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.
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.
Why we say this
Editorial pulled these weaknesses from Sterling’s product card in our Top 10 Background Check Services for 2026:
- ! 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
If Sterling is wrong for you, consider these instead
Same Background Check Services category, different best-fit buyer.
Best for
Mid-market buyers (50-500 employees) wanting self-serve pricing, no contract minimums, and modern UX without API integration requirements.
See full profile →Best for
Marketplace and gig platforms, contractor and 1099 workforce screening, and any buyer wanting modern API-first screening for high-volume non-employee hiring.
See full profile →Best for
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.
See full profile →Related editorial
Last updated 2026-05-10. Editorial verdict based on the published Top 10 Background Check Services for 2026 ranking. Disagree? Tell us.