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Comparison · checked 4 October 2026

RegTail vs HPI 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.

HPI Check sells a Full HPI Check at £19.99 that searches finance, police stolen and insurance write-off records, and is backed by HPI's £30,000 data guarantee. Its Basic Check is £9.99 and three full checks are £29.99. Below is where each one 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.

Add a paid check 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. HPI's Full Check covers these; RegTail does not.

Side by side

What each check includes for a UK buyer, from HPI's own pages, checked 4 October 2026.

FeatureRegTailHPI
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); API calls use the same credits. Full HPI Check £19.99. Basic Check £9.99. MultiCheck £29.99 for three full checks.
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 and log book checksThe full check compares the VIN and checks the V5C log book details you enter.
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. YesMOT history with advisories, in the full 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. Yes, more sourcesReadings from the National Mileage Register, with discrepancies flagged. Not in the Basic Check.
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. YesLender and agreement type, in the full check.
Stolen (police marker) Not checkedA plate that does not match the car in your photo is flagged, but the police register is not checked. YesPolice and insurance theft records.
Insurance write-off register Not checkedWe do not read the insurers' register. The full report shows write-offs declared in adverts we have seen. YesCategory and date. Write-off details are not in the Basic Check.
Keepers, plates, colour Not shown YesNumber of keepers, plate transfers and colour changes.
Guarantee None £30,000On the Full HPI Check only, not the Basic Check.
Valuation No YesA current valuation in the full check.
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. Not stated on HPI's site.
HPI prices and features from hpicheck.com and HPI's sample report, checked 4 October 2026. HPI's guarantee terms page could not be loaded on that date. RegTail features as live at regtail.com on the same date. Tell us if anything here is out of date. Sources: hpicheck.com, HPI sample report, HPI free check page.

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). An HPI full check is £19.99.
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 HPI is stronger today

If you are about to hand over money, these are worth having.

Outstanding finance
A car with finance owing can be repossessed from you. HPI's full check names the lender. RegTail marks finance as not checked and tells you to ask the seller for a settlement letter.
Police stolen marker
HPI checks police and insurance theft records. RegTail shows only indirect signs, such as a plate that does not match the car.
Insurance write-off register
HPI shows a write-off's category and date. RegTail shows write-offs declared in adverts we have seen; an undeclared Cat S or Cat N needs the register.
A £30,000 data guarantee
HPI backs its full check with a data guarantee of up to £30,000. RegTail offers no guarantee.
Mileage between MOTs
The National Mileage Register adds readings 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 an HPI check?
On hpicheck.com a Full HPI Check is £19.99 and a Basic Check is £9.99, and the MultiCheck is £29.99 for three full checks, prices checked 4 October 2026. HPI says the Basic Check does not include mileage discrepancies or write-off details and is not covered by its £30,000 guarantee.
Does RegTail check finance, stolen and write-offs like HPI?
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. HPI's full check includes them.
Is there a free HPI check?
HPI says there is no free HPI check, though its site offers a free MOT history lookup and a free valuation. RegTail's current MOT status and condition are free for any car.
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 HPI'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.

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Read next: 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

HPI and HPI Check are trade marks of their owner. RegTail is not affiliated with HPI. Prices and features checked 4 October 2026 and may change.