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Cardog vs VinAudit

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Cardog next to VinAudit: coverage, recalls, specs, units, pricing, auth and batch decode, with every VinAudit claim linked to VinAudit's own page.

Cardog decodes 99.77% of Canadian VINs to trim, lists Transport Canada and NHTSA recall campaigns, states every number with its unit and keeps the published one, keeps Canadian and US prices apart, and decodes up to 1,000 VINs in one request. Here is how Cardog sits next to VinAudit.

This page is written by Cardog, so read it with that in mind. Every claim about VinAudit links to VinAudit's own public page, and we checked those pages on 2026-10-26. Every Cardog claim is something our API serves today.

At a glance

CardogVinAudit
CoverageCanada and the US. 99.77% of Canadian VINs decode to trim levelMost makes and models across the US and Canada for standard 17-character VINs, strongest after the early 1980s (product page)
VIN decode and specsGET /v2/vin/{vin} for identity, then GET /v2/specs/{nano} for the sheet, every number with its unitOne specifications call with include for attributes, equipment, colours, recalls, warranties and photos (docs)
RecallsCampaigns listed for a VIN's model year, from Transport Canada and NHTSA, each tagged with its authorityinclude=recalls on the specifications call (docs)
Market dataModel-year market quotesMarket value adjusted for mileage, condition and damage, with a country of usa or canada (Market Values)
ListingsListing search, counts and facetsNot on the pages we checked
Pricing modelCredits: 2 per VIN looked up, 1 per spec sheet, 5 per VIN recall check. Plans from US$30 a monthSelf-Service at US$100 a month plus US$0.10 a query for the decoder; Enterprise by contract (product page)
AuthAPI key, as x-api-key or Authorization: BearerAPI key as a key query parameter (docs)
BatchPOST /v2/vin/batch, up to 1,000 VINsOne VIN, YMMT or ID per request; no batch call on the decoder page (docs)
SDKsTypeScript (@cardog/api) and Python (cardog)Not mentioned on the pages we checked
MCP and agentsRemote MCP server at mcp.cardog.io with six read toolsNot mentioned on the pages we checked
VersioningDated Cardog-Version header; each version is served for 12 months after the next one landsA versioned path, /v3/specifications (docs)
TermsAPI Platform Terms, Ontario lawTerms of Service

Why teams choose Cardog

  • Transport Canada recalls. GET /v2/vin/{vin}/recalls returns the Transport Canada and NHTSA campaigns listed for the VIN's model year, each tagged tc or nhtsa, with consequence and remedy text. See Recalls.
  • Canadian VINs to trim. We decode 99.77% of Canadian VINs to trim level. See Decode a Canadian VIN.
  • Batch decode. POST /v2/vin/batch takes up to 1,000 VINs, and one bad VIN fails only its own row.
  • Prices kept per market. A spec sheet lists US and Canadian prices apart, in USD and CAD, and never merges them.
  • Units with the original kept. Every number states its unit, and the source's own number is kept when it was published in another unit. See Units.
  • A reason for every miss. A VIN we cannot name comes back valid: false with a code from a fixed list.
  • SDKs, MCP and a version pin. TypeScript and Python SDKs, a remote MCP server, and a dated Cardog-Version header.

When to use Cardog

Use Cardog when you need Transport Canada recalls, bulk decoding, metric units with the source number kept, or Canadian prices apart from US ones.

FAQ

Do both cover Canada? VinAudit's product page says its decoder covers most makes and models across the US and Canada. Cardog decodes 99.77% of Canadian VINs to trim level and adds Transport Canada recalls.

How do the two price a decode? Cardog charges 2 credits per VIN looked up and 1 per spec sheet, on plans from US$30 a month. Today a single GET /v2/vin/{vin} bills its 2 credits on any 200 answer, including valid: false; a batch bills only the rows that come back valid: true. VinAudit's product page lists US$100 a month plus US$0.10 a query for the decoder.

Can I decode many VINs in one request? On Cardog, yes: POST /v2/vin/batch takes up to 1,000. VinAudit's decoder page documents one VIN per request.

Does Cardog list Transport Canada recalls? Yes. GET /v2/vin/{vin}/recalls lists the Transport Canada and NHTSA campaigns for the VIN's model year, each tagged tc or nhtsa. See Recalls.

Sources

Checked on 2026-10-26:

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