The best background check service depends on why you are searching. For looking up a date, a lost contact or your own records, people search sites like PeopleFinders, Spokeo and BeenVerified run about $15 to $37 a month, but none of them can legally be used for hiring or renting. For employment or tenant screening, you need an FCRA compliant screening company such as GoodHire, First Advantage or HireRight, which charge per check (GoodHire lists $29.99 to $94.99 per check as of October 2026).
This guide is for two kinds of readers: people who want to look someone up for personal reasons, and employers or landlords who need to screen an applicant. That split matters more than price, because only an FCRA compliant screening company can legally be used for hiring or tenant decisions.
For personal searches, focus on the renewal price rather than the trial price, the monthly report cap, and how easy it is to cancel. For applicant screening, look at which records each package covers, especially county criminal records, and whether the company publishes prices or quotes them.
Below you will find our ten picks with listed prices and terms, a cost breakdown, an explanation of your rights when someone runs a check on you, and free alternatives worth trying first.
Company reviews
Best for a long-running public records search (operating since 1999): PeopleFinders
- Use type
- People search
- FCRA compliant
- No. The company says it is not a consumer reporting agency
Why we picked it. PeopleFinders has operated since 1999, and it publishes the scale of its data set, including property and foreclosure records. It is a reasonable first stop for reconnecting with someone or checking out a seller, as long as you treat the results as leads to confirm rather than facts.
More details, pros and cons
Data claims: 120B public records and 6,000+ data sources, according to the company
Pros
- Long track record, operating since 1999 per the company
- Large public records and property data set
- Help center with account and report guides
Cons
- Pricing is not shown up front on its public pages
- Cannot be used for employment, credit or tenant decisions
- Data comes from public records that may be outdated or mismatched
Skip it if: You want to see the price before you run a search, or you are screening a job or rental applicant.
More about PeopleFinders
Operating as a reliable data aggregator, PeopleFinders offers lightning-fast search capabilities and draws from one of the largest databases in the industry. It excels at delivering comprehensive background reports for informal queries in under five minutes.
Best for the lowest listed monthly people search price: Spokeo
- Price
- $19.95 per month
- Use type
- People search
- FCRA compliant
- No. Spokeo states it is not a consumer reporting agency
Why we picked it. Spokeo lists the clearest low price of the people search sites we compared, and its checkout states the renewal amount and the 100 report monthly cap in plain terms. For occasional lookups by name, phone or email, it covers the basics for the least money.
More details, pros and cons
Pros
- Lowest listed monthly price in this group
- Renewal amount stated at checkout
- Cancel online or through Customer Care
Cons
- Membership auto-renews until you cancel
- Not usable for hiring, housing, credit or insurance decisions
- Report depth varies by person and state
Skip it if: You only need a single report, since a recurring membership is likely more than you need.
More about Spokeo
Spokeo operates as a fast and intuitive people search engine, scanning billions of records from public, private, and online sources. It specializes in aggregating social media profiles and location histories, offering highly accurate preliminary reports in under sixty seconds.
Best for trying before you commit (7-day trial): BeenVerified
- Price
- $36.89 per month
- Use type
- People search
- FCRA compliant
- No. Use for FCRA purposes is prohibited by its terms
Why we picked it. BeenVerified gives every plan the full feature set and spells out its trial, renewal and cancellation steps on the pricing page. That clarity matters in a category where renewals are the most common complaint.
More details, pros and cons
Pros
- All features on every plan
- Several ways to cancel, listed on the pricing page
- 3-month plan saves about 35% versus paying monthly
Cons
- Highest listed monthly price of the people search sites we compared
- Trial converts to a paid plan if you do not cancel
- Not usable for employment or tenant screening
Skip it if: Price is your top concern, since Spokeo and PeopleLooker list lower monthly rates.
More about BeenVerified
BeenVerified functions as a comprehensive data aggregator, collecting vast amounts of information from public sources to deliver easy-to-read reports. It offers multiple search options including people, phone, email, address, and unique vehicle lookups, making it an excellent all-around tool for personal inquiries.
Show all 5 picks2 more, ranked 4 to 5
- Price
- $35.47 per month
- Use type
- People search and reverse phone lookup
- FCRA compliant
- No. The company says it is not a consumer reporting agency
Why we picked it. Instant Checkmate offers unlimited person reports on its main plan plus a separate $5.99 phone-only plan, which is useful if you mainly want to identify unknown callers. Report monitoring is included.
More details, pros and cons
Add-ons: Reverse phone only plan $5.99 per month; PDF report downloads $3.99 one-time
Pros
- Unlimited person reports on the people search plan
- Cheap phone-only option
- Report monitoring at no extra cost
Cons
- In 2023 the FTC required Instant Checkmate and TruthFinder to pay $5.8 million over claims about report accuracy and FCRA violations
- PDF downloads cost extra
- Customer care is available weekdays only, 7am to 4pm PT
Skip it if: The 2023 FTC settlement over report accuracy is a dealbreaker for you.
More about Instant Checkmate
Instant Checkmate is a consumer public records search engine aggregating billions of records, scoring highest in report comprehensiveness. Subscription-based and not FCRA compliant. Best for personal, informal searches.
Best for a short, low-cost trial ($0.95): Intelius
- Price
- $21.35 per month
- Use type
- People search
- FCRA compliant
- No. Not for FCRA purposes
Why we picked it. Intelius lists a lower effective monthly rate on its two-month people search plan than most rivals, and it offers $0.95 trials on its phone and address bundles. It suits someone who needs a burst of searches over a few days.
More details, pros and cons
Pros
- Low listed rate on the two-month plan
- $0.95 trial options
- Unlimited person reports
Cons
- Trials roll into full monthly billing if you do not cancel
- Several overlapping plans make the true price harder to compare
- Not usable for screening decisions
Skip it if: You tend to forget trial end dates, since the trial converts to about $35 a month.
More about Intelius
Intelius is a long-running public records search service that provides detailed personal information. Drawing from an immense database, it is an effective tool for users looking to reconnect with people or research personal connections, though it requires a recurring subscription model.
How much a background check costs
Prices fall into two models. People search sites sell memberships, and employer screening companies charge per check.
| Type |
Typical listed price (October 2026) |
What you get |
| People search membership |
$14.95 to $36.89 per month |
Unlimited or up to 100 reports a month from public records |
| Trial offers |
$0.95 to $1 |
5 to 7 days, then full monthly billing |
| Phone-only lookup |
$4.99 to $5.99 per month |
Owner name and address for a phone number |
| Employer screening (GoodHire) |
$29.99 to $94.99 per check |
FCRA compliant criminal and identity searches |
| Enterprise screening |
Quote based |
Volume pricing, integrations, global checks |
Watch the renewal terms. Every people search membership we checked renews automatically until you cancel, and trials convert to the full monthly price.
People search vs FCRA screening
This is the most important choice you will make, and it is a legal question, not a preference.
- People search sites (PeopleFinders, Spokeo, BeenVerified, Instant Checkmate, Intelius, PeopleLooker, TruthFinder) pull public records for personal use: checking a date, finding a relative, identifying a caller. Each one states it is not a consumer reporting agency, and their terms forbid using results for employment, housing, credit or insurance decisions.
- Screening companies (GoodHire, First Advantage, HireRight) produce consumer reports under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. If you are hiring, renting to a tenant or making a similar eligibility decision, you must use this type.
Employers using a screening company also have duties. They must tell the applicant in a standalone written notice, get written permission, and follow the adverse action steps before rejecting someone based on the report.
How to choose a background check service
- Match the purpose. For personal curiosity or safety, use a people search site. For hiring or tenant decisions, use FCRA screening only.
- Check the real monthly cost. Compare the renewal price, not the trial price. Multi-month plans lower the monthly rate but are billed up front.
- Look at report caps. Spokeo, BeenVerified and PeopleLooker cap reports at 100 a month, while Instant Checkmate and Intelius list unlimited person reports.
- For employers, check what is searched. A national criminal database search alone can miss records. County searches are where most court records live, so look for packages that include them.
- Read the cancellation steps before you pay. The better sites list online, chat and phone options on the pricing page.
How accurate background check reports are
People search reports are built from third-party public records, and the sites do not verify them. In 2023 the FTC said TruthFinder and Instant Checkmate sent alerts suggesting people had criminal or arrest records when the record was a traffic ticket, and required the companies to pay $5.8 million.
Treat a people search result as a lead. Confirm anything important through the original source, such as the county court clerk. Common problems include records matched to the wrong person with a similar name, old addresses and missing case outcomes.
Your rights if someone runs a check on you
- An employer must get your written permission before running a background check through a screening company.
- If an employer plans to reject you because of the report, it must give you a copy and a summary of your rights first.
- You can dispute errors directly with the background reporting company and ask it to send a corrected report.
- Report employers or screening firms that skip these steps to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
The CFPB keeps a list of consumer reporting companies, including employment screening firms, where you can request your own file.
Free alternatives to paid background checks
- Your own credit report is free at AnnualCreditReport.com, and checking it before a job search lets you fix errors first.
- County and state court websites often let you search case records by name at no cost.
- Your own screening file can be requested from employment screening companies listed by the CFPB.
- Search engines and social media cover much of what a basic people search report shows, though it takes more effort.
Terms to know
- FCRA
- The Fair Credit Reporting Act, the federal law that governs consumer reports used for employment, housing, credit and insurance decisions.
- Consumer reporting agency
- A company that assembles reports used for eligibility decisions and must follow FCRA accuracy and dispute rules.
- People search site
- A service that compiles public records for personal lookups and cannot be used for FCRA purposes.
- Adverse action notice
- The notice an employer must send before and after rejecting an applicant based on a background report.
- SSN trace
- A search that lists names and addresses associated with a Social Security number to guide which courts to search.
- County criminal search
- A search of a county court's records, where most criminal cases are filed.
