CoStar does not publish a rate card; pricing is quoted by its sales team as a contract based on users, markets and products. Because CoStar is the largest commercial real estate information provider, its pricing reflects its status as the institutional standard for brokers and investors. For a team that sells services to commercial buildings, understanding the contract shape is critical before engaging in a sales cycle, as an enterprise research seat often over-serves their actual needs.
Disclosure: Scout Data is our product; treat that entry as a maker’s pitch and the rest as our honest read.
What drives a CoStar quote
Rather than offering fixed tiers on a pricing page, CoStar quotes each contract. Three things shape a quote:
- Users: how many people on your team need a login.
- Markets: the metros or regions you need covered.
- Products and term: which CoStar products are in the contract, and for how long. Ask for both in writing before you sign.
What the seat buys versus what service teams need
CoStar is built for underwriting acquisitions, negotiating leases, and deep market analytics. A subscriber gets unparalleled historical transaction data, comprehensive lease comps, and institutional-grade market reporting.
However, a commercial roofing or solar company does not need to underwrite a warehouse; they just need to know who can authorize a roof replacement. Buying an enterprise CoStar seat for outbound sales means paying a premium for analytics you will not use, while still requiring your reps to look up buildings one by one.
The alternatives by job
If an enterprise contract is not the right fit, the alternatives depend on your workflow:
| Job you were considering CoStar for | Where to look instead |
|---|---|
| Listing marketplaces and comps | Crexi provides an active marketplace combined with a self-serve data tier. |
| Unmasking LLCs for off-market deals | Reonomy specializes in entity resolution and is available as a self-serve subscription (see CoStar vs Reonomy). |
| A list of buildings with the people who decide | Scout Data’s commercial data. Instead of a research seat, you get a targeted list and an owner dossier per building that names the decision-makers and their phone numbers. |
Where Scout Data fits
For outbound service sales, commercial data from Scout Data replaces the research seat entirely. Instead of paying for an analytics platform to manually look up properties, you specify your territory and target (e.g., aging flat roofs).
Scout Data delivers an owner dossier for each building containing the operating business, the owning entity, the named decision-makers and their numbers, and every other parcel they hold. It is quoted per territory after you review five sample dossiers, with no seat to license.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a CoStar subscription?
CoStar does not publish a standard rate card. The subscription cost is quoted privately by its sales team and depends on the number of users, the markets you need and the products in the contract.
Can I sign up for CoStar online?
No. CoStar has no self-serve sign-up: a subscription starts with its sales team, and the term is part of the quote. Self-serve tools such as Reonomy advertise a monthly price you can buy on their site.
Is there a cheaper alternative to CoStar for service businesses?
If you are selling to buildings (like a commercial roofer or solar installer), you need a list of owners, not a deep market research seat. Commercial data from Scout Data is quoted per territory rather than per seat, delivering actionable owner dossiers without an enterprise contract. See CoStar alternatives for a full breakdown.