specification: API Commons Plans
specificationVersion: '0.1'
schema: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/interface-research/main/schema/api-commons.yml#/$defs/Plans
provider: Car API (carapi.app)
providerId: car-api
created: '2026-05-04'
# Provenance stamped 2026-08-11: this artifact was written by the API Evangelist
# bulk sweep dated 2026-05-04, not harvested from the provider. See roadmap#35.
method: generated
modified: '2026-05-05'
reconciled: true
tags:
  - Automobiles
  - Automotive Data
  - Cars
  - License Plate Decoder
  - OBD-II
  - Power Sports
  - Vehicle API
  - Vehicle Specifications
  - Vehicles
  - VIN Decoder
description: CarAPI offers a free tier (no signup required for limited dataset) plus three annual paid
  plans (Base, Plus, Premium) tiered by daily API call volume. All plans include the same feature set
  and dataset coverage; tiers differ only in daily request quota. Yearly billing is processed via Stripe.
sources:
  - https://carapi.app/pricing
  - https://carapi.app/docs/getting-started
plans:
  - id: car-api-free
    name: Free
    type: freemium
    description: Free public dataset access with no signup required for a limited dataset. Intended
      for evaluation and prototyping.
    entries:
      - label: API Requests (free dataset)
        name: api_requests_free
        type: quota
        metric: requests
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: usage
        geo: global
        unit: 1
        price: '0.00'
        userMultiplied: false
    elements:
      - name: Public Documentation
      - name: Limited Dataset Access
      - name: No Signup Required
  - id: car-api-base
    name: Base
    type: subscription
    description: Annual subscription with 1,500 daily API calls. Covers Year/Make/Models (1900-2027),
      Sub Models, Trims (1990-2027), VIN Decoder, OBD-II Codes, and email support.
    entries:
      - label: Annual subscription
        name: base_annual
        type: subscription
        metric: year
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: year
        geo: global
        unit: 1
        price: '199.00'
        userMultiplied: false
      - label: Daily API call quota
        name: base_daily_quota
        type: quota
        metric: requests
        limit: 1500
        timeFrame: day
        geo: global
        unit: 1
        price: included
        userMultiplied: false
    elements:
      - name: Year/Make/Models (1900-2027)
      - name: Sub Models
      - name: Trims (1990-2027)
      - name: VIN Decoder
      - name: OBD-II Codes
      - name: Email Support
  - id: car-api-plus
    name: Plus
    type: subscription
    description: Annual subscription with 3,000 daily API calls. Same feature coverage as Base.
    entries:
      - label: Annual subscription
        name: plus_annual
        type: subscription
        metric: year
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: year
        geo: global
        unit: 1
        price: '249.00'
        userMultiplied: false
      - label: Daily API call quota
        name: plus_daily_quota
        type: quota
        metric: requests
        limit: 3000
        timeFrame: day
        geo: global
        unit: 1
        price: included
        userMultiplied: false
    elements:
      - name: Year/Make/Models (1900-2027)
      - name: Sub Models
      - name: Trims (1990-2027)
      - name: VIN Decoder
      - name: OBD-II Codes
      - name: Email Support
  - id: car-api-premium
    name: Premium
    type: subscription
    description: Annual subscription with 6,000 daily API calls. Same feature coverage as Base.
    entries:
      - label: Annual subscription
        name: premium_annual
        type: subscription
        metric: year
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: year
        geo: global
        unit: 1
        price: '299.00'
        userMultiplied: false
      - label: Daily API call quota
        name: premium_daily_quota
        type: quota
        metric: requests
        limit: 6000
        timeFrame: day
        geo: global
        unit: 1
        price: included
        userMultiplied: false
    elements:
      - name: Year/Make/Models (1900-2027)
      - name: Sub Models
      - name: Trims (1990-2027)
      - name: VIN Decoder
      - name: OBD-II Codes
      - name: Email Support
      - name: Soft Rate Limit Option (with overage charges)
maintainers:
  - FN: Kin Lane
    email: kin@apievangelist.com
x-canonical:
  generated: '2026-10-08'
  vocabulary: all/0-working/economics/plans-canonical.yml
  models:
  - free
  - subscription
  units:
  - period
  - request
  plans:
  - name: Free
    access: freemium
    model: free
    model_how: derived
    units:
    - request
    periods:
    - per-use
  - name: Base
    access: other
    model: subscription
    model_how: stated
    units:
    - period
    - request
    periods:
    - day
    - year
  - name: Plus
    access: other
    model: subscription
    model_how: stated
    units:
    - period
    - request
    periods:
    - day
    - year
  - name: Premium
    access: other
    model: subscription
    model_how: stated
    units:
    - period
    - request
    periods:
    - day
    - year