Independent research on 258 HR & workforce products. Facts checked against vendors’ official documentation.

We may earn a referral fee. We may earn a referral feeHow we make money

Background Check Services

Best Background Check Services for Small Business

Small employers rarely have counsel or HR staff, so the provider has to carry compliance steps and keep pricing clear.

products that fit
17
By LeadChange Research TeamUpdated Based on 6 sources, facts checked

LeadChange may earn a fee when you request pricing through our site or follow a sponsored link. Rankings never depend on whether a vendor pays us.We may earn a fee.

Top 8 by LeadChange Scoreof 17 that fit · 9 not scored yet · scored for small business (reweighted)

  1. Checkr7.9 out of 10, High confidence
  2. Certn7.7 out of 10, High confidence
  3. Turn7.3 out of 10, High confidence
  4. GoodHire6.6 out of 10, Medium confidence
  5. ClearStar5.5 out of 10, Medium confidence
  6. Accurate C&S Services5.2 out of 10, Medium confidence
  7. First Advantage4.4 out of 10, Medium confidence
  8. Accurate Background4.1 out of 10, Medium confidence
  9. Backgrounds OnlineNot scored yet
  10. CisiveNot scored yet

See all 17 rankedHighMedium confidence

Background check services for small business, ranked

Ranked by LeadChange Score from verified facts; products with too few verified facts are not scored yet and come last. Prices are list prices as published by each vendor.

Filter by verified facts

  1. Checkr

    Checkr suits employers and platforms that hire often and want fast, pay-as-you-go background checks with published prices and a strong API. Workforce packages start at $29.99, $59.99 and $94.99 per report, with court and database fees passed through at cost.

    Pricing model
    Per check1
    SOC 2 Type II
    Yes2
    Checkr plans and prices
  2. Certn

    Certn is a Canadian-founded screening platform with US criminal, driving and verification checks, pay-per-check ordering, a REST API and 100+ ATS and HRIS integrations. Its US self-serve prices are published per check in USD, and its SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO 27001 reports are current.

    Pricing model
    Per check3
    SOC 2 Type II
    Yes4
    Certn plans and prices
  3. Turn

    Turn is a Chicago-based background screening platform for hourly, shift and high-volume hiring that operates as a consumer reporting agency and states PBSA accreditation and SOC 2 Type II.

    Pricing model
    Per check5
    SOC 2 Type II
    Yes6
    Turn plans and prices
Show all 17 products
  1. GoodHire6.6/10 · Medium confidenceGoodHire pricing
  2. ClearStar5.5/10 · Medium confidenceWhat ClearStar costs
  3. Accurate C&S Services5.2/10 · Medium confidenceAccurate C&S Services pricing
  4. First Advantage4.4/10 · Medium confidenceFirst Advantage plans and prices
  5. Accurate Background4.1/10 · Medium confidenceAccurate Background plans and prices
  6. Backgrounds OnlineNot scored yet (16 of 27 facts verified)Backgrounds Online pricing
  7. CisiveNot scored yet (15 of 27 facts verified)Cisive pricing
  8. Trusted EmployeesNot scored yet (15 of 27 facts verified)What Trusted Employees costs
  9. VeremarkNot scored yet (15 of 27 facts verified)Veremark pricing
  10. InfoMartNot scored yet (14 of 27 facts verified)What InfoMart costs
  11. IntelliCorpNot scored yet (14 of 27 facts verified)IntelliCorp plans and prices
  12. Universal Background ScreeningNot scored yet (14 of 27 facts verified)Universal Background Screening plans and prices
  13. DISA Global SolutionsNot scored yet (13 of 27 facts verified)DISA Global Solutions pricing
  14. ZincNot scored yet (13 of 27 facts verified)Zinc background checks pricing

LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.

All background check services for employers, ranked

How the score works

What matters for small business

  1. Built-in compliant forms

    The disclosure must be in writing and stand-alone, and authorization must be obtained.

  2. Adverse action automation

    Pre-adverse and adverse notices are easy to skip without prompts.

  3. All-in pricing

    Court access and verification fees are often billed on top of the advertised package price.

  4. Mobile consent

    Candidates complete forms on phones.

More tools for small business

Find your fit

Frequently asked questions

What are the best employee background check companies for small business?

Look for built-in compliant forms, adverse action support, transparent per-check pricing that states court fees, and a simple candidate consent flow on a phone. Self-serve providers that publish package prices let you order a single check on a pay-as-you-go basis. Our small-business ranking weights pricing and fit more heavily using verified data, so compare the shortlist on this page against the roles you hire.

Which background check services for small business support single sign-on?

Accurate C&S Services, Certn, and Zinc document single sign-on; 14 of the 17 products for small business do not document it.

How we research

This ranking of background check services for small business reweights the LeadChange Score: capability coverage 25%, pricing transparency & value 30%, integrations & API 10%, security & compliance 10%, fit & support 15%, and data confidence 10%. Only products with a verified fact showing they serve this segment are listed.

How this page was made

  • What it is built from

    30 verified facts, each checked against the vendor's own pages or another primary source, most recently on Oct 24, 2026.

  • Method

    Scored and compared with the LeadChange methodology, version 1.3. Read the methodology

  • Independent review

    Not reviewed yet by our independent reviewer. How we review

  • Hands-on testing

    We have not tested these products hands-on: this page uses public information only.

  • Who made it

    The LeadChange Research Team, following a written research process. No named expert has reviewed this page. About us

  • Independence and errors

    Who pays us never changes a score or a rank. If something here is wrong, tell us and we correct it publicly. Request a correction

Get a shortlist of background check services for small business

Tell us about your team and get a shortlist ranked without regard to who pays us.

Sources

The 6 pages this page's facts come from, with the day we last checked each one. The numbers beside the figures above link here.

Quotes from the sources
  1. Checkr checkr.com/pricing“Simple, pay-as-you-go pricing Background check pricing for businesses of all sizes.”
  2. Checkr checkr.com/trust-and-security“A SOC 2 Type II report provides detailed information about the suitability of the design of controls and an independent auditor’s assurance”
  3. Certn certn.co/us“Start running checks in minutes. Pay per check with no setup fees or minimums, and add team members as you grow.”
  4. Certn certn.co/security“SOC 2 Type 2 Period: Sept 2024 – Sep 2025”
  5. Turn turn.ai/pricing“No setup fees No monthly minimums Pay as you go”
  6. Turn turn.ai/compliance-security-and-ai-governance“Independently audited certification covering security, availability, and confidentiality, with continuous auditing rather than a single point-in-time review.”

What the LeadChange Score means

A 0–10 editorial assessment built only from verified facts, across six weighted dimensions: capabilities, pricing, integrations, security, fit and support, and data confidence.

Payments, commissions and lead fees are never inputs.