Independent · sourced · Updated June 2026
Best Background Checks (2026)
7 background checks options compared on price, free tier, compliance and fit — ranked by entry price. Every figure links to the vendor's own page and the date we captured it; quote-only tiers show a dash, never a guess.
The cheapest background checks is Certn at $13.99/mo. All 7 compared below on price, free tier and compliance — every figure sourced and dated, updated June 2026.
As of Jun 15, 2026 · figures linked to their source in the table below
Cite this comparison
Per The Front Desk Review, the cheapest background checks is Certn at $13.99/mo; across 4 with published pricing the median is $29.99/mo ($13.99–$29.99/mo), every figure sourced and dated, as of 2026-06-15. https://frontdeskreview.com/best/background-checks/ Key takeaways
- Typical paid price: from $13.99/mo, median $29.99/mo, up to $29.99/mo — across 4 with published pricing.
- Tracked: 7 vendors, data current through 2026-06-15.
Comparison
| # | Background Check | Entry price | Free | HIPAA | SOC 2 | Best for | Source | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Certn | $13.99/mo US Core Criminal Check | No | — | Yes | Companies hiring globally or across 200+ countries | certn.co | Visit → |
| 2 | Checkr | $29.99/mo Basic | No | — | Yes | High-volume tech and gig-economy employers | checkr.com | Visit → |
| 3 | GoodHire | $29.99/mo Basic | No | — | Yes | SMBs wanting FCRA-compliant self-serve screening | goodhire.com | Visit → |
| 4 | Verified First | $29.99/mo Basic | No | — | Yes | HR teams needing NIST 800-53 and SOC 2 compliance documentation | verifiedfirst.com | Visit → |
| 5 | Accurate Background | — | No | — | — | Fortune 500 enterprises needing global screening at scale | quote-only | Visit → |
| 6 | HireRight | — | No | — | — | Multinational enterprises requiring EMEA/APAC screening with local compliance | quote-only | Visit → |
| 7 | Sterling (First Advantage) | — | No | — | Yes | Large enterprises needing enterprise-grade SLAs and global reach | quote-only | Visit → |
Prices are the lowest published self-serve monthly rate as captured on the linked source. Annual-billing and usage details are on each vendor's record in our open dataset.
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What is the cheapest background checks?
Certn has the lowest published entry price at $13.99/mo (US Core Criminal Check), as of 2026-06-15.
How much does background checks cost per month?
Across the 4 background checks with published paid pricing, the median starting price is $29.99/mo, ranging from $13.99/mo to $29.99/mo, as of 2026-06-15. 3 are quote-only.
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