Carfax or AutoCheck: which is better?

Carfax and AutoCheck are the two best-known US vehicle-history providers. Neither is free, and neither is universally "better" — they draw on overlapping but different data.

Carfax

Strong on service and maintenance records and dealer history, with a very readable timeline. Often preferred by buyers who want to see how a vehicle was maintained.

AutoCheck

Owned by Experian, strong on auction and title data and gives each vehicle a comparative score. Popular with dealers and anyone buying at auction. Usually cheaper for multiple reports.

Which to choose

Buying one specific well-kept car → Carfax for the service depth.
Comparing several, or auction cars → AutoCheck for the score and title focus.

Whichever you pick, decode the VIN and run a free recall check first — then buy a paid report on the shortlist, not every car.

For a free technical decode of any VIN (make, model, year, plant, specs), use the official NHTSA VIN decoder.