Canada verdict (TL;DR)
Verified 2026-05-27Canadian background checks are structurally different from US checks. There is no national for-profit credit-report-style criminal database; criminal record checks go through RCMP CPIC accredited agencies (Sterling Talent Solutions, Certn, Triton Canada, the local police service) or third-party aggregators. The Big 5 Canadian banks, federal departments and most large enterprises use Sterling, Mintz (now part of Certn) or HireRight. Certn is Victoria-built and is the dominant Canadian-native vendor with native PIPEDA + Loi 25 posture. Checkr has Canadian coverage via partner data. First Advantage and Accurate cover enterprise. Provincial human rights codes restrict what employers can ask about; the Quebec Charter is the strictest. Bill 96 requires French candidate experience for Quebec applicants.
Picks for Canada
- Canadian-domestic employer wanting native PIPEDA + Loi 25 posture: certn Certn is Victoria-built (founded by Andrew McLeod) and is the dominant Canadian-native background check vendor. RCMP CPIC accredited, PIPEDA/Loi 25-native, French candidate experience for Bill 96, fast turnaround on Canadian criminal record checks.
- Big 5 bank or large enterprise wanting Sterling enterprise paper: sterling-check Sterling Talent Solutions Canada (formerly Mintz, acquired by Sterling) is the standard at RBC, TD, Scotiabank, BMO, CIBC and many large Canadian enterprises. RCMP CPIC accredited, deep Canadian criminal and credential coverage.
- Multinational with Canadian + US + EU + APAC hiring: first-advantage First Advantage holds enterprise multi-country coverage at large Canadian employers (Manulife, Sun Life, several Big 5 banks for international hires). Strong global product, PIPEDA and Loi 25 compliant Canadian product.
- Canadian SaaS scale-up wanting fast, modern API: certn Certn's API and modern UX win at Toronto-Waterloo SaaS scale-ups (Hopper, Wealthsimple, 1Password) where Checkr is the US default. Native Canadian residency and Loi 25 posture is decisive over Checkr's US-routed product.
- High-volume hourly hiring at a national retailer or food chain: accurate-background Accurate Background runs at Loblaws, Sobeys, Tim Hortons (RBI), Canadian Tire and large hourly hourly employers. CAD billing, fast turnaround, Canadian residency.
- Gig or contractor onboarding (food delivery, ride-share): checkr Checkr runs Uber Canada, Instacart Canada and several gig platforms via partner data for Canadian coverage. Use with caution given the partner-data model versus Certn's direct RCMP CPIC accreditation.
How the background check services market looks in Canada
Canadian background checks differ structurally from US checks. There is no Canadian equivalent of the for-profit US criminal record aggregators that drive the US market. Canadian criminal record checks rely on RCMP CPIC (Canadian Police Information Centre) accredited fingerprint and name-based checks, conducted through accredited agencies (Sterling, Certn, Triton, local police services). The RCMP CPIC accreditation process is rigorous and gatekept. Civil litigation searches go through provincial court systems (Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Quebec Court, BC Supreme Court, Alberta Court of King's Bench). Education and employment verification follow Canadian and international issuer protocols.
Certn (Victoria-built, founded by Andrew McLeod) is the dominant Canadian-native vendor with RCMP CPIC accreditation, native PIPEDA and Loi 25 posture, French candidate experience for Bill 96, and rapid turnaround. Sterling Talent Solutions Canada (which absorbed Mintz Global Screening, the historic Canadian leader) holds enterprise installed base at the Big 5 banks, large insurers and federal Crown corps. HireRight, First Advantage and Accurate Background cover global enterprise. Checkr operates in Canada via partner data without direct RCMP CPIC accreditation in all provinces, which limits enterprise penetration but works well for gig platforms.
Provincial human rights codes (Ontario Human Rights Code, Quebec Charter, BC Human Rights Code, Alberta Human Rights Act) restrict what employers can ask about: criminal record discrimination for offences unrelated to the role is restricted; Ontario specifically prohibits credit checks for most non-finance roles; Quebec prohibits questions about criminal record where there is no connection to the role. The Quebec Charter is the strictest. Bill 96 requires French candidate experience for Quebec applicants. PIPEDA and Loi 25 require explicit consent for background data collection.
Canadian criminal record checks go through RCMP CPIC accredited agencies (Sterling, Certn, Triton, local police services); fingerprint-based checks for vulnerable-sector roles use Vulnerable Sector Verification (VSV). Provincial human rights codes restrict pre-employment questions: Ontario Human Rights Code prohibits credit checks for non-finance roles and restricts criminal record discrimination; the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms prohibits criminal record questions where there is no connection to the role and provides the strictest protection; BC Human Rights Code and Alberta Human Rights Act have similar restrictions. PIPEDA governs candidate personal data federally and in nine provinces. Quebec Law 25 requires explicit consent, breach notification, a PIA for new technologies, and a transfer impact assessment for cross-border movement of Quebec-resident candidate data. Bill 96 requires French candidate experience for Quebec applicants. The Canada Labour Code and provincial employment standards govern post-hire data. Ontario Bill 88 requires electronic monitoring disclosure for employers with 25+ employees. CCCS PROTECTED B and SSC procurement apply to federal background checks. PHIPA (Ontario), HIA (Alberta) and HIPMA (Yukon) restrict health-related candidate data.
Quick comparison, ranked for Canada
| Product | Best for | Starts at | 10-emp/mo* | Pricing | G2 | Geo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Certn | Canadian and global API-first hiring | $0 | $0 | 4.5 | Canada primary; US and 150+ countries | |
| 3 Sterling | Enterprise global organizations | Quote | - | 3.8 | Global; 240+ countries and territories | |
| 2 First Advantage | Enterprise global organizations, especially regulated industries | Quote | - | 3.9 | Global; 200+ countries; native operations in 28 countries | |
| 4 HireRight | Enterprise organizations, especially transportation, healthcare, financial services | Quote | - | 3.6 | Global; 200+ countries | |
| 5 Accurate Background | Enterprise volume customers | Quote | - | 4.1 | United States primary; international via partners | |
| 1 Checkr | Mid-market to enterprise, especially high-volume hiring | $0 | $0 | 4.4 | United States primary; 200+ countries via partners; coverage depth varies internationally | |
| 6 GoodHire | SMB to mid-market | $0 | $0 | 4.6 | United States primary; Canada and basic global coverage | |
| 8 Yardstik | Marketplaces and gig platforms; also mid-market employee hiring | $0 | $0 | 4.7 | United States primary; limited international | |
| 7 Shareable for Hires | SMB hiring and tenant screening | $0 | $0 | 4.2 | United States only | |
| 9 Veremark | International, remote-first, and EU/UK-primary firms | $0 | $0 | 4.6 | Global; 180+ countries; strongest in UK, EU, APAC |
*10-employee monthly cost = base fee + (per-employee × 10) using the lowest published tier. For opaque-pricing vendors, no value is shown.
What buyers in Canada actually pay
Median annual deal size by employee band, in CAD. Crowdsourced from anonymized buyer disclosures.
| Product | Employee band | Median annual (CAD) | Sample | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certn | SaaS scale-up 100-500 employees | CA$18,000 | 18 | Certn per check pricing in CAD |
| Sterling | Big 5 bank or major insurer | CA$425,000 | 8 | Sterling Enterprise volume contract |
| First Advantage | Multinational enterprise | CA$285,000 | 6 | First Advantage global contract |
| HireRight | Large enterprise 1000-5000 employees | CA$195,000 | 9 | HireRight Enterprise per check |
| Accurate Background | National retailer high-volume hourly | CA$165,000 | 7 | Accurate per check at scale |
| Checkr | Gig platform Canadian segment | CA$95,000 | 11 | Checkr per check via partner data |
Canada-built or Canada-strong vendors worth knowing
Not yet ranked in our global top 10, but credible options for Canada buyers and worth a shortlist.
Certn
Visit ↗Victoria-built (founded by Andrew McLeod). The dominant Canadian-native background check vendor. RCMP CPIC accredited, PIPEDA/Loi 25-native, French candidate experience, fast turnaround. Used by Wealthsimple, 1Password, Hopper.
Triton Canada
Visit ↗Edmonton-built RCMP CPIC accredited Canadian background check provider. Strong Western Canadian presence; common at energy, construction and government contractors in Alberta and BC.
Mintz / Sterling Canada (heritage Canadian)
Visit ↗Mintz Global Screening was the historic Canadian background check leader before Sterling acquired it. Still operates under Sterling branding with deep Canadian enterprise relationships and RCMP CPIC accreditation.
All 10, ranked for Canada
Same intelligence as the global ranking, vendor trust, review patterns, verified pricing, compliance, reordered for the Canada market.
Certn
Canadian-built API-first screening with strong fast-turnaround global checks.
Certn is the Canadian-built modern vendor most focused on fast-turnaround global checks, founded 2016 in Victoria with $90M Series B in 2021 led by Inovia Capital and B Capital. The product is genuinely strong for Canadian and global API-first hiring: native PIPEDA and provincial privacy compliance, fast turnaround on most reports, modern API, and credible coverage across 150+ countries. Certn is the default modern alternative for Canadian-headquartered firms and US firms with meaningful Canadian operations. The trade-off: US coverage is solid but not best-in-class (Checkr remains stronger for US-primary hiring), and feature breadth is thinner than legacy enterprise vendors.
Canadian-headquartered firms, US firms with meaningful Canadian operations, fast-turnaround international hiring, and modern API-first integration buyers.
US-primary high-volume gig and marketplace (Checkr is stronger), Fortune 1000 enterprise with deep ATS integration needs (FA and Sterling are stronger), and any buyer prioritizing vendor scale.
Strengths
- Canadian-native compliance (PIPEDA, provincial privacy acts including Quebec Law 25)
- Fast turnaround on most reports, often sub-24-hour for Canadian and US
- 150+ country coverage with credible international operations
- Modern API and developer experience
- Strong continuous monitoring product (Certn Always Hiring)
- Configurable adjudication rules
- Self-serve pricing for entry tiers
Weaknesses
- US coverage solid but not best-in-class; Checkr stronger for US-primary
- Feature breadth thinner than legacy enterprise vendors
- Smaller team than Checkr or legacy vendors; scale risk for very large enterprise
- ATS integration breadth lower than category leaders
- Series B in 2021; financial runway and Series C timing unknown
Pricing tiers
partial- BasicFrom C$25 per report; SSN/SIN trace, criminal record check$0 /mo
- StandardFrom C$49 per report; adds employment verification$0 /mo
- PremiumFrom C$89 per report; adds education, credit, international$0 /mo
- EnterpriseVolume pricing for enterprise customersQuote
- · Provincial fingerprinting fees passed through in Canada
- · Per-country international pricing varies
- · Continuous monitoring per-active-worker, separately billed
Key features
- +Canadian criminal record check (RCMP-vetted)
- +US national and county-level criminal records search
- +International criminal records (150+ countries)
- +Employment and education verification
- +Credit checks (where legally permitted)
- +Continuous monitoring (Certn Always Hiring)
- +Modern API and webhook integration
- +PIPEDA and provincial privacy compliance workflows
Sterling
Legacy enterprise leader, now operating as part of First Advantage post Q1 2025 acquisition.
Sterling was, until Q1 2025, one of the top two enterprise background check vendors alongside First Advantage. Founded 1975, IPO 2021 (NASDAQ:STER), Sterling went private in June 2024 in a ~$2.2B take-private by Onity Group and Kohlberg & Company, then was acquired by First Advantage in a deal announced February 2024 and closed Q1 2025. Sterling now operates as part of FA, retaining its brand and customer-facing operations through the integration period (expected to extend through 2027). The product remains genuinely strong: deepest legacy ATS integrations (Workday, SuccessFactors), mature international operations, and the most experienced enterprise sales and support team in the category. The risk is consolidation risk; Sterling-stack customers should expect platform-migration decisions, contract-renegotiation pressure, and possible feature deprecations as FA consolidates the combined platform.
Existing Sterling enterprise customers running multi-year contracts who want continuity through the FA integration period. New buyers in Fortune 1000 with deep Workday or SuccessFactors ATS integration requirements.
New buyers without a specific Sterling commitment, mid-market buyers, marketplace and gig hiring (Checkr is stronger), and any buyer who finds active platform consolidation unacceptable.
Strengths
- Strongest legacy ATS integration depth: Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, iCIMS
- Mature international operations across 240+ countries and territories
- Most experienced enterprise sales and support team in the category
- 50-year track record with Fortune 1000 customer base
- Strong healthcare and financial services compliance operations
- Continuous monitoring (Sterling Live) at enterprise scale
- Public-company financial transparency through 2024, useful for procurement diligence
Weaknesses
- Now operating as part of First Advantage; standalone roadmap effectively ended Q1 2025
- Platform consolidation expected through 2027; service disruption already reported
- Pricing opaque at enterprise tier; expect multi-year contracts with annual escalators
- Customer service ratings declined 2022-2024 per G2 trend data
- Modernization investments slowed during take-private and acquisition period
- New buyers should consider FA-native contract instead of Sterling brand contract
Pricing tiers
opaque- Enterprise StandardIndustry estimate $25-$45 per basic report at 5,000+ annual volumeQuote
- Enterprise PlusAdds international, drug screening, credentialingQuote
- Global SterlingMulti-country enterprise contractQuote
- · County court access fees passed through
- · International coverage per-country, opaque
- · Annual escalators (3-7% typical)
- · Multi-year contracts (2-4 years) standard
- · Migration to FA platform during integration may create implementation cost
Key features
- +National, state, county criminal records search
- +International criminal records (240+ countries and territories)
- +Employment, education, professional license verification
- +Drug and health screening (DOT-compliant)
- +Motor vehicle records (MVR) and CDL verification
- +Continuous monitoring (Sterling Live)
- +I-9 and E-Verify
- +Healthcare-specific credentialing and FACIS database checks
First Advantage
Largest pure-play background check vendor post Sterling acquisition; the new enterprise default.
First Advantage (NASDAQ:FA) is, as of Q1 2025, the largest pure-play background check vendor by revenue, having closed its ~$2.2B acquisition of Sterling Check Corp in March 2025. Founded 2003, IPO 2021, FA was already a top-three enterprise vendor before the Sterling deal; post-acquisition it operates a combined enterprise customer base spanning Fortune 1000, healthcare systems, financial services, and global logistics. The product depth is genuine: 200+ country coverage, deepest ATS integration breadth in the category, mature drug screening, and credentialed verification operations. The risk is integration risk; combining two enterprise-scale operations through 2027 introduces real customer-facing disruption, contract-renegotiation pressure, and platform-consolidation decisions that will favor FA-native technology over legacy Sterling stacks.
Fortune 1000 enterprise needing a single global vendor across 28+ countries, deepest enterprise ATS integrations, and mature healthcare and financial services compliance operations.
Small and mid-market buyers wanting self-serve pricing or modern UX, marketplace and gig hiring (Checkr and Yardstik are stronger), and any buyer who finds public-company integration risk unacceptable.
Strengths
- Largest pure-play vendor by revenue post Sterling acquisition (~$1.5B+ combined ARR estimated)
- Deepest ATS integration breadth: Workday, SuccessFactors, iCIMS, Greenhouse, Avature, all enterprise ATS
- 200+ country coverage with native operations in 28 countries
- Mature drug and health screening operations (DOT-compliant, hair, urine, oral fluid)
- Strongest credentialed verification operations (healthcare licensure, professional credentials)
- Public-company financial disclosure required (NASDAQ:FA), useful for enterprise procurement diligence
- Continuous monitoring at enterprise scale (CM3 product)
Weaknesses
- Sterling acquisition integration risk through 2027, expect contract renegotiation and platform consolidation pressure
- Pricing opaque at enterprise tier; expect multi-year contracts with annual escalators
- Legacy UX in some workflows; modernization roadmap not as aggressive as Checkr
- Customer service ratings declined post-IPO 2021 through 2023 per G2 trend data
- Two distinct technology stacks (FA + Sterling) during integration; customer-facing tooling fragmented
Pricing tiers
opaque- Enterprise StandardIndustry estimate $25-$45 per basic report at 5,000+ annual volumeQuote
- Enterprise PlusAdds international, drug screening, credentialing, continuous monitoringQuote
- Global EnterpriseMulti-country contracts with native operations supportQuote
- · County court access fees passed through (varies by jurisdiction)
- · International coverage priced per-country, opaque
- · Annual price escalators (3-7% typical per third-party deal data)
- · Multi-year contracts (2-4 years) standard with stiff exit penalties
- · Implementation and integration services billed separately
Key features
- +National, state, county criminal records search across US
- +International criminal records (200+ countries)
- +Employment, education, professional license verification
- +Drug and health screening (DOT-compliant, multi-panel)
- +Motor vehicle records (MVR) and CDL verification
- +Continuous monitoring (CM3 product)
- +I-9 and E-Verify (US employment eligibility)
- +Enterprise adjudication workflows and adverse-action management
HireRight
Legacy enterprise vendor post 2018 GIS merger; Stone Point PE-owned.
HireRight is one of the three legacy enterprise vendors (alongside Sterling and First Advantage) that defined the category through the 2010s. Founded 1995, HireRight merged with General Information Services (GIS) in 2018 to form a combined business owned by Stone Point Capital. The product remains genuinely strong for legacy enterprise: 200+ country coverage, mature drug screening operations, strong DOT and FMCSA compliance for transportation hiring, and the most experienced healthcare credentialing operations in the category. The risk is PE-shortened innovation budget; under Stone Point ownership, HireRight has prioritized margin expansion over product modernization, and the gap to Checkr on developer experience and modern UX continues to widen.
Existing HireRight enterprise customers in transportation, healthcare, and regulated industries running multi-year contracts. New buyers prioritizing DOT and FMCSA compliance depth.
Modern tech and marketplace hiring (Checkr and Yardstik are stronger), buyers wanting transparent self-serve pricing, and any buyer who finds PE-shortened innovation budget unacceptable.
Strengths
- 200+ country coverage with mature international operations
- Strongest DOT and FMCSA compliance for transportation and logistics hiring
- Most experienced healthcare credentialing operations in the category
- Strong Workday integration (historically second only to Sterling)
- Mature drug and health screening operations
- I-9 and E-Verify with deep US employment eligibility expertise
- GIS-heritage criminal records depth at county-level in southern US states
Weaknesses
- Stone Point PE-shortened innovation budget; modernization gap to Checkr widening
- Customer service ratings consistently lower than category average per G2
- Legacy UX, particularly candidate-facing workflows
- Pricing opaque, multi-year contracts with annual escalators standard
- 2018 GIS merger created two distinct technology stacks; consolidation still ongoing
- API and developer experience meaningfully weaker than Checkr or Yardstik
Pricing tiers
opaque- Enterprise StandardIndustry estimate $25-$45 per basic reportQuote
- Enterprise PlusAdds international, drug screening, DOT complianceQuote
- Global HireRightMulti-country enterprise contractQuote
- · County court access fees passed through
- · International coverage per-country, opaque
- · Annual escalators (3-7% typical)
- · Multi-year contracts (2-4 years) standard
- · DOT compliance modules priced separately
Key features
- +National, state, county criminal records search
- +International criminal records (200+ countries)
- +Employment, education, professional license verification
- +Drug and health screening (DOT-compliant)
- +DOT and FMCSA compliance for transportation hiring
- +Healthcare credentialing and FACIS database checks
- +Motor vehicle records (MVR) and CDL verification
- +I-9 and E-Verify
Accurate Background
Cinven-backed enterprise volume specialist with the most consistent contract terms in the category.
Accurate Background is the quietest of the top five enterprise vendors and arguably the most stable. Founded 1997, acquired by Cinven (European PE) in 2019 at an undisclosed valuation, Accurate has built a ~$500M+ ARR business on enterprise volume contracts with Fortune 1000 customers. The product is genuinely strong: national criminal coverage, mature drug screening, deep continuous monitoring, and the most consistent enterprise contract terms in the category (lower-than-average price escalators, reasonable exit clauses, predictable multi-year pricing). The trade-off: innovation velocity is meaningfully below Checkr and the modern vendors; Accurate competes on operational excellence and contract fairness, not product velocity.
Fortune 1000 enterprise volume customers (10,000+ annual reports) wanting consistent contract terms, predictable pricing, and operational stability over modern UX.
SMB and mid-market buyers wanting self-serve pricing, marketplace and gig hiring (Checkr is stronger), deeply international hiring profiles (FA and HireRight have broader coverage), and any buyer wanting modern developer experience.
Strengths
- Most consistent enterprise contract terms in the category (low escalators, reasonable exit clauses)
- Mature continuous monitoring operations
- Deep drug screening operations (DOT-compliant, multi-panel)
- Strong county-level coverage across all 50 US states
- Cinven PE-stable ownership since 2019; predictable customer treatment
- ~$500M+ ARR with sustainable profitability
- Enterprise volume specialist: best fit for 10,000+ annual report volume
Weaknesses
- Innovation velocity meaningfully below Checkr and modern vendors
- Developer experience and API less mature than Checkr or Yardstik
- International coverage thinner than First Advantage and HireRight
- Self-serve pricing not available, all contracts via enterprise sales
- Marketing visibility low; vendor often missed in initial buyer evaluations
Pricing tiers
opaque- Enterprise StandardIndustry estimate $22-$40 per basic report at 5,000+ annual volumeQuote
- Enterprise PlusAdds drug screening, continuous monitoringQuote
- Enterprise VolumeCustom pricing for 25,000+ annual reportsQuote
- · County court access fees passed through
- · Annual escalators (2-5% typical, lower than category average)
- · Multi-year contracts (2-3 years) standard
- · Continuous monitoring billed per-employee per-month
Key features
- +National, state, county criminal records search
- +Employment and education verification
- +Drug and health screening (DOT-compliant)
- +Continuous monitoring
- +Motor vehicle records (MVR)
- +I-9 and E-Verify
- +Healthcare credentialing and FACIS database checks
- +Enterprise adjudication workflows
Checkr
Modern API-first background checks for gig, marketplace, and high-volume tech hiring.
Checkr is the modern API-first leader of the background check category, the vendor that built the workflow Uber, DoorDash, Instacart, and most YC tech firms run on. Founded in 2014 by Daniel Yanisse and Jonathan Perichon, Checkr reached an estimated $5B valuation in 2021 and has been NYSE-IPO rumored ever since. The product genuinely changes the workflow: sub-24-hour turnaround on most criminal reports, full self-serve API, modern dispute and adverse-action workflows, configurable adjudication rules, and the cleanest developer experience in the category. The trade-offs are real: a 2020 FCRA class action settled for ~$5M, ongoing AI-screening discrimination concerns through 2024, and pricing that escalates aggressively above the published self-serve tier.
High-volume tech, gig, and marketplace hiring with strong engineering teams that can integrate via API and tolerate occasional accuracy disputes in exchange for speed.
Compliance-cautious enterprise with low risk tolerance for FCRA litigation exposure, deeply international hiring profiles, or industries (healthcare, finance) where accuracy and audit-trail depth trumps turnaround speed.
Strengths
- API-first architecture with the cleanest developer experience in the category
- Sub-24-hour turnaround on most criminal reports (vs 2-5 days at legacy vendors)
- Configurable adjudication rules with code-driven workflows
- Modern dispute and adverse-action UX, both for HR teams and candidates
- Strongest integrations with modern ATS (Greenhouse, Ashby, Lever, Gem)
- Continuous monitoring (Checkr Continuous Crim) for ongoing post-hire checks
- Self-serve pricing for entry tiers (a rarity in this category)
- Workforce-scale proof: Uber, DoorDash, Instacart, Lyft, Netflix run on Checkr
Weaknesses
- 2020 FCRA class action settled for ~$5M; pattern of disputes around accuracy at scale
- AI-screening discrimination concerns surfaced 2022-2024, regulator attention ongoing
- Pricing escalates aggressively above self-serve tier; published $30 entry rarely holds at volume
- International coverage thinner than Sterling, HireRight, First Advantage, Veremark
- County-level coverage gaps in some southern and midwest US jurisdictions, well-documented
- GoodHire post-acquisition trajectory (Checkr-owned since 2018) raises roadmap-honesty questions
Pricing tiers
partial- Basic+From $29.99 per report; SSN trace, national criminal, sex offender registry$0 /mo
- EssentialFrom $54.99 per report; adds county-level criminal$0 /mo
- ProfessionalFrom $79.99 per report; adds employment and education verification$0 /mo
- EnterpriseVolume pricing for 1,000+ reports per month; custom adjudication and continuous monitoringQuote
- · County court access fees passed through (varies by jurisdiction, $0-$60 per county)
- · International coverage add-on (per-country pricing, opaque)
- · Drug screening add-on (eScreen partnership, $40-$80 per panel)
- · Continuous monitoring (Checkr Continuous Crim) is per-employee per-month, separately billed
Key features
- +National and county-level criminal records search
- +SSN trace and sex offender registry
- +Employment and education verification
- +Motor vehicle records (MVR) for driver hiring
- +Drug and health screening via eScreen partnership
- +Continuous criminal monitoring (Checkr Continuous Crim)
- +Configurable adjudication rules and workflows
- +Built-in adverse action and candidate dispute workflows
GoodHire
Self-serve mid-market vendor, Checkr-acquired 2018; brand maintained but roadmap autonomy thin.
GoodHire was the original modern self-serve background check vendor, founded 2013 by Inflection (the company that became Checkr GoodHire after the parent rebranding). Checkr acquired GoodHire in 2018, and the brand has been maintained as a mid-market self-serve SKU ever since. The product remains genuinely strong for mid-market: best published pricing in the category (packages from $29.99 per report), strong UX for HR teams without API integration needs, and credible employment and education verification operations. The trade-off: roadmap autonomy under Checkr ownership has been thin for several years, and the strategic question is whether GoodHire is a genuine standalone product or simply a Checkr SKU for buyers who do not want to negotiate enterprise terms.
Mid-market buyers (50-500 employees) wanting self-serve pricing, no contract minimums, and modern UX without API integration requirements.
Enterprise buyers wanting volume pricing (Checkr enterprise is stronger), marketplace and gig hiring (Checkr is the parent vendor), and any buyer concerned about brand consolidation risk.
Strengths
- Best published pricing in the category; packages from $29.99 per report
- Strong self-serve UX for HR teams without API integration needs
- No contract minimums; pay-as-you-go pricing available
- Credible employment and education verification operations
- Native integrations with mid-market ATS (BambooHR, Workable, JazzHR)
- Mobile-friendly candidate experience
- Strong FCRA dispute and adverse-action workflows
Weaknesses
- Roadmap autonomy under Checkr ownership has been thin since 2018 acquisition
- Innovation velocity meaningfully below standalone Checkr
- International coverage limited to US, Canada, and basic global checks
- Brand future uncertain; some buyers concerned about eventual Checkr consolidation
- API less mature than Checkr or Yardstik
Pricing tiers
public- Basic$29.99 per report; SSN trace, national criminal, sex offender registry$0 /mo
- Standard$54.99 per report; adds county-level criminal$0 /mo
- Premium$79.99 per report; adds employment and education verification$0 /mo
- EnterpriseVolume pricing for 500+ reports per monthQuote
- · County court access fees passed through
- · International coverage add-on (limited countries, per-country pricing)
- · Drug screening add-on (eScreen partnership)
Key features
- +National and county-level criminal records search
- +SSN trace and sex offender registry
- +Employment and education verification
- +Motor vehicle records (MVR)
- +Drug screening via eScreen partnership
- +Built-in adverse action and candidate dispute workflows
- +Self-serve ordering and candidate invitations
- +Mid-market ATS integrations
Yardstik
Modern API-first background checks built for marketplace, gig, and contractor workforce screening.
Yardstik is the youngest of the credible modern vendors and the most focused on marketplace and gig workforce screening. Founded 2020, raised a $35M Series A in September 2022 led by Sound Ventures, Yardstik built its product around the specific operational reality of marketplace platforms: high-volume, fast turnaround, configurable adjudication, and API-first integration. Customer roster includes Outschool, Pearl, FlexJobs, and several others. The product is genuinely strong for marketplaces: modern API, configurable adjudication, fast turnaround, and a smaller team that responds quickly to customer feedback. The risk is scale risk; Yardstik is meaningfully smaller than Checkr or the legacy vendors, and ops scaling through high-growth customer onboarding is the open operational question.
Marketplace and gig platforms, contractor and 1099 workforce screening, and any buyer wanting modern API-first screening for high-volume non-employee hiring.
Enterprise buyers wanting global coverage (FA and HireRight are stronger), buyers wanting the broadest ATS integration set, and any buyer prioritizing vendor scale and longevity over modern UX.
Strengths
- Modern API-first architecture; clean developer experience
- Built specifically for marketplace, gig, and contractor workforce screening
- Configurable adjudication rules with workflow automation
- Fast turnaround (often sub-24-hour) on most reports
- Smaller team responds quickly to customer feedback and feature requests
- Strong continuous monitoring for marketplace re-screening
- Transparent self-serve pricing for entry tiers
Weaknesses
- Meaningfully smaller than Checkr; ops scaling is the open question
- International coverage limited; primarily US
- Feature breadth thinner than legacy enterprise vendors
- ATS integration breadth lower than Checkr or Sterling
- Younger company; longer-term financial stability less proven
Pricing tiers
partial- StarterFrom $24.99 per report; SSN trace, national criminal, sex offender registry$0 /mo
- StandardFrom $44.99 per report; adds county criminal$0 /mo
- ProFrom $69.99 per report; adds employment and education verification$0 /mo
- EnterpriseVolume pricing for marketplace and gig platformsQuote
- · County court access fees passed through
- · Continuous monitoring for marketplace re-screening, per-active-worker pricing
- · Configurable adjudication may require professional services
Key features
- +National and county-level criminal records search
- +SSN trace and sex offender registry
- +Employment and education verification
- +Motor vehicle records (MVR)
- +Configurable adjudication rules
- +Continuous monitoring for marketplace re-screening
- +Modern API and webhook integration
- +Built-in adverse-action workflows
Shareable for Hires
TransUnion-owned SMB and tenant screening with integrated credit data.
Shareable for Hires is the TransUnion-owned background check service, originally built as a SMB screening product and now a credible mid-market option for buyers who want integrated credit data (TransUnion is the source) and self-serve pricing. Founded 2014 within TransUnion, Shareable has remained a TransUnion subsidiary since launch. The product is genuinely strong for SMB and tenant screening: best-in-category credit data (because TransUnion is one of the three US credit bureaus), self-serve pricing with no contract minimums, and clean reports for small business hiring. The trade-off: feature breadth meaningfully thinner than Checkr or GoodHire, and product investment from TransUnion has been steady but not aggressive.
SMB hiring (under 200 employees), tenant screening, and any buyer wanting integrated credit data as part of the background check workflow.
Mid-market and enterprise buyers wanting feature breadth (Checkr and category leaders are stronger), high-volume hiring, and international hiring.
Strengths
- Best-in-category credit data (TransUnion is the source)
- Self-serve pricing with no contract minimums
- Clean reports designed for SMB hiring and tenant screening
- TransUnion parent provides financial stability and data depth
- Strong tenant screening operations (separate product line)
- Built-in adverse-action workflows
- Low-friction onboarding for small businesses
Weaknesses
- Feature breadth meaningfully thinner than Checkr or GoodHire
- Product investment from TransUnion steady but not aggressive
- Limited ATS integrations compared to category leaders
- Marketing visibility low; vendor often missed in evaluations
- International coverage limited to US
Pricing tiers
public- StandardFrom $29.99 per report; national criminal, sex offender registry$0 /mo
- Standard PlusFrom $49.99 per report; adds county criminal, MVR$0 /mo
- PremiumFrom $79.99 per report; adds employment and education verification, credit$0 /mo
- · County court access fees passed through
- · Credit check add-on (TransUnion credit data)
- · No annual contracts; pure pay-per-report model
Key features
- +National and county-level criminal records search
- +SSN trace and sex offender registry
- +TransUnion credit data integration
- +Employment and education verification
- +Motor vehicle records (MVR)
- +Tenant screening (separate product)
- +Built-in adverse-action workflows
- +Self-serve ordering
Veremark
UK-built international screening with deep GDPR-native workflows and 180+ country coverage.
Veremark is the UK-built modern vendor most focused on international screening, founded 2018 in London with a deliberately global product approach. The customer roster spans UK, EU, APAC, and remote-first global teams. The product is genuinely strong internationally: 180+ country coverage with native GDPR workflows, multi-language candidate experience, and modern API. Veremark has marketed a blockchain-verified credentials angle since 2020 (Veremark "verified credentials" stored on blockchain), though the substance is more conventional than the marketing suggests; the genuine substance is the GDPR-native compliance posture and international coverage depth. The trade-off: US coverage is meaningfully thinner than Checkr or the US-native vendors.
International hiring across UK, EU, APAC, remote-first global teams, and any buyer needing GDPR-native compliance posture as the primary requirement.
US-primary hiring (Checkr is stronger), high-volume US gig and marketplace screening, and any buyer needing deep US county-level criminal coverage.
Strengths
- 180+ country coverage; deepest international among modern vendors
- GDPR-native workflows by design; meaningful EU and UK compliance posture
- Multi-language candidate experience
- Modern API and developer experience
- Strong reference checks via Veremark verified-reference workflow
- Configurable adjudication and workflow automation
- Verified credentials on blockchain (more substance than typical marketing)
Weaknesses
- US coverage meaningfully thinner than Checkr or US-native vendors
- County-level US criminal coverage less mature than Checkr or legacy vendors
- Smaller team; ops scaling is the open question
- Blockchain-verified credentials angle is more marketing than substance
- ATS integration breadth lower than Checkr or Sterling
Pricing tiers
partial- EssentialFrom £24 per report; identity, criminal, employment verification$0 /mo
- ProfessionalFrom £49 per report; adds education, credit, reference checks$0 /mo
- EnterpriseVolume pricing for global enterprise screeningQuote
- · Per-country pricing varies; some countries premium-priced
- · Verified-reference workflow priced separately
- · Annual contracts standard at enterprise tier
Key features
- +International criminal records (180+ countries)
- +Identity verification with biometric matching
- +Employment and education verification
- +Verified reference workflow
- +Credit checks (where legally permitted)
- +Modern API and webhook integration
- +GDPR-native workflows and data subject access rights
- +Verified credentials on blockchain
Frequently asked questions
The questions buyers actually ask before they sign.
Why is Certn the default Canadian-native background check choice?
What provincial human rights rules restrict background checks in Canada?
Can I use US-based services like Checkr for Canadian hiring?
How much should I budget for background check services?
What is FCRA and how does it affect my background check process?
What is "adverse action" and why does it matter?
What is "ban the box" and how does it affect my hiring process?
Why does a county-level criminal check matter more than a national check?
What is the typical turnaround time for a background check?
How are vendors using AI in background checks, and what are the risks?
Do these vendors work for international hiring and GDPR compliance?
What happens to my pricing when First Advantage and Sterling integration completes?
How long should a background check vendor evaluation take?
Final word
Looking at a different market? See the global Background Check Services ranking, or pick another country at the top of this page.
Last updated 2026-05-27. Local pricing reverified quarterly. Found something inaccurate? Tell us.