Fortunately, you can take preventative measures to avoid becoming a fraud statistic. Online background checks can give you peace of mind that the people you trust aren’t lying. Plus, these background checks have a variety of uses, from contacting missing relatives to identifying scammers or finding a potential date.
But how do you know which provider is best for your needs? We review and compare the 10 best online background check sites and companies to help you uncover the truth you’re looking for.
Our Top 10 Best Online Background Check Sites and Companies:
- BeenVerified: Best overall background check site
- Intelius: Best for quick access to detailed reports
- PeopleFinders: Best for access to billions of public records
- USSearch: Best for unlimited reports
- PeopleWhiz: Best for accurate reports
- TruthFinder: Best for people searches
- PeopleLooker: Best for junk money searches
- CheckPeople: Best for Criminal Background Checks
Instant Checker: Best for Reverse Phone Lookups
- IDTrue: Best for Background Checks
Our Review Methodology: Evaluating the Best Background Check Sites & Services
We use the same seven comparison factors to provide fair ratings for each of the 10 background check services listed in this review. However, some factors will be more important to you than others, depending on your needs and the type of search you’re doing. Here’s how we compared these details to what we consider to be the best background check sites.
Price: We considered the service’s affordability and value for money. We also considered any available free trials and promotional periods (if any).
- Legal Status: We verified that the site complies with the FCRA and can be used for employment, housing, or other federally regulated purposes.
- Featured Reports: We checked which services offered people searches (including criminal and public records searches, as well as unclaimed money searches), business searches, and reverse phone, email, and address searches.
- Search parameters: We looked at the number of search parameters offered by the service. We also checked whether it supports social media username searches, people searches, reverse phone number and email searches, and property searches.
- Smartphone apps: We checked whether the service has a smartphone app, and if so, how useful it is.
- Ease of use: We rated each service’s usability and the readability of its reports. We also checked whether it supports additional features that set it apart.
- Customer support: We rated the number of support channels, its business hours, and the helpfulness of its customer service.
The Best Background Check Sites & Services – Quick Reviews:
BeenVerified’s
BeenVerified’s web search is comprehensive and returns results in minutes. It sifts through billions of records from public data sources and the dark web, uncovering a wealth of information such as address history, phone numbers, educational and employment history, and criminal records.
While most background check services require consumers to enter search terms such as name, phone number, or address, BeenVerified includes an additional social media search option (analyzing over 120). This allows customers to perform a background check based on just the username.
This is especially helpful for those who do business on social media and want to avoid falling victim to scams, which the Federal Trade Commission says are on the rise. More than 95,000 people reported nearly $770 million in losses to social media scams in 2021, up from $258 million in 2020.
Why we chose BeenVerified: It also has a satisfaction guarantee that promises users personalized assistance or a refund if they’re not happy with the results.
Our experience: We like that BeenVerified allows users to track any changes to previously generated reports. However, while the service generally provides accurate results, our report contained a few addresses, emails, letters, and academic institutions that were unrelated to our search topic.
Read the BeenVerified review
PROS
- Provides seven search options in one.
- Offers a seven-day trial for $1
- Search billions of records
CONS
- Monthly reports are set to 100
- Search results are not always completely accurate
Intelius
Intelius offers a variety of search terms and pricing plans, making it an ideal place to start if you know exactly what kind of information you’re looking for. While many other background check providers charge a flat monthly fee for all services, Intelius allows users to choose a specific monthly plan for the type of search they’re most interested in.
For example,
someone using the service to search for details about homes in their neighborhood might choose Intelius’ unlimited reverse address search plan. With this, they can find property history, ownership information, property tax information, property value, and contact information.
Conversely,
someone interested in background checks might choose the site’s unlimited people search plan. For the price of the plan, they can get criminal records, social media, address history, photos, family and dating information, lawsuits and civil judgments, traffic violations, and financial history.
These search options, which include criminal records, public records, and people searches, can be accessed directly from the site’s homepage. However, since the pricing structure varies by search type, it can be confusing to know how much you’ll pay for a particular service.
Why We Chose Intelius: Intelius regularly updates its search engine to provide fast, confidential, and consistently accurate results. It’s one of the most comprehensive background check services available, with access to over 20 billion public records.
Our Experience: We were impressed with the variety of unlimited searches Intelius offers and the different pricing plans. However, during the initial checkout process, we came across a few “special offers” that made it difficult to determine the monthly cost of each service. For example, the unlimited address search plan was initially advertised at $29 per month, but was later discounted to a special price of $4.99 at checkout.
Read the Intelius review
PROS
- Offers a wide range of search options.
- Offers various trial periods.
- Access to 20 billion public records.
CONS
- Confusing pricing structure.
- Canceling a subscription can be time-consuming.
PeopleFinders
Launched in 1999, PeopleFinders is one of the leading online background check services on the market. It includes over 120 billion public records from over 6,000 data sources for search terms, names, email addresses, and address variations.
It offers tools that allow specific users to refine their search results by searching for targets with common names.
PeopleFinders’ people search displays contact information, criminal records, liens and real estate assets, educational history, employment references, marriages, and records.
Why we chose PeopleFinders: We were impressed by the company’s long history in the industry and its unprecedented access to records, making it easy to find lost contacts.
Our Experience: We found PeopleFinders’ search engine to be easy to use, both on the website and in the smartphone app.
Read PeopleFinders review
PROS
- Access to big data
- Long-term service
- Introductory price: $9.95 for the first month of the year
CONS
- No trial period
- Reports do not include social media history.
US Search
US Search – and and
Screening history, contact information, personal information, homes or cars owned, financial information, etc.
Allows users to identify themselves by email or patient name.
We chose Search: Perform searches in the United States and activate and print reports when you need them.
Our experience: We liked that the MTN search returned results quickly and allowed us to check if the person had signed up for a monthly subscription. The service is very affordable.
Summary
PROS
- Inexpensive monthly subscription
- Provides a simple system
- PDF reports
CONS
- No trial period
- Searches sometimes show duplicate results
PeopleWhiz
PeopleWhiz searches billions of public records, including criminal records, marriages and divorces, traffic violations, bankruptcies and convictions, address history, contact information, spouses and family members, licenses and permits.
It also searches popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest.
In particular, the site uses proprietary technology to ensure that search functions don’t return false results for people with the same name. PeopleWhiz has an in-house team of bad data specialists who research public records and filter out errors, increasing the accuracy of its reports.
While PeopleWhiz offers comprehensive and easy-to-read background reports, the wait time was the longest of all the background check sites we analyzed. We had to wait about 10 minutes for our report to be generated. Functionality is also limited to people searches, with no obvious option to search by phone number, email, or physical address.
Why did we choose PeopleWhiz? With access to 67 billion records, PeopleWhiz is a reliable choice for comprehensive name-based background check searches. Its patented search technology, which reduces false positives for people who aren’t the target of the search, is also a must-have feature for those looking for accurate results.
Our experience: We were impressed that PeopleWhiz searched over 100 social networks. During our test search, we didn’t find any false positives, a common pitfall of many other online background check services. However, we were somewhat disappointed by the long time it took to generate reports.
Read the PeopleWhiz review
PROS
- Searches over 100 social networks.
- Performs comprehensive people searches.
- Patented technology ensures accurate reports.
CONS
- Relatively long wait time for reports to generate.
- Limited search functionality.
TruthFinder
TruthFinder is one of the most popular background check services for people searches. It’s an invaluable resource for those looking to reconnect with friends, family, or colleagues, as it supports multiple search methods and offers comprehensive background checks. Depending on your membership level, TruthFinder allows users to search by name, address, phone number, or email.
Like the other services we reviewed, TruthFinder’s comprehensive background check report includes contact information, address history, social media usernames, academic records, work history, partner information, dating profiles, personal assets, criminal records, business information, and licenses.
A monthly membership offers unlimited background checks. However, some services are available for an additional fee, such as unlimited phone and email searches, printable PDF reports, follow-up reports, and dark web searches.
Why choose TruthFinder? TruthFinder offers dark web monitoring services that crawl the dark web to detect whether your personal information is being sold there. According to the 2022 Dark Web Price Index, more than 9,000 sellers are actively selling personal information products on the dark web. This includes approximately 4.5 million credit cards sold for $120.
Our experience: We liked the handy “timeline” feature, which shows the most important aspects of the report in chronological order, and the “report quality score,” which allows us to rate the accuracy of the information included in our report. For example, our test report contained some extra email addresses, phone numbers, and photos that were unrelated to our search topic.
Read TruthFinder’s
PROS
- Variety of search options.
- Presents well-organized chronological reports.
- Allows unlimited searches in the background.
CONS
- Some additional services require additional payments
- No trial period
PeopleLooker
PeopleLooker offers a wide range of searches. Users can search by name, phone number, email address, property, social media handle, or company name. They can also search for unclaimed money.
PeopleLooker searchers scour millions of public records to uncover information such as criminal records, contact information, employment verification, traffic violations, assets, family and business associates, financial information, educational history, and social media profiles.
PeopleLooker offers a helpful tracking feature that notifies you of updates to your previously submitted reports. It also has a mobile app that offers the same search term options as the desktop version, plus an additional dark web search.
Why we chose PeopleLooker: PeopleLooker’s unique search options, such as unclaimed money search and company name search, set it apart from the competition.
Our experience. We had a positive experience with PeopleLooker’s mobile app, which is easier to use than the desktop version. While both offer sleek, simple interfaces, the app more clearly represents the variety of search terms available to users, which is one of the best features of the service. We struggled to find the social media search feature on the desktop version.
Read PeopleLooker review
PROS
- Offers unique search options.
- Offers report monitoring.
- Easy-to-use mobile app.
CONS
- Requires additional fees for some information.
- Monthly reports are capped at 100.
CheckPeople
CheckPeople uses public information from the dark web, such as court and sex offender databases, to provide a comprehensive background check report in an easy-to-read format. This report can include contact information, social media profiles, address history, financial information such as bankruptcies and liens, personal asset information, business history, and registered licenses.
CheckPeople’s multi-jurisdictional searches can generate a comprehensive criminal profile of your search subject with up-to-date information in minutes.
According to a recent study by Social Science Research, the number of people with criminal records in the United States has increased significantly. Approximately 19 million people, or 8% of the U.S. population, have been convicted of a felony. Of those, 12 million have served probation.
CheckPeople specializes in online criminal background checks. It allows users to search arrest records directly from the home page and view information on the websites of superior courts, district courts, and county sheriffs. CheckPeople searches for arrests and convictions for felonies and misdemeanors, even shootings.
Why we chose CheckPeople: CheckPeople offers instant, unlimited searches for a flat monthly fee, meaning you don’t have to pay for every search. And while the price is hidden in the fine print, you can get a three-day trial for $4.99.
Our experience: Performing a reverse phone number lookup on CheckPeople revealed social media sites and other dark web information that was linked to the phone number. We think this is a valuable feature, especially since searchers are often unaware that online searches can trace this data back to them.
Read the CheckPeople review
PROS
- Allows unlimited monthly searches
- Offers a three-day trial for $4.99
- Guarantees complete search privacy
CONS
- Uncertain pricing structure
- Does not offer 24/7 customer support
Instant Checke
Instant Checker analyzes millions of public data points and information sources to provide detailed background checks.
A full monthly subscription gives users access to a variety of search features that can gather a wealth of information on a given topic. This includes family and relationships, social media accounts, criminal records, employment history, bankruptcy and foreclosure records, licenses, and address history.
In particular, Instant Checkmate’s reverse phone lookup subscription is an affordable way to check for suspected fraudulent calls. The service also allows its members to search relevant criminal records and get crime statistics by city, state, or zip code.
Why we chose Instant Checker: This service provides detailed results in less than five minutes. Its ability to search for federal inmates, a unique feature not found on other sites we reviewed, also sets it apart from other background check providers.
Our experience. Each search tab, both on the Instant Checkmate website and its mobile app, clearly explained what types of information were required in the sections. This helped us know exactly what to include. We also liked that we could search for criminal and traffic records right from the homepage.
Read our Instant Checkmate review
PROS
- Offers an affordable plan for phone searches
- Helps with federal inmate searches
- Offers a personalized criminal record search option.
CONS
- Prices vary between the website and mobile app.
- Expensive monthly subscription plan
ID True
ID True is a good basic option for those looking for information on potential dates, old friends, missing relatives, or neighbors. It even lets you run personal background checks.
There’s no app for this service, but the website works well on mobile devices. Users can search by name or phone number on the go, but unfortunately, ID True doesn’t offer email or physical address searches like other services we tested.
ID True searches millions of federal, state, and local records and finds contact information, location, criminal and sex offender status, relatives and partners, convictions and fines, property information, and marriage and divorce records. The service can also find dating profiles and social media accounts.
Why we chose ID True: With a mobile-optimized website that provides easy-to-read report details on any device, ID True lets users run comprehensive background checks right away.
Our experience: We liked that ID True returned initial search results within a minute, allowing us to narrow down our search based on name, location, age, and potential relatives. However, we would have liked additional options, such as email. for more advanced searches by email and physical address.
Read True ID review
PROS
- Intuitive mobile interface
- Allows unlimited background searches.
- Ideal for basic background checks.
CONS
- Does not allow online cancellation.
- No option to search by email or physical address.
*Please note that these services do not comply with the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act and therefore cannot be used for employment or tenant screening.
Comparing the Top Background Check Sites & Services
When comparing background check companies, you should consider your specific needs. Whether you want to check online businesses, find out who called you, ensure personal safety, or locate people, there are a number of factors to consider when comparing. These may include pricing, types of reports available, the type of information used to perform the search, ease of use, mobile functionality, and customer support.
For each of the 10 background check services we recommend, we’ve summarized all of these features in the table below, allowing you to compare and contrast the different features and prices.
What Is a Background Search?
A background check uses various online tools and public information to uncover details about a person’s past, such as criminal records, location history, social media accounts, financial information, court and traffic records, education and employment history, and more. While it’s possible
How Does a Background Check Work?
Typically, a person using a background check company enters the person’s name into the service’s online search tool. The company provides a detailed report with general information about the person being searched. This process usually takes five minutes or less.
Some background check services also allow consumers to search by phone number, email address, physical address, or social media username. While many providers require a monthly subscription to purchase a single report, some offer a trial period.
Reasons To Use Background Check Services?
There are many reasons to use an online background check service. Some people run online background checks on new neighbors or potential partners to ensure their personal safety. Others use follow-up services to contact family members or friends they’ve lost touch with, or to search for their names and see what information is publicly available.
Background checks are also often used by employers to screen potential employees and by landlords to screen potential tenants. However, these checks must be conducted by companies that comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act and other federal, state, and local regulations.
Choosing the Right Background Check Company
When looking for a verification company, you should consider what you will be using the service for (such as finding a missing relative or investigating suspicious spam calls) and find a subscription plan that fits those needs and your budget.
For example, if you want to check criminal records, make sure the service you use has access to federal, state, and local court databases. And if you need to use a verification service for employment or other federally regulated purposes, make sure you use a service that complies with the FCRA.
The verification service you choose should offer accurate reports, customizable searches, an easy-to-use web and mobile interface, and excellent customer service, whether available by phone, chat, or email. It should also include a variety of search terms, such as name, phone number, email, mailing address, and social media username.
Considerations When Selecting a Provider
Here are some important factors to consider when choosing an online verification company.
Accuracy of Report Information
You should investigate whether the online verification service has a reputation for providing accurate information in its reports.
Some verification services will display information about people other than the person you are searching for or will include information unrelated to your target, such as social media accounts, addresses, or phone numbers. User reviews will give you a good idea of the accuracy of the service’s reporting information. Of the services we tested, PeopleWhiz produced the most accurate verification data.
Search Customization
Search customization is important, especially for consumers who want to check background information but only have someone’s phone number, email address, physical address, or social media username.
Some background check services, such as Intelius and PeopleFinders, offer users several search customization options beyond people searches, or allow for more personalized background checks, such as criminal background checks, instead of a general background check.
Ease of Use
Your background check service should be easy to use and provide information in well-organized, easy-to-read reports. This is especially important for users who want to perform multiple searches. For example, CheckPeople allows unlimited searches and offers well-organized reports.
Many background check services offer an online dashboard where you can save and organize your searches; some, like US Search, even let you print PDF versions of your reports.
Customer Support
Good customer support is vital for any online background check service so that users can be confident that any issues they encounter will be resolved quickly. Find out if the service offers online or phone customer support (ideally, both).
Carefully review the background check service’s cancellation policy to determine whether it allows online cancellation or requires you to call the service to cancel your subscription, especially if you plan to cancel before the end of the trial period. We’ve found that TruthFinder and PeopleLooker offer excellent customer service, with options to cancel your subscription online or by phone.
How Much Do Background Check Services Cost?
Background check services typically cost between $20 and $30 per month. Many require a monthly subscription for unlimited reports, rather than allowing you to purchase individual reports. In general, the monthly price will be cheaper if you purchase a longer subscription. However, many services require upfront payment for the full subscription (such as three or six months).
Some verification providers offer cheaper subscription options for certain services, such as Instant Checkmate’s unlimited phone lookup option, which costs just $5.99 per month. Others, like BeenVerified, also offer testing, making them practical for those who want to do a one-off search.
Information Included in Different Types of Background Checks
Consumers can check your background and…
To help you decide what you need, we’re also the guys who do the discovery.
Criminal Background Checks
Courts and databases for criminal and…
Background Checks for Employment
Run background checks on potential employees during the hiring process to confirm that they have worked in the previous position listed on their resume.
Education Verification
Possible employment by employer.
Reference Checks
Relationship checks are often conducted multiple times during the hiring process.
Universal Background Checks
and:
People who want to buy a dealership because of bad reputations or other people’s opinions.
OIG Background Checks
Healthcare employers often refer to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General’s exclusion list when hiring for health care workers who are not eligible for publicly funded health care programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. Individuals on the OIG’s exclusion list may have been convicted of serious charges such as fraud, abuse, or negligence.
E-Verify Background Checks
E-Verify is an online background check system that allows employers to compare a candidate’s information with U.S. government records, such as those held by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration. This background check is used to confirm whether a candidate is eligible to work in the United States.
Credit Background Checks
A credit check reviews a person’s credit report, which includes information such as credit card accounts, debts, and on-time payment history. Landlords often check the credit history of potential tenants to make sure they are financially responsible, but these checks must comply with the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Social Security Number Trace
A Social Security Number Trace checks a person’s Social Security Number to make sure they are not using a fake or stolen identity. It will also show a detailed address history. Employers can use this trace to verify a candidate’s identity or to determine which law enforcement agencies to search during a criminal background check.
Personal Background Checks
A personal background check is when someone runs a search on themselves to determine what types of public information is available about them. This background check is a good option if you want to find out if there is false information about you so you can dispute and correct it.
Professional Licenses Background Checks
Employers often use professional license checks to confirm that a potential candidate’s professional licenses are valid and that they have not falsified information about themselves. For example, an employer hiring an accountant may want to verify the candidate’s credentials with the appropriate state regulatory agency.
International Background Checks
International checks can be located and maintained in a foreign country where the person being sought has lived or worked.
Social Media Scans
Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, as well as many lesser-known sites, for the person’s name and phone number. Teams may vary.
Sources of Background Check Information
There is no public source that provides background checks.
- Repositories
- and certification data
- Social media pages
- Vehicle records
- and
- Property records
- Online phone directories
Are Free Background Checks Legit?
– You can contact your local court.
The Nona background check service is based on the fact that you can conduct a much more thorough background check in just a few minutes.
Many websites that offer background checks charge a fee, and while some claim to offer it for free,
Understanding Different Levels of Background Checks
Employers in some industries perform different levels of background checks depending on the type of position they are hiring for.
While most employers will want to check a candidate’s educational and employment history, some jobs require an additional level of background checks.
For example, someone hiring a truck driver may want to check their driving record, while someone hiring for a finance position may want to review their criminal record for fraud charges. These are the different levels of background checks.
Level 1:
Background Check. Most employers will typically check a candidate’s name and date of birth along with their social security information. A Social Security number will also provide a detailed address history.
Level 2.
Criminal Background Check. Many organizations conduct a criminal background check by searching federal, state, and local court records for felony or misdemeanor charges or convictions. However, federal and state laws govern how criminal records can be used in making employment decisions.
Level 3.
Credit History and Credit Score Check. Some employers may conduct a credit history check that includes credit card accounts, debt, and a history of making timely payments, especially for positions where financial responsibility is an integral part of the job duties.
Level 4.
Vehicle Registration. Some companies use state vehicle records to verify a candidate’s driving history. If the job duties involve driving, the employer will specifically check for violations.
Level 5.
Educational and Professional Background Check. Educational and professional background checks verify a candidate’s college degree or contact a previous employer to verify their position and job responsibilities.
Level 6:
Fingerprint Check. Some professions conduct criminal background checks using fingerprints for a more comprehensive check, such as in government or security systems. A person’s fingerprints can be compared to an FBI database to search for criminal records.
Step 7:
Verify legal employment status in the United States. Some employers use the government’s E-Verify online system to compare a candidate’s information with records from the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration. This check ensures that the candidate is eligible to work in the United States.
How Long Do Background Checks Actually Take?
Online background check services usually provide results in less than five minutes, although some take longer. Passport searches, which analyze large amounts of information, are often the longest.
Employment background checks, which require contacting former employers, academic institutions, or government officials, can take days or weeks. International background searches can take much longer, depending on the entry process.
Factors That May Result in a Failed Background Check
Anyone conducting a background check must determine what information might be revealed that could cause the background check to fail. For example, an employer hiring for a driver position may decide that not everyone with a serious traffic violation or drug offense will pass the background check.
Ultimately, whether a background check fails will depend on the type of check (in this case, a pre-employment check) and the reason for it (e.g., to find a responsible driver). Providing false or misleading information to a potential employer during the check is likely to result in rejection.
Conducting a Background Check on a Romantic Partner
Conduct a background check on the person you are dating.
48% of Pew Research Center respondents believe that online dating is the most popular online dating service for background checks.
and and and and – conducts background checks.
Additional Background Check Sites We Reviewed
and we
In addition to the 10 sites included here (which are partners of Top10.com), there are other online services:
- SearchQuarry – for VIN searches
- Persopo and:
- SentryLink – for service seekers
- Spokeo – for dating sites
- DeepSearchPro – for analyzing the next billion dollars
Final Verdict: Discover the Truth in Minutes
Our recommendations for the 10 best background check sites include BeenVerified, Intelius, PeopleFinders, US Search, PeopleWhiz, TruthFinder, PeopleLooker, CheckPeople, InstantCheckmate, and IDTrue:
and and and and and and and and
An online service can make your job easier by filtering the data.
If your subscription part is affordable, you should compare several companies and understand that they will be well-equipped to thoroughly vet who needs them.
