To compare like with like, we took the car MOT Checkup uses on its own sample report page, a 2013 Ford Fiesta with 16 MOT tests, and ran it through both sites on 9 November 2026.
CarCostCheck's free report showed all 16 tests and the mileage recorded at every one of them, flagged a 31,494-mile drop between two tests as possible tampering, graded the car 52 out of 100 (D), and listed its running costs, common issues, clean air zone status, model recalls and MOT expiry, with a free reminder.
MOT Checkup's free report showed the date and result of all 16 tests, a 63% pass rate, the advisory count, a possible odometer rollback flag and seven identity cross-checks, then said: "Still hidden on this car: 13 mileage readings, including this car's most recent recorded odometer figure, from its MOT on 15 Dec 2025, plus the advisories and defects on 6 recent MOT tests. Basic unlocks exactly that, plus the branded PDF." The mileage table showed "??,???" against the 13 newest tests, and the rollback flag read "Unlock the full report to see the exact dates and figures."
That is the practical difference on the MOT side. Both sites have the whole record; on a car with more than five tests, MOT Checkup charges £2.99 to read the newest part of it and CarCostCheck does not.
What MOT Checkup's Comparison Page Gets Wrong
MOT Checkup publishes its own comparison with CarCostCheck at motcheckup.co.uk/vs/motcheckup-vs-carcostcheck, dated May 2026 on the page. Some of it is fair: it credits CarCostCheck with the full MOT timeline, mileage at every test, advisory categorisation, a reliability score and running costs, and it calls CarCostCheck "the closest free competitor on quality of the free tier". Several of its claims about CarCostCheck are wrong, and some are contradicted by MOT Checkup's own later pages. Here they are, with the facts and where to check them.
- "Owner-survey reliability score." The table ticks CarCostCheck for this, and the FAQ says our score "draws on owner-survey data". It does not. CarCostCheck's reliability score is worked out from the car's own MOT record: its pass rate, recent failures, advisory trend and mileage. Our premium page and prices page both say so.
- That neither site replaces a paid report for finance or write-off data. The page says this twice and suggests buying a separate report on top. CarCostCheck's £4.99 history check is that report: outstanding finance with the lender and agreement details, a stolen check against the Police National Computer and the insurers' MIAFTR write-off register, from Experian AutoCheck data, plus keepers with dates, VIN, engine number, plate and colour changes, import and export markers and scrapped status. The page's phrase "a paid premium tier from around £4.99 for additional history information" undersells it: the price is exactly £4.99 and these are the checks it contains.
- "Its strongest free feature is running-cost analysis, not deep MOT history." CarCostCheck's free report shows every MOT test since 2005, the mileage at every test and every advisory and failure with the DVSA grade and a repair estimate, and holds none of it back. As the same-car test above shows, the site that limits the free MOT detail is MOT Checkup, on cars with more than five tests.
- "Free stolen-vehicle check": a tick for MOT Checkup and a cross for CarCostCheck. MOT Checkup's stolen check page, updated September 2026, says the DVSA and DVLA records it holds do not contain "a stolen flag at any price", and its llms.txt says it "does not hold outstanding finance, insurance write-off (MIAFTR), police stolen (PNC) or number-of-previous-keepers data, free or paid". Neither site has a free Police National Computer check, because no one does. CarCostCheck's stolen check is in the £4.99 history check; the free V5C checks that GOV.UK publishes are described on our free check page and on theirs.
- "Three-year ownership cost projections" with "insurance group context". CarCostCheck's free report shows annual running costs (fuel, road tax, MOT and predicted repairs), a monthly figure and a comparison with a UK benchmark. It is not a three-year projection, and the free report does not include an insurance group; an estimated group with example quotes is part of the £2.99 valuation.
- Its own column is out of date too. The table gives MOT Checkup a cross for running costs and "Tax status only" for road tax, but its pricing page now lists "annual running costs" and a "VED estimate" on the free report, and the report we ran showed running costs. Their table also gives load times for both sites; we did not time either, so we leave that row alone.
None of this makes MOT Checkup a bad tool. It is a good free MOT history checker that is candid about what it does not hold. It just means its comparison page is not a reliable description of CarCostCheck.
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- AI common faults by make and model, and an AI chat. Its free report summarises common faults for the model from DVSA failure patterns, and the £3.99 Premium tier lets you ask questions about the specific car. CarCostCheck shows the faults that recur in the car's own MOT history and has model-level common problems pages, but no chat.
- The refund policy. Every paid MOT Checkup report carries a 30-day, no-questions money-back guarantee. CarCostCheck refunds a report that fails, shows the wrong car or has a fault, but not a correct report after a change of mind.
- Free lifespan estimate. MOT Checkup's free report estimates the years the car has left on the road; on CarCostCheck that figure is part of the £2.99 valuation.
- Identity cross-checks on the free report. It compares the DVLA and MOT records on make, colour, fuel and engine size and flags a mismatch, a sensible free prompt before a viewing.
- You want the MOT story on a car with a long history, free: CarCostCheck shows all of it. MOT Checkup shows all of it on cars with up to five tests, and charges £2.99 for the newest readings and defects on longer histories.
- You are about to buy the car: CarCostCheck. The £4.99 check covers outstanding finance, stolen and write-off, which MOT Checkup does not hold at any tier and tells you to get from a licensed provider.
- You want a value before you negotiate: CarCostCheck. A free range on the report, £2.99 for the local dealer value and days to sell, or £6.99 with the history check.
- You are choosing between two or three cars: CarCostCheck's compare tool puts up to five regs side by side free, and adds the history checks for all of them at £4.99, £4.49 and £4.00 each.
- You want an AI chat about the car, or a branded PDF to hand to a buyer: MOT Checkup, at £3.99 or £2.99.
- You are checking a motorbike: both show the bike's MOT history free. CarCostCheck's bike report also applies bike tax, MOT class and ULEZ rules and offers the same £4.99 history check.
| What you want | CarCostCheck | MOT Checkup |
|---|
| Every MOT test, mileage reading and defect | Free | Free on cars with up to five tests; otherwise £2.99 for the newest detail |
| Finance, stolen and write-off checks | £4.99 | Not offered |
| Valuation | £2.99 (£6.99 with the history check) | Not offered |
| AI chat about the car | Not offered | £3.99 |
| Two cars | £9.48 for two history checks | £5.99 for two Premium reports |
Different products, so the prices are not like for like. MOT Checkup's £2.99 and £3.99 buy more of the public MOT record and an AI layer; CarCostCheck's £4.99 buys the licensed finance, stolen and write-off records on top of a free report that already shows the whole MOT history. Our cheapest car history check comparison puts the £4.99 check against 21 other UK checks that include finance.
CarCostCheck is more than a history check. As well as the history check, it helps you judge whether a car will be a good one to own. Here is what you get:
- Market valuation from £2.99, based on live UK dealer listings. See the local dealer value for your car and how quickly similar cars sell near you.
- Estimated vehicle lifespan: An estimate of how many years the car has left on UK roads and the probability of it still being on the road in 12 months.
- Insurance costs by age: See estimated annual premiums for drivers aged 20, 30, 40, and 50. Budget before you buy.
- Running cost breakdown: Annual fuel, road tax, MOT, predicted repairs, and total cost per month. All calculated for this specific car.
- Reliability score (0-100): one number based on the car's MOT record, including its pass rate, recent failures, advisory trend and mileage. Free.
- Common faults: the problems that keep coming up in the car's own MOT history. Free.
- 16 free checks: Full MOT history with every item explained, MOT repair cost estimates, mileage history with a clocking check, reliability score, red flag alerts, MOT and tax status, running costs, fuel costs, costs against a UK benchmark, common faults, an estimated value range, safety recalls, ULEZ and clean air zones, CO2 and road tax band, the export marker and logbook date, and the vehicle details. All before you pay a penny.
The premium history check (£4.99) covers stolen, outstanding finance and write-off, using Experian AutoCheck data, with stolen records from the Police National Computer and write-offs from MIAFTR. The complete bundle (history + valuation) is £6.99, with no subscription.
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