We have researched and tested a few of the best background check services for this article to bring you our top recommendations.

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If you need to verify someone’s identity fast, consider using a background check service.

Background check sites can reveal valuable insight into someone’s past – like criminal history, secret social media accounts, address history, court records, and even property records. All you need is the individual’s name, email address, or phone number, and the background check service will take it from there.

We have researched and tested a few of the best background check services for this article to bring you our top recommendations.

Best Background Check Sites

• TruthFinder – overall best background check service
• Instant CheckMate – best background check service for fast results
• GoodHire – best employment background checks
• Intelius – best reverse phone lookup feature
• BeenVerified – best for verifying social media
• spokeo.com – best for reverse email lookups
• peoplefinders.com – best background check service for single reports
• Universal Background Screening – best for fully accredited background checks
• Sterlingcheck.com – bets for checking criminal records

 

TruthFinder

We have ranked TruthFinder the best background check site overall for several reasons. Not only does this service provide comprehensive background reports, but it can also access both public records and private databases to provide you with an unmatched amount of information.

TruthFinder will search for county and state criminal records, employment history, social media profiles, previous addresses, phone numbers, and much more to verify the individual’s identity.

Pricing
TruthFinder offers a monthly subscription for around $28.05/month. This plan includes unlimited background checks, reverse phone and email lookups, and more.

Pros

• Self-monitoring reports
• Unlimited reports
• Access to public and private records

Cons

• No option to purchase a single report

 

Instant CheckMate

Instant CheckMate is a great resource to run a background check on a new neighbor, date, or simply to verify whether an individual is who they claim to be. It’s worth noting that the name “Instant CheckMate” indicates the results are instant, which they are not. It could take several minutes to get a background.

Still, there’s a lot to like about this company. Their background checks could find information on the person’s social media, criminal record, location history, education history, possible family members, previous phone numbers, and more.

Pricing
If you upgrade to a premium account for around $35.12/month, you will access unlimited background reports, reverse phone and address lookups, etc.

Pros

• Free trial available
• Unlimited searches
• Easy-to-use interface
• Mobile-friendly

Cons

• Costlymembership fees

 

GoodHire

GoodHire is ideal for employee background checks, and it’s one of those background check companies best used for identity verification in professional situations. For instance, if you’re hiring for a new job or vetting a current employee, this service is a good option.

Their background check process involves credit checks, employment verification, social media, education history, and more. It’s an effective service that should deliver what you’re looking for. The reports provide both insightful and accurate information, helping you find the right candidate for the job.

Pricing
GoodHire will provide you with a personalized package based on your business. You can contact their customer support team to get a quote.

Pros

• Mobile-friendly service
• Integrates HR software
• Quality employee background checks

Cons

• low search results
• No single report option

 

Intelius

Intelius is an excellent service for reverse phone number lookups. If some unknown phone number keeps calling or texting you, a site like Intelius can tell you where that call is coming from.

For those who continue to have someone from their past reach out or constantly get spam calls from scammers, this is one of the best background check sites for you. All searches are confidential, in-depth, and accurate. Intelius charges around $24.86/month for its background checks and phone number lookups.

Pros

• Subscription and single-report options
• Social media network viewer
• Identifies an unknown phone number easily

Cons

• Expensive

BeenVerified

BeenVerified is a highly reputable online background check company that uses public records to uncover valuable information on someone. They also take their services offline, with the court runner service and unclaimed property search.

The court runner service will send one of their customer support employees to a courthouse to ensure the data obtained online is correct. Collecting data points from multiple sources makes their background checks extremely thorough and accurate.

Pricing
BeenVerified charges its customers around $22/month.

Pros

• Affordable membership plan
• Detailed background checks for education verification

Cons

• Cannot purchase a single report

Spokeo.com

Spokeo does a great job with reverse email lookups, which can come in handy for various situations. For example, if you have someone harassing you and trying to scam you via email, Spokeo.com can reveal the sender’s identity.

Spokeo is also ideal for locating long-lost family members and friends. Its background search tool can find specific contact details, including a phone number and location history, social media profiles, and other important information.

Pros

• Some services are completely free
• Great for finding lost connections

Cons

• Plans with unlimited searches are not available

 

PeopleFinders.com

PeopleFinders provides some of the best identity verification services if you only need to purchase a single report. Essentially, you can get a background check without needing to sign up for a monthly subscription.

It is ideal for those that only need one background search. However, for those that need unlimited background checks, one of the other background check websites would be better.

Pricing
The PeopleFinders background checks start at $39.95. There is also a three-day trial offer for less than $1, but the results are limited. These background checks will not check criminal records, for instance.

Pros

• No membership required
• Custom plans available for businesses

Cons

• Expensive cancellation fees
• Background search does not include social media

Universal Background Screening

Universal Background Screening is a great option for employment-based background checks. This service will gather information at the county, state, and federal levels, using various government and public records databases.

These criminal background checks gain unlimited access to the person’s employment history, criminal record, professional accreditation, drug testing records, personal finances, and more.

Pricing
The fees for using this service vary based on the types of background checks you want. The company will provide you with a personalized quote depending on your needs.

Pros

• Follows the Fair Credit Reporting Act, FCRA
• Good rating with the Better Business Bureau
• Variety of background checks available

Cons

• Unclear pricing

 

Sterlingcheck.com

Sterling is the ideal choice for bigger companies and large firms. This provider covers all major areas – including criminal and civil court checks, drug and health screenings, and social media searches – making it a valuable resource when hiring new employees.

Sterling works with companies in various sectors – such as construction, financial services, healthcare, hospitality, retail, and more. It’s also NAPBS-accredited and has good business practices.

Pricing
A few packages with flat-fee are available, but costs will largely depend on the specific business. To get an exact quote, you can reach out to their customer service team.

Pros

• Several packages available
• Great for small to medium-sized companies

Cons

• No mobile app is available
• Unclear pricing model

FAQs – Best Background Check Services

What is a background check?
A background check is a process that an individual or company uses to verify a person’s real identity. This exercise uses public records to find possible criminal records, court records, arrest records, address history, employment history, property records, social media profiles, divorce records, and more.

Background checks use cases are predominately for personal reasons and employment purposes (as long as the background check service complies with the Fair Credit Reporting Act).

What is the National Association of Professional Background Screeners?
The National Association of Professional Background Screeners, or NAPBS, is an organization that aims to maintain sufficient standards in the background screening and drug screening industry.

If a background check site is NAPBS-accredited, it speaks to the company’s reputation and integrity when conducting background checks.

What are criminal background checks?
A criminal records check is a process used to check whether the individual has a criminal history, such as previous arrests or convictions.

The service should pull public records data from various government-based resources, including police and FBI documents, for these specific background checks. The background check should also see if the individual shows up on any sex offender registry lists.

What are the best background check services?
The best background check services will provide you with correct and updated information. For a background check, in particular, any details that are proven to be inaccurate could lead you to misjudge the person.

When digging up info on someone’s past, especially regarding criminal records, you want all the information to be valid, implying that the best background check services should constantly keep their online resources and public records databases updated.

Each background check service mentioned above does this.

 

Best Background Check Services Key Takeaways

It’s important to use an accurate and transparent background check site that will give you access to everything you need – including criminal records, social media profiles, financial assets, and more. You will also want to be sure the service collects that data legally and follows the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

For quality background checks, look into the services listed above and more. Good luck!

 

 

The news and editorial staffs of the Bay Area News Group had no role in this post’s preparation.