CarCanny vs carVertical: which car history check should you use?
We make CarCanny, so we've kept this comparison to facts you can check on each site, as they stood on 1 October 2026. carVertical's strength is data from abroad. For a car that's only ever been in the UK, the main difference is price.
By Hubert Rachwalski
Founder and car enthusiast
Updated
First published
Quick answer
As of 1 October 2026, both check finance, theft, write-offs and mileage. carVertical costs £39.99 for one report and adds damage records and photos from other countries, which helps with imported cars. CarCanny's full report covers UK records only and includes a valuation.
Key takeaways
- For a car that's spent time abroad, carVertical is worth considering, as it draws on records from other countries.
- For a car that's only been in the UK, CarCanny's full report covers the key records without the extra cost of foreign data.
- CarCanny's free report stops at the logbook details and a short verdict, and carVertical has no free report, so pay for a report before you buy.
See what CarCanny finds on the car you're looking at.
How do CarCanny and carVertical compare?
Both cover the key UK records. carVertical adds data from abroad at a higher price, and CarCanny costs much less.
| Feature | CarCanny | carVertical |
|---|---|---|
| Price of one report | £9.99 | £39.99 |
| Price when buying several | £19.99 for a 3-pack (£6.66 a car) | From £20.99 each in a bundle of 3 |
| Subscription for private buyers | None | None |
| What's free | Logbook details and a short AI verdict | No free report |
| Outstanding finance | Yes | Yes |
| Stolen | Yes | Yes |
| Insurance write-off and category | Yes | Yes |
| Mileage check | Yes, from MOT readings | Yes |
| Damage records and photos | No | Yes, where found |
| Records from other countries | No, UK only | Yes |
| Previous keepers | Yes, where recorded | Yes |
| Imported, exported or scrapped | Yes | Yes |
| Valuation | Trade-in and dealer prices | Yes |
How much does a carVertical report cost in the UK?
One carVertical report costs £39.99, and the price per report drops if you buy a bundle. CarCanny's full report costs £9.99 for one car, or £19.99 for a 3-pack (£6.66 a car). Both are less than carVertical's bundle price of £20.99 a report.
| Reports bought | carVertical total | Price per report |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | £39.99 | £39.99 |
| 2 | £51.98 | £25.99 |
| 3 | £62.97 | £20.99 |
Bundles are paid up front, so you pay for the second and third reports before you know whether you'll need them. That goes for CarCanny's 3-pack too, which you have 6 months to use.
When is carVertical worth paying more for?
carVertical is worth considering when a car has spent time outside the UK. It gathers records from many countries, so it can find damage, mileage readings and photos from before the car was imported.
CarCanny checks UK records only. If the full report shows a car was imported, you may want a check that covers the country it came from as well.
What do you get for free?
CarCanny's free report shows the car's logbook details from the DVLA, but not the MOT, finance, theft or write-offs. carVertical doesn't offer a free report: its own guide points to GOV.UK for free MOT and tax information.
CarCanny's free report shows the make, model, colour, engine, fuel, CO2 and age, with the other 17 checks locked, so you can see what the full report adds before you pay.
What does a CarCanny full report check?
CarCanny's full report checks mileage, finance, write-off and stolen, plus 14 more. All 18 checks and an AI-powered verdict.
| Check | The question it answers | In the free report? |
|---|---|---|
| Logbook match | Is it the car in the advert? | Yes |
| MOT status | When's its next MOT due? | No, full report only |
| Mileage | Clocked to hide wear? | No, full report only |
| MOT history | Bills its MOTs warned of? | No, full report only |
| Finance | Does a lender still own it? | No, full report only |
| Recall | A safety fix still due? | No, full report only |
| Write-off | Written off, worth less? | No, full report only |
| Value | Asking price too high? | No, full report only |
| For sale | Asking prices right now? | No, full report only |
| Sold | What cars like this sold for? | No, full report only |
| Demand | Do cars like it sell fast? | No, full report only |
| Stolen | Could police take it away? | No, full report only |
| Tax | Declared off the road? | No, full report only |
| Keepers | Many owners, fast? | No, full report only |
| Plate changes | A new plate hiding its past? | No, full report only |
| Scrapped | Scrapped, then sold on? | No, full report only |
| Imported | Pricier to insure and fix? | No, full report only |
| Exported | Meant to have left the UK? | No, full report only |
Every free report answers logbook match, and shows the value as a price range if you ask for it by email. If the DVLA record shows the car was scrapped, the free report tells you not to buy it. The full report answers all 18.
The verdict sums the checks up and isn't one of them. Nor are the car's details, such as its make and CO2: only the logbook match, which sets them against the V5C, counts as a check.
Who writes the verdict in a CarCanny report?
AI writes the full report's plain-English verdict from the car's records and what's generally known about the model, except for a car you shouldn't buy.
The verdict is a headline and a short summary at the top of the report, red flags first. Below it, "The verdict in full" goes further: the car's records against what's generally known about the model, what to check at the viewing, and how to challenge the asking price, using only the trade and retail figures from the report's own valuation.
- The full report's verdict is labelled "Written by CarCanny AI from this car's records and what's generally known about this model. What's known about the model isn't a check of this car." The free check's "Look out for" card is labelled "Written by CarCanny AI from what's generally known about this model. It isn't a check of this car."
- The verdict isn't expert or professional advice. It sums up the 18 checks, and the checks are the record.
- A car recorded as stolen, scrapped or written off in category A or B gets "Don't buy this car.", written by fixed rules, not AI, and no verdict in full.
- If the AI can't write the verdict, the report shows one written by fixed rules instead.
The free report has a shorter verdict, also written by AI: a headline and a sentence or two on what's generally known about the car's model.
Which car check should you choose?
Choose on where the car has been and how many cars you'll check.
| If | Choose |
|---|---|
| The car has only ever been registered in the UK | CarCanny |
| The car was imported, or you're not sure | carVertical |
| You want to know what the car is worth | Either |
| You want a valuation and UK records only | CarCanny |
Frequently asked questions
How much is a carVertical report in the UK?
One report costs £39.99. Buying two or three together lowers the price to £25.99 or £20.99 each. Prices change with promotions, so check carVertical's site.
Is carVertical good for UK cars?
It covers the key UK records, including finance, theft and write-offs. Its extra value is data from other countries, which matters most for imported cars.
Is there a free carVertical check?
No. carVertical doesn't offer a free report, and its own guide points to GOV.UK for free MOT and tax information. Its finance, theft, write-off and damage records are only in the paid report.
Sources
- carVertical: Car history check(opens in a new tab)
- carVertical: Market Price feature(opens in a new tab)
- carVertical: How to get a free vehicle history report(opens in a new tab)
The ideas for our guides come from people on our team. We use AI tools to help research, draft and edit them, and the named author reads each one before it's published.
Written by
Hubert Rachwalski
Founder and car enthusiast at CarCanny
Hubert is the founder of CarCanny and a car enthusiast. He built CarCanny as the check he wanted as a buyer: simple, clear and honest about what it does and doesn't know.
