Inflation has hit consumers hard, so finding ways to save money is crucial today. Fortunately, the internet makes it easy to save money by using price comparison websites to find the best deals and get price drop alerts.
Let’s dive into the best options.
How Do Price Comparison Websites Work?
Price comparison websites have different nuances but the same premises. You search for the product or category you want to shop for, and it presents you with stores selling the items or categories. You can typically sort the results by price, relevance, or discount.
Each price comparison site or app works with different retailers, so pay attention to which stores they monitor to ensure you’re getting the desired results.
The Best Price Comparison Websites for Smart Shoppers
The price comparison sites on my list are free, so you don’t lose anything by trying them, but time is money, so find the site that searches the stores you prefer.
- Google Shopping
- Capital One Shopping
- Honey
- Become
- Bizrate
- CamelCamelCamel
- ShopSavvy
- Shopzilla
- Yahoo! Shopping
- BuyVia
- Pricepirates
- Price.com
- Shopping.com
1. Google Shopping
It’s probably not surprising that Google Shopping is one of the most user-friendly price comparison websites. It integrates perfectly with typical search engine results, but if you need more robust answers, click the ‘Shopping’ tab at the top of your results page.
You can search by typing in the product’s name or description, or if you use the Google mobile app, you can upload a picture of what you’re looking for and get options from different stores and even comparable products if Google can’t find the exact product you uploaded.
2. Capital One Shopping
Capital One Shopping made our list of price comparison websites even though, technically, it’s not a website. Instead, it’s a free browser extension or mobile app that works in the background when you shop online. It works with 30,000+ sites to get you great deals on your purchases.
Capital One Shopping also offers shopping rewards for some purchases. The rewards are given as points that you can redeem for gift cards. Remember, shopping rewards take 30 – 90 days to become available.
Read our full Capital One Shopping review for more details.
Capital One Shopping compensates us when you get the browser extension using the links provided.
3. Honey
Honey works a lot like the Capital One Shopping extension. It’s a free browser extension that automatically looks for deals when you shop online. Honey works with 30,000+ sites to find coupon codes to help you save money.
Adding the extension to Chrome takes only a few seconds, and then you can shop normally. If there’s a code that works for your purchase, Honey automatically applies it to your cart, and you save money!
Read our full Honey app review for more details.
4. Become
Become is a simple price comparison website anyone can use without creating an account. You simply enter the product you’re looking for and then sort the results by best match or price if you prefer to shop from lowest to highest price.
5. Bizrate
Bizrate is like the Google of price comparison websites. You enter a specific product or category, and it searches the web for the best deals. If you find a deal you want, click ‘Go to Store,’ and you’re taken directly to the link for the deal.
You can sort your results by best match, price, or request that it only show free shipping options or items on sale.
Keep in mind that the website is a little dated and doesn’t feel user-friendly, but it gets the point across: helping consumers find great deals online without doing the work themselves.
6. CamelCamelCamel
CamelCamelCamel is an Amazon price tracker. It tracks the prices of millions of products sold on Amazon and sends alerts when the price drops, helping you to save the most money. You can also use the Amazon price history charts to make buying decisions because you can see how often the price changes for a specific product.
If you want something easier than the price comparison website, CamelCamelCamel also has a free browser extension called The Camelizer, so you automatically get information about your Amazon searches even if you forget to check yourself.
7. ShopSavvy
ShopSavvy is a price comparison website, but they highly encourage users to install their free browser extension for even more features. ShopSavvy is available on your browser and iOS and Android, allowing you to price-check items in-store by scanning the barcode.
On ShopSavvy, you’ll see price comparisons across thousands of retailers, price tracking over 3, 6, or 12 months. You can also sign up for price drop and deal alerts to never miss the best deals. However, my favorite feature is the ‘back in stock’ alert. We all know how frustrating stock has been lately, but ShopSavvy ensures you know when an item is available again.
8. Shopzilla
Shopzilla is another easy-to-use price comparison website. Just enter what you’re looking for, and it will show you the deals across the internet. The downside is they only partner with a handful of stores, so you may not get the desired results. You can sort your results by store to narrow your options.
I like the ‘Current Trends’ section because it gives you ideas of what to search for while showing you the best deals available within their network.
9. Yahoo! Shopping
Yahoo! Shopping tracks the prices for you. All you have to do is enter the product you want to save money on, and the price comparison website does the rest. You can sort results by relevancy, popularity, discount, and price.
You must create a free account to save items to the price tracker or get alerts when a price drops. However, anyone can search prices for specific products and read the ‘hottest deals’ and recommended products to get more ideas when shopping online.
10. BuyVia
BuyVia is a price comparison website that allows users to search for a specific product or browse products by category. Their homepage lists the latest deals, including one-day-only sales, so it pays to check back often to see what deals are available.
If you want more ways to save money, you can also find coupons and promo codes to use on your purchases so you always get the best deal.
11. Pricepirates
Pricepirates makes finding the lowest prices on your favorite products simple. Just enter the product, and they’ll display results from multiple stores, including eBay, so that you can see all your options.
Pricepirates also has an Apple and Android app to help you compare prices while on the go.
12. Price.com
Price.com is a price comparison website that compares prices from over 100,000 stores. They offer the option to search for online or in-store products so you get the desired results.
You can also download the free browser extension that will automatically compare prices while you search and notify you when a price drops.
13. Shopping.com
Shopping.com works with a handful of stores, including eBay, Poshmar, and Thredup, so you can also compare prices of secondhand items.
You can search individual products in the search bar or browse the ‘Top Products’ or ‘Top Deals’ to browse the latest deals, like window shopping in the mall, but this is only virtual.
FAQs
Price comparison websites are a great way to ensure you aren’t overspending or, better yet, to get price drop alerts. Here are some common questions people have about them.
Are Price Comparison Websites Free?
The price comparison websites on our list are free. Some are only available as websites, and others have a free browser extension or app you can download.
Which Price Comparison Websites Offer the Most Accurate Results?
Google Shopping usually has the most accurate results. The results are up-to-the-minute, showing plenty of detail and a price history for comparison.
Not all price comparison websites are reliable, though. Always do your own research to see if the results a comparison site provides are realistic.
Can Price Comparison Websites Help You Save Money?
I still recommend doing your own research when using price comparison sites, but they can be the starting point to saving money. They help you find the lowest prices, but you may also find coupons or promo codes to make the deal even better.
Do Price Comparison Websites Track Discounts and Promotions?
Some price comparison websites only track prices. But others, like the Honey extension, provide coupon codes and discounts to help you save more money.
Can Price Comparison Websites Help Find the Cheapest Flights?
There are specific price comparison websites for flights, like Skyscanner. Just like regular comparison sites, it aggregates the lowest flight prices based on the parameters you enter, including travel dates, departure, and arrival cities.
Are There Any Price Comparison Websites Specifically for Electronics?
There are a few price comparison websites for electronics for other countries, like Canada. In the U.S., your best bet is to stick with Google Shopping, which covers the largest number of stores and deals to help you save money.
The Bottom Line
If you’re serious about saving money this year, consider adding price comparison websites to your shopping habits. If you forget to check them, consider adding the Honey browser extension to Chrome so you never have an excuse for overpaying for items again!
