A CarsXE alternative for make and model lookups
CarsXE moved to credit pricing on November 1, 2026. If most of your calls are year, make and model lookups for a form, here's what they cost there, what they cost here, and when CarsXE is still worth it.
CarsXE is a broad vehicle data API: VIN decoding, plates, specs, images, history and market value behind one key. On November 1, 2026 it moved new customers to credit pricing. Read on November 10, 2026:
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $69 | $690 | 1,000 a month |
| Pro | $299 | $2,990 | 5,000 a month |
And what each call costs:
| Endpoint | Credits |
|---|---|
| Specs | 2 |
| Year, make, model (YMM) | 2 |
| Images | 2 |
| VIN (OCR) | 1 |
| International VIN | 5 |
| US plate decoder, international plate | 5 |
The sandbox gives 100 credits, once. That's a fair deal if you decode VINs and plates. It's a lot if most of your calls are a dropdown asking "which models does Toyota make?": at 2 credits each, Starter's 1,000 credits are up to 500 make and model lookups a month, and a dropdown that calls it on every page view spends that fast.
Where CarsXE is the better choice
- You decode VINs or plates. US and international VINs, plates in many countries, from one key.
- You need specs, history or market value per vehicle.
- You want no-code integrations. CarsXE documents Zapier, Make and n8n nodes and an MCP server; we don't have Zapier or Make nodes.
Where we are
- Make and model calls are free. On VehiclesDB,
/makesand/makes/{make}/modelscost 0 credits on a public key you can put in your page, tied to your own domains. A dropdown can call them on every page view and never touch your quota. - You can skip the API entirely. The whole make and model list is free with an account as CSV, JSON, Parquet or SQLite, under CC-BY 4.0. Load it into your own database, sync it monthly, and serve it yourself.
- The list is built for your country. It comes from the official vehicle registers of these countries, and each model carries where it's registered and how popular it is there, so
country=de&order=popularputs the Golf first in Germany. - More than cars, same ids: motorcycles, mopeds, vans, trucks and buses.
- Messy input, cleaned. The resolve endpoint turns "vw golf" or a register row into a canonical id with a confidence score and an audit trail.
Side by side
| CarsXE | VehiclesDB | |
|---|---|---|
| Make and model lookups | 2 credits each | 0 credits |
| VIN decoding | US and international | No |
| Plate decoding | US and international | Plate formats and validation, not lookups |
| Specs, images, history, value | Yes | Images on paid plans; no specs, history or value |
| Vehicle kinds in the list | Whatever the VIN or plate describes | Cars, motorcycles, mopeds, vans, trucks, buses |
| Source of the make and model list | Not stated on the pricing page | National registers of many countries, cited per country |
| The list as a file | No | Free with an account, CC-BY 4.0 |
| No-code integrations | Zapier, Make, n8n, MCP | MCP server in the vehicles gem |
Using both
The two fit together: serve the form's make and model steps from VehiclesDB (free), and send only the VINs and plates you actually need decoded to CarsXE. You'll spend credits on the lookups that need them. The vehicle data provider comparison has the other VIN and plate vendors, with prices.
Questions people ask
How much does CarsXE cost now?
Since November 1, 2026, new CarsXE plans are priced in credits: Starter at $69 a month for 1,000 credits ($690 a year), Pro at $299 a month for 5,000 credits ($2,990 a year). Specs, year/make/model and image lookups cost 2 credits each; international VIN and plate lookups 5. The sandbox gives 100 credits once (carsxe.com/pricing, read on November 10, 2026).
How many make and model lookups do I get on CarsXE Starter?
At 2 credits per year/make/model lookup, the 1,000 monthly credits on Starter cover up to 500 such lookups a month, before anything else you call.
Is there a free alternative to CarsXE for makes and models?
Yes. VehiclesDB's make and model endpoints cost 0 credits on a free key, the dropdown widget is free, and the full make and model list is free with an account (CC-BY 4.0) to store and serve yourself.
What does CarsXE do that VehiclesDB doesn't?
VIN decoding (US and international), plate decoding, specs, vehicle images, history and market value, plus ready-made Zapier, Make and n8n integrations. VehiclesDB does none of the VIN, plate decoding, spec or history lookups.