Cap HPI Alternative: Better Car Check for 75% Less (2026)

Key fact: Cap HPI charges £19.99 for 5 provenance checks. CarCostCheck charges £4.99 for 16+ checks including everything HPI covers plus MOT analysis, reliability scoring, and running costs. Same underlying data, 75% cheaper, significantly more useful.

A Brief History of Cap HPI

HPI has been a trusted name in UK car checks since 1938. Cap Automotive, founded in 1979, became the industry standard for vehicle valuations. In 2017, the two companies merged to form Cap HPI, owned by Solera Holdings.

The merger made business sense, but it did not change what consumers get from an HPI check. The product is fundamentally the same as it was before the merger: you pay £19.99, you get told whether the car is stolen, has finance, has been written off, how many keepers it has had, and whether the mileage looks correct. Five data points.

In 2026, that is not enough.

CarCostCheck covers everything Cap HPI checks, plus 12 additional data points that HPI does not offer at any price. All for £4.99.

The Data Source Is the Same

Both services get their provenance data from the same place. Stolen records come from the Police National Computer. Finance data comes from Experian. Write-off records come from the Motor Insurers Anti-Fraud and Theft Register (MIAFTR). Vehicle data comes from DVSA and DVLA.

When you pay £19.99 for an HPI check, you are paying for the HPI brand name and their margin. The data itself is identical to what CarCostCheck provides for £4.99.

What Cap HPI Does Well

Credit where it is due: HPI invented the UK car history check market. The brand is well-known, trusted by millions, and accepted by dealers nationwide. If you are selling a car and want buyers to recognise the report name, HPI has that advantage.

Their valuation data (from the Cap side of the business) is also used widely across the motor trade. If you need a trade-recognised valuation, Cap is the industry standard.

Why CarCostCheck Is the Better Choice for Buyers

If you are buying a car, you need answers, not a brand name. CarCostCheck gives you more answers for less money:

• 12 free checks before you spend anything
• Premium provenance data for £4.99 (same sources as HPI)
• Running cost analysis so you know what the car will actually cost to own
• Reliability scoring so you can compare condition across shortlisted cars
• Common faults so you know what to check during a viewing

None of this is available from HPI at any price.

Related reading: Best HPI Check Alternative UK 2026 | HPI Check Review 2026 | Full CarCostCheck vs HPI Comparison