Our editorial staff brings nearly a decade of expertise in the background investigations industry, dedicating countless hours to researching the most effective background check services. We meticulously evaluated 16 different background check companies based on over 100 critical data points, assessing the depth and thoroughness of their searches, competitive pricing structures, and user feedback. Additionally, we conducted personal tests on various platforms to gauge user experience and the accuracy of reported results. Leveraging this extensive research, we have identified the top eleven background search sites, including reputable names like Checkr, HireRight, and First Advantage.
Key Insights from Money’s Background Check Analysis
- Understand that there are various types of background checks — some align with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), while others do not.
- If you are performing background checks on prospective employees, domestic workers, or tenants, it’s crucial to partner with a background check company that adheres to FCRA guidelines. This federal privacy law restricts the information you can obtain about individuals.
- In contrast, people-search background check sites are not bound by FCRA regulations. They can be utilized for personal inquiries about yourself, neighbors, or acquaintances.
- People search platforms can be effective for locating relatives or executing reverse phone lookups. However, using them for employment or tenancy evaluations constitutes a violation of federal law.
Why Our Expertise in Background Checks Matters
Our editorial team leverages extensive industry knowledge and experience to independently evaluate screening companies, ensuring that we provide our readers with precise and valuable information. For a detailed understanding of our evaluation methodology, please refer to the full methodology below.
- More than 100 data points assessed
- 16 background check companies thoroughly vetted
- 80+ authoritative sources consulted
Top Recommended Background Check Services for January 2025
Comprehensive People Search Background Check Platforms
Reliable FCRA-Compliant Background Screening Services
In-Depth Reviews of the Best Background Check Services
Comprehensive People Search Background Check Platforms
Unlike FCRA-compliant companies, these background search services cannot be utilized for employment or tenancy evaluations. However, they can be employed for personal searches.
- Unlimited number of reports available
- Deep web monitoring capabilities
- A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau
- No option for single report purchases
- Faced FTC lawsuit alleging FCRA violations and deceptive marketing practices
Reason for Recommendation: Instant Checkmate provides subscribers with unlimited reports at a competitive price point.
With Instant Checkmate, customers can search through public records and various data sources. The reports provided include essential information such as date of birth, previous addresses, contact details, and any criminal convictions. Notably, unlike many competitors, Instant Checkmate subscriptions offer unlimited searches and reports.
Here’s how Instant Checkmate’s subscription structure and pricing looks:
- Person Reports available for $35.47 monthly or $28.38 per month with a three-month upfront membership
- Reverse Phone Lookup priced at $5.99 monthly
While both subscription types allow unlimited reports, there’s an added $3.99 one-time fee for report downloads.
Opting for a premium report ($19.99 per report) provides additional information, such as records of weapons or hunting permits, properties owned, and any foreclosures or tax liens. Additionally, dark web monitoring is offered for a monthly fee of $1.99.
We enrolled in a five-day trial to evaluate the service. The search process took approximately 10 minutes, yielding results that included address history, potential relatives, and traffic infractions. While the report matched our subject’s relatives and address history, not all possible associates and relationships were accurate. Furthermore, while multiple traffic infractions were listed, one was incorrect, and we couldn’t verify the others through county court searches.
Instant Checkmate reports may include:
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Learn more on Instant Checkmate’s Secure Website >>
- Unlimited reports with membership
- Dark web monitoring upgrade available
- Customer support accessible via phone
- Extra cost for report downloads
- Not compliant with FCRA regulations
- FTC lawsuit claiming FCRA violations and deceptive marketing practices
- Some customers report issues with service cancellations or continued billing post-cancellation
Reason for Recommendation: We chose TruthFinder for its additional features such as dark web monitoring and a monitoring system that alerts you when there are changes to a report.
TruthFinder offers services including people search, reverse phone number lookup, and reverse email address lookup.
TruthFinder’s membership options include:
- People search with unlimited reports for $28.33 per month (or $23.28 per month with a bi-monthly subscription billed at $47.03 every two months)
- Reverse email address lookup providing unlimited person and email address reports for $29.73 monthly
- Reverse phone lookup available at $4.99 monthly
For an additional $3.99 monthly, users can download reports and monitor them for updates.
TruthFinder also offers dark web monitoring for $2.99, alerting users if their credentials appear on the dark web.
During our evaluation of TruthFinder, we found the search process took about 15 minutes. The report was similar to those from other competitors we tested, containing personal data like aliases and potential relatives that matched our subject. However, it lacked detailed relationship information, and the potential associates listed appeared to be former residents at the same address rather than actual associates.
TruthFinder Person Reports may include:
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*See disclaimer below for more information. Learn more on TruthFinder’s Secure Website >>
- Extended customer service chat (6:00 am to 11:30 pm EST)
- Available apps for both Apple and Android
- Download reports at no extra cost
- Limit of 100 reports per month
- Pricing details only available at checkout
- C grade from the Better Business Bureau
- Several customers reported unclear subscription labeling
Reason for Recommendation: We included BeenVerified due to its capability to perform vehicle searches using a car’s VIN number.
Our search on BeenVerified took less than 10 minutes, yielding a single result for our intended subject. This service provided a more comprehensive report than many competitors, particularly in the section detailing potential relatives, which included addresses. However, some information about relatives was inaccurate.
Unlike other competitors listing traffic records based on partial names, BeenVerified’s report included only those under the full name of our subject (i.e., first, middle, and last names).
BeenVerified memberships encompass standard people search services such as reverse phone, email, and address lookup, along with username searches, vehicle lookups, criminal records, and arrest warrants.
BeenVerified’s membership pricing includes:
- One-month membership for $29.99
- Three-month membership at $19.49 per month ($58.48 total)
What sets BeenVerified apart from competitors is its mobile phone applications. The Android and iOS apps boast ratings of 3.6 and 4.6 in their respective app stores, respectively.
Using the apps, users can conduct searches while on the go and access reports collected from other mobile devices or desktops.
BeenVerified reports may include:
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Learn more on BeenVerified’s Secure Website >>
- Affordability among search services
- Fast results returned within a minute for most checks
- A- grade with the Better Business Bureau
- Complex pricing structure
- Not FCRA-compliant
- Investigator Membership Upgrade required to download reports
- Customer reviews indicate charges for subscriptions when only a single search was ordered
Reason for Recommendation: We chose Spokeo due to its cost-effective people search services compared to competitors.
Spokeo allows customers to search public records using a person’s name, email, phone number, or street address. Free searches reveal a person’s basic information, including their name, phone number, and email, along with other publicly accessible data.
During our testing, the search process took a little over five minutes, returning thousands of potential subjects. We had to manually narrow our search by state and city to find a match.
Additionally, users must pay $19.95 to access detailed information such as age, address history, name variations, properties, licenses, and potential relatives.
Spokeo also offers a $19.99 background report upgrade that encompasses marital status records, bankruptcies, foreclosures, and more.
Spokeo reports may include:
Learn more on Spokeo’s Secure Website >>
- Variety of plans available
- Subscriptions provide unlimited reports
- A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau
- Customer service can be hard to reach
- Customers have reported being charged for subscriptions after attempting to cancel free trials
Reason for Recommendation: We chose Intelius for allowing customers to try the service without committing to a membership.
Intelius offers a range of background check services similar to others on this list, including reverse phone lookup, reverse address lookup, and public records searches. It particularly stands out for its affordable trial offers, ideal for those wanting a quick search without a monthly commitment.
Users can cancel online; however, it’s important to note that failing to cancel during the trial period will automatically enroll you in a monthly membership plan at $35.30 per month.
One option is a $0.95 five-day trial for reverse phone number lookup and people search, which offers unlimited phone and person reports. These reports could include the phone owner’s name, photo, address, associated social media profiles, address history, and related individuals, depending on availability.
The other trial option is a seven-day address lookup and people search for $0.95. This membership offers unlimited reports that can include resident names, location details, ownership history, property value, evictions, and other address-related information.
Intelius also provides the following subscription options:
- People Search at $25.11 per month (or $21.35 per month with a bi-monthly subscription, billed at $42.69 every two months)
- Reverse Phone Number Lookup (including people search) for $35.30 monthly
- Address Lookup (with people search included) for $34.95 monthly
Our testing revealed that a preliminary search produced a list of multiple individuals. We then had to select the result that best matched our criteria for the report compilation.
The background report on our subject included their age, known aliases, address history, and potential relatives. However, some details were inaccurate, particularly regarding traffic records that did not align with our subject’s full name.
Intelius reports may include:
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*See disclaimer below for more information. Learn more on Intelius’s Secure Website >>
- Occasional promotional offers available
- Responsive customer support
- No additional fees for services
- Owned by Intelius, which holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau
- Users have reported inaccuracies
Reason for Recommendation: US Search is an excellent choice for those needing unlimited searches monthly for a fixed fee, making it ideal for bulk background checks.
US Search utilizes publicly available records from across the United States to create its reports. The searches yield basic background information alongside financial details (such as assets and real estate holdings), bankruptcies, civil actions, and criminal and traffic records. Although the user interface is somewhat clunky, the results are straightforward and easy to interpret.
Positioning itself as a service primarily for legal professionals conducting background research for cases, US Search allows users to obtain unlimited reports and PDF downloads at a monthly rate of $59 or an annual fee of $599.
US Search offers the following subscription plans:
- Standard Background Report at $19.86 monthly (unlimited reports)
- Phone Number Lookup (includes person reports) for $19.86 monthly (with a five-day trial option for $1.99)
- Address Lookup (with person reports included) for $19.86 monthly