AutoScout24
AutoScout24 operates Europe's largest online automotive marketplace, connecting millions of private car buyers and sellers with a paid dealer network across eight European countries and, since 2024, Canada, while monetizing through dealer subscriptions, advertising, financing (Smyle), and B2B wholesale (AUTOproff).
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersMunich, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What AutoScout24 does
AutoScout24, founded in 1998 and headquartered in Munich, operates Europe's largest online automotive marketplace, connecting private buyers and sellers with professional car dealers across localized portals in Germany, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, France, and Luxembourg, and now extending into Canada via the 2024 TRADER Corporation acquisition. The platform hosts hundreds of thousands of vehicle listings and reports more than 40 million monthly users, monetizing primarily through tiered dealer advertising and subscription packages, with secondary revenue from private-seller premium upsells, transaction-linked financing via Smyle, and B2B wholesale trading through AUTOproff.
The product surface has expanded well beyond classified listings. The platform combines a marketplace with dealer SaaS (an AI-integrated dealer dashboard launched in October 2025), digital vehicle inspection tools, online purchase and home-delivery services (Smyle), a Switzerland private-to-dealer sales product (AutoScout24 Direct launched September 2024 in partnership with CarAuktion AG), an editorial content library (Automagazin), EV advisory tools (Elektroauto-Berater), and a free vehicle valuation tool. Acquired brands — AUTOproff (B2B wholesale, 2022), LeaseVergelijker (2022), AutoTrack and Gaspedaal.nl (Netherlands, December 2025), and TRADER Corporation (Canada, closing Q4 2024) — have been retained under their existing brands and integrated into a broader commerce ecosystem alongside affiliate LeasingMarkt.de.
The business model is a classic two-sided marketplace with a freemium consumer side and a subscription/advertising B2B side. AutoScout24 GmbH is the operating entity, majority-owned by private equity firm Hellman & Friedman, which has funded two disclosed rounds tied to acquisitions: a $200M transaction with AUTOproff in 2022 and a $100M incremental equity investment in 2024 to support the TRADER deal. Distribution is wholly digital — localized websites, iOS and Android apps, SEO, social media, and newsletter — with no physical retail footprint. Headcount sits in the 251-500 band, and the company is investing in dealer tooling, verticalized financial services, and cross-border consolidation rather than relying on user growth alone.
AutoScout24 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AutoScout24
- Legal name
- AutoScout24 GmbH
- Website
- https://autoscout24.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- AutoScout24 operates Europe's largest online automotive marketplace, connecting millions of private car buyers and sellers with a paid dealer network across eight European countries and, since 2024, Canada, while monetizing through dealer subscriptions, advertising, financing (Smyle), and B2B wholesale (AUTOproff).
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AutoScout24 industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Automotive Marketplace
- NAICS
- Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers (441), Automobile Dealers (4411), Automobile and Other Motor Vehicle Merchant Wholesalers (42311)
- SIC
- Retail-Auto Dealers & Gasoline Stations (5500), Wholesale-Motor Vehicles & Motor Vehicle Parts & Supplies (5010)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Automotive Vehicles & Parts C2C (CRAFAKAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Automotive Parts, Tires & Workshop Supplies Marketplaces (CRAFAHAD), Auto Refinance (FSAKADAB)
Keywords
Where AutoScout24 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Munich
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
AutoScout24 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations
Revenue model
- Dealer Advertising & Listings: AutoScout24 generates revenue primarily from car dealers who pay for advertising and enhanced listing placement on the platform. Dealers can purchase various advertising tiers to increase visibility of their vehicle inventories.
- Private Listings: Free listing marketplace for private sellers with premium upsell options for enhanced visibility. Private sellers can list vehicles for free but may pay for promoted placement.
- Subscription Services for Dealers: Dealers pay subscription fees for access to dealer tools, analytics dashboards, and premium features. Belgian dealers faced approximately 20% price increases in late 2025.
- Smyle Financing: Online car purchase service offering financing options, extending AutoScout24's revenue into financial services territory.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free marketplace listing for private sellers |
| Subscription | Monthly | Dealer advertising and subscription services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
AutoScout24 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AutoScout24 operates Europe's largest online automotive marketplace, connecting private and professional vehicle sellers with buyers across 20+ countries. The platform aggregates new, used, and leased vehicle listings from dealers, leasing companies, and private sellers, and monetizes primarily through dealer subscriptions and advertising while offering ancillary B2B services (AUTOproff wholesale trading) and consumer direct-purchase (Smyle, AutoScout24 Direct) offerings.
Product overview
AutoScout24 is a pan-European online automotive marketplace operating as the largest online car market in Europe. The core product is the AutoScout24 Marketplace connecting buyers and sellers of new and used vehicles for both private individuals and dealers. The platform family includes AUTOproff (wholesale B2B vehicle trading acquired 2022), AutoScout24 Smyle (direct online car purchase with delivery), the AI-powered Dealer Dashboard (dealer management), Digital Inspection Tools (vehicle assessment), and AutoScout24 Direct (Switzerland private-to-dealer sales). Supporting services include an Automotive Magazine with tests and guides, an EV Advisor tool, and Vehicle Valuation tools. Internationally, the TRADER Corporation acquisition (August 2024) brought Canadian platforms AutoTrader.ca and AutoHebdo.net (~26M monthly visits), while December 2025 acquisitions added Netherlands-based AutoTrack and Gaspedaal.nl. Affiliated brands include LeasingMarkt.de. The platform serves Germany, Austria, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, France, Spain, Luxembourg, and Canada.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- AutoProff: B2B platform for used vehicle trading and wholesale vehicle trading solutions for car dealers
- LeasingMarkt.de
- Smyle
- AutoScout24 Direct
- AutoScout24 Media
Products and services
- AutoScout24 Marketplace
- AUTOproff
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 40 million monthly users across the platform
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use AutoScout24
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
AutoScout24 technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature4 records
AutoScout24 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Automotive MediaVentions (AMV)coreAutoScout24 acquired Netherlands-based AutoTrack and Gaspedaal.nl from Automotive MediaVentions (AMV) in December 2025. The existing sites continue to operate under their current brands, expanding AutoScout24's presence in the Dutch automotive marketplace.
- CarAuktion AGcoreAutoScout24 Direct in Switzerland was launched in partnership with CarAuktion AG to connect private sellers with Switzerland's national dealer network. This partnership enables a hybrid marketplace model combining private seller listings with dealer accessibility.
- AUTOproffcoreAutoScout24 acquired a majority stake in AUTOproff, a European B2B platform for used vehicle trading, in Q1 2022. The acquisition enhances AutoScout24's capabilities by adding wholesale vehicle trading solutions for car dealers across Europe. AUTOproff operates as a separate platform under the AutoScout24 family.
- LeasingMarkt.decoreLeasingMarkt.de operates as a sister company within the AutoScout24 family, providing leasing comparison services for vehicles listed on the AutoScout24 platform. The partnership extends AutoScout24's services into vehicle leasing.
- TRADER CorporationcoreTRADER Corporation is a Canadian company being acquired by AutoScout24 from Thoma Bravo, expected to close in Q4 2024. The acquisition includes AutoTrader.ca and AutoHebdo.net platforms (26 million monthly visits) plus dealer software solutions and credit services, marking AutoScout24's expansion into North America.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights7 records
AutoScout24 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Mobile.de: Germany's largest online car marketplace and AutoScout24's most direct domestic competitor. Both platforms operate two-sided marketplaces for new and used vehicles with dealer subscription models, competing head-to-head for German dealer wallets and buyer traffic in DACH.
- Auto Trader UK: The UK's largest digital automotive marketplace owned by Cox Automotive. Operates the same dealer subscription and private listing model as AutoScout24 and is the closest UK analogue in terms of market leadership and revenue model.
- CarGurus: US-headquartered online car marketplace with growing UK and EU presence. Competes directly with AutoScout24 in dealer subscription listings and uses a similar dealer-tier advertising model.
- Cars.com: Leading US online automotive marketplace that connects car shoppers with sellers. Operates an analogous dealer subscription and advertising model with national coverage, comparable to AutoScout24's European footprint.
- Leboncoin: France's largest general classifieds platform (owned by Adevinta) with a strong automotive vertical. Competes with AutoScout24.fr for French private sellers and dealers using a similar freemium listing model.
- Subito: Italy's leading classifieds platform (owned by Adevinta) with a significant automotive vertical. Directly competes with AutoScout24.it for Italian private sellers and dealer listings in the same C2C/classifieds model.
- OLX: Global classifieds platform with significant automotive verticals across Europe and emerging markets. Competes with AutoScout24 in selected European countries (notably Portugal and parts of Eastern Europe) with a similar C2C marketplace model.
Emerging players
- Auto1 Group: European B2B/B2C online used car platform operating Autohero (retail) and AUTO1.com (B2B marketplace). Overlaps with AutoScout24's vehicle commerce layer, particularly with AUTOproff in B2B wholesale trading.
- Carwow: European online car marketplace focused on new car transactions through dealer bidding. Competes with AutoScout24 for buyer attention and dealer relationships, particularly in UK and Germany, with a transaction-led model.
Broad incumbents
- Cox Automotive / Manheim: Global automotive services conglomerate (parent of Auto Trader UK, Kelley Blue Book, Manheim auctions). Overlaps with AutoScout24's marketplace, dealer software, and auction/wholesale operations through its broad portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
AutoScout24 social profiles
Digital presenceAutoScout24 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AutoScout24 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
AutoScout24 subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
AutoScout24 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AutoScout24 M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A6 records
Investments2 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about AutoScout24
What does AutoScout24 do?
AutoScout24 operates Europe's largest online automotive marketplace, connecting private and professional vehicle sellers with buyers across 20+ countries. The platform aggregates new, used, and leased vehicle listings from dealers, leasing companies, and private sellers, and monetizes primarily through dealer subscriptions and advertising while offering ancillary B2B services (AUTOproff wholesale trading) and consumer direct-purchase (Smyle, AutoScout24 Direct) offerings.
Is AutoScout24 a public or private company?
AutoScout24 is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was AutoScout24 founded?
AutoScout24 was founded in 1998. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is AutoScout24 based?
AutoScout24 is headquartered in Munich, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does AutoScout24 make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Dealer Advertising & Listings are the primary driver. The others are private Listings, subscription Services for Dealers and smyle Financing.
Who are AutoScout24's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Mobile.de, Auto Trader UK, CarGurus, Cars.com, Leboncoin, Subito and OLX. Emerging players are Auto1 Group and Carwow. Cox Automotive / Manheim is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does AutoScout24 have an API?
No public API is recorded for AutoScout24.
What industry is AutoScout24 in?
AutoScout24's product category is Online Automotive Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAFAKAE, Automotive Vehicles & Parts C2C, with a secondary code of CRAFAHAD, Automotive Parts, Tires & Workshop Supplies Marketplaces. Its NAICS code is 441 and its SIC code is 5500.