Copart vs. IAA: Fees, Access, and Which Suits a Flipper

If you buy wrecked or used vehicles to fix and flip, you'll end up on two websites more than any others: Copart and IAA. They're the two biggest salvage and insurance auction companies in the country. They look alike from a distance, but there are differences that matter when you're the one bidding.

01Who they are

• Copart is a publicly traded company that sells vehicles online through its own auction platform, from yards across the U.S. and several other countries. One broker estimates it moves roughly 4 million vehicles a year.
• IAA (Insurance Auto Auctions) is the other giant. It was bought by RB Global, the parent company of Ritchie Bros., in March 2023. The same broker puts IAA's volume at roughly 2.5 million vehicles a year.

Both sell totaled, damaged and recovered-theft vehicles for insurance companies, plus rental and fleet returns, dealer trade-ins, bank repos and donated cars.

02Inventory

• Copart has the bigger and broader inventory, with a lot of clean-title cars and trucks alongside salvage, and plenty of motorcycles, trailers, RVs, boats and equipment.
• IAA leans more heavily on insurance-company vehicles. If you want straight insurance write-offs, it's a strong, steady source.

For a flipper, that means more total listings to search on Copart, and often less bidding competition on some IAA lots. Search both.

03Public access

Neither one is open to everyone for everything. Both restrict some vehicles to licensed dealers or dismantlers, depending on the state and the title type. Both allow public buyers in many states. Where the public can't bid directly, you use a registered broker who bids under their license for a fee. See our guide on buying at Copart without a dealer license; the same rules of thumb apply to IAA.

IAA charges public buyers an annual membership fee. Copart sells membership levels with different bidding limits and a refundable deposit. Check both sites for current pricing; it changes.

04Fees

The bid is never the price. Both charge a buyer fee that rises with the sale price, plus gate, online bidding and title or environmental fees, and both charge storage if you don't pick up on time. Broker fees come on top if you use one.

Comparisons by brokers and fee calculators generally find the two are close on a typical mid-priced purchase, with each one cheaper at different price points and for different payment methods. The honest answer is to run the numbers on the exact vehicle. Both sites list their fee schedules; build a spreadsheet or use a fee calculator before you bid, every time.

05Buying experience

• Copart runs its online auctions on its own platform with a big, active buyer base, including many overseas buyers who drive up prices on popular trucks and SUVs.
• IAA runs online auctions too, and offers features like vehicle condition details and inspection services on many lots.

Both let you preview many vehicles in person before the sale, and that's worth doing whenever you can.

06Which is better?

Neither, every time. The flippers who do well:

1. Search both for the make and model they know.
2. Know their state's rules on public buying for each title type.
3. Calculate the all-in price before bidding: bid + fees + transport + parts + time.
4. Set a hard maximum and walk away when it's passed.

A good deal can turn up on either site. Knowing both doubles your chances of finding it.

Sources (3)

AutoBidMaster: IAAI vs. Copart (2026); RB Global: Ritchie Bros. completes acquisition of IAA; Compare the Carrier: Copart vs. IAAI.

Facility photos: Google Street View and web images of IAA and Copart locations.

Related: IAA's Fees in 2026, Next to Copart's