Free car check vs paid history checks

Paid checks tell you what's on the registers. We tell you what the car's record means and whether it's worth your time. They do different jobs, and before you pay for a car you usually want both.

key things to know about the car, free with every check

things typical paid history checks don't include

Everything side by side

Most important first.

What you get	CarXCheckFree	Paid checks£6–£20
The essentialsThe most important things to know about a used car, free with every check.
Verdict: is this car worth viewing?	Yes	Some providers
Full MOT history with failures and advisories	Yes	Yes
Mileage history and clocking signs	Yes	Yes
Known faults for this model and engine, with typical UK repair costs	Yes	No
Is the asking price fair, and how much to offer †	Yes	No
Safety recall, MOT and tax status	Yes	Some providers
Signs of a cloned car: plate newer than the car, colour differs from the advert †	Yes	No
Write-off mentioned in the advert wording †	Yes	No
Export marker and import	Yes	Yes
Logbook (V5C) issue date to match against the seller's	Yes	Yes
Know this car
Mileage compared with the same model and year *	Yes	No
Possible ex-taxi or private hire	Yes	Some providers
Most common MOT failures for this model *	Yes	No
Reliability score from real DVSA MOT tests of the same model and age *	Yes	No
How many are still on the road (DfT data)	Yes	No
Know the price
Value estimate	Yes	Some providers
Cost of owning it, including likely repairs	Yes	No
Running costs: road tax, ULEZ and fuel	Yes	Some providers
Depreciation estimate	Yes	No
Before and at the viewing
Red flags and missing details in the advert †	Yes	No
Seller type and your buyer protection †	Yes	No
Questions to ask the seller	Yes	No
What to check at the viewing (VIN, logbook)	Yes	No
Photo check, including reading the plate from photos †	Yes	No
Compare up to three shortlisted cars	Yes	No
Buying guides for 150 popular models	Yes	No
From licensed registersFull check, coming soonOnly paid checks have these today. They're coming to CarXCheck as an optional Full check.
Outstanding finance	Soon	Yes
Police stolen marker	Soon	Yes
Insurance write-off register (Cat S/N)	Soon	Yes
Number of previous keepers and plate changes	Soon	Yes
Scrapped marker	Soon	Yes
Data guarantee	Soon	Yes

“Some” means only some paid providers include it, for example a valuation at hpi. vcheck also shows photos from salvage auctions.
† Needs the advert link (a number plate on its own has no asking price, wording or photos).
* For the 200 most common models on UK roads.
Prices, values, depreciation and repair costs are estimates to help you negotiate, not formal valuations or quotes. Checks are free with a free account.

Paid check prices

Single check, as listed on each provider's site on 7 November 2026. Most offer cheaper multi-check bundles.

Provider	Price	Data guarantee
hpi check	£19.99	Up to £30,000
RAC Car History Check	£14.99	Up to £30,000
Green Flag Vehicle Check	£9.99	£30,000
Total Car Check (Gold)	£9.99	£30,000
Autotrader Vehicle Check	£6.95	Up to £30,000
vcheck (Full Check)	from £6.00	Up to £40,000

Prices change often. Check the provider's site before you buy. We're not affiliated with any of them.

When to use which

Shortlisting: run a free CarXCheck on every car you like. It weeds out clocked, neglected and overpriced cars before you travel.
Before you pay a deposit: buy one paid check for the car you've chosen. Only licensed registers can confirm finance, theft and insurance write-offs.
At the viewing: use our questions for the seller and match the VIN and logbook to the car.