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ToolGPA

Checkr vs GoodHire (2026): which should you pick?

As of Nov 13, 2026, Checkr grades higher than GoodHire: 1.8 against 1.6 out of 4.0.

Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA

Checkr grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use.

Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.

Checkr

Pay-per-report background checks for hiring, with an API

From $29.99
Full detailscheckr.com

GoodHire

Employment background checks priced per check, with custom quotes

From $29.99
Full detailsgoodhire.com

Which one is for you

Pick Checkr if

  • Fits if you hire a handful of people a year and want to pay per report
  • Makes sense if your applicant tracking system is one of the 200+ it connects to

Look elsewhere if

  • Skip it if you want to try it first, as there is no free plan or trial
  • Watch out: court and database access fees are added at cost on top of every package
  • Watch out: Basic has no county or state criminal search, and federal search is only on Complete
  • Pricey if you add drug, driving, education or employment checks, because each is billed on top of the package
  • Not for you if you need a published price at volume, since Enterprise is quoted

Pick GoodHire if

  • Fits if you run fewer than 50 checks a year and want to order online
  • Works for small firms that want fixed per-check packages rather than a quote

Look elsewhere if

  • Skip it if you want to try before paying, because there is no free plan or trial
  • Watch out: court and state pass-through fees come on top of every package price
  • Watch out: drug, driving, education and employment checks are not in the three packages
  • Tight if you grow past 50 checks a year, since the self-serve pricing stops there
  • Skip it if you need a named list of integrations, as the pages we read give none

How we grade them

1.8GPACheckrWeak1.6GPAGoodHireWeak
Value for money
C$29.99 to $94.99 a report is not a monthly price, so it cannot be set against this category's $95 middle subscription. Pass-through fees and add-ons come on top, so we leave it at the ordinary grade.
CPer-check pricing of $29.99 to $94.99 is not a monthly figure, so it cannot be set against this category's $95 middle subscription. Pass-through fees are extra.
Free plan and trial
FNothing free and no trial on the pricing page. The free profile it mentions is for candidates, not for the employer who is paying.
FNo free plan or trial on the pricing page.
Features
CTiered criminal searches plus add-ons for driving records, drug tests, identity, education and employment. Basic has no county or state criminal search, and a federal search is only on Complete.
CThree packages, 100+ services, role-based custom packages, an API and compliance support. Drug tests, driving records, education and employment checks are not in the three packages' listed contents.
Ease of use
CAn employer account, candidate consent flows and often an applicant tracking system link to set up. No store rating is on record.
CSelf-serve ordering is quicker than most here, but you still set up consent, packages and any integration. No store rating is on record.
Platforms and integrations
BWeb only, with links to 200+ applicant tracking systems and an enterprise tier. There is no app to install.
CWeb only. The listing mentions an API and ATS and HRIS links, but the pages we read name none of them.
Best forbackground checks sold per reportself-serve checks for small employers

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: Checkr and GoodHire. How we grade

Where they differ

    In commonWebPublic APIWorkflow automationApplicant trackingEmployee records

    At a glance

    CheckrGoodHire
    PricingPaidPaid
    Starts at$29.99 per report, plus pass-through fees$29.99 per check, plus pass-through fees
    Free planNoneNone
    Free trialNone listedNone listed
    Web
    Made byCheckrGoodHire
    Price read fromcheckr.comgoodhire.com
    CheckedNov 13, 2026Nov 13, 2026

    Worth knowing

    Checkr

    • Prices exclude pass-through court and database access fees, passed on at cost.
    • Basic has no county or state criminal search; federal search is only on Complete.
    • Drug screening, MVR, education and other checks are billed on top of the package price.
    • Enterprise pricing is not published; the other tiers are sold per report.

    GoodHire

    • Package prices exclude third-party pass-through fees such as court and state access fees.
    • The self-serve pricing is for under 50 checks a year; above that the vendor offers a custom quote.
    • Drug tests, MVR, education and employment checks are not in the three packages' listed contents.
    • The pages read do not name specific ATS integrations.

    Key features

    Checkr

    Tiered criminal searches
    Packages step up from a national criminal search to unlimited county and state searches and a federal search on the Complete package.
    Add-on verifications
    Priced separately: motor vehicle records ($9.50 per check plus state fees), identity verification ($4.99), education from $12.50 and drug screening from $10.
    Continuous monitoring
    Continuous MVR monitoring is $2.50 per enrolled driver per month and alerts the employer to new violations or license status changes.
    Automated adjudication and ATS links
    Enterprise customers get rule-based adjudication, customized workflows and 200+ applicant tracking system integrations, per the pricing page.
    Other screening lines
    Separate tenant, mortgage income and employment, insurance and platform-trust products are listed on the same pricing page.

    GoodHire

    Tiered packages
    Three preset packages step up from a national criminal search to county, state and federal searches with identity verification.
    100+ screening services
    Criminal, driving record (MVR), drug test, education and employment verification checks can be added to a custom package.
    Custom packages by role
    Larger employers can design screening packages by job role or client and manage checks across locations from one dashboard.
    API and ATS integrations
    The vendor says it offers an API and pre-built integrations with ATS and HRIS tools, though the pages read name none of them.
    Compliance support
    Provides FCRA-related guidance from an in-house compliance team, plus employer forms and state-by-state background check pages.

    Plans

    Checkr

    • Basic$29.99

      per report, plus pass-through fees

      SSN trace, sex offender registry, global watchlist and national criminal search. No county or state searches.

    • Essential$59.99

      per report, plus pass-through fees

      Adds identity verification and unlimited county criminal searches to the Basic checks.

    • Complete$94.99

      per report, plus pass-through fees

      Adds unlimited state and federal criminal searches to the Essential checks.

    • EnterpriseCustom

      Quote from sales: automated adjudication, 200+ ATS integrations and customized workflows.

    GoodHire

    • Basic$29.99

      per check, plus pass-through fees

      SSN trace, sex offender registry, global watchlist and national criminal search.

    • Essential$59.99

      per check, plus pass-through fees

      Adds identity verification and unlimited county criminal searches to the Basic checks.

    • Complete$94.99

      per check, plus pass-through fees

      Adds unlimited state criminal searches and a federal criminal search to the Essential checks.

    Common questions

    Which is cheaper, Checkr or GoodHire?

    As of Nov 13, 2026, Checkr starts at $29.99 per report, plus pass-through fees, and GoodHire starts at $29.99 per check, plus pass-through fees.

    Which has a free plan, Checkr or GoodHire?

    As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Checkr nor GoodHire 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.
    How we review and grade