Every serious check covers the same core data, finance, write-off, stolen and mileage. Where they differ is price, imports, and whether they tell you if the specific car is actually worth buying. Here is an honest comparison of the main options.
Full transparency: we make CarMate. We've kept the comparison honest and told you what each rival does best.
What is the best car history check site in the UK?
There is no single best, it depends what you need. HPI is the most established. carVertical is best for imports and salvage photos. Total Car Check is the budget pick. CarMate is best if you want the same provenance data plus a read on whether the car is worth buying, for less than HPI.
At a glance
The checks that matter, side by side. Prices verified July 2026, always confirm the current price on the provider's site.
Feature
CarMate
HPI Check
carVertical
Total Car Check
Outstanding finance
Write-off & stolen markers
Mileage & MOT history
Reads the actual listing
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Fair-price verdict on the advert
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Buy / caution / walk call
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Works from a screenshot
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Salvage damage photos
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Data guarantee
£10k, £30k on 3 credits
£30k
Limited
Paid tiers
Free credit to start
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Typical price
£11.98 full
£19.99 full
~£35.99
Budget
The best options, and who each is for
CarMate
Our pick for buyers
Best for deciding whether a specific car is worth buying
History Check £11.98 · Listing Check 1 credit · first credit free
The only check here that also reads the advert you're actually looking at. You get the same licensed provenance data (finance, write-off, stolen, mileage) as a traditional HPI check, plus a read on whether the asking price is fair and a clear buy, negotiate or walk verdict, from a screenshot or a reg.
Same core provenance data as HPI, for less
Reads the listing and checks the price
Clear buy / caution / walk verdict
Works from a screenshot or reg
First credit free when you sign up
Newer name than HPI
UK vehicles (not built for imports)
HPI Check
Best-known name, most recognised in the trade
From £9.99 basic · £19.99 full (£30k guarantee)
The longest-established provenance report in the UK and the name dealers recognise. Thorough finance, write-off, stolen and mileage data with a strong data guarantee. It is a pure record report, and the most expensive option, but if you want the established name it does the job.
Longest-established, trusted in the trade
Thorough finance and stolen data
Up to £30,000 data guarantee
Most expensive here
Data report only, no price or listing read
carVertical
Best for imports and salvage damage photos
Around £35.99 per report
Strongest option if the car has spent time registered abroad. It pulls European history and, uniquely, surfaces photos from past salvage-auction listings, so you can see prior damage. Priciest on the list, and less focused on UK-only cars, but the photo history is genuinely useful for imports.
Best for European / imported cars
Historical salvage damage photos
Wide international database
Most expensive per report
Less relevant for lifelong-UK cars
Total Car Check
Best budget option, if you check the tier
Budget pricing · confirm the tier includes the key checks
A cheap, workable check for buyers focused on cost, with a data guarantee on the paid tiers. The catch is that the cheapest tiers can leave out the checks that matter, so confirm finance, write-off and stolen are included before you pay.
Low price
Data guarantee on paid tiers
Cheapest tiers omit key checks, read carefully
Data report only
How to choose
Whichever you pick, make sure it covers the four checks that actually cost buyers money: outstanding finance, insurance write-off, stolen markers and mileage history, ideally with a data guarantee. Ignore rock-bottom checks that quietly drop finance or write-off, that is exactly where the expensive surprises hide.
If the car is an import, carVertical's overseas history and salvage photos are worth the premium. For a car that has been UK-registered its whole life, a UK-focused check covers what you need for much less. And if you want the check to also tell you whether the price is fair and whether to buy, rather than handing you a table of data to interpret yourself, that is what CarMate is built to do.
Common questions
What is the best way to check a used car in the UK?
Run a vehicle history check before you view or pay. It should cover outstanding finance, insurance write-off, stolen markers and mileage. CarMate does that and also reads the advert and the asking price, so you also learn whether the specific car is worth buying, not just what is on its record.
What is the cheapest HPI check alternative?
Several providers undercut HPI's £19.99 full check. CarMate's History Check is £11.98 for the full provenance report with a data guarantee, and your first credit is free when you sign up. Budget options like Total Car Check go lower still, but check the tier includes finance, write-off and stolen markers before paying.
Which car check does more than an HPI check?
CarMate. An HPI check reports what is on a car's record. CarMate includes that same provenance data, then reads the actual listing, checks the asking price against similar cars selling now, reads the MOT story and gives a clear buy, negotiate or walk verdict.
Do I need a full HPI check, or is a cheaper one fine?
A cheaper check is fine as long as it covers the checks that matter: outstanding finance, insurance write-off, stolen markers and mileage history, ideally with a data guarantee. Avoid the rock-bottom tiers that omit finance or write-off, that is where the real risk hides.
Which is best for an imported car?
carVertical, because it pulls European history and photos from past salvage-auction listings. For a car that has been UK-registered its whole life, a UK-focused check like CarMate or HPI covers what you need for less.
Check a car in about 60 seconds
The same provenance data as an HPI check, plus a read on the listing, the price and whether it's worth buying. Your first credit is free when you sign up.