Check a car
Comparison · checked 5 October 2026

RegTail vs carwow car check: 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.

carwow's car check is run by MotorCheck, as carwow's own page says. A full check is £8.50, or 3 for £14.99 and 5 for £19.99, and includes outstanding finance, stolen and insurance write-off records with a £30,000 guarantee. RegTail does not check those registers, so the two are different products. Below is what each covers, and where each is stronger.

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, and walk into the viewing knowing what to inspect.

Use carwow's check, or both, when

You are about to pay for the car and need outstanding finance, the police stolen marker and the insurance write-off register checked, with a guarantee behind the result. carwow's full check covers these; RegTail does not.

Side by side

What each check includes for a UK buyer, from carwow's and MotorCheck's own pages, checked 5 October 2026.

FeatureRegTailcarwow
Who runs it RegTailWe run the check and write the report. MotorCheck (Motor Data Limited). carwow's terms say your contract for the check is with MotorCheck.
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. Identity, plus a free MOT toolMake, model, colour and engine. carwow's separate free MOT history tool shows past MOT results and mileage.
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. £8.50 for one full check, 3 for £14.99, 5 for £19.99. Every check includes finance, stolen and write-off records.
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. Not part of the check
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. VIN checkCompare the VIN on the car with the record.
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. YesIn the full check, and in carwow's free MOT tool.
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. Yes, more sourcesDVLA, MOT, service and auction readings, with a discrepancy flag, in MotorCheck's sample 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. YesFinance company and agreement details.
Stolen (police marker) Not checkedA plate that does not match the car in your photo is flagged, but the police register is not checked. YesMotorCheck names the Police National Computer as a source.
Insurance write-off register Not checkedWe do not read the insurers' register. The full report shows write-offs declared in adverts we have seen. YesMotorCheck names MIAFTR, the insurers' register, as a source.
Keepers, plates, colour Not shown YesKeeper changes, plate changes and colour changes.
Valuation No Yes
Guarantee None £30,000carwow says every report carries a £30,000 guarantee.
Data sources named Named on every reportDVSA MOT history, the DVLA registration record, the advert, and the DVSA anonymised MOT data. YesMotorCheck names the DVLA, DVSA, SMMT, the Police National Computer, MIAFTR and the Motor Asset Registration Service.
Refunds AutomaticA check that fails after it was charged is refunded automatically. Bought credits do not expire. No refund once a report is delivered. You can cancel within 7 days only if the report was never generated or accessed.
carwow prices from its check site, the guarantee and the MotorCheck partnership from carwow's car check page, refund terms from the check site's terms, data sources from MotorCheck's FAQ, all checked 5 October 2026. RegTail features as live at regtail.com on the same date. Tell us if anything here is out of date. Sources: carwow car check, carwow check prices, terms, sample report, MotorCheck data sources.

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). A carwow full check is £8.50 and includes the finance, stolen and write-off registers that RegTail does not check.
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 carwow's check is stronger today

If you are about to hand over money, these are worth having. You can use both: RegTail to shortlist, a register check before you pay.

Outstanding finance
A car with finance owing can be repossessed from you. carwow's full check shows finance records. RegTail marks finance as not checked and tells you to ask the seller for a settlement letter.
Police stolen marker
MotorCheck checks the Police National Computer. RegTail shows only indirect signs, such as a plate that does not match the car.
Insurance write-off register
MotorCheck checks MIAFTR, the insurers' register. RegTail shows write-offs declared in adverts we have seen; an undeclared Cat S or Cat N needs the register.
A £30,000 guarantee
carwow says every report is backed by a £30,000 guarantee. RegTail offers no guarantee.
Mileage between MOTs
Service and auction readings add mileage from outside MOT tests, which helps on cars under three years old. RegTail uses MOT readings.
Keepers, plate and colour changes, and a valuation
Useful context that RegTail does not show.

Questions

How much is the carwow car check?
On carwow's check site a full check is £8.50, 3 checks are £14.99 and 5 checks are £19.99, prices checked 5 October 2026. Each check includes finance, stolen and write-off records.
Who runs the carwow car check?
MotorCheck (Motor Data Limited). carwow's car check page says it is offered in partnership with MotorCheck, and the check site's terms say your contract is with MotorCheck.
Is the carwow car check free?
The first step is. carwow's free check shows the car's make, model, colour and engine, and its free MOT history tool shows past MOT results. The full check is paid. RegTail's current MOT status and condition are free for any car.
Does RegTail check finance, stolen and write-offs like carwow's check?
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. carwow's full check includes them.
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 register check such as carwow's full check if you want finance, theft and write-offs confirmed with a guarantee.

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 HPI 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

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