Certn vs First Advantage (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, First Advantage grades higher than Certn: 2.0 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
First Advantage grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick Certn if
- Fits if you want to order a basic US criminal check online at a published price
- Works for small firms that need identity or reference checks one at a time
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to try before paying, as there is no free plan or trial
- Watch out: the $13.99 core check excludes $9.99 county searches and pass-through fees
- Watch out: employment, education and credential checks show Price Varies, not a figure
- Skip it if you hire outside the US, since Canada, UK and other regions have separate pages and prices
- Tight if you need the API or ATS links, because those sit with enterprise buying
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
How we grade them
| 1.8GPACertnWeak | 2.0GPAFirst AdvantageFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$13.99, $49.99 and $79.99 a check are not monthly prices, so they cannot be set against this category's $95 middle subscription. County searches add $9.99 and pass-through fees come on top. | CNo price is published; every purchase goes through Contact Us, so there is no figure to set against this category's $95 middle price. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan or trial on the US pricing page. | FNo free plan, trial or self-serve sign-up on the site. |
| Features | CUS criminal packages, identity, credit, social media, reference and driver checks, plus an API. Employment, education and credential checks show Price Varies on the page, and prices differ by country. | BBackground checks, identity, verifications, drug and occupational health, I-9, E-Verify and monitoring. The listing shows no gap in the core work of screening. |
| Ease of use | COrder online, but consent flows, packages and any API or ATS link are yours to set up. No store rating is on record. | CSold through sales and tied into your HR or applicant tracking system, so setup comes first. No store rating is on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with an API and ATS integrations for enterprise buyers. | BWeb only, with an API and integrations with HR systems. We found no desktop or phone app listed. |
| Best for | online checks priced one by one | a large screening vendor that now includes Sterling |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Certn and First Advantage. How we grade
Where they differ
In commonWebPublic APIWorkflow automationApplicant trackingEmployee records
At a glance
| Certn | First Advantage | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | $13.99 per check, plus county and pass-through fees | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Certn | First Advantage |
| Price read from | certn.co | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Certn
- Pricing is separate for the US, Canada, UK and other regions; this entry reads the US page.
- The US Core price excludes county searches, charged at $9.99 where applicable, plus pass-through fees.
- Employment, education and credential verification show Price Varies on the US page.
- The Canada-region page shows CAD prices and an expired promotion; this entry uses only the US page.
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.
Key features
Certn
- US criminal packages
- Three US packages combine an SSN trace, national database, sex offender registry and watchlist search with county searches.
- Identity verification
- OneID compares a live selfie with a government ID and is listed at $3.50 on the US pricing page.
- Verification checks
- Employment, education and credential checks are quoted per request; reference checks are $29.99 and run by phone, email or SMS.
- Other check types
- Credit report ($9.50), social media check ($42.99) and motor vehicle records ($25.99) are sold as single checks.
- API and integrations
- The site lists a background screening API, ATS and HR tool integrations with no or low code, and continuous monitoring.
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.
Plans
Certn
US Core Criminal Check$13.99
per check, plus county and pass-through fees
SSN trace, national criminal database, sex offender registry, watchlist and contingent county search.
US Complete Criminal Check$49.99
per check, plus pass-through fees
The same searches with a county criminal search across 7 years of addresses.
US Complete+ Criminal Check$79.99
per check, plus pass-through fees
Listed with the same components as Complete; the page does not say what the extra $30 adds.
EnterpriseCustom
Larger-scale implementation, bundled packages and tailored solutions, arranged through the sales team.
First Advantage
Pricing could not be confirmed. See fadv.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Certn or First Advantage?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Certn starts at $13.99 per check, plus county and pass-through fees, and First Advantage has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Certn or First Advantage?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Certn nor First Advantage has a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.