Performing a background check can answer questions you may have about a new neighbor or your daughter’s mysterious new boyfriend. Not all online search sites are created the same, however. Read on to discover the best background check sites for 2023.
What are the Best Background Check Sites?
When reviewing the best background check services, we looked at costs to obtain data and the reputation of the company. We also considered database size, the scope of data shared, and how quickly results come in. Finally, we check how easy these online sites were to use and how to find support if the need arises.
| Software | Price | Database Access | Scope of Data | Turnaround Time | Support |
| TruthFinder | $23.28 to $28.05/month | Social media, dark web | Employment, education, assets, criminal record, past locations | Around five minutes | 10 am to 7 pm EST, email support, comprehensive help center |
| Intelius | $21.13 to $34.95/month | Over 20 billion databases | Criminal record, lawsuits, financial information | 5 to 20 minutes | 10 am to 7 pm EST, email support, comprehensive help center |
| Instant Checkmate | $28.09 to $35.12/month | Hundreds of millions of government databases | Comprehensive criminal record search, financial and work history | Around five minutes | 10 am to 7 pm EST, email support, limited help center |
| US Search | $19.86/month | Billions of databases | History, properties, financial information, social data | Around five minutes | 9 am to 10 pm EST, email support |
| Spokeo | $27.95/month | Over 12 billion databases | Personal history, criminal and court records, social media information | 2 to 3 minutes on average | 8 am to 11 pm EST, email support, help center |
TruthFinder: Best Background Check Site Overall
| Price | $23.28 to $28.05/month |
| Star Rating | 4.8/5 |
TruthFinder is one of the few background check sites to search the dark web for data. Reports you receive are comprehensive, but there’s no way to pay for just a single scan. Luckily, pricing for a month isn’t too far out in left field. It does take several minutes to obtain your results as the service digs through its database for information, and you can only look up individuals in the United States.
Why we chose it: TruthFinder has comprehensive reporting that even scans the dark web, making it the best background check site currently available.
Pros
Cons
Pricing: TruthFinder’s pricing schedule is for one or two months at a time, and there’s no way to pay for a single scan. Even if you only have a few people to look up, using TruthFinder will cost you $28.05 for a month of use. Anyone needing to use the service longer can purchase two months at a time for a discounted rate of $23.28 per month.
If you want to download reports to view later, there’s a one-time fee of $3.99. To protect your own information from the dark web, TruthFinder will monitor your information for $2.99 per month.
Reputation
TruthFinder has been performing background check services since 2015. It has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau based on its business model and ability to work through customer complaints. Although no background check site can be 100% accurate all the time, TruthFinder produces the most thorough reports based on current information.
Database Access
TruthFinder is one of the few sites to check the dark web for information on your search subject. The site also combs through private and public records including social media sites for additional up-to-date data.
Scope of Data
A background check with TruthFinder brings in a ton of data for you to sift through. You can uncover social media accounts, past locations, and employment and educational history. In addition, it’s possible to see current assets, criminal and traffic records, time in court, and more.
Turnaround Time
It takes closer to five minutes to get back information from TruthFinder, but keep in mind the depth the service goes to get data. It may not provide instantaneous results, but comprehensive reports will take more time.
Ease of Use
When performing a search on TruthFinder, you only need a person’s first and last name to run an actual search. Providing a city or state where this person lives can help narrow down search results that much more. TruthFinder may ask you a few additional questions about the individual to help get the best results.
Support
TruthFinder’s team is on hand from 10 am to 7 am Eastern Standard Time to help with questions. Outside those hours, you can fill out the site’s online form and wait for an answer that way. There’s also a help center and frequently asked questions section that may have the information you’re looking for.
Intelius: Best Background Check Site for Search Databases
| Price | $21.13 to $34.95/month |
| Star Rating | 4.7 |
Intelius has access to more databases than most, with over 20 billion sites for data. There’s no limit to the number of searches you can run each month, but you can’t look for folks outside the United States. There is some concern about the accuracy of some results, and Intelius has some confusing pricing options.
Why we chose it: Intelius’s fast reporting means you’ll have the answers you seek within moments of clicking the submit button.
Pros
Cons
Pricing: Intelius has a confusing pricing plan that may leave many scratching their heads. At first glance, you can sign up for a month of background searches for $24.86, or two months of service for an average of $21.13 per month.
If you want to add in reverse phone lookup or address lookup, there’s a week trial for just $0.95. After the trial period elapses, prices jump to $34.95 for background checks plus reverse phone searches or $29.78 for people search and address lookups.
For a one-time fee of $3.99, you can download reports to your desktop and look at them any time in the future. There’s an option to protect your own identity through Intelius Identity Protect for $9.95 per month.
Reputation
Intelius has been doing business since 2003 and continues to provide one of the best background check sites on the web. The Better Business Bureau gives Intelius an A+ rating, indicating it is transparent with business dealings and makes every effort to appease customers.
Database Access
With nearly 20 years under its belt, Intelius has access to over 20 billion public and private records to search for data. This amount far surpasses many of the other background check sites out there, allowing for more comprehensive results and more accurate data.
Scope of Data
A single background check contains criminal records, marriage and divorce history, and any lawsuits the person has been in. You’ll also obtain information on bankruptcies, liens, and employment or educational history.
Turnaround Time
Intelius advertises instant results but doesn’t quite hit that mark. The average search time comes in somewhere north of the five-minute mark, but the most intense reports can take over 20 minutes to come back with results. This comes as no surprise considering the amount of data Intelius has to sort through.
Ease of Use
The search process for Intelius is simple as can be. You just type a first name, last name, and any location information you have about your subject, and the background check site will do the rest. Intelius may ask a few additional questions to hone in on the specific person you’re looking for.
Support
You can call an Intelius customer support agent from 10 am to 7 pm EST Monday through Friday for immediate help. Outside those hours, there’s an online form you can fill out that an Intelius team member will read at their earliest convenience. There’s also a decent help center with information you can use to find answers.
Instant Checkmate: Best Background Check Site for Government Records
| Price | $28.09 to $35.12/month |
| Star Rating | 4.6 |
Instant Checkmate has hundreds of millions of governmental databases from the local to the federal level for providing accurate checks on your target. Searches even include property data, but they come at a cost. There’s no option to pay per report, but additional search filters help you find what you’re looking for that much faster.
Why we chose it: Instant Checkmate has the most government connections to take top honors for a criminal background check site.
Pros
Cons
Pricing: A month of unlimited person reports will set you back $35.12, which is a bit steeper than other background check sites. A three-month subscription averages out to only $28.09 if you’re going to need the service for an extended period of time.
It will cost you a one-time fee of $3.99 if you want to download any and all reports for future use. Instant Checkmate can also monitor for your name on the dark web if you pay $1.99 per month.
Reputation
Instant Checkmate has been building its database since opening its digital doors back in 2010. The site has the highest ranking on the Better Business Bureau site, receiving an A+ for business practices and transparency.
Database Access
A single search on Instant Checkmate combs through hundreds of millions of government databases alone from the city to the national level. The site checks other private records and social media accounts for additional information.
Scope of Data
Instant Checkmate is best known for criminal searches with such a large government database to rely on. This includes all types of charges, jail time, and sex offenses. Beyond criminal information, you can also access employment and educational history and financial records.
Turnaround Time
Most searches take around five minutes to complete, which is pretty commonplace for the best background check sites. Instant Checkmate does throw annoying prompts and pop-up questions you’ll need to pay attention to in order to get your results.
Accuracy
With so many government databases, Instant Checkmate has really accurate searches. It makes sure to cross-check information across multiple locations before providing you with results.
Ease of Use
All you need to start a search is a person’s first and last name, although location information can expedite the scan. Instant Checkmate has a few pop-ups as the search runs, which can delay the process and take up some of your time.
Support
Customer service agents operate from 10 am to 7 pm EST from Monday to Friday. The site has a fairly thorough help center with a decent amount of frequently asked questions if you need help outside of regular hours. You can also fill out the contact form and wait for a response that way.
US Search: Best Background Check Site for Beginners
| Price | $19.86/month |
| Star Rating | 4.5 |
US Search facilitates the search process through the use of a handy quick start wizard. You can only look up individuals living in the United States, but US Search’s website is quite basic.
Monthly prices are quite a bit lower than the competition once you’ve navigated the hurdles to figure out what those costs are.
Why we chose it: US Search’s quick start wizard walks even the newest of searchers through the process with helpful prompts and simple steps.
Pros
Cons
Pricing: You’ll pay just $19.86 per month for unlimited reports. There is a limited trial period of $1.99 for five days of searching.
For legal professionals, US Search has a Pro program to prep you for the courtroom. It costs $59 per month for this service or $599 for an entire year.
Reputation
US Search has nearly 30 years of experience in background checking. The Better Business Bureau has yet to accredit the company despite its long tenure. Consumer Affairs has the site listed at 2.1 stars out of 5 with 108 total ratings, with most complaints regarding pricing confusion and password issues.
Database Access
The company pulls from billions of public records to track down the information you’re looking for on a new neighbor, date, or the like. Some customers don’t feel the data they receive is as accurate as some of the other sites out there.
Scope of Data
Background checks will collect a person’s history, properties, and social information during a search, among other pieces of data. US Search also has a separate tool for legal professionals looking to pool together information before heading into the courtroom.
Turnaround Time
Results come back within five minutes on average, but you have to navigate several prompts from US Search’s quick start wizard. The search may get stuck waiting for an answer from you should you try to multitask through the process.
Accuracy
It seems as though US Search is hit-or-miss with its data, even though it has billions of sites to work with. You may have to vet some of the data to make sure what you see is accurate.
Ease of Use
The site itself is very simplistic and easy to use. A virtual assistant walks you through the process to ensure you get the best results possible. At times, the hand-holding can slog down the search and feel a bit redundant.
Support
If you need help with your US Search service, you can email the team at any time or call between 9 am and 10 pm EST during the work week. There’s no user forum or help center to peruse for answers during off-hours.
Spokeo: Best Background Check Site for Fast Results
| Price | $27.95/month |
| Star Rating | 4.4 |
Spokeo gets the job done in record time, rarely taking more than a few minutes to produce accurate results. The site is for U.S. searches only, tending to pull a little too much from social media and not enough from financial records. You can make use of the insights feature for extra information on your subject, and there’s also an Enterprise plan for businesses.
Why we chose it: Spokeo gets accurate results faster than any other background check service out there.
Pros
Cons
Pricing: Spokeo completely hides its costs until you’ve done a search and want to see your results. At that point, the site promises a 7-day trial period for just $0.95 to try the service out. Once the trial ends, you’ll receive a bill at $27.95 per month to continue searching.
Businesses can use Spokeo Enterprise for $19.95 for a single month’s membership. Anyone wishing to use the service longer can pay $14.95 per month for three months at a time.
Reputation
Spokeo has been around since 2006 to provide background check information on individuals. It has an A rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau for honoring commitments to customers and providing a trustworthy service.
Database Access
The background check site uses a massive range of sources to compile information about the person in question. It looks through 6 billion consumer records, 4 billion historical records, 600 million court records, 130 million property records, nearly 100 million business records, and over 120 social networks.
Scope of Data
Reports cover an individual’s current and past addresses along with wealth data and family history. You’ll also gain access to court records from anywhere in the country and information from any social media account they’ve ever created.
Turnaround Time
Spokeo is able to turn around all that data in record time. The average search takes less than five minutes to compile a complete report on your target. There also aren’t prompts or pop-ups to deal with while the search is active.
Accuracy
Because Spokeo uses an extensive database, search results come out accurate most of the time. The site doesn’t always cross-check information, so information from outdated sites can appear in your results.
Ease of Use
Everything on Spokeo’s site is surprisingly easy to use. At the top of the page, you can search by name, email address, or phone number to have the site locate information on a particular individual.
Support
You can bank on customer support staff every day of the week from 8 am to 11 pm Eastern Time. For less urgent matters, you can email the company and expect a prompt response during normal office hours. The site also has a help center with a significant amount of topics.
Ranking Methodology for the Best Background Check Sites
Below you’ll find our methodology for coming up with the best background check sites currently on the market.
Best Background Check Site Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Our FAQ section answers some of the most commonly asked questions about the best background check sites.
How reliable are online background checks?
The right online background checks provide incredibly accurate information about the person you’re trying to dig up dirt on. They scour billions of public and private sites to uncover things otherwise hard to find.
What is a legitimate background check website?
Legitimate background check sites have proven their worth with several years of experience. Many have built up massive databases to search through to back up claims. Having accreditation with the Better Business Bureau shows business transparency and reliable operations.
What can cause you to fail a background check for employment?
Having a criminal record is a huge red flag when applying for a job. Employers are also looking for discrepancies between your claims and what a background check actually shows about you.
What databases are used for background checks?
A lot of background check sites use the National Instant Criminal Background Check System and the FBI Identification Record as top go-to's. Since most look through billions of databases, searches also include a laundry list of government sites at all levels and all available public records.
Bottom Line on the Best Background Check Sites
A thorough background check can put you at ease about the people you interact with on a daily basis. The best background check sites sift through countless databases to locate information you can use to make an assessment while keeping costs low.
We love TruthFinder for including the dark web in its fast searches, but any one of the best background check sites on this list can help you find the answers you seek.
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