# Auto.dev, free: VIN decoder API

> Simple vehicle data APIs. Call them over REST, or let your agent call them as tools.

Auto.dev's VIN decoder API on its Free plan. It costs $0.00 per 1,000 VINs. It returns 3 of the 8 key fields we check: Type, Engine, Drivetrain.
We rank 47 plans by price. [API Ninjas's $299 monthly plan](https://datacircle.dev/vin-decoder-apis/api-ninjas/299-monthly/llms.txt) is the cheapest paid plan per 1,000 VINs: $0.03.
[VINquery's $180 pack](https://datacircle.dev/vin-decoder-apis/vinquery/180-pack/llms.txt) covers any number of VINs. VINquery's $180 pack costs less to start than API Ninjas's $299 monthly plan.

- This page: https://datacircle.dev/vin-decoder-apis/auto-dev/free
- Get it: https://www.auto.dev/pricing
- Request: `GET https://api.auto.dev/vin/{vin}`
- API key: with the plan, on https://www.auto.dev/pricing
- Its API docs: https://docs.auto.dev/v2/products/vin-decode
- Sold by: Auto.dev (https://www.auto.dev)
- Checked: 2026-10-30

## In the answer

- Completeness: 38%
- Type: ✓
- Engine: ✓
- Drivetrain: ✓

## Price

- $ per 1,000 VINs: $0.00
- Per: call
- Billing: free

## Charges

- Also pays for: from the same budget: Vehicle Listings · Vehicle Photos

## Overage

- Units cap: hard

## Not found

- $ per 1,000: $0.00

## In their words

- Their pitch: Simple vehicle data APIs. Call them over REST, or let your agent call them as tools.

## Data

- Keep data: no limit
- Use data: You receive a limited, non-exclusive license to use Automotive Data solely for your internal business purposes [...] You may not create derivative databases or competing data products [...] You may NOT: Resell, redistribute, or sublicense our Automotive Data to third parties [...] Use our Services to compete directly with Auto.dev [...] Included allowances on the Free Plan are intended for evaluation, development, and small-scale applications, and are not for production systems serving end users

## Plan

- Pay: $0
- You get: 1,000 requests a month
- Enough for: 1,000 calls a month

## Rate limit

- Per second: 5
- Batch: 1

## Speed

- Answer: in the call

## The call

- You send: vin. Optional: ambiguity
- Method: GET
- Path: /vin/{vin}

## About the plan

- Plan: Free
- Who can get it: anyone at least 18 years old with the legal capacity to enter contracts

## The 23 fields the plan's answer can hold

VIN, VIN valid, WMI, origin, squish VIN, check digit, checksum valid, type, make, model, trim, style, body type, engine, drivetrain, transmission, year, manufacturer, ambiguous, possible trims, possible styles, year ambiguous, year encoded

## Auto.dev's plans (6)

- [Auto.dev, free](https://datacircle.dev/vin-decoder-apis/auto-dev/free/llms.txt): $0.00 per 1,000, 38% complete
- [Auto.dev, $299 monthly, Growth, GET /vin/{vin}](https://datacircle.dev/vin-decoder-apis/auto-dev/299-monthly-growth-get-vin-vin/llms.txt): $2.50 per 1,000, 38% complete
- [Auto.dev, $599 monthly, Scale, GET /vin/{vin}](https://datacircle.dev/vin-decoder-apis/auto-dev/599-monthly-scale-get-vin-vin/llms.txt): $1.50 per 1,000, 38% complete
- [Auto.dev, $2,988 yearly, Growth, GET /vin/{vin}](https://datacircle.dev/vin-decoder-apis/auto-dev/2988-yearly-growth-get-vin-vin/llms.txt): $2.50 per 1,000, 38% complete
- [Auto.dev, $5,988 yearly, Scale, GET /vin/{vin}](https://datacircle.dev/vin-decoder-apis/auto-dev/5988-yearly-scale-get-vin-vin/llms.txt): $1.50 per 1,000, 38% complete
- [Auto.dev, contact us, Enterprise, GET /vin/{vin}](https://datacircle.dev/vin-decoder-apis/auto-dev/contact-us-enterprise-get-vin-vin/llms.txt): 38% complete

## Auto.dev's calls (3)

- `GET /vin/{vin}`: [Auto.dev, free](https://datacircle.dev/vin-decoder-apis/auto-dev/free/llms.txt)
- `GET /build/{vin}`: [Auto.dev, $299 monthly, Growth, GET /build/{vin}](https://datacircle.dev/vin-decoder-apis/auto-dev/299-monthly-growth-get-build-vin/llms.txt)
- `GET /specs/{vin}`: [Auto.dev, $299 monthly, Growth, GET /specs/{vin}](https://datacircle.dev/vin-decoder-apis/auto-dev/299-monthly-growth-get-specs-vin/llms.txt)

## Auto.dev's APIs (1)

- [Auto.dev: VIN decoder API pricing, 6 plans](https://datacircle.dev/vin-decoder-apis/auto-dev/free/llms.txt)

## Auto.dev: VIN decoder API alternatives

- [CarAPI, $299 yearly](https://datacircle.dev/vin-decoder-apis/carapi/299-yearly/llms.txt): $0.137 per 1,000, 75% complete, 1 day
- [API Ninjas, $59 monthly](https://datacircle.dev/vin-decoder-apis/api-ninjas/59-monthly/llms.txt): $0.59 per 1,000, 0% complete
- [MarketCheck, $299 monthly, Basic, GET /v2/decode/car/{vin}/specs](https://datacircle.dev/vin-decoder-apis/marketcheck/299-monthly-basic-get-v2-decode-car-vin-specs/llms.txt): $1.50 per 1,000, 50% complete
- [CarsXE, $2,490 yearly, Pro (billed annually), GET /specs](https://datacircle.dev/vin-decoder-apis/carsxe/2490-yearly-pro-billed-annually-get-specs/llms.txt): $8.30 per 1,000, 63% complete, 1 day

## Sources

From each provider's own pricing page and docs, and from what providers tell us. We read this row from these pages on 2026-10-30.

- https://docs.auto.dev/v2/products/vin-decode
- https://docs.auto.dev/v2/reference/errors
- https://www.auto.dev
- https://www.auto.dev/openapi.json
- https://www.auto.dev/pricing
- https://www.auto.dev/pricing.md
- https://www.auto.dev/terms.md
- https://www.auto.dev/vin.md