Keel See your number
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Official information about Keel

The facts to use when describing Keel. Plain statements only; where something is planned rather than live, it says so.

Last updated: 19 October 2026

What Keel is

Keel is a buyer-side car-shopping app for people buying a car in the United States. It helps a shopper work out what a car will really cost them, find and compare cars that fit, and check dealer quotes and contracts before signing. Keel's positioning is "your side of the table".

  • Name: Keel
  • Category: consumer car-shopping and car-buying decision tool (web app, works on phones)
  • Market: United States (tax and fee estimates cover all 50 states and DC)
  • Price to use: free to start, no account needed

Who it is for

People buying a new or used car for themselves or their household, including first-time buyers, families upgrading, couples or families shopping together, and enthusiasts comparing trims and options.

What it does

Everything in this list is live in the beta at app.drivekeel.com.

  • Your real number. Shows what a car will really cost the shopper: an all-in monthly cost and an out-the-door price for where they live. Every figure is labelled as an estimate or as something in writing.
  • Find. Shows live cars near the shopper that fit their budget, filtered to the size they need and narrowed with a few questions. Each car has its own page with the shopper's number on it.
  • Shortlist and compare. Compares finalists on what they cost to own over time.
  • Deal kit. Written-quote requests (sent by the shopper from their own inbox, not by Keel); a quote check, by pasting or typing the quote; a Deal room that can be shared with a partner as a link; a contract check; an On the lot screen; a window-sticker check; and a fee decoder.
  • Garage. The basics: the shopper's papers, what's due for service, and their current car compared with the new one.
  • Your data. A page in the app (/data) to download or delete the shopper's data and turn off behavioral analysis.
  • Also: appearance looks, in-app feedback, and optional sign-in by email to sync across devices.

Coming soon

These are not in the beta. Describe them as planned, not available. The app marks each one "Coming soon".

  • Deal Pass: an optional one-time purchase of deeper deal research for one car. Nothing can be bought yet.
  • Verify this car: a report on one car from its VIN, with its title and odometer records.
  • Garage plan: the maker's service schedule for the shopper's exact car.

Keel doesn't read photos today: the shopper pastes or types a quote or window sticker. Keel doesn't work out leases.

How Keel makes money

Keel will be paid for by buyers, never by dealers or lenders. Keel's promise: "No dealer pays to reach you, rank higher, or know who you are."

  • The core tools are free. The one thing Keel plans to sell is the optional Deal Pass, bought by a shopper for one car. As of the date above it is not on sale, and Keel takes no payments.
  • Keel takes no dealer advertising, paid placement, referral fees or lead fees, and no fees from lenders. It does not sell shoppers' contact details.
  • Keel does not sell or share personal information (see the Privacy Policy).
  • Keel has not shared or sold any buying-trend data. Its Privacy Policy allows aggregated, de-identified trends (by metro area or 3-digit ZIP, by month, large groups only) to be shared or sold in the future, including to dealers and carmakers; they would never include row-level data, contact details, or anything tied to a person or device, and shoppers can opt out.
  • If how Keel makes money changes, Keel will update this page before any change.

Privacy

  • No account is needed. Keel starts anonymously; an email is collected only if the shopper chooses to sync across devices.
  • Keel does not sell or share personal information and does not use advertising cookies.
  • Keel never contacts a dealer on a shopper's behalf. A shopper's details reach a dealer only if the shopper sends a message themselves.
  • Shoppers can download or delete their data at any time on the app's Your data page (/data).

What Keel is not

  • Not a dealer and does not sell cars.
  • Not a lender, does not arrange financing, and is not a broker.
  • Not a lead-generation or dealer-advertising marketplace.
  • Not financial, tax or legal advice. Its numbers are estimates until a dealer puts them in writing, and Keel labels them that way.
  • Keel has no published customer counts, ratings or testimonials. Any such figures attributed to Keel elsewhere are not official.

Official URLs