CarVertical vs CarCostCheck (UK 2026): Which £30+ Car Check Is Worth It?

Quick answer: For a UK car with UK history, CarCostCheck (£4.99) covers the same provenance data CarVertical (£33.99) does — both source UK MIAFTR/finance/stolen data via Experian. CarVertical's extra £29 buys you EU and US history (TÜV, Contrôle Technique, NMVTIS) which only matters for imported cars. Most UK buyers don't need it.

When CarVertical (£33.99) is worth it

Three scenarios genuinely justify the price:

• Buying an EU-imported car — especially German, Polish, Lithuanian or Spanish imports. CarVertical pulls TÜV (Germany) and Contrôle Technique (France) records that no UK-only check returns. The car may show clean UK MOT but have a heavy German collision history.
• Buying an ex-North-American or Japanese car — CarVertical covers NMVTIS (US/Canada) and partial Japanese auction records. UK-only checks miss the entire pre-import chapter.
• Buying a high-value classic or performance car with cross-border ownership history. The CarVertical report's £29 cost is trivial vs the purchase price and the EU records can reveal repaired collision damage that UK MOT history doesn't pick up.

When CarCostCheck (£4.99) is the right choice

Everything else — which is most UK private used-car buyers:

• Car was first registered in the UK
• Car has UK service history
• You don't need EU or US records

For these, the £29 saving on CarCostCheck buys you nothing materially less than CarVertical would have given you. The UK provenance data is identical. CarCostCheck additionally bundles a free reliability score, running cost estimate and common-faults list that CarVertical doesn't include — small but useful extras for buying decisions.

The data both providers use

CarCostCheck and CarVertical both source UK provenance (write-off, finance, stolen) from Experian's UK vehicle data feed. Experian aggregates from MIAFTR (insurance industry write-off and theft register) and the finance industry register. Same data, same source, same reliability. The price difference doesn't reflect UK data quality — it reflects whether you also want non-UK chapters.

How to decide in 30 seconds

1. Has the car ever been registered outside the UK? If yes, CarVertical (£33.99) earns its price.
2. If no, CarCostCheck (£4.99) covers everything CarVertical would have shown.
3. If you're not sure, run the CarCostCheck free reg lookup first — the V5C history shows DVLA first-registration date and any "imported" flag in the metadata.

Related reading: CarVertical UK Review 2026 | CarCostCheck vs CarVertical: Save 85% | Cheapest HPI Check UK | HPI Check FAQ