Checkr vs First Advantage

The short answer

Checkr publishes per-report packages for employers, Basic from $29.99, Essential from $59.99 and Complete from $94.99, with court fees passed through at cost. First Advantage quotes its prices, lets small businesses pay as they go with no setup fee or minimums, and says 90% of US criminal screens close in one day.

By LeadChange Research TeamUpdated Oct 14, 2026Facts checked Oct 13, 2026

Checkr

Best for: Employers that hire often and want to pay per report with no contract

Choose Checkr if

You want prices before you sign: Basic starts at $29.99 per report.
You need integrations with tools such as Greenhouse, Gusto, Rippling or BambooHR.
You screen gig or marketplace workers and want continuous checks.
You want add-on prices up front, such as identity verification at $4.99 a check.

Checkr plans and prices Checkr alternatives

First Advantage

Best for: Employers that want screening inside Workday, iCIMS, Bullhorn or another ATS

Choose First Advantage if

US turnaround matters most: 90% of US criminal screens close in one day.
You need fingerprinting, Form I-9 and E-Verify or tax credit services from the same provider.
You are a small business that wants no setup fee and no minimums.
You want a PBSA-accredited screening provider.

First Advantage pricing First Advantage competitors

LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.

Scorecard

Checkr wins 2First Advantage wins 11 tie

Checkr vs First Advantage by dimension
Dimension	Checkr	First Advantage
PricingCheckr publishes Basic from $29.99, Essential from $59.99 and Complete from $94.99 per report. First Advantage quotes prices; small business accounts pay as they go with no setup fee and no minimums.	Partly published	Quote only
IntegrationsCheckr lists 200 integrations and documents a REST API and webhooks. First Advantage lists 100 integrations and a REST API with a developer portal and sandbox. 200	200 native	100 native
Fit and supportFirst Advantage says 90% of US criminal screens close in one day; Checkr reports a 2–3 day average completion. First Advantage states standard integrations activate in days. 90% of U.S. criminal screens close in one day	Small businesses, mid-market companies, enterprises	Small businesses, enterprises
SecurityBoth state SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001. First Advantage is PBSA accredited; Checkr describes an FCRA-compliant process. Yes	SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR	SOC 2, ISO 27001

Key differences

Where Checkr and First Advantage differ (7)
Attribute	Checkr	First Advantage
Price transparency	Partly published	Quote only
Best for	Small businesses, mid-market companies, enterprises	Small businesses, enterprises
Native integrations	200	100
Typical implementation	Partner API integration averages about 2 weeks; customers can start running checks within minutes of credentialing	Standard background check integration can be activated in days, not weeks
Founded	2014	2003
Headquarters	San Francisco, California	Atlanta, Georgia, US
Ownership	Private	Publicly traded

Show 4 attributes where they are the same

Where they are the same (4)
Attribute	Checkr	First Advantage
Pricing model	Per check	Per check
Open API
SOC 2 Type II
ISO 27001

Analysis by dimension

Pricing. Checkr publishes Basic from $29.99, Essential from $59.99 and Complete from $94.99 per report. First Advantage quotes prices; small business accounts pay as they go with no setup fee and no minimums.

Capabilities. First Advantage covers criminal, drug and occupational health, financial, fingerprinting, identity, verification, motor vehicle, monitoring, Form I-9 and due diligence. Checkr covers criminal, verification, identity, driving records, continuous and international checks.

Integrations. Checkr lists 200 integrations and documents a REST API and webhooks. First Advantage lists 100 integrations and a REST API with a developer portal and sandbox.

Fit and support. First Advantage says 90% of US criminal screens close in one day; Checkr reports a 2–3 day average completion. First Advantage states standard integrations activate in days.

Security. Both state SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001. First Advantage is PBSA accredited; Checkr describes an FCRA-compliant process.

Neither one?

Certn

Certn has the highest LeadChange Score in Background Check Services after excluding these two (8.2/10).

More Checkr comparisons

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Frequently asked questions

Is Checkr cheaper than First Advantage?

Checkr is the only one of the two with published prices, from $29.99 per report on Basic. First Advantage quotes its prices; small businesses pay as they go with no setup fee or minimums.

Is First Advantage good for background checks?

First Advantage is a public company founded in 2003 that is PBSA accredited and says 90% of US criminal screens close in one day.

Which is faster, Checkr or First Advantage?

First Advantage says 90% of US criminal screens close in one day. Checkr reports a 2–3 day average completion, from a few hours to a few weeks depending on the searches.

Do Checkr and First Advantage integrate with Workday?

Yes. Workday is among Checkr's integrations and among First Advantage's.

Do Checkr and First Advantage offer international checks?

Checkr lists international background checks with coverage in 200+ countries and territories. First Advantage describes multi-regional data privacy and legal compliance support.

Is Checkr or First Advantage more secure?

Both Checkr and First Advantage state SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001. Only Checkr states GDPR.

Checkr or First Advantage? Your answer in 3 questions

Your team size, what matters most and your role: see which one fits more of your answers, from verified facts and list prices. Then, if you like, ask to hear from both.

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