Compare auto parts supplier prices across distributors
Track what changed in a parts distributor's re-issued price list, or compare current price lists from several distributors for the same parts — with nothing uploaded to run the comparison.
Why auto parts price lists are hard to compare by hand
- An independent repair shop or parts buyer juggles price lists from several distributors at once, each with its own SKU scheme, formatting, and update schedule — lining them up by eye doesn't scale past a handful of part numbers.
- The same physical part can appear under a distributor's own SKU, an OEM reference number, or both — and those two identifiers don't always line up cleanly between two distributors' files.
- A large distributor catalog runs to thousands of part numbers across categories like brakes, filters, belts, ignition, bearings, and wipers, so a handful of real price changes hide easily among rows that didn't move.
Try it with a sample parts list
A fictional sample covering brake pads, oil filters, air filters, serpentine belts, spark plugs, wheel bearings, and wiper blades — with an OEM reference column alongside the SKU, and one ambiguous pair left for review rather than matched automatically. Download it and drop it into a comparison, or use it to see the column structure CostRift expects before mapping your own file.
Download the sample parts list (.csv)Old vs. new: what changed in a distributor's price list
When a distributor re-issues its price list, Price Change compares it against the previous version and flags every part number that went up, went down, was added, or was dropped — at any catalog size. For the decision that follows a real increase, see supplier price increase.
Try Price Change with example dataSeveral distributors, same parts: comparing offers
Sourcing the same parts from two or three distributors means lining up two or three price lists with different SKU schemes. Supplier Comparison matches by the identifier column you map and shows the cheapest distributor per part. See comparing supplier quotes for the general version of this workflow, or comparing distributor price lists for the large-catalog version at a thousand-plus rows.
Try Supplier Comparison with example dataHow each part is classified
- Increased / Decreased
- The part is present in both files and its cost moved — with the absolute and percentage change.
- Unchanged
- The part is present in both files at the same cost.
- New / Removed
- The part appears in only one of the two files.
- Needs review
- A part with an ambiguous or missing identifier — left flagged rather than matched by a guess at the description.
- Currency or unit mismatch
- Comparable rows priced in a different currency or unit of measure — flagged rather than silently compared.
What this isn't
CostRift compares the price rows in the files you provide and flags what it can't resolve safely. It does not provide:
- VIN lookup or vehicle-specific fitment
- An OEM interchange or cross-reference database
- Inventory availability or stock levels
- Ordering or purchase-order creation
- Buy Box or marketplace price matching
- Catalog enrichment or data cleanup beyond what you upload
- Semantic or AI-based part matching from descriptions alone
For how the row matching itself works in detail, see supplier price list comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Does CostRift know which OEM number matches which distributor SKU?
No. CostRift has no OEM interchange or cross-reference database. It matches rows by the identifier column you map — SKU, OEM reference, or whichever column you choose — first by exact match, then a normalized version. If two distributors use different identifiers for the same physical part with no shared column to match on, that row won't match automatically and needs your own cross-reference.
What happens to a part that only appears in one distributor's list?
It's shown as new or removed rather than silently dropped — you still see it, just flagged as single-sided instead of compared against a nonexistent counterpart.
Can CostRift look up vehicle fitment or VIN-specific parts?
No. CostRift has no vehicle fitment, VIN lookup, or vehicle-specific catalog data of any kind — it only compares the price rows in the files you provide.
Is there a limit on how many part numbers I can compare?
The limit depends on your plan, not a fixed number built into the comparison itself — see pricing for specifics. The downloadable sample list is sized to show the file shape, not CostRift's ceiling.
Are my distributor files uploaded anywhere?
No. Files are read and compared in your browser and are not sent to CostRift servers to run the comparison. No account is required to try it.
See it with the sample list, or your own
Try the sample parts list above, or add your own distributor files and see every change in one comparison.