First Advantage review (2026): is it worth it?
Background screening and identity checks for employers
Black Friday: is there a First Advantage sale?
First Advantage report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for a large screening vendor that now includes Sterling
First Advantage covers criminal checks, verifications, identity, drug and occupational health, and I-9 and E-Verify, with an API and HR system links. No price is published, there is no self-serve sign-up, and Sterling customers now deal with the same company.
Who First Advantage is for
- 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
Who First Advantage is not for
- 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
Why First Advantage gets a 2.0
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyNo price is published; every purchase goes through Contact Us, so there is no figure to set against this category's $95 middle price.
- FFree plan and trialNo free plan, trial or self-serve sign-up on the site.
- BFeaturesBackground checks, identity, verifications, drug and occupational health, I-9, E-Verify and monitoring. The listing shows no gap in the core work of screening.
- CEase of useSold through sales and tied into your HR or applicant tracking system, so setup comes first. No store rating is on record.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb only, with an API and integrations with HR systems. We found no desktop or phone app listed.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from First Advantage's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/first-advantage#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/first-advantage.svg" alt="First Advantage: 2.0 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where First Advantage stands among hiring and applicant tracking tools
First Advantage's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 54 of the 101 other hiring and applicant tracking tools we grade, and level with 21.
It stands best on features (B, above 75 of 101) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 102 hiring and applicant tracking tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. First Advantage’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 12 of 101, level with 78
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 101, level with 63
- BFeaturesAbove 75 of 101, level with 26
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 101, level with 99
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 39 of 101, level with 62
Keep First Advantage, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace First Advantage you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
What you could make
- Applicant tracking and employee records: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. First Advantage’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is First Advantage?
First Advantage is a background screening provider covering criminal checks, verifications, identity solutions, drug and occupational health screening, and I-9 and E-Verify. It offers an API, integrations with HR systems and tools for contractors and students. Sterling's site now says Sterling is a First Advantage company. No prices are published.
Worth knowing
- 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
- 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.
First Advantage pricing
We could not confirm First Advantage’s current pricing from its own site, so we are not listing plans here. See fadv.com for current prices.
First Advantage alternatives
- First Advantage vs Checkr
From $29.99
- First Advantage vs GoodHire
From $29.99
- First Advantage vs Certn
From $13.99
Common questions
Does First Advantage have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. First Advantage is listed for Web.
Does First Advantage have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. First Advantage is listed for Web.
Is First Advantage open source?
First Advantage is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Does First Advantage have an API?
Yes. First Advantage offers a public API, according to its own site.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.