Spokeo Review: What is Spokeo and Does it Really Work?

Spokeo logo cover

Spokeo is a popular people search tool designed to track down old acquaintances or learn about the people around you. Through billions of records, the platform pulls together information to help you paint an accurate picture of others in your life. This Spokeo review thoroughly examines the platform’s features and how it provides the results you need.

Get Started with Spokeo

Spokeo logo

Spokeo Review – Our Verdict

Spokeo logo

Spokeo is an excellent background check service whether you’re searching by name, phone number, email address, or physical location. Few other people search tools have such a range in their capabilities. Pricing is reasonable for what you get, and you can gather up some of the most basic data on your subject completely for free.

There are caps on the number of searches you can perform in a month, although it’s unclear at a glance what these limits are. Spokeo is pretty accurate at getting things right the first time though, with over 12 billion records to find data from.

  • Reasonably-priced plans
  • Pulls from over 12 billion records
  • Free basic searches
  • Unclear pricing model
  • Available in the US only
  • No unlimited search plans

Spokeo at a Glance

Unlike many other people search sites out there, Spokeo gets you results quickly. Even with 12 billion records at its disposal, you’ll have a list of applicable search candidates in mere moments.

You can view basic information on a search subject for free, but the information here is somewhat sparse. Many fields are blurred out, and detailed data is unavailable. To see everything unabridged, you’ll need to sign up for a monthly membership.

Screenshot of Spokeo home page

Spokeo has only one price point, a $24.95 package for name, email, phone number, and address searches. You’ll start off with a $0.95 7-day trial and can cancel at any time.

The site’s biggest downside is its monthly search limit. There’s no clear answer on how many reports you can run per month or how much it costs to upgrade.

Get Started with Spokeo

Who Spokeo is Best For

Having knowledge about those around you can keep you and your loved ones safe. Anyone can use Spokeo to look up information on neighbors, colleagues, or someone they met online. The site reveals questionable past behavior and criminal records that could be serious red flags. Spokeo can’t be used to screen candidates for employment, tenancy, or financial services.

Spokeo Pricing

To find any price information on Spokeo’s website, you first have to start up a search. After entering a search subject based on one of Spokeo’s available criteria, the service will quickly track down your data. Clicking on one of the names meeting your search parameters takes you to some very basic information you can view for free.

If you want a detailed report, choosing “unlock profile” takes you to a payment page as a new user. From there, Spokeo informs you that a one-week trial membership costs just $0.95. In the fine print, the site lets you know that you’ll receive a bill for $24.95 per month after the trial concludes.

Spokeo’s help center mentions casually that a subscription has a maximum number of searches available each month. It goes on to say that you can upgrade your plan to increase this limit but reveals no potential costs for doing so.

Spokeo Features

There’s a lot you can do with a Spokeo membership. Read on to learn about some of the platform’s top features.

Spokeo People Search

The Spokeo search tool enables you to locate lost friends and family with no more than a name. It will find anyone in the United States with that moniker and reward you with a list of those individuals. If you have a previously-known location, Spokeo will be able to narrow down your search that much more.

Choosing a name reveals any phone numbers and email addresses connected to the individual, along with all the places they’ve lived. You’re also made aware of any social media profiles the person has.

Screenshot on the Categories of personal information available on Spokeo

If you’re looking for background information, Spokeo shows employment and education history. It will also show accessible court records from any state in the country, making it one of the best background check services out there. The people search can help you screen online connections and avoid going out with potentially dangerous individuals.

Keep in mind the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) doesn’t let you use Spokeo for certain purposes. You can’t use the site to make determinations on employment, lending, or selecting a tenant for your rental property.

Run a People Search with Spokeo

Spokeo Reverse Phone Lookup

Decipher the person or business calling you at all hours of the day with Spokeo’s reverse phone lookup. With just a ten-digit number, the platform can provide the caller’s name, location, and whether you’re dealing with a cell phone, landline, or VoIP. If the system flags the number as spam, Spokeo will show you comments on the number from other Spokeo users.

Screenshot of Reverse phone lookup on Spokeo

Run a Reverse Phone Lookup with Spokeo

Spokeo Email Search

An email search locates the name of the sender and any other available contact information for that person. The report will also link any social media accounts and personal details of the person on the other end of the message.

Screenshot of Reverse email lookup on Spokeo

For individuals you’ve met online, the email search can discover if the person’s being honest or fabricating parts of his or her story. It can also deter you from scams or see who a partner’s been chatting with.

Run a Reverse Email Lookup with Spokeo

Spokeo Address Search

Spokeo’s address search lets you obtain information on the inhabitants of a particular property. You can discover who lives at the location, contact info, and criminal records for anyone inside.

Screenshot of Reverse address lookup on Spokeo

You can broaden searches to check your neighborhood for safety concerns or sex offenders living nearby. Knowing potentially dangerous areas can keep you and your loved ones out of harm’s way.

The address search also helps potential homeowners learn the property details of a home in question. While real estate reports only provide so much, a Spokeo search can alert you to issues you weren’t aware of. You can also get a feel for a neighborhood and whether or not it’s a good place to live.

Run a Spokeo Address Search

Free Basic Searches

Spokeo doesn’t offer the option to pay upfront for searches. Instead, your initial search will lead you to basic information on the person or location in question. It will then point you toward the option of paying for more details.

You’re more than welcome to remain on the basic information page and browse everything made available there. The snapshot blurs out some lines of text, but it may reveal enough to provide whatever data you’re looking for. At a glance, you’ll know some address history, family members associated with your subject, and whether they have a criminal record.

Fast Results

Most people search sites slog through data while up your search subject. Along the way, pop-ups ask additional questions you’ll have to answer. These prompts may help narrow down results, but can delay the process if you’re not paying attention. When all’s said and done, it feels a bit over the top.

Luckily, this isn’t the case with Spokeo. Type in your search criteria, and in seconds, you’ll have results on your screen. You may have to scroll through a list to find the right John Smith, but at least this is something you can control.

Wealth Data

Wonder how much one of your coworkers makes? Spokeo is one of the few sites to share wealth data on a person in question. You can see income information from jobs alongside investments and financial interests your subject pursues. A search also shows any property the target owns and the approximate value of each place.

Mobile App

Users can download the Spokeo app to track down people while on the go. After installation, all of Spokeo’s features are instantly available no matter where you may be. The app searches the same databases and will even locate any missing information from your phone’s contact list. Through constant monitoring, you’ll be the first to know if one of your friends changes emails or gets a new cell phone number.

The Spokeo mobile app is currently only available for Android devices. Support for other devices is coming down the line.

Alternatives to Spokeo

If Spokeo doesn’t resonate with you, here are some alternative people search services to consider instead.

Truthfinder logo

TruthFinder goes deeper than Spokeo, allowing you to check the dark web for stolen personal data. Discovering you’ve been subject to identity theft early on can minimize damage to your finances and credit score.

The site has both people searching and reverse phone lookups to pull together data on a target. These reports may not scour as many records as Spokeo does but still produce accurate results most of the time. Unlike Spokeo, there’s no limit to the number of searches you can perform in a month.

If signing up for two months at a time, it is possible to purchase TruthFinder for as low as $23.28 per month. There’s no option for a trial membership or refunds. TruthFinder does charge an additional $4.99 per month for phone number searches.

Where Spokeo’s searches are lightning-fast, TruthFinder takes the long route to get your answers. The site throws additional questions your way as it searches, but many steps don’t seem to add much weight to the outcome. All in all, the entire process takes several minutes to complete.

  • Proprietary dark web scanning
  • Reasonable pricing for phone number lookup service
  • Unlimited reports
  • Must get a monthly subscription, no individual reports
  • Only includes results from the United States
  • Over-the-top process to obtain results
Intelius logo

It’s hard to top Intelius’s search prowess, perusing billions of records like Spokeo to pull together information. The service is very easy to use, with separate tabs dedicated to people search, reverse phone lookup, criminal records, and the like.

Intelius stands out for its address search feature, similar to what Spokeo brings to the mix. Looking up a property can tell you about previous owners, revisions to the home, and what its value should be based on several conditions.

Adding features like reverse phone lookup or address searching increases the overall cost of the package. Two months of people searching goes for as low as $21.13 per month, but adding extras can bring the price up to $34.95 per month. You can download reports for a $3.99 upcharge.

To keep yourself safe online, Intelius offers an identity protection program for $9.95 monthly. This system monitors your credit for strange happenings and alerts you immediately if something’s amiss. When battling against identity theft, there’s up to $1 million in insurance coverage available.

  • Unlimited searches
  • The site is easy to navigate
  • Address and property searches
  • Other services come with additional fees
  • Hard to understand pricing options
  • Reports are sometimes lacking
Instant Checkmate logo

Instant Checkmate loves locating criminal activity and does it well. With so many government databases at its fingertips, you can learn all about the past of your neighbors or that potential love interest with a few keystrokes.

Where Spokeo’s searches are fast, Instant Checkmate can take an eternity to provide results to your inquiry. You’ll need to be present for a search in case Instant Checkmate asks you additional questions to narrow down your search.

Anyone constantly on the go will delight in Instant Checkmate’s mobile apps. The platform offers a search tool for both Android and iOS with the same functionality and results as the desktop application. With unlimited searches, you can look up that unknown number the moment you get the phone call. 

You’ll have to buy a monthly membership to use Instant Checkmate, and prices aren’t cheap. A single month of reports will set you back $35.12, but those willing to pay three months at a time will only pay $28.09. Features such as phone reporting and dark web monitoring cost extra.

  • Accurate criminal and background checks
  • Dark web monitoring
  • Handy mobile app for Android users
  • Overbearing search process
  • Expensive membership fees
  • No option to pay per report
Peoplefinders logo

PeopleFinders is no stranger to the search business, having over 20 years of experience helping people reconnect. The site uses more than 120 billion records to help you find individuals you’ve lost touch with over time.

You can generally obtain good results with nothing more than a first and last name, but knowing where someone lived at some point helps that much more. If you only have a phone number or address, PeopleFinders can work with that also.

Strangely enough, PeopleFinders doesn’t use social media when checking for results. Conversely, Spokeo is quite good about leafing through these platforms for additional data.

One month of PeopleFinders is the same price as Spokeo at $24.95. Through a current introductory offer, you can sign up for just $19.95. Three and six-month memberships bring that price down to $12.95 or $9.95 per month, respectively. PeopleFinders also offers a premium membership for $29.95, providing more detailed results.

  • 20+ years of service
  • Quality service
  • Easy to use
  • Requires a premium membership for comprehensive reports
  • Available in the US only
  • Doesn’t search social media

Spokeo Review – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Still have questions about how Spokeo works? This FAQ serves to answer some of the most common questions about the service.

Bottom Line on Spokeo Review

Spokeo can work wonders for anyone searching by name, address, phone number, or email. The platform looks through billions of records before providing a detailed report on its findings. You can see basic reports without paying a penny, but it will require a membership to have an unobstructed view of all available data. Since Spokeo is not FCRA-compliant, remember not to use the service for business-related inquiries.

Get Started with Spokeo

Best Business Bank Accounts by State

Below you will find an interactive U.S map that can help you locate and compare different banks and financial institutions that offer business accounts in your area.

AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY DC

Instant Checkmate Review: Are the Results Worth the Price?

Instant Checkmate logo

In this troubling world, there’s nothing more important than keeping you and your family safe. Instant Checkmate searches can alert you to nearby criminals and sex offenders that could put your loved ones at risk. While impressive, this just scrapes the surface of all Instant Checkmate can do.

Instant Checkmate logo

Is Instant Checkmate Legit? – Our Verdict

Instant Checkmate has one of the largest databases to pull from. All these sources give the best chance at thorough and accurate criminal and background checks. There’s no limit to the number of searches you can run, and Instant Checkmate throws in location reports for good measure.

The search process takes longer than it should, with several annoying prompts that could be combined into a simple questionnaire. You have to buy at least a month’s membership to use Instant Checkmate, and prices are higher than most competitors. Fortunately, it’s possible to run searches from anywhere with the handy mobile app.

  • Accurate criminal and background checks
  • Dark web monitoring
  • Handy mobile app for Android users
  • Overbearing search process
  • Expensive membership fees
  • No option to pay per report

Instant Checkmate at a Glance

Instant Checkmate places the power of information right at your fingertips. With nothing more than a name, you can uncover everything from work history to criminal activity on a person in question.

Prices go run higher than the average people search tool, perhaps due to the depth of an Instant Checkmate scan. The only way to get a report is through a monthly membership, which costs as much as $35.12 if you only pay one month at a time. There are some additional upcharges if you’re interested in the add-ons.

Users with Android devices can take advantage of the Instant Checkmate mobile app. With this handy tool, you can run a search from just about any location. iOS users aren’t so lucky.

Because Instant Checkmate is not a Consumer Reporting Agency, it’s prohibited to search for the purpose of employment or tenant screening. You’re also unable to use the tool to make decisions about issuing credit, loans, or insurance.

Screenshot of Instant Checkmate Public Records Search Service

Who Instant Checkmate is Best For

Instant Checkmate is best for anyone wanting to look up an individual or location for personal reasons. If you want to learn more about your neighbors or locate a long-lost friend, Instant Checkmate likely has your answer. 

That said, it is against the law to use Instant Checkmate for employment or tenant screening. You also can’t use the service to make determinations about loans or credit.

Instant Checkmate Pricing

The service has two subscription options, one for people searches and the other for reverse phone lookups. Here are some of the top features each plan offers:

Person Reports

Phone Reports

Price

$28.09 – $35.12

$5.99

Location Reports

Phone Numbers

Employment/ Education History

Criminal Records

Address History

Owner’s Name

Social Media Profiles

Photos

Assets

If you’re trying to track someone down, Instant Checkmate’s Person Reports tool is your only option. A single search combs through billions of records to locate your subject and provide all available information.

You may learn where the person has lived, employment and education history, and any trouble they’ve gotten into with the law. Should you still want to get in contact, Instant Checkmate will share any phone numbers, addresses, and social media profiles belonging to him or her.

The Instant Checkmate cost for Person Reports is $35.12 for a single month. Anyone planning to use the service for longer can invest in three months for an average of $28.09 per month.

For just $5.99, you can run an unlimited number of reverse phone lookup reports for a month. This feature can identify who’s on the other end of a number you don’t recognize, putting a name to a caller. It’s also a great way to gather information on someone you met online and have been texting back and forth with.

When you run a report, Instant Checkmate will provide photos of the owner, their location, and any social media profiles they may have. You can use the date to decide whether or not to answer the phone next time.

Instant Checkmate has two add-on features to consider as well. For a one-time fee of $3.99, you can download your reports to a device and view them any time, even while offline. You’ll have this information even if you choose not to renew your Instant Checkmate contract.

The people search tool can also monitor the dark web for $1.99 per month. It will alert you if any of your sensitive information from passwords to credit card numbers end up out there. This way, you can act quickly and shut down the threat before it gets out of hand.

Get Started with Instant Checkmate

Instant Checkmate Features

There’s a lot you can uncover with an Instant Checkmate membership. Let’s dive into its top features now.

Instant Checkmate People Search

Screenshot of Instant Checkmate People Search

People Search is Instant Checkmate’s standout feature. This single tool can locate information on just about anyone, from a love interest to the new neighbor moving in down the street. A search provides a comprehensive list of available data from employment and education history to past addresses.

If you’re hoping to reach out to someone you haven’t talked to in ages, Instant Checkmate has you covered. The site will share known phone numbers, email addresses, or social media profiles you can use to reconnect.

The only information you need to perform a search is a first and last name. Knowing a city or state the person has lived in at some point will facilitate the process. Instant Checkmate then sifts through billions of records, putting all the data it collects into one easy-to-read format.

A search takes time, partly due to the number of records Instant Checkmate goes through. As the service does its thing, it may ask you additional questions to filter results. While this does help obtain an accurate report, it adds minutes to the already long search process. Moreover, you have to be in front of your device to address those prompts.

You can use the people search tool for any personal reason you can think of. Because of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), it’s against the law to use such a tool to make judgments about hiring, renting, or lending money.

Run an Instant Checkmate People Search

Instant Checkmate Reverse Phone Lookup

Screenshot of Instant Checkmate Reverse Phone Lookup

Chances are you get occasional calls from phone numbers you don’t recognize. With Instant Checkmate’s reverse phone lookup, you can track down the name of the person or company trying to reach you. As bot calls become more common, you can contact the business calling you to get placed on a do not call list.

It’s also possible to use this feature to look up someone you’re already in contact with. If buying or selling online, running a search on a number can alert you to a scam. The tool also works great for looking up someone you met over the web to see if their story checks out before going out in person.

Results typically aren’t as comprehensive as a person search but still provides some background information on your target. You can learn where the individual lives and check out any available photos linked to a public record.

Run an Instant Checkmate Reverse Phone Lookup

Instant Checkmate Criminal Records Search

Screenshot of Instant Checkmate Criminal Records Search

Instant Checkmate has a specific search for traffic, criminal, and arrest records. These background reports can reveal information about the people around you and help protect your loved ones.

If a criminal record exists, Instant Checkmate will tell you the nature of the offense and where it took place. It also shows when charges were filed, sentencing, and time spent behind bars.

Beyond looking up an individual, you can use Instant Checkmate to search crime stats in your city, state, or zip code. Having this information can be an invaluable tool before considering a move to a new area.

Run an Instant Checkmate Criminal Records Search

Sex Offender Database

All criminal record reports include a map of any registered sex offenders in the area you’re searching. Once the map loads, you can click on an offender to see detailed information and a mugshot. Knowing where these individuals live can help you keep your family out of harm’s way.

Inmate Search

Another feature unique to Instant Checkmate is the inmate search. Equipped with a name and state, the database will scan through available records for a match. If you’re unsure of a person’s location, you can run a nationwide search instead.

Should Instant Checkmate find a match, it will provide you with the full name, age, and sex of the inmate. The site will also provide any information on a potential release date. Note that searches don’t take into account eligibility for parole.

Customer Privacy

You can run searches on Instant Checkmate knowing that your privacy is protected. The platform will never reveal to any of your search subjects that you’re performing an inquiry on them. Those individuals won’t be any the wiser unless you tell them yourself.

Dark Web Monitoring

The dark web is teeming with identity thieves trying to make a buck off their latest conquest. These unscrupulous individuals use this part of the internet to sell stolen passwords, credit card numbers, and personal identification. Others can use this data to impersonate you or make purchases at your expense.

Instant Checkmate’s dark web monitoring scours the area for any information belonging to you. If located, the site informs you your identifiers have been compromised so you can take necessary action. Canceling a credit card or changing a password before it’s used can save you untold headaches trying to undo damage to your wallet or credit.

Instant Checkmate Mobile App

Those wishing to perform people searches without having to sit in front of a computer can rejoice. Instant Checkmate has a mobile app for Android users with all the same great functionality as the website itself.

You can use the app to look up a person or phone number anywhere you have cellular data or a Wi-Fi connection. The app provides the same comprehensive report you’d receive when searching from a computer.

Unfortunately, Instant Checkmate does not offer an app for iOS.

Hide Your Data

Instant Checkmate puts you in control of your own public data. While on the site, you can ask to suppress your information so others can’t run a search on you. Removing your data from Instant Checkmate translates to other people search sites as well.

Help Center

For questions or issues regarding your service, you can contact Instant Checkmate’s support team during regular business hours from 10 am to 7 pm Eastern Standard Time. There’s also an option to email the team outside those hours. Plan to wait about 24 hours for a response.

If waiting isn’t your strong suit, the website has a detailed FAQ section you can turn to for help. Here you’ll find answers to a long list of common questions regarding the service.

Alternatives to Instant Checkmate

Instant Checkmate has some great features, but it may not be for everyone. If that’s you, here are some alternatives to consider instead.

Truthfinder logo

Like Instant Checkmate, TruthFinder allows you to keep tabs on the dark web. With TruthFinder, the power is in your hands to run your own reports any time you desire. Best of all, there’s no additional cost for the feature.

While TruthFinder doesn’t have a criminal record search per se, it does have sections for public records and background checks. These portals tend to run a little faster and offer up specific information.

Prices for TruthFinder come in cheaper than Instant Checkmate, with a month’s worth of people searching capping out at $28.05. You’ll need to pay an additional $4.99 per month to do reverse phone lookups.

TruthFinder allows you to run as many reports as you desire with an active membership, and reviews indicate the platform does a great job. Results consistently come back with accurate information, even if the process takes several minutes to complete.

  • Proprietary dark web scanning
  • Reasonable pricing for phone number lookup service
  • Unlimited reports
  • Must get a monthly subscription, no individual reports
  • Only includes results from the United States
  • Over-the-top process to obtain results
Intelius logo

Intelius has three membership tiers to choose from. Each plan includes a people search, but moving up the ladder unlocks address lookup capabilities and reverse phone reports depending on how high you go. Reports tend to roll in more quickly with Intelius than other sites, but at times don’t have as much information. 

You won’t find an address lookup feature with most other people search sites. Intelius lets you obtain current and historical data on a location by inputting the address. Potential homeowners can look into the past of a house for red flags before putting in an offer.

For just the people search, you’ll pay $24.86 for unlimited reports. Adding address lookups increases the price to $29.78, and the reserve phone search on top of that brings the total to $34.95. It’s possible to try out the service for $0.95 for a week to see if you like it.

For $9.95 per month, you can employ Intelius’s Identity Protect to safeguard your credit. Not only does this service help you understand your score, it offers up to $1 million in identity theft coverage should something happen.

  • Unlimited searches
  • The site is easy to navigate
  • Prepares results quickly
  • Other services come with additional fees
  • Hard to understand pricing options
  • Reports are sometimes lacking
US Search logo

For reasons unknown, US Search hides its pricing information until you’re well into your first request. Only after the site teases your results are you hit with costs and the option to pay per report or monthly. A month of unlimited searches will set you back $19.86, whereas a single report can cost as high as $3.

US Search’s site feels rather basic to the trained eye, perhaps to simplify the experience for new users. The platform comes with a quick start wizard designed to walk you through a search from beginning to end. Since there are no specific searches for criminal records or a person’s background, you’ll have to rely on the wizard to pull together the data you need.

None of the other people search sites we reviewed have a refund policy, making US Search unique in that regard. If you don’t like the service after using it a few times, you can contact the customer support team for a refund.

  • Quick start wizard
  • Reasonable cost for membership
  • Fair refund policy
  • Basic presentation
  • Lack of transparent pricing
  • Available in the US only
Peoplefinders logo

PeopleFinders enters the picture with more than two decades of experience in helping people connect with old acquaintances and family members. The site has access to over 120 billion records it uses to locate data for your request.

The search process couldn’t be easier, requiring no more than a first and last name. If you have more information on your target, adding that to the mix typically brings in even better results. You can also search by address or phone number.

A regular PeopleFinders membership costs $24.95 per month, but an introductory offer knocks the price down to $19.95. If you want to buy a three or six month membership, you can get the monthly price down to $12.95 or $9.95, respectively. PeopleFinders also has a premium membership for $29.95 that supposedly shares more information about your subject.

When running a PeopleFinders search, the platform doesn’t check social media profiles for information. While this may not affect your results, one can’t help but wonder what additional data could be found there.

  • 20+ years of service
  • Quality service
  • Easy to use
  • Requires a premium membership for comprehensive reports
  • Available in the US only
  • Doesn’t search social media

Instant Checkmate Review – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Still curious about how Instant Checkmate works? These answers serve to address some of the most common questions about the service.

Bottom Line on Instant Checkmate

The sky’s almost the limit of what you can do with an Instant Checkmate membership. Searches can alert you to criminals in your neighborhood or throw up red flags about grabbing a meal with someone you met online. This knowledge can keep you and your loved ones safe in an increasingly dangerous world. Just make sure not to use Instant Checkmate when considering an employee, tenant, or lessee.

Run a Background Check with Instant Checkmate

Best Business Bank Accounts by State

Below you will find an interactive U.S map that can help you locate and compare different banks and financial institutions that offer business accounts in your area.

AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY DC

Intelius Review: An Excellent People and Address Search Tool

Intelius cover image

Intelius is a background check service designed to locate information on specific individuals in your life. With a few keystrokes, the service pores over billions of data points to pull any and all available data about a person in question. What’s more, the site has a similar feature for houses homeowners can use to buy with confidence. Keep reading to discover everything Intelius can do for you.

Intelius logo

Is Intelius Legit: Our Verdict

The Intelius people search tool allows unlimited searches with an active membership. Memberships fall into one of a handful of categories, and pricing options can be quite confusing. To complicate matters more, some add-ons can ramp the price up further.

Once you’ve paid for the features you need, it’s quite simple to perform searches on a computer or through the mobile app. You’ll encounter a few annoying prompts as your reports come in, but Intelius provides data faster than most other sites. Reports are usually good, but occasionally Intelius comes back with lackluster results.

  • Unlimited searches
  • The site is easy to navigate
  • Prepares results quickly
  • Other services come with additional fees
  • Hard to understand pricing options
  • Reports are sometimes lacking

Intelius People Search at a Glance

Intelius is a stellar people search tool for locating information on people across the United States. Crunching through billions of records, the site can bring back tons of data on your subject if it’s out there.

Alongside people searches, Intelius lets you scan addresses for past owners, home history, and equips you with knowledge about the community. Anyone looking to start a life in a particular neighborhood can use Intelius to affirm an option or provide you with a reason to say no.

Prices are quite reasonable, with people searching costing just $21.13 per month if you sign up for two months at a time. Unlocking the full range of Intelius’s search spectrum runs $34.95 monthly. If there’s room in the budget, you can also consider some add-ons from Intelius to round out your package.

Screenshot of Intelius home page

Who Intelius is Best For

Intelius works well for anyone hoping to uncover information on a new neighbor, look up a potential romantic partner, or track down a long-lost family member or acquaintance. As long as you have a name, location, or even an old phone number, Intelius will go right to work. 

Intelius is not for employers, renters, or lenders, however. Because of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), it is against the law to look up individuals for these means.

Intelius Cost 

At present, there are three pricing options you can choose from with Intelius. Precisely what each plan gives in terms of reporting is a little confusing.

 

People Search

Address Lookup and People Search

Reverse Phone Lookup and People Search

Price

$21.13 – $24.86/month

$29.78/month

$34.95/month

Unlimited Person Reports

Unlimited Address Reports

Unlimited Phone Reports

Criminal Records

Address History

Assets

Nearby Sex Offenders

Home Ownership History

Photos

Social Media Profiles

 

 

There’s a bit of overlap between Intelius’s plans, and exactly what you’re getting with each one isn’t terribly clear. No matter which route you go, you’ll be able to run an unlimited number of reports during your membership timeframe.

Screenshot of Intelius pricing plans

The Intelius People Search tier comes with two price options. Signing up for a single month of membership will set you back $24.86 while paying for two months at a time lowers the average to $21.13 per month. At this price point, you’ll have access to a person’s historical data, including criminal records and owned assets.

Address Lookup and People Search appear to add more detailed information about a particular area. You can still search for people, but it’s also possible to load in an address and see what the neighborhood is like. Reports will come back with demographics, property values, and how bad crime is. You can also see a list of sex offenders living close by.

You can try out Address Lookup and People Search for $0.95 for a week to see if the service is for you. If you don’t cancel within those seven days, Intelius will automatically charge you $29.78 for a month’s membership.

The Reverse Phone Lookup and People Search tiers include everything the previous plans have to offer. It also lets you find out who’s on the other side of that phone number. You can search solely by phone number to track down the caller’s name, address, and any social media profiles they may have. If pictures are available, Intelius will show you who’s calling and give you some clues as to why.

Similar to the previous tier, you can try Reverse Phone Lookup and People Search for six days for just $0.95. Because it contains the broadest range of Intelius’s search capabilities, a membership costs $34.95 per month.

Screenshot of Intelius Identity Protect plan

There are also a couple of add-ons you can pick up to bolster your Intelius package. For a one-time fee of $3.99, you’ll be able to download any reports you run while an Intelius member and view them even when you’re offline. Save important searches so you don’t have to run them again.

At $9.95/month, Intelius Identity Protect monitors your credit and enables you to view your score online anytime. The service also watches your records for signs of identity theft and alerts you when something looks suspicious. If there is an issue, Intelius affords up to $1 million in identity theft insurance to combat it.

Intelius Background Check Features

This Intelius review lists a ton of great features you’ll have access to the moment you sign up for a monthly membership. Here are some of the best tools you’ll have right at your fingertips.

People Search

Screenshot of Intelius People Search Feature

Many people come for the Intelius people search and stay for the many other features. With just a first and last name, Intelius goes through billions of records to locate all available information on your target. If you know of a city or state the person has lived, it makes searching that much easier.

As the search does its thing, Intelius may ask you a few poignant questions along the way to narrow down its results. The process takes several minutes, and some of the prompts seem unnecessary. When results roll in, you’re rewarded with the person’s history as well as current location and assets.

The Intelius people search tool can work wonders for reconnecting with friends from high school or a relative you haven’t talked to in ages. It’s also a great way to investigate your date for Friday night or the neighbor who just moved in down the street.

You can use the people search to look up anyone as long as it’s for a personal reason. It’s against the law to use Intelius to look up potential employees, tenants, or lessees because of the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

All of Intelius’s plans include the people search as part of their package.

>>> Run an Intelius People Search

Intelius Reverse Address Lookup

Intelius Reverse Address Lookup

The reverse address lookup zeroes in on a location instead of a person. If you’re looking to buy a home, this is a great tool to learn about what happened there in the past. You’ll see the current homeowner’s information alongside any info available from previous residents. Data can be quite detailed, including the number of persons in the home and estimated income.

Intelius includes every recorded change and updates to the house in question. Reports will show how home value has changed over time and what its current value should be.

You’ll also obtain information on the surrounding area. A search reveals crime statistics and community demographics you can use to make a judgment on a potential place to live. Any sex offenders in the neighborhood will show up on your scan as well. Intelius will also try to provide data on neighbors with names and ages.

>>> Run an Intelius Reverse Address Lookup

Intelius Reverse Phone Lookup

Intelius Reverse Phone Lookup

Cell phone numbers aren’t as private as they used to be. It’s common to receive calls from numbers we don’t recognize, and Intelius’s reverse phone lookup can help you decipher who’s calling.

With just ten digits, Intelius will locate who’s on the other end of the line and report back to you. For those selling online, this search can help you determine if you’re dealing with an interested party or a scammer. Since online daters often connect through the phone, you can look up who you’re meeting with well in advance.

If it’s a business calling, the search can reveal that as well. There’s usually just a bot on the other end, so you can contact the company directly and get moved to a do not call list.

Run an Intelius Reverse Phone Lookup

Intelius Criminal Records Search

Intelius Criminal Records Search

Reporting provides more than just demographic information on a person in question. The Intelius criminal records search will locate any offenses, whether felonies or misdemeanors, on an individual. As long as records exist, Intelius is good at finding them.

To find criminal data, you’ll need your target’s first and last name. Known whereabouts help Intelius find who you’re looking for, but searches cover the entire United States.

Run an Intelius Criminal Record Check

Intelius Background Check

There’s a tab specific to background checks on the Intelius site. These Intelius background checks go deeper than just a criminal records search will do. A scan reveals marriage and divorce history, lawsuits, bankruptcies, liens, and more. You’ll also get any information typically included in a standard people search report.

Public Records Search

While public records are accessible by anyone, it can be arduous to track down the specific record you need. Intelius takes away the hassle, combing through databases across the country for the information you seek. You’ll have existing records in moments without ever having to leave your seat.

Confidential Inquiries

If you’re using Intelius to dig up information on someone, there’s a chance you may not want them to know. Luckily, all searches through Intelius are completely confidential. No matter what information you’re on a quest for, your search subject won’t be any the wiser.

Identity Protection

Your credit score sets the tone for loans, credit cards, and even landing that perfect apartment. Low scores indicate to banks and lenders that you may not have the ability to pay back what you plan to borrow.

An optional add-on, Intelius can monitor your credit score as an optional add-on so you know where you stand. If your score’s low, you’ll be able to put a plan in place to bring it up to a better level. Any dramatic changes to your credit may indicate a case of identity theft. Without identity protection, you may not find out until it’s too late.

As part of this package, Intelius throws in up to $1 million of identity theft insurance for such an event. The site helps with the recovery process and provides these funds to return what you’ve lost.

Suppress Your Public Data

Just as you can find information on others, so too exists information on you among the billions of records Intelius searches. With a bit of help from Intelius, this doesn’t have to be the case. The platform provides the means to remove your data from searches made by Intelius and similar people search sites by walking through a handful of prompts. You will need to authenticate your identity before proceeding.

Intelius Mobile App

With Intelius, you’re not limited to a computer to run your searches. The people search site has a mobile app for both Android and iOS you can use to check numbers and look up folks wherever you may be. The mobile app packs just as much power as a computer search, so you can rest assured you’re getting all available information.

Alternatives to Intelius

Should Intelius not speak to you for one reason or another, all hope is not lost. The services below are solid alternatives to anything Intelius can offer.

Truthfinder logo

TruthFinder stands out thanks to its proprietary dark web scanning that’s included in a standard membership. Having a window into this section of the internet will quickly tell you if you’ve been the target of an identity theft scam.

There’s no limit on the number of reports you can run with TruthFinder, and results seem more accurate than other people’s search providers. The process to get your results is time-consuming and feels way over the top.

Prices for TruthFinder come very similar to what Intelius brings to the table. People searching can be as low as $23.28 per month if you subscribe for two months at a time, but this does not include the reverse phone lookup. You’ll have to tack on an additional $4.99 to look up phone numbers.

Unlike Intelius, TruthFinder doesn’t have the option to look up data based on a physical address. Potential homeowners wanting to learn about a neighborhood will have to learn residents’ names and search that way.

  • Proprietary dark web scanning
  • Reasonable pricing for phone number lookup service
  • Very accurate reports
  • Must get a monthly subscription, no individual reports
  • Only includes results from the United States
  • Over-the-top process to obtain results
Spokeo logo

Spokeo boasts having over 12 billion records to race through for a complete and thorough report. Once you have that data, you can download it to your computer to view at any time for no additional cost.

The site may pull from a multitude of locations, but some government sites don’t make the list. If you’re checking for arrest records or a lawsuit against someone, you may be better off with another search tool.

Membership costs are some of the lowest in the business. Short-term users can purchase a month of searches for $19.95. Anyone planning to use Spokeo for several months can pick up a three-month subscription and get that price down to $14.95 instead.

With Spokeo, you can search by name, physical address, phone number, or even an email address. Other sites often omit digital mail when trying to track down information on someone.

  • Reasonably-priced plans
  • Pulls from over 12 billion records
  • Unlimited PDF downloads
  • Lacks some government search information
  • Available in the US only
  • Reliant on social media
Instant Checkmate logo

Instant Checkmate is the winner for government record searches, providing accurate criminal and background check data on your search subject. There’s even a section dedicated to looking up inmates in all 50 states.

With advanced search filters, Instant Checkmate is perhaps the easiest to narrow down a search to a specific person. The process is still over the top, taking several minutes of questions to get you where you want to be. It serves to get the best results, but there has to be a more streamlined method.

Searches often come with detailed property data rivaling Intelius’s address lookup feature. The platform also has dark web scans if you’re willing to pay a little more.

The pricing structure for Instant Checkmate is the highest of any site we’ve reviewed. A single month of searches costs a whopping $35.12. If you’re willing to buy three months at a time, you can get fees down to $28.09. Reverse phone searches are not included and add $5.99 to the total.

  • Accurate criminal and background checks
  • Searches come with property data
  • Advanced search filters
  • Overbearing search process
  • Expensive membership fees
  • No option to pay per report
US Search logo

US Search is the muddiest people search service, at least in terms of pricing. Without a pricing page, it takes some careful digging to whittle down the costs. At our best guess, a month’s worth of searches currently costs $19.86. Per report options are available but start at $3.

The site makes it incredibly easy to walk through search criteria with a quick-start wizard. Questions are specific, to the point, and don’t take much time to answer like on other platforms.

Perhaps in an attempt to cater to new people searchers, everything on US Search’s site is pretty basic. It’s easy to navigate, but you won’t find a ton of information or clarity along the way. If you’re not happy using US Search, it is one of the few people search sites offering a refund.

  • Quick start wizard
  • Reasonable cost for membership
  • Fair refund policy
  • Basic presentation
  • Lack of transparent pricing
  • Available in the US only

Intelius Background Check Review: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

People search sites like Intelius aren’t always very transparent. Below you’ll find answers to common questions about the service.

Bottom Line on Intelius

Intelius can work wonders for anyone in search of a long-lost family member or curious about the new family moving in down the street. If you have a reason to look someone up, Intelius can help you find the information you need. 

Those searching for a home can use the address lookup to vet houses and neighborhoods. Since Intelius is not FCRA-compliant, you will have to limit requests to those personal in nature.

>>> Run a Background Check with Intelius Today!

Best Business Bank Accounts by State

Below you will find an interactive U.S map that can help you locate and compare different banks and financial institutions that offer business accounts in your area.

AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY DC

TruthFinder Review: Is it a Legit Background Check Service?

Truthfinder review illustration

TruthFinder is a background check service you can use to uncover information about those around you. With so much false information floating around, it’s designed to help you decipher fact from fiction regarding a date, neighbor, or colleague. Read on to discover everything TruthFinder can do for you.

Run a Background Check with TruthFinder

TruthFinder logo

Is TruthFinder Legit? – Our Verdict

Truthfinder logo

TruthFinder is perfect for anyone wanting to gather information on someone for personal reasons. With a single search, you can collect information on a new neighbor or track down a long-lost friend. It’s even possible to look yourself up to see if your data has found its way to the dark web.

Although you can’t run a report without a monthly subscription, TruthFinder lets you search as often as you want while your membership is active. Keep in mind that TruthFinder is not an FCRA-compliant service and can’t be used for employee, tenant, or lendee screening.

  • Proprietary dark web scanning
  • Reasonable pricing for phone number lookup service
  • Unlimited reports
  • Must get a monthly subscription, no individual reports
  • Only includes results from the United States
  • Over-the-top process to obtain results

TruthFinder at a Glance

TruthFinder is one of the best background check services allowing you to discover information on individuals you’d like to learn more about. It provides accurate details on a person’s history, criminal status, and current whereabouts.

The tool does beyond rudimentary scans, diving deep into the dark web for data that may come back to haunt you. If you’ve been subject to identity theft, it’s here your private information will come up for sale. Through routine self-searches, you can rest assured that your credit card and social security numbers are safe.

All searches are completely anonymous, and you can perform them from a computer or mobile device. TruthFinder’s personalized user interface keeps the process simple.

Although TruthFinder isn’t the cheapest option out there, the price makes sense for the amount of data you receive. You can’t perform single searches, but a one-month membership only costs $28.01. If you’re planning a lot of searches, you can save a few bucks by subscribing for two months at a time.

Run a Background Check with TruthFinder

Who TruthFinder is Best For

Anyone and everyone can use TruthFinder to uncover information about a particular person. At less than $30 per month, the price should be well within reach of the average searcher. 

Because TruthFinder is not FCRA compliant, businesses, landlords, and financial institutions can’t use the service to play favorites with candidates.

Is TruthFinder Legit?

TruthFinder is a legitimate people search service that began conducting business back in 2015. Search results often come back accurate, and the information listed is up to date. It currently has a 4.4 rating on Consumer Affairs, and reviews on both the Google Play Store and Apple Store speak highly of what TruthFinder can do.

TruthFinder Cost

TruthFinder only has monthly memberships and does not allow one-off searches. Its pricing is not evident at first glance, and even its about section doesn’t reveal options.

You’ll have to run your first search to discover monthly fees, and at this point, you’ll be able to choose between a one-month or two-month subscription.

One-month subscription: $28.01 per month

Two-month subscription: $23.28 per month

If you hesitate on the membership screen, TruthFinder usually offers a special 5-day trial of all its services for just $1. After that, you’ll pay the full price for a monthly membership.

The reverse phone lookup is a separate feature that costs an additional $4.99 per month.

Screenshot of Truthfinder's subscription plans

TruthFinder Features

TruthFinder has several cool features you can take advantage of as a subscriber. Let’s take a look at them now.

People Search

TruthFinder works surprisingly well at finding a friend or family member you’ve fallen out of contact with. With its search feature, you can enter the name and last known location of a person in question and let TruthFinder do the work for you.

As it looks through data, TruthFinder often prompts questions about the individual’s age, middle initial, or how you know the person. These pieces of information will help the service narrow its parameters and find what you’re looking for. You’ll need to stay close to your computer while the search is running in case a question pops up.

After a handful of minutes, you’ll see a list of people potentially fitting your candidate. Clicking on one of those names sends you to your report once you’ve agreed you’re not going to violate the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

On the other side of the search, you’re greeted with a wealth of information on your target. In this solitary location, you’ll uncover social media information, education and work history, past relationships, and even criminal records. It will also share any current addresses or contact information so you can get in touch.

You can use TruthFinder people search for more than just missing friends or relatives. The tool also works well for new neighbors or the love interest you met in person or online. Being in the know can help keep you and your family members safe.

Run a People Search with TruthFinder

Public Records Search

Screenshot of Truthfinder's Public records search

For a long time, the only way to look into public government records was through a formal request from your local courthouse. A single request could take days or even weeks to get one document from the county you’re looking for information from.

With TruthFinder, you can search for public records on an individual and get access to information from any courthouse in the country, all from your computer. You only have to know the name of the person you’re inquiring about. As with any search, the more information you have on someone, the better.

When your results come in, you’ll be able to immediately see any criminal activity he or she has engaged in the past. This includes arrest and criminal records, court cases, bankruptcies, and even outstanding warrants. These records will also reveal if the person in question is a sex offender.

Reverse Phone Lookup

Truthfinder's reverse phone lookup page

Cell phone numbers aren’t as private as they used to be, leading to more frequent calls from unknown numbers. The TruthFinder reverse phone lookup lets you see who’s trying to get in touch.

Getting your results takes a few minutes, and you’ll want to stand by to click through various prompts and confirmations. Once on the other side of the search, you’ll have access to the caller’s name, location, and social media presence. If available, TruthFinder will even display satellite images of the person’s house.

TruthFinder will also share any information it has on the caller’s relatives or criminal record. If the phone number originates from a business, you’ll receive the company’s name, location, and any other data the site can dig up.

You can also use the TruthFinder reverse phone lookup to see who’s on the other end of the number your significant other is in contact with. It’s worth noting that TruthFinder doesn’t have access to phone conversations or text messages, but you can see the name and locations of the person on the other end.

Dark Web Search

Dark web search on Truthfinder

While there are other background check sites out there, few have the power of the dark web search. TruthFinder’s comprehensive scan scours for any of your personal information out for sale on the dark web. The tool will let you know if you’ve been a victim of identity theft so you can lock down accounts and change information before it’s too late.

Online identity theft is at an all-time high, and it’s becoming increasingly easy for your private information to fall into the wrong hands. With one dark web search, TruthFinder will show you if your bank account, credit or debit cards, driver’s license, passport number, and more are accessible to miscreants. If your information comes up in a search, you’ll want to act fast to regain control of your identity.

Run a Dark Web Search with TruthFinder

Accurate Reports

Despite all the pomp and circumstance of getting your results, TruthFinder does an excellent job of finding accurate and up-to-date information on your search target. Just before you see your results, the site shows you an accuracy gauge based on what it could locate.

To that point, TruthFinder will always only be as accurate as the information found in the millions of databases it searches. It cannot come up with information that simply isn’t there.

TruthFinder App

The TruthFinder App puts the entire service at your fingertips, no matter where you may be. You can quickly check who’s on the other end of a phone call or look up the person you’re meeting for lunch while you’re on your way there.

You can download the app on both Android and iOS devices. TruthFinder reviews on each operating system receive high praise, with over 4.5 stars out of a possible 5.

Easy-to-Use Dashboard

No matter which device you prefer to run reports from, TruthFinder comes with a personalized dashboard for you to use. This layout makes it easy to run searches and track down information on the person in question. The interface is very intuitive, with specific search buttons laid out for you to choose from.

Search Anonymously

There can be some trepidation about running a search on someone online. After all, it could be catastrophic if that other person finds out.

Fortunately, TruthFinder lets you remain completely anonymous any time you run a report on an individual. The person will have no idea you looked them up or what information you were able to acquire. Such privacy when searching is a huge blessing, as many social media sites will inform others of your intent. Some platforms even require you to add the individual to your network to obtain information.

Protect Your Online Presence

If you can look up information on others, you’d better believe that people can look up information on you. TruthFinder allows members to opt out of searches by filling out an online form. 

This means others using TruthFinder to look you up won’t be able to dig up any information on you. Note that this does not remove your data from the millions of records TruthFinder scans.

Alternatives to TruthFinder

There’s some strong competition for TruthFinder out there. If the service doesn’t appeal to you, consider one of these alternatives instead.

Intelius logo

Like TruthFinder, Intelius’s website is very easy to use. A single click can take you to background check, reverse phone lookup, or even a search by address. There’s no limit to the number of searches you perform in a month, but it can take a long time to get results.

Intelius offers a fast pass to cut the wait time down, but it begs the question of why scans can’t be fast in the first place. The fast pass is just one of many potential upcharges you may find yourself paying for.

Pricing options aren’t terribly clear, either. It’s hard to decipher just what information you’ll get from each of the packages listed on the site.

You can bundle reverse phone lookup and people search for $34.95 per month or address lookup and people search for $29.78 per month. Both come with week-long trials for just $0.95. There’s a standard people search option for $24.86 per month or $21.13 monthly if you pay in two-month increments. 

  • Unlimited searches
  • The site is easy to navigate
  • Fast Pass for quick report access
  • Other services come with additional fees
  • Hard to understand pricing options
  • Not the most accurate results

Instant Checkmate is huge on government data, using billions of databases to come up with accurate background checks, including criminal activity on your target. Searches often come with detailed property data you won’t find elsewhere.

Like other people search sites, Instant Checkmate’s search process seems over the top. You can use advanced search filters to increase your chances of hitting the jackpot on pertinent information.

Membership fees with Instant Checkmate are the highest we’ve seen, perhaps due to the depth of government data it searches through. A single month will set you back $35.12, but you can reduce costs a bit by paying $28.09 monthly for a three-month subscription. Reverse phone lookup tools will cost you an additional $5.99.

Instant Checkmate does have dark web monitoring, but this is an extra $1.99 per month upcharge.

  • Accurate criminal and background checks
  • Searches come with property data
  • Advanced search filters
  • Overbearing search process
  • Expensive membership fees
  • No option to pay per report
US Search logo

US Search doesn’t have a pricing page, making it increasingly difficult to know what you’re going to pay for signing up. After running a test search, it appears you can perform a month’s worth of searches for just $19.86. Individual searches are an option, but each one can cost up to $3.

If you’re new to the people search game, US Search has a quick start wizard to walk you through the process. The site will ask poignant questions about your criteria to narrow down parameters and help you find what you’re looking for.

The platform is one of the few to offer a refund policy if you’re not enjoying your experience or getting the desired results. Simply call the customer service department at the number on the site and ask for a refund.

  • Quick start wizard
  • Reasonable cost for membership
  • Fair refund policy
  • Basic presentation
  • Lack of clear pricing
  • Available in the US only
Spokeo logo

Spokeo advertises fast searches with over 12 billion records from thousands of data sources. You’ll only find information from U.S. sources, but this is an impressive number nonetheless.

Last time we checked, Spokeo offered a single month of unlimited reports for just $19.95 a month. If you know you’ll be searching for a while, you can get three months of results for just $14.95 per month.

It is possible to perform a single search while on Spokeo should a membership not interest you. You’ll pay $0.95 for the search, but Spokeo will automatically enroll you in a seven-day trial of its services. Be careful not to start paying for a membership if you don’t want to.

When you receive your results, Spokeo allows you to download the information to your computer for access at any time in the future. This service doesn’t even cost anything extra to use.

  • Reasonably-priced plans
  • Pulls from over 12 billion records
  • Unlimited PDF downloads 
  • Lacks some government search information
  • Available in the US only
  • Vague pricing

TruthFinder Review – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

In our FAQ section, we drill down on some of the most popular questions about the TruthFinder service. Have a look at the answers below.

Bottom Line on TruthFinder

TruthFinder offers an accurate look into someone’s life, whether you’re curious about a new neighbor or want to find a friend from high school. The site scours millions of data points to provide you with everything from education history to criminal records. 

It can even help keep your information safe by checking the dark web for stolen credit card numbers or personal identifiers. Using TruthFinder is safe and easy. Just be sure not to use the site for anything that violates the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Run a Background Check with TruthFinder Now

Best Business Bank Accounts by State

Below you will find an interactive U.S map that can help you locate and compare different banks and financial institutions that offer business accounts in your area.

AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY DC

The 6 Best Background Check Services in 2023

A young woman using a magnifying glass to illustrate the best background check services

When you need in-depth information about someone, a background check is the simplest and quickest way to access the information you need. The best background check services can reveal criminal history, education, financial standing, and a lot more about an individual.

The information attained through a background check is culled from public records. This means it is technically possible to find the information you need on your own. However, people typically find that the time, effort, and money it requires to perform this type of research independently is extensive, making a professional background check service the better option.

Choosing the best background check services can be challenging. This guide gives you the facts you need to know to make an informed choice.

6 Best Background Check Services

In researching background check services, we focused on the essential elements that contribute to the usefulness and reliability of each company and the features they offer. We looked at factors like pricing, the accuracy of results, customer support, delivery time, and comprehensiveness of results to prepare this buyer’s guide. Read our complete methodology below.

Services

Price

Accuracy Rating

Dark Web Scan and Caller I.D.?

Searches Social Media?

$4.99 – $27.78

4.8

Yes

Yes

$0.95 – $39.95

4.8

No

Yes

$35 Standard/

+$19.95 per report for Premium

4.5

Yes (+$1.99)

Yes

Searches limited by price, which varies widely:

$24.95 – $119

4.0

No

Yes

$1.95 – $29.95

4.0

No

No

$26.89

4.0

No

Yes

TruthFinder logo

Truthfinder – Best Background Check Service Overall

$4.99$27.78

4.8

Truthfinder earns its place as the best of the best background check services by offering a full slate of features. This service returns reports that give information on a subject’s current location, financial status, educational history, close acquaintances, and social media accounts.

With Truthfinder you can choose everything from a simple people search and reverse phone lookup to a detailed background check, including criminal history. The service will check the sex offender registry and even give results from the dark web.

  • Scans the dark web
  • Color-coded mobile app
  • Checks social media accounts
  • User-friendly reports
  • Membership includes unlimited searches
  • Search can be slow
  • Cannot purchase single reports

Accuracy

Even the best background check services cannot guarantee that their results are 100% accurate. A service can only report the information that is held in the public records they are mining. 

Truthfinder produces reports containing the most accurate and current information available within its databases. Truthfinder has earned an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau based on its business transparency, compliance with the law, and relentless efforts to solve customer complaints.

Customer Support

Truthfinder customer support is available by phone from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. For customers living in other time zones or in need of support outside of phone hours, you can contact the service through email. 

Truthfinder balances this shortcoming by providing an extensive amount of information on its site. Many customer questions may be answered without the need for customer support personnel.

Delivery Time

Truthfinder delivers a report to users within an average time of five minutes. This is not as quick as some services with nearly instantaneous response times; however, when you consider the comprehensiveness of this service’s reports, it is reasonable. The best background check services must balance speed with the depth of information.

Price

Truthfinder is completely membership-based. It does not offer individual or one-off searches or background checks. 

Its membership prices are competitive within the industry with a monthly cost of $27.78. It is worth noting that this fee includes unlimited access to all of Truthfinder’s search and background check features for the month of membership.

It does offer a separate lower-cost membership for those only seeking a simple people search. That cost is $4.99 and includes unlimited searches throughout the membership period.

Comprehensiveness

Truthfinder reports are extensive and provide a great depth of information. While other services offer a selection of features, Truthfinder shows itself to be one of the best background check services by providing a one-stop option for multiple background check categories.

Whether you are seeking to reconnect with an old acquaintance or find yourself needing extensive information on an individual, Truthfinder has the tools to answer your most pressing questions.

Additionally, Truthfinder keeps its customers’ privacy intact by offering the ability to perform deep web scans and institute caller identity checks on its smartphone app.

Intelius logo

Intelius – Best Background Check Service for Single Reports

$0.95 – $39.95

4.62

Intelius has been in business for 15 years, making it one of the most established best background check services on this list. They have many purchase options, including a people search, background checks, and the opportunity to subscribe to identity protection. 

Intelius is one of the few background check services that gives customers the option to purchase a single background check rather than signing up for a membership. For those needing a greater volume of checks, they have multiple membership plans.

  • Single report purchase option
  • Identity protection available
  • Comprehensive database
  • Reverse phone and address lookup
  • Confusing site navigation
  • Confusing price structure
  • Limited customer support

Accuracy

Intelius made a change in its platform a few years ago. Customer response has not been completely positive. There have been numerous complaints of reports containing inaccurate or dated information.

The company does have an A rating from the Better Business Bureau, which is an improvement over their ratings in the past. This positive rating indicates a high level of business transparency and integrity.

Customer Support

Intelius customer support is available on weekdays by phone from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. Beyond this, customers can email the customer support department with questions. The company states that emails will be answered at the earliest opportunity.

Delivery Time

Given the variety of service plans that Intelius offers, their turnaround time on completed reports vary slightly. The simplest people searches and email lookups will take approximately five minutes. More intensive reports including criminal record searches and full background checks can take up to 30 minutes to complete.

Price

Intelius’s premier plus membership gives customers unlimited access to most of their services and runs $29.95 a month. Identity theft protection is an added service that costs an additional $20.00 monthly. 

Unlike many of the best background check services, Intelius customers have the convenience of forgoing a membership if they only need to look into a single person, but the pricing here can get confusing. 

A simple people search will reveal basic information and costs $0.95. If you want to add an email lookup or a social network search, the cost jumps to $6.95. A single criminal record search costs $29.95, while a single full background check runs $39.95.

Considering that not all the lower-tier services are included in the price of the upper-tier services, ordering the type of search you want can be both pricey and confusing.

Comprehensiveness

Intelius has grown into a massive data bank over the years and now pulls information from more than 20 billion public records. This enables them to offer their customers a myriad of services including people search, background checks, social media monitoring, educational achievements, and criminal records.

Some users have complained that the company’s many levels of service are confusing, however. There isn’t a clear all-inclusive subscription. Customers must choose between doing a people search, a separate social media search, or yet another search for property records. Moreover, all of these are separate from a background check.

Additionally, customers can pay an extra fee to add an identity protection component to their services. Although Intelius offers a wide range of services, the choices might be overwhelming to casual users.

Instant Checkmate logo

Instant Checkmate – Best for Criminal Activity Reports

$35 Standard/+$19.95 per report

4.4

Instant Checkmate was founded in 2010 and is an established and widely used background check service. It offers a simple interface that customers find easy to use. 

Unlike many of the best background check services, Instant Checkmate does not require additional fees for a detailed criminal history. This info is included in the standard subscription price.

  • Criminal background checks included with a standard membership
  • Sex offender mapping
  • Full-featured mobile app
  • Slow loading reports
  • Overly promotional FAQs and knowledge base
  • Misleading paywall

Accuracy

Instant Checkmate provides accurate information; however, customers have complained that reports are sometimes limited in scope. On its site, Instant Checkmate claims that it utilizes a minimum of two reputable information sources that are checked against one another for accuracy.

Customer Support

Customer service hours are limited. Customers can reach help agents during working hours only via phone or email. Instant Checkmate has a limited FAQ page and knowledge base for customers looking to solve problems independently.

Delivery Time

Report generation typically takes five minutes or more, which is standard among the best background check services. However, users must remain at the computer during report generation as Instant Checkmate utilizes a series of pop-up questions throughout the process to refine results.

Price

Instant checkmate offers one of the simplest pricing plans of all the best background check services. Their standard membership runs $35 a month and includes a robust criminal records check. While this price is somewhat high, the ease and inclusivity of the subscription plan are appealing.

To obtain information on property ownership and liens, you need to upgrade to a premium service, which costs an additional $19.95 per report. If you need this type of information, and especially if you need it for several individuals, this added cost could make the price prohibitive for some.

Comprehensiveness

Customer reviews in this area are somewhat mixed. While users report that general information is sometimes shallow, it is notable that the information pertaining to criminal records is extensive. 

Instant Checkmate stands out among the best background check services for the thoroughness of its criminal records check. This service goes beyond reporting criminal charges and convictions and will often find details about the crimes that are invaluable to the search, such as case numbers and sentencing.

Instant Checkmate also does a good job related to sexual offender identification. Reports may include maps and even pictures of known offenders within a certain geographic area.

Spokeo logo

Spokeo – Best for Ease of Use

$24.95 – $119

4.3

Spokeo – Best for Ease of Use Review

Spokeo started out as a site that specializes in checking information on social media sites. It has grown steadily since then and now offers many of the industry-standard features that are common with the best background check services.

Spokeo is known for its intuitive interface. It also offers some unique services that other best background check services do not, such as a family tree feature to identify genealogical connections.

  • Phone app gives push notifications
  • “Insights” feature offers interesting details
  • Simple user interface
  • Pulls from a relatively small database
  • Reports are not in-depth
  • Reveals limited financial information

Accuracy

Spokeo garners its information from public resources such as real estate listings and social media. As a background check service is only as accurate as its database, there are sometimes issues of Spokeo searches returning inaccurate or out-of-date information.

Customer Support

Spokeo customer service is available by phone or email every day from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. You can also utilize their live chat feature Monday through Friday from 8 a.m to 5 p.m. 

Delivery Time

Spokeo is one of the fastest services on our list of the best background check services. Spokeo typically compiles a complete report within one to five minutes. Customers state that searches are often completed in an even shorter amount of time.

Price

For the individual user, Spokeo offers a monthly membership for $24.95. This plan is limited to 100 searches throughout the month. If you want to upgrade, it will cost an additional $21 per month.

For businesses, Spokeo offers memberships with a wide range of fees that depend on the number of searches needed per month. Subscriptions start at $35.95 a month for 200 searches and increase to $119.95 for 1,000 searches.

Outside of its membership plans, Spokeo offers one-time, simple people searches for $0.95 each.

Comprehensiveness

Although Spokeo offers many of the same search types as the other best background check services, the information its reports provide does not tend to be expansive. In particular, criminal record checks and financial information are likely to be minimal.

However, Spokeo offers niche services that are hard to find elsewhere. It continues to excel at social media mining and uncovers interesting miscellaneous facts such as hobbies and dating patterns. It is also the only one of the best background check services to offer a family tree builder feature.

Peoplefinders Logo

PeopleFinders – Best for Personal Use

$1.95 – $29.95

4.2

PeopleFinders – Best for Personal Use Review

PeopleFinders has an impressive database of over 40 billion records and 6,000 data sources that it pulls from. As the name would suggest, this contender for the best background check services excels at simple people searches. It is a go-to resource for individuals looking to reconnect with out-of-touch family and friends.

  • Individual searches or memberships available
  • Choice of simple search or full background check
  • Rapid results
  • Doesn’t investigate social media
  • Doesn’t check employment history
  • The website is not intuitive

Accuracy

PeopleFinders is careful to point out on its website that even the best background check services cannot offer a full guarantee that all information is accurate. The service does pull information from over 6,000 resources.

Customer Support

PeopleFinders’ customer support hours are limited to weekdays 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific Standard Time and weekends from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.PST. You can also reach out to customer service agents via email.

Delivery Time

Like many of its competitors, PeopleFinders has a report compilation time of about five minutes or less.

Price

PeopleFinders offers users both memberships and single report options. Their premium level monthly subscription cost is $29.99. For single reports, a basic people search costs $1.95 and a full report runs $9.95.

Comprehensiveness

PeopleFinders is great for personal uses such as locating and contacting old friends or distant family members. When it comes to background checks, PeopleFinders does not report on some details that are common with many of the other best background check services. 

It does not reveal any employment history, nor does it give results from any social media resources.

BeenVerified logo

BeenVerified – Best for Tracking New Information

$26.89

4.1

BeenVerified – Best for Tracking New Information Review

BeenVerified ranks in multiple top 10 lists for best background check services. This company has been around for over a decade. They are known for compiling consistently sound reports that are well-organized and easy to interpret. 

  • Well-organized reports
  • Information tracking features give instant alerts
  • App includes incoming number identification
  • Lack of details prior to purchasing
  • No option to purchase single or specific reports
  • No demo report
  • Knowledge base and customer service are lacking

Accuracy

The accuracy of BeenVerified’s reports is in line with many of the best background check services on this list. The service gives customers notice on their website that their accuracy will be impacted by the public sources they use to compile reports.

BeenVerified currently has a B rating with the Better Business Bureau. Although it does appear that the service is responsive to customer complaints, this is still the lowest BBB rating of all services on this list.

Customer Support

The customer service team at BeenVerified is available during business hours on weekdays only. Unfortunately, the FAQ and knowledge base are not well developed, so customers have no viable customer support option when phone support is not available.

Delivery Time

BeenVerified has a wait of five minutes or less while a purchased report is being compiled.

Price

BeenVerified has a refreshingly simple pricing strategy. It offers all its services for a monthly membership fee of $26.89. If you choose to make a three-month commitment, the membership fee drops to just $17.48.

While its simplicity in pricing is welcome, it is unfortunate that BeenVerified does not allow for the purchase of single reports. 

Comprehensiveness

BeenVerified is a solid choice for those looking for the best background check services. Its well-organized reports include basic information as well as financials and detailed criminal history. Its information tracking feature assures that you always have the most current information.

Methodology for the Best Background Check Services

In researching background check services, we focused on the essential elements that contribute to the usefulness and reliability of each company and the features they offer. We were particularly interested in these criteria:

  • Reputation for providing accurate information
  • Comprehensiveness of report types offered
  • Affordability
  • Availability and quality of customer support
  • Ease of use
  • Additional services offered

Although we used a straightforward rating system, it is important to note that any one of these excellent companies may be the best choice for a particular customer. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Best Background Check Services

It can be stressful deciding which of the best background check services is right for your needs. Most people have unanswered questions about what a background service entails. Here are answers to some of the most common questions about these services.

The Best Background Check Services Offer Convenience and Peace of Mind

Much of the information you wish to obtain about the people in your life can be found within public records. However, accessing and sifting through this mountain of data can take time and resources you do not have.

The best background check services offer a simple, fast and affordable way to pinpoint the information you’re looking for. You need only supply basic details about a person of interest, and they can search millions of public records and utilize thousands of resources to deliver a comprehensive report to you within minutes.