Bring a Trailer and Cars & Bids are the two biggest online auction sites for enthusiast cars, and since 2025 they have charged buyers exactly the same fee. For a seller, the real differences are the listing cost, the kind of cars each site is known for, and how each handles a car that doesn't sell.
Key numbers
- Cost to sell
- Cars & Bids is free. Bring a Trailer charges a flat $99 to $2,500 or more.
- Buyer's fee
- Identical: 5%, with a $250 minimum and $7,500 cap.
- Car focus
- Cars & Bids: 1980s and newer. Bring a Trailer: every era, including classics.
- Bottom line
- For most sellers the fees are a wash. Choose by which audience suits your car.
Side by side
| Bring a Trailer | Cars & Bids | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to list | $99, $429 or $2,500 and up | Free |
| Seller commission | None | None |
| Buyer's fee | 5%, $250 to $7,500 | 5%, $250 to $7,500 |
| Cars | All eras, including classics | 1980s and newer |
| Professional photos | Included with the $429 Plus listing | You arrange your own |
| History report | — | Provided free |
| Auction length | About a week | Seven days |
| Reserve not met | You get the high bidder's contact details | The site contacts both sides to help make a deal |
Cars & Bids details from its own site. Bring a Trailer details as reported by Axis Auto in March 2026. Checked October 2026.
Fees: closer than they look
The buyer's fee is the same on both sites, so bidders face the same cost either way. The only fee difference for a seller is the listing fee: free on Cars & Bids, and $99 or more on Bring a Trailer.
On a car worth six figures, that difference is small. A stronger final bid on the site that suits your car better will outweigh it many times over. See the detail in the Bring a Trailer fees and Cars & Bids fees guides.
Which cars suit which site
- Classic and vintage cars. Bring a Trailer lists cars from every era, so it's the natural choice for an air-cooled 911, a classic Ferrari or an older Land Rover Defender.
- Modern enthusiast cars. Cars & Bids was built for cars from the 1980s on. A modern Porsche, a Lamborghini Gallardo or a BMW M car fits either site.
- Either way, look at recent sales of cars like yours on both sites. Where similar cars drew more bidders and stronger prices is the best guide.
How to choose
- Search both sites for recent results on your model, and note the prices and how many bids each drew.
- Submit to your first choice. Both review submissions, and neither accepts every car.
- Decide on a reserve before you submit. You can't list the car elsewhere once it's accepted.
- Budget time. Either way, you'll be answering questions for a week.
Not sure an auction is right at all? How selling works compares auctions with dealer buyouts, consignment and private sales.
Common questions
Is Cars and Bids cheaper than Bring a Trailer?
For sellers, yes, slightly. Cars & Bids is free to list on, while Bring a Trailer charges a flat listing fee from $99. The buyer's fee is the same on both.
Which site gets higher prices?
It depends on the car. Compare recent results for your model on both sites. Classics tend to suit Bring a Trailer's audience, and modern enthusiast cars fit either.
Can I list my car on both sites?
Not at the same time. Cars & Bids requires that your car isn't advertised for sale anywhere else during the auction.
Do both sites charge the same buyer's fee?
Yes. Both charge buyers 5% of the winning bid, with a $250 minimum and a $7,500 maximum.
Sources
- Cars & Bids: What's Cars & Bids?
- Axis Auto: Bring a Trailer fees 2026 (March 23, 2026)
- The Autopian: Cars & Bids raises its buyer fees to match Bring a Trailer (February 24, 2025)
Figures were checked against these sources in October 2026. Prices change, so confirm before relying on them.