Carlytics vs Automano: which is the cheapest full EU vehicle history report?
Carlytics is a genuine, well-built pan-European VIN report — around €8.90, 47+ countries, deep mileage history. Automano does the same core job for £5.90, instantly on-page, with a free unlimited VIN decoder. Here is an honest side-by-side so you can pick the right one.
Comparison reflects services and prices published by each provider in June 2026. The euro/pound figure for Carlytics is approximate and moves with the exchange rate.
£5.90
Automano report (vs ~€8.90 Carlytics)
Free
Unlimited VIN decoder (both offer one)
0
Signup or email for the decoder
Is Carlytics any good?
Yes — Carlytics is a real and legitimate service, not a scam. It aggregates vehicle data across 47+ countries from 900+ databases, including 35+ European national registries, and sells a single full report for about €8.90 (one-off, no subscription). Its genuine strengths are wide cross-border coverage and real mileage history pulled from European inspection databases — useful for catching odometer rollbacks on imported cars.
Automano covers the same core job for a UK buyer — a £5.90 report with factory specs, manufacturer recalls (EU Safety Gate + NHTSA) and a market-value estimate — plus a free unlimited VIN decoder to pre-filter listings. It is worth being honest about one thing: Carlytics also has a free VIN decoder that returns specs and recalls, so the free decode is roughly a tie. Where Automano wins is price and an instant, no-email, on-page report; where Carlytics wins is depth of mileage history and the sheer number of countries it pulls from.
Automano vs Carlytics side-by-side
Carlytics:
€8.90 (about £7.60) per report
Automano:
£5.90 full report
Automano vs Carlytics side-by-side
| Feature | Automano | Carlytics |
|---|---|---|
Single full report price | £5.90 — the cheaper of the two | ~€8.90 (about £7.60) |
Free unlimited VIN decoder | Yes — specs + recalls, no signup | Yes — specs + recalls, no signup |
Countries covered | Core EU markets + UK (DVLA/MOT) + NHTSA | 47+ countries, 900+ databases (its strength) |
Mileage / odometer history | Market value by mileage as a reference | Deep — real EU inspection records |
Manufacturer recalls | Yes — EU Safety Gate + NHTSA | Yes — EU Safety Gate + NHTSA |
Market value estimate | Yes — included in the report | Yes — from listing data |
Accident / insurance records | No — a deliberate limit | Yes — where reported |
Damage photos | No | No |
US title / accident history | No — EU focus | No — EU focus |
Report delivery | Instant on-page, no email required | Online + downloadable PDF |
When to pick Automano — and when Carlytics is the better call
These two are close. The honest split comes down to price and instant delivery (Automano) versus depth of mileage history and country coverage (Carlytics).
Automano is cheaper
At £5.90 versus roughly €8.90, Automano is the lower-cost report. If you only need specs, recalls and a market-value sanity check, you keep the difference.
Both have a free decoder — use it first
Automano and Carlytics each offer a free unlimited VIN decoder. Decode the listing for free, confirm specs and open recalls, and only pay for a full report on the car you are serious about.
Pick Carlytics for deep mileage history
If the car has lived across several EU countries, or you specifically want real odometer history from inspection databases and accident records, Carlytics digs deeper there. We will say that plainly.
Automano is instant, no email
Automano returns the report on the page, no inbox round-trip. Handy when you are comparing several cars in one sitting.
Carlytics vs Automano — frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest full EU vehicle history report?
Between these two, Automano is cheaper: a £5.90 full report versus about €8.90 for Carlytics. Both are far below the £15–£38 charged by incumbents like HPI or carVertical (£37.99 for a single carVertical report). Start with either provider’s free VIN decoder to confirm specs and recalls, then buy the paid report only on the car you intend to buy.
Carlytics vs Automano — what is the real difference?
They are close twins. Carlytics covers more countries (47+) and has deeper mileage history from European inspection databases plus accident/insurance records. Automano is cheaper (£5.90), returns the report instantly on-page with no email, and includes factory specs, EU + NHTSA recalls and a market-value estimate. Both offer a free unlimited VIN decoder; neither shows damage photos or US title history.
Is Carlytics legit?
Yes. Carlytics is a legitimate European VIN-check service that aggregates data from 900+ databases across 47+ countries and sells a one-off report for about €8.90 with no subscription. It is a real, honest competitor — for very wide coverage or deep mileage history it may be the better pick.
Is there a free alternative to Carlytics?
A free VIN decode is available from both Carlytics and Automano — make, model, year, engine, specs and active recalls, with no signup. That is enough to pre-filter listings. A full history report (mileage history, market value, registration cross-checks) is paid on both: £5.90 at Automano, about €8.90 at Carlytics.
What does the Automano report not include?
Automano does not provide accident/insurance records, damage photos, or detailed US title and accident history. It focuses on factory specs, manufacturer recalls (EU Safety Gate + NHTSA), official registration data and a market-value estimate. If you need accident records or the widest possible country coverage, Carlytics is worth the extra euro.
Check your next car for £5.90
Free unlimited VIN decoder, factory specs, EU + NHTSA recalls and a market-value estimate — the cheaper of the two cheap EU reports. Honest about where Carlytics wins.