property listings. PropTracer is purpose-built for skip tracing with 94-98% phone accuracy, monthly verification, and AI-powered corporate ownership penetration.
- Can I use PropTracer with CoStar?
- Yes, many professionals use both platforms — CoStar for market research and analytics, and PropTracer for accurate owner contacts and skip tracing. PropTracer complements CoStar by providing the contact intelligence that CoStar lacks.
- What is the best alternative to CoStar for finding property owners?
- PropTracer is the leading alternative to CoStar for property owner contacts. While CoStar focuses on market analytics, PropTracer delivers 94-98% accurate phone numbers, penetrates LLC and corporate structures, covers both commercial and residential properties, and costs a fraction of CoStar's enterprise pricing.