Start with a free online valuation. Cars24, Spinny and CarDekho return an instant estimate from details you enter, while Maruti True Value begins with a free evaluation request. Every figure stays provisional until a physical evaluation. After that, Cars24 runs a dealer auction and Spinny issues its own purchase offer, so the post-inspection numbers are the ones to compare.
I want to sell my car: where do I actually begin on each platform?
All four platforms follow one shape. You share details, you get an estimate or an evaluation slot, someone inspects the car, and a firm number follows. They differ in the first step and in what produces the final figure.
- Cars24: an instant online range, then a home or hub inspection. The booking steps in Cars24’s FAQ start from the registration number.
- Spinny: an online valuation range, then a free evaluation at home or at a Spinny location, per Spinny’s explainer on its valuation process.
- CarDekho: the free SmartPrice calculator with no sign-up, per CarDekho’s valuation page, then one of two selling routes.
- Maruti True Value: a Request for Evaluation on its website or app, then a doorstep or outlet evaluation, per True Value’s selling FAQ.
At a glance: starting point and valuation method, platform by platform
| Cars24 | Spinny | CarDekho | Maruti True Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First step | Instant online range, then inspection booking | Online valuation tool, then free evaluation booking | SmartPrice calculator, no sign-up | Request for Evaluation, then a follow-up call |
| Inputs | Make, model, variant, year, fuel, kilometres, owners, city | Make, model, year, variant, mileage; ownership history also weighed | Brand, year, model, variant, city, kilometres, ownership, or a registration number | Details submitted with the request |
| What the online figure is | An estimated range; the Terms of Use call it a prima facie estimate | An estimated range that assumes condition between fair and best | An estimate drawn from listings data | Price ranges from an AI-based pricing engine |
| Company-reported data | 10 lakh+ transactions over 10 years | 5 lakh+ transactions plus demand and supply data | 5,00,000+ listings | No dataset size published on the pages reviewed |
| What sets the final number | Live dealer auction after inspection | Spinny’s own purchase offer after a 200-point evaluation | Inspection route with 1,600+ channel partners, or a free listing with direct negotiation | True Value’s digital evaluation, with the car sold to a True Value outlet |
| Physical check | Home or hub, usually 30 to 45 minutes | Home or Spinny location, 45 to 60 minutes | Inspection checklist described on its page | Doorstep or outlet, 376-point checklist cited |
| Offer timing | Typically valid 24 hours, then the auction can re-run | Offer within 24 hours of evaluation, valid for a specified period | Payment within 5 minutes of document verification on the inspection route | No timing published on the pages reviewed |
| Cost to get and act on the number | Free inspection in most locations; a ₹99 to ₹299 charge is mentioned for some; a service charge is shared after inspection | Free doorstep evaluation with no obligation to sell | Free listing; no commission stated | No additional charges or commissions stated |
Checked on October 7, 2026 against Cars24’s guide to selling a used car, Cars24’s FAQ, Spinny’s pricing page, CarDekho’s how-it-works page, and True Value’s AI pricing engine page.
How do I know my car’s valuation on Cars24 vs Spinny?
Both start from a range, and neither range is an offer. Cars24 returns an estimated resale range instantly, per Cars24’s guide to selling a used car, and Spinny returns an estimated range as well, per Spinny’s explainer. Cars24’s Terms of Use describe the online valuation as a prima facie estimate, with the sale price offered only after a physical inspection.
Four details separate the two platforms before any inspection happens:
- Dataset size. Cars24 cites over 10 lakh verified transactions across 10 years, while another of its articles cites over 6 lakh since 2015, per Cars24’s selling guide. Spinny cites more than 5 lakh. All are company-reported, and I found no independent audit of any.
- Inspection depth. Spinny states a 200-point checklist and 45 to 60 minutes. Cars24’s FAQ gives 30 to 45 minutes and cites 300 checkpoints for its CarTruth used-car inspection, while a Cars24 article on its pricing engine cites 140. Ask which applies to a seller-side inspection in your city.
- Cost of the physical step. Spinny’s doorstep evaluation is free and carries no obligation to sell. Cars24’s FAQ says inspection is free in most locations, then mentions charges of ₹99 to ₹299 depending on expert availability and location. The same FAQ says getting an offer needs no upfront payment, so confirm the charge at booking.
- Who the counterparty is. After inspection, Cars24 sends your car’s report to verified dealers who bid. Its FAQ cites 10,000+ dealers in several answers and 20,000+ in another. Spinny buys the car itself.
Why does Cars24’s range behave differently from Spinny’s range?
Two reasons: the condition each range assumes, and who sets the final number.
The condition baseline differs. Cars24’s FAQ says its online range treats the car as being in “picture-perfect” condition. Its Terms of Use list “average condition for its age and mileage” among the assumptions behind the valuation tool (the page shows a last-updated date of February 27, 2020). Those two pages disagree with each other. Spinny’s explainer says its range presumes the car sits “somewhere between fair and best.” A Cars24 range and a Spinny range for the same car can therefore sit at different heights before anyone inspects it. That is an inference from the two descriptions; neither company publishes a side-by-side figure.
The final-number mechanism differs. Cars24’s FAQ says the auction price is often higher than the AI-calculated value because dealers bid in real time, and that the final price comes only after inspection and an auction. Spinny’s pricing page says the difference between the initial price and the final offer is minimal, and its explainer says well-kept cars can receive an offer above the estimate. Demand can move a Cars24 number in either direction. Spinny’s design is to keep its number close to the estimate. Both statements come from the companies’ own descriptions, and I found no independent measurement of either.
Accuracy claims as published, checked October 7, 2026:
| Platform | Stated claim | Yardstick | Evidence offered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars24 | Online range described as quite accurate; auction often lands above the AI value | No percentage on the pages reviewed | Company FAQ |
| Spinny | More than 90% of final offers fall within the online estimate; a syndicated press release cites final prices within 3 to 4% of the estimate, per coverage of Spinny’s seller-protection launch | Share of cases inside the range; percentage gap | Company support data and press release |
| CarDekho | More than 90% accuracy for SmartPrice | Benchmark not defined on the page | Company valuation page |
| Maruti True Value | “Most realistic price” from its digital evaluation | No figure published | Company selling FAQ |
Four different yardsticks, none independently verified. Treat each as a claim about that company’s process.
Where each one falls short. Cars24’s offer window is short, typically 24 hours, and several of its own pages disagree on dealer counts, checkpoint counts and baseline condition. Some Trustpilot reviews of Cars24 India describe final offers well below the first estimate and mention paid add-ons of ₹699 and ₹899, which sit awkwardly beside the FAQ’s statement that no upfront payment is needed to get an offer. Spinny’s ceiling is whatever Spinny will pay, and its validity period has no stated length on the page reviewed. Trustpilot reviews of Spinny include a seller whose handover offer was lower than the phone quote (Spinny’s public reply says phone prices are initial estimates confirmed after inspection), alongside other Spinny seller reviews describing a smooth process and a competitive quote. Reviews are anecdotes and cannot be verified.
Where each one is strongest. Cars24’s mechanism gives demand a chance to lift the number, which matters most for a model dealers want. Spinny’s gives one counterparty and a quantified consistency claim you can hold it to.
How do CarDekho and Maruti True Value estimate value before you commit?
CarDekho. SmartPrice is free, needs no sign-up, and returns an instant estimate from brand, year, model, variant, city, kilometres and ownership, or from a registration number, per CarDekho’s valuation page. The page says it analyses listings and claims more than 90% accuracy from 5,00,000+ listings. Cars24 and Spinny describe transaction datasets, so the three figures rest on different things: asking prices in one case, completed sales in the other two. CarDekho’s how-it-works page lists two routes. One starts with an inspection and relies on 1,600+ verified channel partners to find the resale price, with payment within 5 minutes of document verification. The other lists your car free, shares it with buyers and channel partners, and leaves price negotiation to you, with no commission. The routes set the final number differently, so confirm which one applies in your city. The accuracy figure comes with no stated benchmark.
Maruti True Value. True Value says its AI-based Scientific Pricing Engine returns real-time price ranges from make and model, usage, condition and depreciation, including for other brands, per True Value’s pricing engine page. The public selling flow described in True Value’s selling FAQ starts with a Request for Evaluation, then a doorstep or outlet evaluation, with no additional charges or commissions. True Value’s homepage FAQ cites a 376-point checklist for assessing a car you sell. The pages reviewed list no instant calculator, no accuracy figure and no offer validity period.
Independent complaint records were reviewed for Cars24 and Spinny only. The CarDekho and True Value limitations above come from their own pages.
The full comparison
| Factor | Cars24 | Spinny | CarDekho | Maruti True Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online step | Instant range | Instant range | Instant estimate | Evaluation request |
| Who sets the final number | Dealers, through an auction | Spinny, as the buyer | Channel partners, or you through direct negotiation | A True Value outlet |
| Offer window | Typically 24 hours, auction can re-run | Specified period, length not stated | None stated | None stated |
| Condition the range assumes | “Picture-perfect” per FAQ; average per Terms of Use | Between fair and best | Not stated | Not stated |
| Main limitation | Conflicting figures across its own pages; short window | One buyer sets the ceiling; claims self-reported | Two routes; listings-based data | Few published specifics |
| Best suited for | Sellers whose model draws strong dealer demand | Sellers who want one counterparty and a stated consistency claim | Sellers who want a no-sign-up estimate and a free direct-listing option | Sellers who prefer an evaluator-led process at home or an outlet |
So where should I start when I want to sell my car?
Run the three instant calculators first, Cars24, Spinny and CarDekho, since each takes minutes. Request a True Value evaluation in parallel if you prefer an outlet-led process. Then book inspections only with the platforms whose ranges look worth testing.
- Choose Cars24 if you want an auction to test demand for your car and can decide inside a roughly 24-hour offer window.
- Choose Spinny if you want one buyer, a fixed purchase offer, and a published consistency claim to hold it to.
- Choose CarDekho if you want a no-sign-up estimate and the option to list free and negotiate directly.
- Choose Maruti True Value if you prefer an evaluator to call you and assess the car at home or at an outlet.
Compressed verdict: start with free online ranges, treat them as conditional, and let the post-inspection numbers decide. Cars24’s auction suits a car that draws strong dealer demand. Spinny’s own offer suits a seller who values predictability.
Before you book any inspection
- Enter the variant, year and odometer reading exactly as the registration certificate and dashboard show them.
- Keep the original RC, insurance, spare keys and service records ready. Cars24’s FAQ lists these among the documents that affect the price.
- Compare post-inspection offers in writing, including any service charge Cars24 shares after inspection.
Final rules
- Compare post-inspection offers, since online ranges rest on different condition assumptions.
- Ask what condition a range assumes before trusting the number.
- Read every accuracy percentage as the company’s own claim until someone independent checks it.
- Confirm any inspection charge and the offer window before you book.
Frequently asked questions
Q. Is the online valuation a quote I can hold the platform to?
No platform here treats it as one. Cars24’s Terms of Use call online valuations prima facie estimates that carry no offer to buy, and Spinny describes its estimate as a pre-inspection range with the final offer following evaluation.
Q. Why would two platforms give different ranges for the same car?
Different datasets, different condition assumptions and different pricing mechanisms. The date matters too, since Cars24’s Terms of Use describe its range as what a seller can expect this week.
Q. Can a final offer come in above the online estimate?
Cars24’s FAQ says the auction often lands above the AI value, and Spinny says exceptionally well-kept cars can receive a higher offer. Both statements are company claims.
Q. Do I have to sell after the inspection? Cars24’s FAQ says you are never forced to sell, and Spinny says its evaluation is free and carries no obligation. Confirm the same with CarDekho or Maruti True Value before booking.
Q. How soon should I book the inspection after getting an estimate? Soon. Cars24’s FAQ says prices move with market demand, and the estimate reflects the day you ran it.
