Which car price or deal API should your AI agent use?
Use DealScore when your agent needs a grade on one listing's asking price, and use Auto.dev, VinAudit, CarsXE, or CarAPI when it needs raw listings, VIN decode, or vehicle history.
Comparison
| Vendor | What it returns | MCP server | Auth | Free tier | Pricing page | Source (as of) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DealScore | Deal grade | Yes, hosted at https://cardealscore.com/api/mcp. Tools: score_deal, explain_grade, health. | MCP: OAuth 2.1 with PKCE, or an API key. REST (POST /api/score): API key in x-api-key or Authorization: Bearer. | Free: 5 scored calls a month, no card. Builder is $19/mo (founding price) for 1,000 scored calls a month. | pricing | DealScore pricing (as of ) |
| CarsXE | VIN decode, Vehicle history, Market value estimates | Yes, hosted at https://mcp.carsxe.com/mcp. Tools need an API key on an active subscription. | REST: API key in the key query parameter. MCP: X-API-Key header, or a CarsXE account on supported connectors. | Sandbox: up to 100 API calls, lifetime. | pricing | CarsXE pricing (as of ) |
| VinAudit | VIN decode, Vehicle history, Market value estimates, Raw listings and comps | not stated | API key in the key parameter. | Trial: up to 100 queries. | pricing | VinAudit pricing (as of ) |
| CarAPI | VIN decode | not stated | JWT made from your API token and secret, sent as Authorization: Bearer. | Free dataset covering 2015 to 2020. Other years need a subscription. | pricing | CarAPI pricing (as of ) |
| Auto.dev | Raw listings and comps, VIN decode | Yes, hosted at https://mcp.auto.dev/mcp. | REST: API key as Authorization: Bearer or the apiKey query parameter. MCP: OAuth sign-in or an API key. | Free plan: 1,000 API calls a month, capped at the limit. | pricing | Auto.dev pricing (as of ) |
| CarDeals-MCP (open-source GitHub project) | Raw listings and comps, Deal grade | Yes, a local server you run with Node. One tool: search_car_deals. | not stated | Open source under the MIT license. You run it yourself. | not stated | car_deals_search_mcp on GitHub (as of ) |
A cell that says "not stated" means the vendor's own docs, pricing page, or repository did not say, as of 2026-10-23. Prices and limits change, so check the linked page before you sign up.
When another API fits better
- Raw listings or comps at scale: Auto.dev and VinAudit sell listings data. DealScore returns one grade per call and no listing rows, so it is the wrong tool for bulk inventory or market reports.
- VIN decode and specs: CarAPI, CarsXE, VinAudit, and Auto.dev all decode VINs. DealScore takes a VIN as an optional input. It is not a decode API.
- Vehicle history reports: CarsXE and VinAudit sell vehicle history. DealScore has no history reports.
- A self-hosted scraper: CarDeals-MCP, an open-source GitHub project, runs on your machine. It scrapes Cars.com, Autotrader, and KBB with headless Chrome, per its README.
Where DealScore fits
DealScore answers one question per call: is this asking price fair for this car? score_deal returns a grade, a 0 to 100 score, and the expected price band from current dealer listings. Comps come from a licensed listings data provider. Agents connect over MCP with OAuth or an API key, or call POST /api/score over REST.
What each one returns
DealScore
One grade per listing: Great, Good, Fair, High, or Overpriced, a 0 to 100 score, and the expected price band from comparable dealer listings.
- DealScore pricing (as of 2026-10-23)
- DealScore API docs (as of 2026-10-23)
CarsXE
VIN and plate decode, specs, vehicle history, recalls, and market value estimates (wholesale, retail, trade-in, and auction).
- CarsXE pricing (as of 2026-10-23)
- CarsXE MCP docs (as of 2026-10-23)
- CarsXE get started (as of 2026-10-23)
- CarsXE market value (as of 2026-10-23)
VinAudit
VIN decode and specs, vehicle history reports, market values (retail, wholesale, and trade-in), and market listings.
- VinAudit pricing (as of 2026-10-23)
- VinAudit VIN decoder docs (as of 2026-10-23)
- VinAudit vehicle data API (as of 2026-10-23)
CarAPI
VIN decode and vehicle specs (year, make, model, trim, engine), plate to VIN, and OBD codes. Its pages list no price or valuation endpoint.
- CarAPI pricing (as of 2026-10-23)
- CarAPI authentication (as of 2026-10-23)
- CarAPI home and FAQ (as of 2026-10-23)
Auto.dev
VIN decode, listings, photos, specs, recalls, payments, and other per-vehicle data.
- Auto.dev pricing (as of 2026-10-23)
- Auto.dev getting started (as of 2026-10-23)
- Auto.dev MCP quickstart (as of 2026-10-23)
CarDeals-MCP (open-source GitHub project)
An open-source GitHub project, car_deals_search_mcp. It scrapes listings from Cars.com, Autotrader, and KBB and adds a heuristic deal rating per listing.
- car_deals_search_mcp on GitHub (as of 2026-10-23)
CarDeals-MCP here means the open-source GitHub project at https://github.com/SiddarthaKoppaka/car_deals_search_mcp. It has no official site. Its install file names an npm package that is not on npm, so you clone the repository and run it with Node.
Quick answers
- What does DealScore return for one listing?
- A grade, a 0 to 100 score, and the expected price band from current dealer listings. Each score_deal call answers one question: is this asking price fair for this car?
- Does DealScore return raw listings or decode VINs?
- No. DealScore returns one grade per call and no listing rows. It takes a VIN as an optional input and has no vehicle history reports.
- How does an agent call DealScore?
- Over MCP at https://cardealscore.com/api/mcp with OAuth or an API key, or over REST with POST /api/score and an API key.
- Does DealScore have a free tier?
- Free includes 5 scored calls a month. Only results with coverage: scored count, and explain_grade and health are never metered.
Get a free API key
Get a free API key, or connect your agent over MCP.