CarCanny vs HPI Check: which car history check should you use?
HPI is the name most sellers know. We bought its full check for three test cars to see what you actually get, and set it against CarCanny's full report, as things stood on 1 October 2026.
By Hubert Rachwalski
Founder and car enthusiast
Updated
First published
Quick answer
As of 1 October 2026, HPI's full check costs £19.99 and comes with a guarantee of up to £30,000. In our tests it named the finance company but didn't show MOT history or mileage readings. CarCanny's full report shows every MOT test and mileage reading, plus a valuation, but doesn't name the lender or offer a guarantee.
Key takeaways
- HPI gives the most finance detail, including the lender, its phone number and the agreement reference.
- In our tests, HPI didn't show the MOT history or mileage readings, which CarCanny's full report does.
- HPI's guarantee pays up to £30,000, but only if you meet its conditions, so read them before you rely on it.
See what CarCanny finds on the car you're looking at.
How do CarCanny and HPI Check compare?
Both check finance, theft and write-offs. HPI is stronger on finance detail and offers a guarantee, while CarCanny is stronger on MOT history and mileage.
| Feature | CarCanny | HPI Check |
|---|---|---|
| Price of a full check | £9.99, or 3 for £19.99 | £19.99, or 3 for £29.97 |
| Cheaper option | A free report: logbook match and a short AI verdict | Basic check £9.99, without the guarantee |
| Outstanding finance | Flags a recorded agreement | Names the lender, its phone number and the agreement reference |
| Stolen | Yes | Yes, including insurer theft registers |
| Insurance write-off and category | Yes | Yes |
| Scrapped | Yes | Yes |
| Full MOT history | Every test, with defects marked by severity | Not shown in our tests, only the MOT expiry |
| Mileage check | Every MOT reading, checked for clocking | Asks you to type in the current reading |
| Valuation | Trade-in and dealer prices | Yes |
| Previous keepers | Yes, where recorded | Yes |
| Safety recalls | Outstanding or clear, from the DVSA | Shown as "Not checked" |
| If the report is wrong | Fixed or refunded if it's wrong | Guarantee of up to £30,000, with conditions |
How much does an HPI check cost?
HPI's full check costs £19.99, and its Multicheck gives you 3 full checks for £29.97. Its £9.99 Basic check doesn't come with the guarantee.
CarCanny's full report costs £9.99 for one car, or £19.99 for a 3-pack, with no subscription. Its free report shows the car's logbook details first, so you only pay for the car you're serious about.
What did HPI find on our test cars?
HPI found the serious problems, but left out some of the history you'd use to judge a car's condition.
- Found: the write-off on the 2008 car, and that it had been scrapped.
- Found: the lease on the electric car, with the lender, its phone number and the agreement reference.
- Missed: the 2008 car's sale at a salvage auction.
- Not shown: the MOT history of the 2008 car, which had 20 tests. HPI showed only the expiry date.
- Empty: the mileage history, on all three cars. HPI's mileage check works only if you type in the current reading.
- Not checked: safety recalls, on all three cars.
Is HPI's £30,000 guarantee worth it?
It's useful protection if you meet its conditions. It pays up to £30,000, or £15,000 for a car that's been written off, if HPI's data turns out to be wrong.
- Keep a written receipt, signed by the seller, with their name and address, the car's details and mileage, the date and the price.
- If you buy privately, buy from the keeper at the address on the V5C logbook, and check the seller's identity.
- Pay a sensible price: claims aren't considered if you paid more than 30% below the retail value.
CarCanny doesn't offer a data guarantee. If your report is wrong, for the wrong car or missing a check, we fix it or refund you.
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 whether you need the lender's details and a guarantee, or the car's MOT and mileage history.
| If you want | Choose |
|---|---|
| The finance company's name and contact details | HPI Check |
| A guarantee on the data | HPI Check |
| Every MOT test, with defects marked by severity | CarCanny |
| Mileage readings checked for clocking | CarCanny |
| A free preview before you pay | CarCanny |
Frequently asked questions
Is an HPI check worth it?
It's worth it if you want the lender's details and a guarantee. In our tests it didn't show MOT history or mileage readings, so you may want those from another check or from GOV.UK.
Does an HPI check show MOT history?
Not in our tests. For a car with 20 MOT tests, HPI showed only the expiry date. You can see the full MOT history for free on GOV.UK.
What does the HPI guarantee cover?
It pays up to £30,000, or £15,000 for a written-off car, if HPI's data is wrong. You must meet its conditions, such as keeping a signed receipt from the seller.
Does CarCanny name the finance company?
Not yet. CarCanny's full report shows whether finance is recorded. If it is, ask the seller for a settlement letter from the lender before you pay.
Sources
- HPI Check(opens in a new tab)
- HPI: The HPI Guarantee(opens in a new tab)
- GOV.UK: Check the MOT history of a vehicle(opens in a new tab)
- GOV.UK: Check a used vehicle you're buying(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.
