Comparison

Towed vs Instant Checkmate

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Towed

Features
Read full description

Towed lets you find your car if it has been towed in Chicago, Illinois, by the local government. It lets you search by license plate, and provides directions to the facility to which your car was towed. It also gives you the phone number to call the facility directly or you can call them directly from your iPhone. If you car is not found via the app, it directs you to various web sites for assistance and integrates with Maps for directions By the time you need this app because your car has been towed, you'll wish you had already purchased it!

About

Instant Checkmate

Investigate addresses to uncover neighborhood details like potential residents, crime rates, and ownership history. This tool helps you learn about your surroundings before you move or for general safety awareness.

Highlights
  • Reverse address lookup
  • Neighbor identification
  • Neighborhood crime statistics
  • Census data
  • Ownership history
Features
Read full description

REVERSE PHONE NUMBER LOOKUP Are you receiving calls from an unknown number? Find the owner of a phone number with a quick search on the Instant Checkmate App. A Reverse Phone Lookup could find an owner's name, possible images, location history, social media profiles, and more. Get to the bottom of that mystery number with a simple search. Terms of Use Note: Instant Checkmate does not provide “consumer reports” and is not a “consumer reporting agency” as defined by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). You may not use the products or services of Instant Checkmate to determine one’s eligibility for credit, housing, insurance, employment, or any other purpose subject to the FCRA. https://www.instantcheckmate.com/terms-of-use

Screenshots

Towed4 screens
Instant Checkmate4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Instant Checkmate at Free against Towed's $1.99. Instant Checkmate also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 months) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.6). Towed's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Instant Checkmate is free to download; Towed costs $1.99 up front. Instant Checkmate sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Towed asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Towed ships an update every 6 months, Instant Checkmate every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Towed versus Instant Checkmate: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTowedInstant Checkmate
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating—4.7 (1.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews—53.3% of reviews
Number of ratings—1.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.615.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB45 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperPaul T CotteyPubrec, LLC

Bugs and requests

Towed

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Instant Checkmate

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes or freezes
  • Subscription issues and billing problems
  • Search results not loading properly

Requested features

3 requests
  • Option to do one-time checks without subscription
  • Improved data accuracy and reliability
  • Better customer support and refund policies

In-app purchases

None

Towed

No in-app purchases

7 purchases

Instant Checkmate

Subscriptions7
  • Unlimited Email Reports$2.991 Month
  • Unlimited Phone Reports$4.991 Month
  • Unlimited Premium Reports$34.991 Month
Show 4 more
  • Unlimited Premium Reports7 Days trial$34.991 Month
  • All Inclusive Reports$34.991 Month
  • All Inclusive Reports$37.991 Month
  • Unlimited Premium Reports$67.993 Months

Questions

Is Towed free?
Towed costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Instant Checkmate free?
Instant Checkmate is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Towed or Instant Checkmate have ads?
Neither Towed nor Instant Checkmate shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Towed or Instant Checkmate?
Towed ships an update every 6 months, and Instant Checkmate every 3 weeks. Most recently, Towed was updated on October 4, 2026 and Instant Checkmate on October 21, 2026.

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