Check a car
Comparison · checked 5 October 2026

RegTail vs CarCheck: which do you need?

RegTail is a UK check that starts from the advert you are looking at. Type the plate, paste the advert link from any site, or snap a photo of the car. The current MOT status and condition are free; 1 credit unlocks the full report, which tests the seller's claims against the DVSA MOT history, the registration record and the MOT statistics of the whole fleet.

CarCheck (carcheck.co.uk) offers a broad free check of specs, MOT and tax, and sells a premium report that adds damage, theft and finance checks, owner history, advert history and a valuation. RegTail does not check finance, stolen or write-off registers, so the paid products are different. Below is what each shows, free and paid.

Use RegTail when

You are scrolling adverts and want to rule cars out before you travel, see what the MOT history really says, check the seller's claims against the records, and walk into the viewing knowing what to inspect.

Use a paid register check when

You are about to pay for the car and need outstanding finance, the police stolen marker or recorded damage and write-offs checked. CarCheck's premium report covers these; RegTail does not.

Side by side

Free checks compared first, then the paid reports. CarCheck's features are from its home page and its sample report, checked 5 October 2026.

FeatureRegTailCarCheck
Free result Free on every carThe latest MOT result with its defects and advisories, the MOT expiry, tax status and the mileage at the latest MOT. Broad specs, MOT and taxMake, model, colour, dimensions, registration and V5C issue dates, MOT date, tax, engine, CO2, Euro status, mileage readings, export info, safety recalls and pictures from adverts, as listed on CarCheck's home page.
Free MOT history Every test, every defectThe latest test free, every test in the full report, with a Problems by part view that shows what keeps coming back and on which corner. YesA free MOT history page with advisories.
Price Current condition free1 credit unlocks a plate's full report for 30 days. Credits from £2.99 (5 for £9.99, 15 for £19.99), and bought credits do not expire. The full report does not include finance, stolen or write-off checks. Premium and Basic reports, with a lower price per report when you buy two. We could not load CarCheck's price page to check it on 5 October 2026, so we do not quote a price here; see carcheck.co.uk before you buy.
How you start Plate, advert link or photoPaste a link from any site, or photograph the car. Our AI finds the plate in the advert's text or photos. Registration number.
Reads the advert Yes, any siteMake, model, colour, mileage, price and the work the seller claims, read from the advert text and photos. Advert historyPast adverts for the car, with asking prices and photos, in the premium report.
Seller's claims tested Advert vs recordsIn the full report. Each claim is marked Matches, Needs explaining or Contradicted, against the official record and every MOT reading. No advert comparison
Cloned-plate warning From your photoIn the full report. If the car in your photo is not the make, model or colour on the plate's record, the report says so. No photo check
Mileage MOT readings, three waysIn the full report. Every MOT reading, the advert's figure, and what is typical for the same model from 33.8 million MOT tests. YesMileage readings from MOT tests and adverts, in the premium report.
Advice for this car Written for this carIn the full report. Viewing priorities and known faults for the engine the car actually has, each priority citing an MOT test or a finding. No
Outstanding finance Not checkedMarked as not checked, with what to ask the seller for. YesA finance check in the premium report.
Stolen (police marker) Not checkedA plate that does not match the car in your photo is flagged, but the police register is not checked. YesA theft check using police information, in the premium report.
Damage and write-offs Not checkedWe do not read the insurers' register. The full report shows write-offs declared in adverts we have seen. YesRecorded damage with date, position and repair cost, and write-off category, in the premium report.
Service history Not shown Where availableService dates, mileage and garage, when CarCheck finds them.
Owners and valuation Not shown YesNumber of owners and how long each kept the car, and a valuation, in the premium report.
Sharing Link with preview, and PDFEvery report has its own link, with a preview card of the car when you send it, and Save as PDF. A PDF report.
CarCheck features from carcheck.co.uk and its sample premium report, checked 5 October 2026. CarCheck's price, terms and report pages could not be loaded on that date, so prices and guarantee terms are not shown. RegTail features as live at regtail.com on the same date. Tell us if anything here is out of date. Sources: carcheck.co.uk, CarCheck sample report, CarCheck MOT history.

What RegTail does differently

A history report answers "what is on file for this plate". RegTail answers the buyer's question: is this advert telling the truth, and what should I look at when I get there?

Start from the advert, not the plate
Paste a link from any site. Our AI reads the text and the photos, finds the registration even when the advert hides it, and pulls out the make, model, colour, mileage, price and the work the seller claims. No plate? A photo of the car is enough.
Every claim meets the record
"48,000 miles" is tested against every MOT reading and against what is typical for the same model across 33.8 million MOT tests. Colour, fuel, engine and age are tested against the registration record. A plate that does not match the car in your photo is flagged as a possible clone.
A guide written for this car
AI turns the records into a short summary and viewing priorities for this car, and every priority must cite an MOT test or a finding or it is dropped. It also knows the engine the car actually has: on one Defender the record showed a 6.2-litre petrol V8 the factory never fitted, so the advice was written for the conversion, not the brochure.
Free to start on every car
The current MOT status and condition are free, so you can check ten adverts in an evening. Unlock the full report for the ones worth a closer look: 1 credit per plate, with credits from £2.99 (5 for £9.99, 15 for £19.99). CarCheck's premium report is paid per report and includes the finance, theft and damage checks that RegTail does not offer.
AI reads. Records decide.
Our AI reads adverts, photos and MOT notes. It never writes the verdict: that comes from the records, and partial evidence never counts as clear.

Where CarCheck is stronger today

Some of this is free on CarCheck. The rest is in its paid report, and worth having before you hand over money.

More on the free check
Dimensions, fuel consumption, CO2 and Euro status, export info, safety recalls and pictures from past adverts are free on CarCheck. RegTail's free result covers the MOT, tax and mileage.
Outstanding finance
A car with finance owing can be repossessed from you. CarCheck's premium report includes a finance check. RegTail marks finance as not checked and tells you to ask the seller for a settlement letter.
Police stolen marker
CarCheck's premium report includes a theft check. RegTail shows only indirect signs, such as a plate that does not match the car.
Damage and write-offs
CarCheck's premium report shows recorded damage and write-off category. RegTail shows write-offs declared in adverts we have seen; an undeclared Cat S or Cat N needs the register.
Owners, advert history, service history and a valuation
Context that RegTail does not show. CarCheck says service history appears when it can be found.

Questions

What does the free CarCheck show?
CarCheck's home page lists make, model, colour, dimensions, registration date, MOT date, tax, engine, CO2, mileage readings, export info, safety recalls and pictures from adverts, checked 5 October 2026. RegTail's free result shows the latest MOT with its defects and advisories, the MOT expiry, tax and the mileage at the latest MOT.
How much is a CarCheck premium report?
CarCheck sells Basic and Premium reports, with a lower price per report when you buy two. We could not load its price page to check it on 5 October 2026, so check the price and what the total is on carcheck.co.uk before you pay.
Is CarCheck legit?
carcheck.co.uk has been registered since 1998, to a business in Groningen in the Netherlands, according to the Nominet domain record. It publishes a sample report, and on 5 October 2026 it was rated 4.2 out of 5 from 411 reviews on Trustpilot. RegTail does not have a Trustpilot rating yet.
Does RegTail check finance, stolen and write-offs like CarCheck's premium report?
No. Finance, the police stolen marker and the insurance write-off register are private databases. RegTail marks them as not checked in every report and tells you what to ask the seller for. CarCheck's premium report includes finance, theft and damage checks.
Which check should I use?
Use RegTail while you shortlist: it is free to start, reads the advert and tells you what to inspect at the viewing. Before you pay for the car, add a paid register check if you want finance, theft and write-offs confirmed.

Check the car you are looking at

Plate, advert link or photo. The current condition is free; 1 credit unlocks the MOT history, mileage and the seller's claims, checked against the records.

Check a car

Read next: RegTail vs carwow car check · Is the free gov.uk MOT check enough? · Cat S, Cat N and write-offs explained · MOT pass rates by make and model · All buyer guides

CarCheck is a trade mark of its owner. RegTail is not affiliated with CarCheck. Prices and features checked 5 October 2026 and may change.