# Plate Lookup vs VIN Check & Decoder

Plate Lookup and VIN Check & Decoder both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 95% of VIN Check & Decoder's written reviews are positive against 52% of Plate Lookup's. VIN Check & Decoder also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.6). Plate Lookup's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 6 weeks). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Plate Lookup sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and VIN Check & Decoder sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Plate Lookup against 4.8 for VIN Check & Decoder. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4.1K and 1.6K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 52% of Plate Lookup's written reviews are positive against 95% of VIN Check & Decoder's.

Plate Lookup ships an update every 9 days, VIN Check & Decoder every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on November 7, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Plate Lookup | VIN Check & Decoder |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (4.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plate-lookup-vin-check/id1476862366/reviews) | **[4.8 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vin-check-and-decoder/id1524926492/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4.1K** | 1.6K |
| Positive reviews | 52.4% of reviews | **95.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 173 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Plate Lookup LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1444803041) | [Yerzhan Tleuov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1422506641) |

## What reviewers say

### Plate Lookup

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plate-lookup-vin-check/id1476862366)

Instantly access comprehensive vehicle information using license plates or VINs. Get details on specs, history, market value, and damage. Ideal for buyers, auto professionals, and fleet managers.

**Highlights:** VIN Decoder, License Plate Lookup, VIN Scanner, Vehicle History Reports, Market Value Estimates, Damage Marking Tool, Recall Information

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Lite | $7.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $24.99 | per month |
| 3 Months | $59.99 | per 3 months |
| 1 Vehicle History Report | $9.99 | one-time |
| 50 credits | $9.99 | one-time |
| 3 Vehicle History Reports | $19.99 | one-time |
| 150 credits | $19.99 | one-time |
| 10 Vehicle History Reports | $49.99 | one-time |
| 500 credits | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate information
- 🚀 Helpful for work
- 👍 Great app
- 👍 Very useful

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Paid service
- 💰 Expensive
- 🐛 Doesn't work
- 🐛 Unreliable
- 🔒 Privacy concerns

**Reported bugs**

- Errors and server issues
- Compatibility problems
- Inconsistent functionality

**Requested features**

- Add Canadian provinces
- Add more countries
- Allow deleting search history


### VIN Check & Decoder

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vin-check-and-decoder/id1524926492)

Get comprehensive vehicle reports by entering a VIN or scanning a barcode. Access detailed information including history, specs, photos, and expert reviews to make informed decisions when buying a used car.

**Highlights:** VIN lookup by plate number, Vehicle history reports, Technical specifications and photos, Equipment and options decoder, IIHS crash test ratings, Camera VIN barcode scanning

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 VIN Check and Report | $14.99 | one-time |
| 5 VIN Checks and Reports | $44.99 | one-time |
| 20 VIN Checks and Reports | $74.99 | one-time |
| 200 VIN Checks and Reports | $149.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Unlimited Access | $299.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Convenient
- 🚀 Informative
- 🚀 Detailed reports
- 👍 Helpful for buying/selling vehicles

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inaccurate vehicle information
- 💰 Paid reports required for full details

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or freezes
- Incorrect vehicle information

**Requested features**

- Support for European vehicles
- Free access to full vehicle history reports


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Plate Lookup free?

Plate Lookup is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is VIN Check & Decoder free?

VIN Check & Decoder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Plate Lookup or VIN Check & Decoder?

VIN Check & Decoder is rated higher. Plate Lookup averages 4.7 out of 5 from 4.1K ratings, while VIN Check & Decoder averages 4.8 from 1.6K ratings.

### Do Plate Lookup or VIN Check & Decoder have ads?

Neither Plate Lookup nor VIN Check & Decoder shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Plate Lookup or VIN Check & Decoder?

Plate Lookup ships an update every 9 days, and VIN Check & Decoder every 6 weeks. Most recently, Plate Lookup was updated on November 7, 2026 and VIN Check & Decoder on November 7, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*