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Honest comparison — no affiliate relationship with either service

carVertical vs Carlytics
Which VIN check is worth it?

carVertical is the best-known VIN checker in Europe. Carlytics is newer, cheaper by 64%, and adds AI web search that carVertical does not offer. Here is what the comparison actually looks like.

64% lower price per report
AI web search — carVertical doesn't have it
Free VIN decode — no payment needed

Price comparison

carVertical

EUR 24.99

per report

3-report bundleEUR 54.99
Per report in bundleEUR 18.33
Long track record, 47+ languages, strong brand recognition across Europe.

Carlytics

64% cheaper
EUR 8.90

per report

3-report bundleEUR 19.90
Per report in bundleEUR 6.63
Same registries + AI web search + free VIN decode. No reseller markup.

On a 3-report basis, Carlytics saves you EUR 35.09 vs carVertical.

Feature-by-feature comparison

CarlyticscarVertical
Single report price
64% cheaper
EUR 8.90EUR 24.99
3-report bundleEUR 19.90 (EUR 6.63/report)EUR 54.99 (EUR 18.33/report)
Free VIN decode
AI web intelligence
Odometer history
Accident & damage records
Stolen vehicle check
Safety recalls (NHTSA + EU)
Market value estimate
52M Czech inspection records
Running cost calculator
EV battery & charging data
Report deliveryInstant (60 sec)Instant
Interface languagesEnglish + expanding47+ languages
Years operating2024–present2017–present

carVertical pricing verified April 2026 at carvertical.com.

What carVertical does well

We believe in honest comparisons. carVertical has real strengths worth acknowledging.

47+ languages

carVertical offers localised interfaces in more than 47 languages, making it accessible to buyers across the full EU and beyond.

Established brand

Operating since 2017 with thousands of Trustpilot reviews, carVertical has a known track record that some buyers find reassuring.

Longer history

7+ years of data partnerships and decoder refinements means carVertical has deep institutional knowledge of EU vehicle registries.

Where Carlytics leads

Four areas where Carlytics has a meaningful advantage over carVertical.

Carlytics exclusive

AI web intelligence

Carlytics searches the open web for your specific VIN — finding auction damage photos, forum discussions, and past listings that no registry database captures. carVertical does not offer this.

EUR 16.09 saved per report

64% lower price

EUR 8.90 per report vs EUR 24.99. No reseller commissions, no affiliate markup. Direct to buyer, so the savings are yours.

No payment required

Free VIN decode

Enter any VIN and get make, model, year, engine specs, country of origin, and active safety recalls — completely free, before you decide to pay for anything.

More data sections

52M Czech records + EV data

Carlytics has direct access to 52 million Czech vehicle inspection records and dedicated EV battery health, charging cost, and charging network sections — features carVertical does not offer.

Why we're 64% cheaper

The price gap between carVertical and Carlytics is not a quality difference. It is a business model difference. Here is where the cost actually goes:

No reseller commissions

carVertical distributes heavily through affiliates and comparison sites that earn commissions on every sale. Carlytics sells directly. No middlemen, no commissions built into the price.

In-house data processing

Rather than licensing pre-packaged data from intermediaries at a markup, Carlytics ingests government registry data directly — Finnish Traficom, Czech ISTP, Norwegian Vegvesen — and processes it in-house.

AI replaces expensive API tiers

Where legacy services pay premium rates for curated data feeds, Carlytics uses AI to extract the same intelligence from public sources. This structural cost advantage is passed directly to buyers.

What both services cover

Some features are table stakes in this industry — both carVertical and Carlytics deliver them.

Odometer history

Cross-border mileage verification

Accident records

Insurance & damage history

Stolen check

European theft databases

Safety recalls

NHTSA + EU Safety Gate

Market value

Real listing price estimates

Czech inspections

52M+ technical records

What we check for when preparing a report

Carlytics is the largest online database of used vehicle records. It contains more than a billion data points from all over the world.

Damage

Damage

We check if the car has been in any accidents or had serious repairs. Damage can lower the car's value and cause safety problems. Our report helps you avoid cars with hidden damage that sellers might not tell you about.

Mileage rollbacks

Mileage rollbacks

We look for signs that the mileage might have been changed. Some sellers lower the mileage to make the car look newer. We check mileage records from different databases to make sure the numbers are honest.

Specs & equipment

Specs & equipment

We list the car's original features and equipment. This helps you see if anything is missing or changed. You'll know exactly what the car should have when it left the factory.

Safety

Safety

Manufacturers typically issue safety recalls to fix harmful defects. Make sure your car doesn't have any before taking it on the road and also learn its general safety rating.

Natural disaster

Natural disaster

Check if the vehicle has been damaged in floods, hurricanes, or other natural disasters.

Stolen car database

Stolen car database

We check police and insurance records to see if the car has been reported stolen. Buying a stolen car can lead to big legal and financial problems. Our report gives you peace of mind.

Photos

Photos

If available, we include old photos or auction pictures of the car. <br />These photos can show past damage, repairs, or changes that you might not notice in person.

Market value

Market value

We compare prices from many sources to show the car's fair market value.<br />This helps you know if the price is good or too high, so you can make a smart deal.

Trusted in 30+ countries worldwide

Carlytics aggregates vehicle data from 35+ European countries, pulling from national registries like Finnish Traficom (5M vehicles), Dutch RDW, Czech ISTP, and Danish DMR. Combined with NHTSA, EU Safety Gate recalls, and 348,000+ real listings, the database covers 900M+ vehicles.

Access data from national registries,
insurance databases, law enforcement and more.

Trusted Worldwide

Why Run a VIN Check Before Buying a Used Car?

An estimated 30-50% of used cars sold cross-border in Europe have tampered mileage. Carlytics catches odometer rollbacks, undisclosed accident damage, stolen-vehicle flags, and open safety recalls by scanning 900M+ records across 35+ countries -- all from a single 17-character VIN, starting free.

Don't risk thousands on a used car with hidden problems. A free VIN check takes seconds and can save you from costly surprises.

Detect Odometer Fraud

An estimated 30-50% of used cars in Europe have tampered mileage. A VIN history check reveals odometer rollback and mileage discrepancies that sellers try to hide.

Uncover Hidden Accident Damage

Structural damage from past accidents may not be visible during a physical inspection. A vehicle history report shows collision records the seller may not disclose.

Verify Stolen Vehicle Status

Over 600,000 vehicles are stolen in the EU each year, many resold across borders. Our stolen car database check confirms the vehicle is legally clear before you buy.

Check Cross-Border Import History

Vehicles imported from abroad may have different specs, undisclosed damage, or missing service records. Trace the full registration and import history with a VIN check.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is carVertical better than Carlytics?
It depends on what you need. carVertical has been operating since 2017 and has strong brand recognition across Europe. Carlytics offers the same core registry data — odometer history, accident records, theft checks — at 64% lower cost, plus AI web search that carVertical does not offer. If brand familiarity matters most, carVertical is a known quantity. If you want more data at a lower price, Carlytics is the better choice.
Why is Carlytics so much cheaper than carVertical?
carVertical built its business through heavy affiliate and reseller marketing, which has significant distribution costs that get priced into the report. Carlytics is a direct-to-buyer service with no reseller commissions. We also process data in-house rather than licensing it from intermediaries, which further reduces cost. The savings go directly to the buyer.
Do carVertical and Carlytics use the same data?
Both services access government vehicle registries across Europe. Core data sources — Czech inspection records, Dutch RDW, Finnish Traficom, NHTSA recalls, EU Safety Gate — are available to both. The key difference is that Carlytics also runs AI web search on every report, finding auction listings, forum posts, and news articles that no database captures. carVertical does not offer this.
How does carVertical's pricing compare to Carlytics?
carVertical charges EUR 24.99 for a single report, or EUR 54.99 for three reports (EUR 18.33 each). Carlytics charges EUR 8.90 for a single report, or EUR 19.90 for three reports (EUR 6.63 each). On a three-report basis, Carlytics saves you EUR 35.09 — enough to buy three more reports with change.
Does Carlytics have a free VIN check?
Yes. Carlytics decodes any VIN for free, showing make, model, year, engine, country of origin, and active safety recalls — with no payment required. carVertical requires payment before showing any vehicle data.
Which service has more languages?
carVertical supports more interface languages — they have operated longer and serve more market-specific domains. Carlytics currently supports English and is expanding. If you need a report in a specific language other than English, carVertical may have an advantage there. For all other considerations, Carlytics leads on price, AI features, and free preview.

Try Carlytics — free basic decode, full report from EUR 8.90

Enter any VIN. See what's available for free. Pay only if you want the full report.

Free basic checkNo registration requiredFull report in 60 secondsEUR 8.90 — not EUR 24.99