GoodHire vs First Advantage

GoodHire6.4/10

First Advantage5.6/10

Scored in Background Check Services

The short answer

GoodHire, a Checkr company, publishes per-check packages: Basic from $29.99, Essential from $59.99 and Complete from $94.99 for fewer than 50 checks a year. First Advantage, listed on NASDAQ, shows no prices before sign-in; small businesses pay per screen with no setup fee or minimums.

By LeadChange Research TeamUpdated Nov 10, 2026Based on 16 sources, most recently checked Nov 10, 2026

GoodHire

Best for: Small employers running fewer than 50 checks per year

Choose GoodHire if

You want to see the price before signing up: Basic starts at $29.99 a check.
You run fewer than 50 checks a year.
You want adverse-action tools built around ban-the-box laws.
You want support by phone, email and live chat.

GoodHire pricing GoodHire alternatives

First Advantage

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

Choose First Advantage if

You need drug screening, fingerprinting or Form I-9 and E-Verify from the same vendor.
You use Workday, iCIMS or Bullhorn.
You want a vendor with SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 and PBSA accreditation.
You want tax credit services alongside screening.

First Advantage pricing First Advantage alternatives

LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.

Scorecard

GoodHire wins 1First Advantage wins 12 ties

GoodHire vs First Advantage by dimension
Dimension	GoodHire	First Advantage
PricingGoodHire lists Basic from $29.99, Essential from $59.99 and Complete from $94.99 per check, plus court and DMV fees at cost. First Advantage shows no prices on fadv.com; small business accounts have no setup fee and no minimums. Court fees: some state and county courts charge a fee to retrieve criminal records, invoiced at cost, DMV fees: every state DMV charges a fee to retrieve a driving record (MVR), invoiced at cost1	Partly published	Quote only
CapabilitiesBoth cover criminal, driving record, drug, education and employment checks. First Advantage adds fingerprinting, tax credits, I-9 and social media checks; GoodHire adds custom packages by role or client and automated adjudication. Criminal background checks, Driving record (MVR) checks, Employment drug tests, Education verification, Employment verification, SSN traces2	12 of 13 core capabilities	10 of 13 core capabilities
Fit and supportGoodHire has pages for small businesses and for midsize and large organizations. First Advantage runs a small business offer and serves enterprises. Small businesses, mid-market companies, enterprises3	Small businesses, mid-market companies, enterprises	Small businesses, enterprises
SecurityFirst Advantage holds SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 and is PBSA accredited. GoodHire describes FCRA-compliant consent workflows; GoodHire names no SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certification on the pages we reviewed. Yes4	None verified	SOC 2, ISO 27001

Key differences

Where GoodHire and First Advantage differ (6)
Attribute	GoodHire	First Advantage
Price transparency	Partly published3	Quote only5
Best for	Small businesses, mid-market companies, enterprises3	Small businesses, enterprises6
Support channels	Phone, email, live chat7	Support portal, chat8
Typical implementation	Get up and running in minutes (vendor claim, for running a few checks)9	Standard background check integration can be activated in days, not weeks10
Headquarters	San Francisco, CA, USA9	Atlanta, Georgia, US11
Ownership	Subsidiary12	Publicly traded11

Show 3 attributes where they are the same

Where they are the same (3)
Attribute	GoodHire	First Advantage
Pricing model	Per check3	Per check5
API	13	14
FCRA compliance	13	15

Analysis by dimension

Pricing. GoodHire lists Basic from $29.99, Essential from $59.99 and Complete from $94.99 per check, plus court and DMV fees at cost. First Advantage shows no prices on fadv.com; small business accounts have no setup fee and no minimums.

Capabilities. Both cover criminal, driving record, drug, education and employment checks. First Advantage adds fingerprinting, tax credits, I-9 and social media checks; GoodHire adds custom packages by role or client and automated adjudication.

Integrations. First Advantage lists 100+ integrations, including Workday, iCIMS and Bullhorn, and RESTful APIs. GoodHire offers pre-integrated ATS and HRIS connectors and an API.

Fit and support. GoodHire has pages for small businesses and for midsize and large organizations. First Advantage runs a small business offer and serves enterprises.

Security. First Advantage holds SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 and is PBSA accredited. GoodHire describes FCRA-compliant consent workflows; GoodHire names no SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certification on the pages we reviewed.

Neither one?

Checkr

Checkr has the highest LeadChange Score in Background Check Services after excluding these two (8.4/10).

Checkr review

More GoodHire comparisons

More First Advantage comparisons

Frequently asked questions

Is GoodHire cheaper than First Advantage?

GoodHire is the one with listed prices: $29.99, $59.99 or $94.99 a check for its three packages. First Advantage shows no prices before you sign in; its small business flow starts with a free account.

Is First Advantage a legit background check company?

Yes. First Advantage is a public company listed on NASDAQ, based in Atlanta and founded in 2003; it holds SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 and is PBSA accredited.

How much does a GoodHire background check cost?

From $29.99 for Basic, $59.99 for Essential and $94.99 for Complete, for fewer than 50 checks a year; court and DMV fees are invoiced at cost.

Which is faster, GoodHire or First Advantage?

Both state their own figures: GoodHire says database searches often finish within minutes and county checks take 1 to 3 business days; First Advantage says 90% of US criminal screens close in one day.

Who owns GoodHire?

Checkr. It acquired Inflection, GoodHire’s company, in April 2022.

What are First Advantage’s competitors?

GoodHire is one for small employers: it lists per-check prices, while First Advantage quotes. HireRight, Checkr and Accurate Background are other screening providers we compare.

Is GoodHire or First Advantage more secure?

First Advantage states SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 (unverified for GoodHire).

How this page was made

What it is built from
24 verified facts, each checked against the vendor's own pages or another primary source, most recently on Nov 10, 2026.
Method
Scored and compared with the LeadChange methodology, version 1.5. Read the methodology
Independent review
Not reviewed yet by our independent reviewer. How we review
Hands-on testing
We have not tested either product 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

GoodHire 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. Then you can ask a provider that takes requests through us for a quote.

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.

Get my answer

GoodHire vs First Advantage

We may earn a fee.

Sources

The 16 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

Checkr checkr.com/pricing/passthrough-fees“These surcharges are included on your invoice as non-marked up, third-party fees. … Some state and county courts charge a fee to retrieve criminal records; all DMVs charge fees to retrieve driving records.”
GoodHire goodhire.com/screening“CRIMINAL RECORD Build a trustworthy team based on reliable results. DRIVING RECORD CHECKS Confirm license validity and review driving history. DRUG SCREENING Maintain a safer, more productive workplace. EMPLOYMENT VERIFICATION Verify employment history and job-related experiences. EDUCATION VERIFICATION”
GoodHire goodhire.com/pricing“We offer competitively-priced background checks for businesses of all sizes.” “LESS THAN CHECKS YEARLY 50 Get Started Right Away SEE PRICING MORE THAN CHECKS YEARLY 50 100+ Screening Options GET A CUSTOM QUOTE”
First Advantage trust.fadv.com“Compliance SOC 2 Type 2 ISO/IEC 27001:2022” “ISO/IEC 27001:2022 ISO/IEC 27701:2025 ISO 9001:2015”
First Advantage fadv.com/solutions/small-business-background-checks“Pay Only When You Screen With pay-as-you-go pricing, no account setup fees, and no minimum screening volume, you can order checks when you need them.”
First Advantage fadv.com/solutions/enterprise-background-checks“Enterprise Background Checks at Scale”
GoodHire goodhire.com/background-checks/large-organizations“Our FCRA-certified support team is there for you and your candidates when you need them by phone, email, and live chat”
First Advantage fadv.com/contact“Find answers and solutions. Chat with an expert. Get the support you need.”
First Advantage fadv.com/integrations“Activate a standard background check integration in days, not weeks, with our unique combination of proprietary automated onboarding tools and white-glove service.”
First Advantage (SEC filing) sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1210677/000095017024119269/fa-ex99_1.htm“Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, First Advantage performs screens in over 200 countries and territories” “First Advantage (NASDAQ: FA) is a leading global provider of employment background screening, identity, and verification solutions”
GoodHire goodhire.com/company“Checkr Is Our Parent Company”
GoodHire goodhire.com/background-checks/hr-tech-integrations“GoodHire comes pre-integrated with leading ATS/HRIS platforms and can be easily integrated into new platforms with our API.” “Get secure, FCRA-compliant consent from candidates”
First Advantage fadv.com/api“Our Background Check API Makes Connecting Easy”
First Advantage (SEC Form 10-K) sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1210677/000119312526076740/fa-20251231.htm“In addition, under the FCRA in the United States, both our customers and we are required to comply with many requirements under the FCRA as well as state-level laws regarding the use and delivery of consumer reports.”
First Advantage fadv.com/about-us“Founded in 2003, We Aim to Deliver”