GoodHire vs HireRight (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, HireRight grades higher than GoodHire: 2.0 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
HireRight grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
GoodHire
Employment background checks priced per check, with custom quotes
From $29.99
Which one is for you
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
Pick HireRight if
- Fits if you screen many people a year, across several countries
- Works for HR teams that already run an applicant tracking system HireRight connects to
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a price before talking to anyone, as none is published
- Not for you if you want to sign up and run one check today, because there is no self-serve route
- Skip it if you hire only a few people a year, as the vendor pitches volume
- Watch out: no free plan or trial is shown anywhere on the pages we read
How we grade them
| 1.6GPAGoodHireWeak | 2.0GPAHireRightFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | CThe pricing page publishes no figure at all, only a customized quote, so there is nothing to set against this category's $95 middle price. We leave it at the ordinary grade and say so. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan or trial on the pricing page. | FNo free plan and no trial is shown. Everything starts with a sales request. |
| Features | 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. | BCriminal, employment, ID, drug and alcohol, I-9 and E-Verify and extended workforce screening, with global coverage. The listing shows no gap in the core work of screening. |
| Ease of use | CSelf-serve ordering is quicker than most here, but you still set up consent, packages and any integration. No store rating is on record. | CBought through sales and wired into an HR or applicant tracking system, so there is setup before it works. No store rating is on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only. The listing mentions an API and ATS and HRIS links, but the pages we read name none of them. | BWeb only, with the vendor listing 70 integrations across 45+ HCM and ATS providers. |
| Best for | self-serve checks for small employers | large-company screening, quoted on request |
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: GoodHire and HireRight. How we grade
Where they differ
In commonWebWorkflow automationApplicant trackingEmployee records
At a glance
| GoodHire | HireRight | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | $29.99 per check, plus pass-through fees | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | GoodHire | HireRight |
| Price read from | goodhire.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
HireRight
- No prices are published; the pricing page only offers a customized quote.
- Sold through sales (Talk to Sales); no self-serve sign-up or free trial is shown.
- The vendor says it screens over 85M people a year, so it is built for larger programs.
Key features
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.
HireRight
- Criminal searches
- County criminal, felony and misdemeanor searches, a healthcare statewide criminal check and a global criminal search of government record sources.
- Employment verification
- Confirms a candidate's stated employment history with employers or their authorized agents, in the US and in other countries.
- Global ID check
- Validates a candidate's passport or national identity document to determine whether it is authentic.
- Drug and alcohol testing
- Instant and lab-based testing options for pre-employment and ongoing screening.
- I-9 and E-Verify
- An online service for managing US employment eligibility verification, listed alongside the screening products.
- Extended workforce screening
- A separate online solution for managing background screening of contractors and other extended workforce.
Plans
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.
HireRight
Pricing could not be confirmed. See hireright.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, GoodHire or HireRight?
As of Nov 13, 2026, GoodHire starts at $29.99 per check, plus pass-through fees, and HireRight has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, GoodHire or HireRight?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither GoodHire nor HireRight 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.