Best Background Checks · head-to-head

Certn vs Verified First

A sourced, side-by-side comparison for background checks. Certn has the lower entry price. Every figure links to the public page it was captured from — the vendor's own wherever the vendor publishes the number, otherwise the named public source — with the date we captured it.

Certn has the lower entry price — Certn starts at $13.99/mo, Verified First at $29.99/mo. Free tier: Certn No, Verified First No. HIPAA: Certn —, Verified First —.

As of 2026-09-02 · figures link to their source below

Side by side

Certn

$13.99/mo entry
Entry price$13.99/mo (US Core Criminal Check)
Free tierNo
HIPAA (BAA)
SOC 2Yes
GDPRYes
Best forCompanies hiring globally or across 200+ countries

Verified First

$29.99/mo entry
Entry price$29.99/mo (Basic)
Free tierNo
HIPAA (BAA)
SOC 2Yes
GDPR
Best forHR teams needing NIST 800-53 and SOC 2 compliance documentation

Sources — Certn: certn.co (verified 2026-09-02) · Verified First: verifiedfirst.com (verified 2026-09-02)

Key features

Certn: International screening in 200+ countries; Identity verification against 13,500+ document types (OneID biometric); SOC 2, SOC 3, and ISO 27001 certified; Industry-leading turnaround — many checks complete in minutes; Social media background checks included as add-on

Verified First: SOC 2 Type II and NIST 800-53 compliant; PBSA-accredited client care team; Patented VF Connector extension for seamless ATS/HRIS integration; Drug screening, I-9/E-Verify, MVR/DOT, social media screening, and occupational health included as services; Batch rescreening and candidate texting

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