Car checks · honest comparison
Looking for an HPI Check alternative?
Yes, there are alternatives. CarMate runs the same core provenance checks an HPI Check does, finance, write-off, stolen and mileage, using licensed data. The difference is what it does next: it reads the actual advert you're looking at, checks the asking price against the market, and gives you a clear verdict on whether to buy.
What an HPI Check gives you
An HPI Check is the established name for a vehicle provenance report. It tells you what's on a car's record, outstanding finance, insurance write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history and plate changes, backed by a data guarantee. It's a solid data report, and if a pure record check is all you want, it does the job.
Where CarMate is different
CarMate covers that same provenance data, then answers the question a data report leaves open: should I actually buy this one?
Reads the listing
The advert wording and seller signals worth questioning, not just the DVLA record.
Checks the price
The asking price compared against similar cars selling right now.
The MOT story
Advisories that keep coming back, and mileage that does not add up.
A clear verdict
View it, look closer, or walk away, a straight call, not a table of data.
HPI Check vs CarMate
Same core provenance data. The difference is everything CarMate adds around it.
| HPI Check | CarMate | |
|---|---|---|
| Finance, write-off, stolen | ||
| Mileage & plate history | ||
| Data guarantee | up to £30k | |
| Reads the actual listing | – | |
| Asking price vs market | – | |
| MOT story & advisories | – | |
| Buy / caution / walk verdict | – | |
| Free listing check to start | – | first one free |
The honest bit
We're not here to trash HPI, it's a good provenance report. But if you want more than a data table, if you want to know whether the specific car in front of you is worth the trip, that's what CarMate is built for. A History Check is £11.98 (2 credits) with a guarantee up to £30k, and a Listing Check that reads the advert and price is 1 credit, with your first one free.
HPI Check alternative FAQs
Is there an alternative to an HPI Check?
Yes. Several providers offer vehicle provenance checks. CarMate covers the same core data an HPI Check does, outstanding finance, insurance write-off, stolen markers and mileage history, and adds a read of the actual listing, the asking price against the market, and a clear verdict on whether to buy.
What is the difference between CarMate and an HPI Check?
An HPI Check is a data report on a car's record. CarMate includes that same provenance data and then goes further: it reads the specific advert you are looking at, checks the asking price against similar cars selling now, reads the full MOT story, and gives you a clear verdict, view it, look closer, or walk away, instead of just a table of data.
Is CarMate cheaper than an HPI Check?
Prices change, so it is worth comparing current prices directly. A CarMate History Check is £11.98 (2 credits) for the full provenance report with a data guarantee, and a Listing Check that reads the advert and price is 1 credit, with your first one free.
Does CarMate check finance and write-offs like HPI?
Yes. Outstanding finance, insurance write-off category and stolen markers all come from licensed data, the same class of provenance data an HPI Check relies on. CarMate reports the same core checks, then adds the listing, price and MOT analysis on top.
Which is better, HPI Check or CarMate?
It depends what you want. If you only need a pure record report, an HPI Check does that well and is the established name. If you want the same provenance data plus a read on whether the specific car you are looking at is actually worth buying, that is what CarMate is built for.