Zillow vs Redfin (Home Value Estimates)
Both are free automated valuation models (AVMs), and both are explicit that their numbers are starting points, not appraisals. Zillow's Zestimate uses neural networks trained on 100M-plus data points and updates several times per week; Redfin's Estimate is an ML model blending MLS data, comparable sales, tax records, and 500-plus data points, updated daily for on-market homes and weekly off-market. Redfin's MLS-direct feed tends to reflect fresh listing data faster; Zillow lets homeowners edit property facts that feed the model. Both publish their own median error rates, and both are notably less accurate in non-disclosure states. Use both as a ballpark, then get a real CMA from a local agent before pricing. No independent accuracy test was run; no winner is claimed.
| Decision point | Zillow | Redfin |
|---|---|---|
| Best suited to | Home buyers and sellers who want a free automated valuation alongside listings. | Home buyers and sellers who want a free automated valuation and a conversational search experience. |
| Plans and cost | Free to home searchers: no user subscription. Zillow earns from agent and advertising services, not from user fees. Zestimate: neural-network valuation; Zillow publishes on-market and off-market median-error figures on its Zestimate page (on-market substantially more accurate); figures and coverage change over time, so check the page for the current numbers. AI mode launched March 25, 2026 as a beta: buyers can ask about affordability, compare homes, schedule tours directly, and connect with a local agent, alongside personalized recommendations and natural-language search. | Free to home searchers: no user subscription. Redfin earns from brokerage services, not from user fees. Redfin Estimate: Redfin publishes on-market and off-market median-error figures on its estimate page (on-market substantially more accurate); figures change over time, so check the estimate page for the current numbers. Estimates draw on direct MLS data. Conversational search launched November 2025 on the site and iOS app, alongside Ask Redfin AI and a buying-power affordability view; a Redfin app inside ChatGPT launched February 6, 2026. |
| Limitations | The Zestimate is an automated valuation, not an appraisal, and it should not replace an appraisal or a broker's pricing opinion. Zestimate inputs include public records, MLS data, tax records, past sales, and owner-submitted home facts, so unreported additions or renovations will not appear in the estimate. | The Redfin Estimate is an automated valuation, not an appraisal, and it should not replace a broker's pricing opinion or a formal appraisal. Estimate accuracy is limited to markets Redfin serves, and off-market homes carry a much wider median error than on-market homes. |
Use the same input
Look up the same residential address on Zillow and Redfin, record both estimates and their stated confidence or error figures, and note which inputs the homeowner can correct on each platform.
What a successful result must preserve
The tool must return an instant home value estimate from an address, free of charge, with a published method for how the number is computed and how accurate it claims to be.
Evidence and test status
Official specification comparison based on the companies' own documentation and third-party accuracy analyses, re-checked October 2026. We did not run an independent valuation-accuracy study; no accuracy ranking is claimed.
- Zillow — Zillow Zestimate official page ↗ (reviewed 2026-10-31), Zillow AI mode press release ↗ (reviewed 2026-10-31)
- Redfin — Redfin Estimate official page ↗ (reviewed 2026-10-31), Redfin ChatGPT app press release ↗ (reviewed 2026-10-31)