Accurate vs First Advantage (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Accurate if

• Fits if you screen across several countries and want one vendor for most check types
• Works for HR teams that want an API link into their own system

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want a price on the page, because none is published
• Not for you if you want self-serve sign-up, as buying goes through Contact Sales
• Skip it if you hire only a few people a year, as the vendor pitches multinational programs
• Watch out: the pricing link on the site returns a 404, and no free plan or trial is shown

Pick First Advantage if

• Fits if you screen at volume and want identity, drug and criminal checks from one vendor
• Makes sense if you already use Sterling, which now sits under First Advantage

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want a price on the page, as every purchase goes through Contact Us
• Not for you if you want to sign up and order one check today, because there is no self-serve route
• Skip it if you hire a few people a year, since the vendor pitches volume
• Watch out: Sterling's old site now redirects here, so those customers deal with this vendor

Accurate

• No prices are published; the pricing path on the site returns a 404 and all buying goes through Contact Sales.
• There is no self-serve sign-up or free trial on the pages read.
• The vendor positions itself for multinational and large-organization programs as well as small business.

First Advantage

• No prices are published; every purchase goes through Contact Us.
• The site has no self-serve sign-up or free trial.
• Sterling's old site now redirects to First Advantage messaging, so Sterling customers deal with this vendor.

Accurate

Criminal and sanctions searches

Criminal background checks, sanctions searches and global searches, with an automated court access service listed on the site.

Verifications and identity

Employment and education style verifications, identity verification, credit checks and social media searches.

Drug, health and driving

Drug and health screening and driving history checks, aimed at industries such as healthcare and transportation.

I-9 and monitoring

Form I-9 and E-Verify handling plus monitoring services for people after they are hired.

API and client platform

A background check API, a client ordering platform, a candidate portal and integrations with hiring systems.

First Advantage

Background checks

Criminal background checks, sanctions and compliance searches, fingerprinting and investigative research, offered globally.

Identity solutions

Identity checks aimed at catching candidate fraud at hiring, onboarding and after hire.

Verifications

Confirmation of job history, skills and credentials, plus social media and media checks as separate services.

Drug and occupational health

Drug-free, safety and compliance screening, with random program management for drug and alcohol testing.

I-9, E-Verify and monitoring

Handles US employment eligibility paperwork and ongoing post-hire monitoring.

Integrations and API

Lists integrations with HR systems and hiring workflows, and an API for building and automating screening workflows.

Accurate

Pricing could not be confirmed. See accurate.com.

First Advantage

Pricing could not be confirmed. See fadv.com.