carVertical alternative

carVertical Alternative UK

UK vehicle history checks for just £15. Check finance, stolen, mileage, write-offs and more using trusted UK data.

Works with:

Included in your report:

  • Outstanding finance
  • Accident history
  • Stolen check
  • Mileage & MOT history
  • Keeper history
  • Import/export markers

Quick Comparison

Save £22 Carpeep: £15 vs carVertical: £37.99

Side-by-side comparison of Carpeep and carVertical for a UK-registered vehicle, covering price, checks included, data sources and guarantee
Comparing CarpeepBuilt for UK cars carVertical
Price and buying
Price for one report £15 £37.99
Checking three cars £35 £113.97
Tiers and add-ons None Tiered packs
Buying a report No account needed Account needed
The checks UK buyers care about
Outstanding finance Included Included
Insurance write-off markers (Cat A, B, S, N) Included Included
Stolen (police) markers Included Included
Mileage anomalies and MOT history Included Included
Previous keepers and ownership dates Included Not guaranteed
Scrapped status Included Not guaranteed
UK import and export markers Included Included
Vehicle identity and specification Included Included
Data, cover and focus
What the report is built around UK records International records
History from before the car reached UK records Not covered Covered
Where the data comes from DVLA, DVSA, police, finance and insurance UK and international sources
Data guarantee £30,000 data guarantee No Data guarantee
Best for Every UK-registered car Cars imported from abroad

Pricing

Most buyers check more than one car. That is where the gap stops being small.

Cost of checking one, two or three cars with Carpeep compared with carVertical single-report pricing
Cars you check CarpeepFlat £15 carVerticalAt £37.99 each
One car £15 £37.99
Two cars £30 £75.98
Three cars £35 £113.97

Why the gap exists. Carpeep sells one thing: a UK report at one price. No tiers, no paid add-ons, no international data layer to fund. carVertical maintains data across dozens of countries and charges you for it whether your car has ever been in them or not.

Why people switch

Four reasons people stop paying £37.99 to check a British car.

The price adds up

Three shortlisted cars costs over £100 at carVertical prices. Carpeep checks the same three for £35.

You pay for data that is not there

European records earn their keep on a car with an overseas past. On a car UK-registered from new, there is nothing for them to find.

UK buyers want UK answers first

Finance, write-off category, stolen markers and mileage decide whether you walk away. They belong at the top of the report, not buried inside it.

The check happens on a driveway

You need the answer standing next to the car, before the deposit. That means a fast checkout and a report you can actually read on a phone.

Which one should you buy?

There is one situation where carVertical wins. Everything else is Carpeep.

Choose Carpeep if

The car is UK-registered

Best at: every recorded risk that stops a UK purchase, answered at a glance, for £15.

  • The car has been on UK records for its working life
  • You want finance, write-off, stolen and mileage answered in one place
  • You are checking more than one car and the per-report price matters
  • You want the answer backed by a £30,000 guarantee
  • You need the answer on your phone before paying a deposit

£15 per report. No account, no tiers, no add-ons.

Choose carVertical if

You are importing a car from abroad

Best at: the years a car spent outside the UK, before it reached UK records. That is the whole case for it.

  • The car is being imported, or has just arrived on UK plates
  • Its UK history is far shorter than the age of the car
  • The seller mentions a previous overseas registration

Buying an import that is already on UK plates? You still need the UK risks checked, and those are Carpeep's.

Run the check before you pay

Enter the reg, check the risks, then decide.

Enter the registration to see the recorded UK risks before you pay a deposit or travel to view the car.

  • £15 flat
  • Apple Pay
  • No account

Imported cars

The only situation where paying more makes sense.

Once the car is on UK records

An import that has been UK-registered for a few years carries exactly the same UK risks as any other car. Carpeep shows them: finance taken out here, UK write-off markers, stolen markers, mileage against UK MOT records, keeper history and the recorded import marker itself.

Before it reached UK records

Carpeep does not cover the years the car spent abroad. If the car is a fresh import and those years are the unknown, that is what carVertical is for. It is the one thing it does better.

A practical rule. The shorter the UK history against the age of the car, the more an international check is worth. Once a car has been here a few years, the risk sits in UK records, and £15 answers it.

Buying an import? Our imported car check page explains what UK import and export markers mean.

What you get for £15.

Every Carpeep check is a full car history check. Nothing on this list is an add-on.

Outstanding finance

Recorded finance agreements, so you can see whether a lender may still have an interest in the car after you buy it.

Write-off category

Recorded write-off markers such as Cat S and Cat N, with older Cat C and Cat D context where relevant.

Stolen markers

Police National Computer stolen markers, shown plainly so theft risk is impossible to miss.

Mileage and MOT history

Recorded mileage against MOT records, highlighting gaps, jumps and readings that do not add up.

Keeper and status history

Previous keeper count, ownership change dates, scrapped status and UK import/export markers where recorded.

Vehicle identity and spec

Make, model, year, engine details and identity data, so you can confirm the car matches the advert.

Want the free basics first? A free car check shows DVLA details, tax and MOT status. It will not show finance, write-off or stolen markers.

Why Carpeep

Three reasons UK buyers pick us over every other check.

Built to be read at a glance

We are the only UK provider that has put serious money and research into how a report actually reads. Every risk is answered on sight, on a phone, a tablet or a desktop.

Deeper mileage analysis

Every recorded reading checked against full MOT history, so clocking, gaps and impossible jumps stand out instead of hiding in a column of numbers.

£15 flat, £30,000 backed

Official UK data from DVLA, DVSA, police, finance and insurance records. One price for every vehicle, no upsell. Read the guarantee.

What the report looks like.

Every check that decides a purchase sits at the top, each with a plain-English verdict. Questions before you buy? Ask our support team.

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Carpeep report summary

Example snapshot

Example
Outstanding finance
None recorded
CLEAR
Write-off / Cat markers
None recorded
CLEAR
Stolen marker
None recorded
CLEAR
Mileage
Consistent across MOTs
CLEAR

Example data shown. Your report will show the recorded history for the reg you check.

Final verdict

For a UK car, Carpeep wins.

£15 buys every check that decides a UK purchase: finance, write-off, stolen, mileage, MOT, keepers, scrapped status and import and export markers. It comes with a £30,000 guarantee and a report built to be read at a glance. carVertical costs more than twice as much and only pulls ahead if you are importing a car from abroad. Comparing more widely? See our HPI vs carVertical vs Carpeep comparison or the best car history check in the UK.

carVertical Alternative FAQs

What is the best carVertical alternative in the UK?

Carpeep. One full report is £15, it covers every check that matters on a UK car, and it is built to be read at a glance. carVertical charges £37.99 for the same core checks.

Is Carpeep a good carVertical alternative for UK cars?

Yes, and for a UK-registered car it is the better one. Carpeep covers outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage against MOT records, keeper history, scrapped status and import and export markers, for £15 with no tiers or add-ons.

When is carVertical worth paying for?

When you are buying a car imported from abroad and the years it spent overseas are the unknown. That is the only case. On a car that has been on UK records, you are paying more than double for cover you will not use.

How much does carVertical cost in the UK?

carVertical lists a single report at £37.99. Carpeep is £15, or £35 for three reports.

Why is Carpeep cheaper than carVertical?

Carpeep sells one thing: a UK report at one price. There are no tiers, no paid add-ons and no international data layer to fund.

Is Carpeep useful for imported cars?

Yes, once the vehicle is on UK records. Carpeep shows the UK risks that apply to it today: finance, write-off markers, stolen markers, mileage and MOT history, keeper history and UK import and export markers.

Does Carpeep show history from before a car was imported to the UK?

No. Carpeep reports UK records. If the car is a fresh import and the overseas years are your main worry, that is the one thing carVertical does better.

Is carVertical better for imported cars?

Only for the overseas years. An imported car on UK plates still carries UK finance, write-off, stolen and mileage risks, and Carpeep shows those clearly for £15.

Do I need an account to run a check?

No. Enter the registration, pay £15 and read the report. Card and Apple Pay are accepted.

Is Carpeep reliable?

Carpeep runs on official UK data from DVLA, DVSA, police, finance and insurance records, and every report is backed by a £30,000 data guarantee.

Is there a free carVertical alternative?

Not a real one. Free tools show DVLA details, tax status and MOT history. They do not show finance, write-off categories, stolen markers or keeper history, because that data is not free. Carpeep gives you all of it in one car history check for £15.

Check a UK car for £15

Don't buy a car you haven't checked.

Finance. Accident history. Stolen check. Mileage. One clear report, before you pay.

  • No account needed
  • Apple Pay accepted
  • £30,000 data guarantee