Independent research on 253 HR & workforce products. Facts checked against vendors’ official documentation.

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

LeadChange Group

First Advantage Review

by First Advantage Corporation

First Advantage provides employment background screening, identity verification and monitoring solutions, with services spanning over 200 countries and territories.

Company size
Small businesses, enterprises
Pricing model
Per check
Integrations
100

Best for

  • Employers that want screening inside Workday, iCIMS, Bullhorn or another ATS
  • High-volume hiring in staffing, retail, gig and transportation
  • Regulated industries such as healthcare and financial services

Not ideal for

  • Buyers who need published per-check prices before signing up
  • Employers that only run a handful of checks a year and want a flat package price online
By LeadChange Research TeamUpdated Facts checked
How we evaluated First Advantage

This review rests on 17 facts checked against First Advantage’s official pricing pages and documentation, most recently on . We did not test the product hands-on: the score and the pros and cons use only those verified facts, as our methodology explains, and third-party ratings are quoted, never scored.

Our verdict

First Advantage fits employers that screen at volume and want background checks inside their ATS or HCM: it lists 100+ integration options including Workday, iCIMS and Bullhorn, a REST API with a sandbox, and screens in over 200 countries and territories. It holds SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and PBSA accreditation, and reports that 90% of U.S. criminal screens close in one day. It is less suited to buyers who want to compare prices online: small businesses pay per screen after signing up, and enterprise pricing is quoted.

Strengths

  • Large integration footprint

    The vendor states 100+ ATS and HCM integrated partners, including Workday, iCIMS and Bullhorn.

    Evidence: Native integrations: 100

  • Wide screening menu

    Listed services include criminal, drug and occupational health, identity, employment and education verification, driving records and monitoring.

    Evidence: Modules: Criminal background checks, Drug and occupational health screening, Financial checks, Tax credit solutions, Fingerprinting, Identity verification, Employment, education and credential verification, Motor vehicle records, Monitoring (criminal, driver, healthcare, sanctions), Form I-9/E-Verify, Social media checks, Due diligence investigations

  • Credentials and API access

    The trust center lists SOC 2 Type 2, ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and PBSA accreditation, and a REST API is available.

    Evidence: SOC 2 Type II: Yes

  • Reported fast criminal turnaround

    First Advantage reports that 90% of U.S. criminal screens close in one day, with intelligent automation on about 90% of U.S. criminal searches.

    Evidence: Turnaround time: 90% of U.S. criminal screens close in one day

  • Candidate dispute process

    Candidates can dispute a report online, by phone or by email, and reinvestigations are generally completed within 30 days of receipt.

    Evidence: Dispute and reinvestigation: Yes

Weaknesses

  • Quote-only pricing

    No prices are published and the vendor directs prospects to call or complete a sales interest form.

    Evidence: Pricing model: Per check

Price at a glance

  • Pricing model

    Per check

  • Price transparency

    Quote only

First Advantage plans and prices

Quick answers

How much does First Advantage cost?
First Advantage does not publish prices. Small businesses open a free online account and pay only when they screen; larger employers get a quote from sales.Based on Pricing model: Per check
Is First Advantage a public company?
Yes. An SEC filing lists First Advantage on NASDAQ under the ticker FA, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.Based on Ownership: Publicly traded
Does First Advantage integrate with Workday?
Yes. Workday is listed among its ATS and HCM integrations, alongside iCIMS and Bullhorn.Based on Notable integrations: Workday, iCIMS, Bullhorn
Does First Advantage do drug testing?
Yes. It lists drug and occupational health screening among its services.Based on Drug and health screening: Yes

Coverage of core background check services capabilities

Each core capability we evaluate in Background Check Services, checked against First Advantage’s own documentation. “Not verified yet” means we have not confirmed it either way, not that it is missing.

10 verified of 13 core capabilities

Background Check Services

  • FCRA disclosure and consent
  • Identity and SSN trace
  • County criminal search
  • National criminal database
  • Sex offender registry search
  • Employment and education verification
  • Motor vehicle records
  • Drug and health screening
  • Adverse action workflow · not verified yet
  • Individualized assessment support · not verified yet
  • Dispute and reinvestigation
  • State and local rule handling · not verified yet
  • ATS and onboarding integration

Specifications

Fit

Industry focus
Financial Services, Gig, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Retail, Staffing agencies, Technology, Transportation

Product

Modules
Criminal background checks, Drug and occupational health screening, Financial checks, Tax credit solutions, Fingerprinting, Identity verification, Employment, education and credential verification, Motor vehicle records, Monitoring (criminal, driver, healthcare, sanctions), Form I-9/E-Verify, Social media checks, Due diligence investigations

Integrations

Open API
Yes
API type
REST

First Advantage integrations

10 integrations we documented, by how they connect. First Advantage reports 100 native integrations in total.

Partner and marketplace apps

First Advantage integrations

First Advantage integration coverage

The 10 apps that background check services products document most often, and whether First Advantage documents each.

7 of the 10 most-connected apps documented by First Advantage; median of the 21 products compared: 5

Integrations each vendor documents (native, marketplace, Zapier or API), 21 live background check services products. Not documented does not mean not possible.

Background Check Services

Where it ranks

First Advantage alternatives

Alternatives to First Advantage

Security and compliance

  • SOC 2 Type IIYes
  • ISO 27001Yes

Implementation and support

Typical implementation
Standard background check integration can be activated in days, not weeks
Support channels
Support portal, chat

About First Advantage Corporation

Founded
2003
Headquarters
Atlanta, Georgia, US
Ownership
Publicly traded

All First Advantage Corporation products

Frequently asked questions

Is First Advantage legit?

First Advantage is sold by First Advantage Corporation, which was founded in 2003, is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, US, and is publicly traded. First Advantage Corporation states that it holds a current SOC 2 Type II report. Before you sign, review the contract terms and ask for the security documentation that applies to your plan.

Is First Advantage SOC 2 certified?

Yes. Its trust center lists a SOC 2 Type 2 report, along with ISO/IEC 27001:2022.

What is First Advantage used for?

First Advantage is a background check services product built for small businesses and enterprises. Its modules include Criminal background checks, Drug and occupational health screening, Financial checks, Tax credit solutions, and 8 more.

What are the best alternatives to First Advantage?

In our background check services ranking, the highest-scored products other than First Advantage are Checkr, Certn, and Turn. Compared side by side, by reason to switch: First Advantage alternatives.

Which is better, First Advantage or Certn?

It depends on the team. Choose First Advantage if: you need drug and occupational health screening with your checks. Choose Certn if: you want prices before you sign up: US checks from $13.99. The full comparison: First Advantage vs Certn.

What are the pros and cons of First Advantage?

Strengths documented on the vendor’s own pages: large integration footprint, wide screening menu, and credentials and API access. It is less suited to buyers who need published per-check prices before signing up and employers that only run a handful of checks a year and want a flat package price online.

Does First Advantage have an API?

Yes. First Advantage offers an open API (REST) to customers.

Is First Advantage good for small businesses?

First Advantage lists small businesses among the company sizes it is built for (small businesses and enterprises). It ranks #7 of 8 in our background check services for small businesses.

How long does it take to implement First Advantage?

First Advantage states a typical implementation of standard background check integration can be activated in days, not weeks.

Get First Advantage pricing for your team

First Advantage quotes its prices. Answer up to 4 quick questions and see it next to the 2 alternatives that fit you best; if a provider works with us, you can ask it 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 pricing

We may earn a fee.

What changed

  1. PricingFirst Advantage’s pricing model: per check (previously quote only).

  2. PublishedFirst published.

Vendor? Reach buyers comparing First Advantage

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.