We spent 14+ hours testing 10+ services on real people. Here's exactly what we measured, how we scored each service, and why only 4 made our list. No paid placements. No sponsored rankings.
Most background check review sites either run one quick test, copy data from other sources, or are paid by the services they rank. We did none of that. Every service on our list was tested by running real searches on real individuals — with known data we could verify — over a multi-week period. Services that failed our tests were excluded regardless of whether they advertise with us.
Every service went through the same battery of tests. Here's exactly what we measured and how each criterion was scored.
We searched the same set of real people across all services and counted every data category each returned — criminal records, traffic records, current and past addresses, relatives, phone numbers, email addresses, social media profiles, and employment history. Services that returned more categories with correct data scored higher. Services that returned empty sections, incorrect data, or charged extra for categories scored lower.
We timed every service from submitting a search to receiving a complete, viewable report. Speed varied enormously — some services delivered full reports in under a minute, while others used loading screens that stretched to 5+ minutes before showing results. We penalized services that used artificial delay screens to simulate processing.
Completeness tells you what categories a service covers. Depth tells you how detailed and reliable the data within each category is. We cross-referenced report data against known information and official sources. Services that returned outdated, incorrect, or contaminated records (wrong person's data mixed in) were penalized heavily. Data depth is the most important single factor in our ranking.
We compared the monthly cost against the data delivered. Services that charge extra for premium data, PDF downloads, or report monitoring scored lower when competitors included these features in the base plan. The winner in this category delivers the most data per dollar with no hidden upgrade tiers.
Several services we tested returned reports that mixed in data from other individuals with similar names, included addresses from decades ago labeled as "current," or returned blank sections for categories they advertised as included. These services were excluded.
Multiple services use extended loading animations that simulate a search in progress when the report is already generated. We treated this as a UX failure. Searches should be returned as fast as the data allows.
Some services advertise a low base price and then charge extra for criminal records, premium data, PDF downloads, and report monitoring as separate add-ons. We scored these down significantly. Our top picks include the most important data in the base subscription.
After 14+ hours and 10+ services, these are the only 4 we recommend. See the full comparison →
The most complete reports we tested, full stop. Topped every category: completeness, depth, speed, and value. Premium data included at no extra charge. 113,872 five-star reviews and an A+ BBB rating. Read the full review →
Excellent report depth and the best free report monitoring of any service we tested. Surfaces unexpected associations and old addresses other services miss. 60,000+ five-star reviews. Read the full review →
Over 20 years in business with the deepest reverse phone lookup database we tested. A reliable secondary tool, especially when you have a phone number but not a name. Read the full review →
The fastest search speed we tested — no artificial loading screens. In business since 1993. As seen on CBS, CNN, and WSJ. A solid no-frills option that delivers core data reliably. Read the full review →
Compare all 4 services side by side — scores, features, and our testing notes. Searches are 100% private.
See Our #1 Pick → Or compare all 4 →