Checkr vs HireRight vs Sterling: The Background Check Showdown

The "Checkr vs HireRight vs Sterling" matchup is now a two-and-a-half-way race. First Advantage completed its acquisition of Sterling Check on 31 October 2024, a deal valued at $2.2 billion including assumed debt, and Sterling's own site now says it is First Advantage. Of the three names, only Checkr publishes workforce prices on its main site: $29.99, $59.99 and $94.99 per report as of 15 October 2026.

This post compares what each vendor publishes about ownership, price, scale and integrations. Most performance numbers below are the vendors' own claims, not independently audited figures.

Is Sterling still a separate company from First Advantage?

No. First Advantage completed its acquisition of Sterling Check Corp. on 31 October 2024, and as of 15 October 2026 sterlingcheck.com carries the headline "Sterling Background Check Solutions is now First Advantage".

The site tells existing customers that they can order the same Sterling checks through First Advantage. First Advantage said at closing that it expected between $50 million and $70 million in run-rate synergies on pro forma combined revenue of about $1.5 billion. Both figures are company projections.

For buyers, this means "Sterling" is a legacy brand name for a First Advantage service. If your contract is with Sterling, ask your account manager how the First Advantage transition affects your portal login, pricing and support contacts.

How do Checkr, HireRight and Sterling compare at a glance?

They differ most on pricing transparency and ownership. Checkr posts prices, HireRight asks you to talk to sales, and Sterling now sits inside First Advantage. The table uses vendor statements as of 15 October 2026 unless a different date is shown.

The scale figures are not like for like. They count customers, businesses or organizations differently, and they come from different dates. Use them to gauge size, not to rank accuracy.

What does Checkr publish on pricing and packages?

Checkr lists three self-serve workforce tiers and an Enterprise tier by quote. As of 15 October 2026, Basic is $29.99 per report, Essential is $59.99 (marked Most Popular) and Complete is $94.99.

Checkr adds that third-party court and database fees may apply and are passed through at cost with no markup. Its add-ons include a motor vehicle record report at $9.50 per check, plus Continuous MVR at $2.50 a month per enrolled driver. State DMV fees are separate.

Here is the math for a team hiring 100 people. At Essential, 100 reports cost 100 x $59.99 = $5,999 before pass-through fees and add-ons. At Complete the same volume is $9,499. At Basic it is $2,999, but Basic has no county or state criminal search, so it covers less ground.

What does HireRight publish, and where do small businesses fit?

HireRight does not show prices on its main site, which directs buyers to sales. HireRight is a global provider that says it serves approximately 37,000 customers and, in 2023, screened over 26 million applicants, employees and contractors and processed over 95 million screens (company-reported, June 2024).

Small buyers have a separate route. HireRight owns BackgroundChecks.com, which HireRight describes as a self-service platform for small businesses. That site advertises no contracts, no minimums and no sales process. Compare it against Checkr by requesting package contents and fees in writing.

On integrations, HireRight's homepage claims 70+ ATS integrations and calls itself the only unified global platform in the industry. That is a marketing claim, not an audited one.

If you are also choosing an applicant tracking system, check which background check vendors each ATS connects to before you sign. The Workable vs JazzHR vs BambooHR ATS comparison covers the small-business ATS side.

What do the vendors claim about speed and accuracy?

Everything on speed and accuracy that these vendors publish is self-reported. Checkr's homepage says 97% of customers say its turnaround beats their previous vendor and 78% say it lowered their compliance risk. It also says that in head-to-head tests Checkr finds more criminal records than other major providers.

The homepage does not state the test method, the competitors or the sample size. "More records found" is also not the same as "more accurate records found." A report that attaches someone else's record to a candidate has found more records and is worse for it.

HireRight and First Advantage describe scale and coverage rather than head-to-head results. First Advantage says it performs screens in 200+ countries and territories, which matters if you hire outside the US. If your volume is mostly domestic, global reach may add little.

What FCRA duties do you carry whichever vendor you pick?

The vendor does not take on your legal duties as the employer. The FTC says that when you use consumer reports for hiring, retention, promotion or reassignment, you must comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, which the FTC enforces.

The FTC lists these steps:

1. Before you get a report, give the applicant or employee a written, stand-alone notice that you might use the report for employment decisions. It cannot sit inside the job application.
2. Get their written permission.
3. Certify to the vendor that you notified them, got permission, followed the FCRA, and will not discriminate or misuse the information.
4. Before any adverse action, give a notice that includes a copy of the report you relied on and a copy of A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
5. After the adverse action, give a notice with the vendor's name, address and phone number, a statement that the vendor did not make the decision, and the person's right to dispute the report and get an additional free report within 60 days.

The FTC also advises checking state laws, since some states restrict the use of consumer reports, usually credit reports, for employment. Pre-adverse and adverse action workflows are a common place to look for automation. Our post on HR compliance software and the cost of skipping it covers that side, and the onboarding automation guide covers the paperwork flow.

Which provider fits which type of employer?

The published facts point to a rough split, but this is a reading of vendor positioning, not a tested ranking.

Whichever you shortlist, negotiate pass-through fees, minimums and contract terms. The guide to hidden fees in HR software contracts lists the clauses to check.

What's still unclear?

Several points could change a buying decision, and the public record does not settle them.

• No independent benchmark. The speed and accuracy statements above are the vendors' own, so treat them as sales claims.
• Checkr's accuracy under challenge. A class action filed in 2026, Davis v. Checkr Inc. (Case No. 0:26-cv-60088, S.D. Fla.), alleges Checkr reported criminal records that did not belong to the plaintiff, according to Top Class Actions. These are allegations, not findings.
• Pricing for HireRight and First Advantage. Neither publishes per-check rates on its main site, so any cost comparison with Checkr needs written quotes with identical package contents.
• Sterling transition details. The Sterling site describes the change as no disruption to customer workflow, which is a company claim. Ask First Advantage about contract, pricing and integration changes.
• The weakest point of this comparison. The vendors count customers and screens differently, so scale figures cannot rank quality. Price per report also ignores turnaround, dispute rates and support.

Last checked: 15 October 2026.