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Background screening · November 2026 Edition

Checkr vs Certn

Eleven of fourteen models named Checkr first on the direct prompt; three named Certn. Checkr was named by fourteen of the fourteen models and Certn by thirteen and Checkr carries 63 labels and Certn 37, so the shares are not directly comparable.

Checkr

endorsed leader

Named in two categories this edition.

Certn

accepted challenger

Named in one category this edition.

First-choice share53%13%Of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts, 0 to 100.
Negative rate13%0%Negative labels as a share of the product's labels, 0 to 100.
Rank in category#1#2A position in a field of 15; printed, not drawn.
Labels6337A count; the two differ.
The two percentage rows are drawn on one 0 to 100 track, Checkr reading right to left. Rank and label count are printed, not drawn.GoodHire was named alongside these two in eight of the fourteen direct answers. Checkr vs GoodHire · Checkr vs Accurate Background · Checkr vs AccuSourceHR

Share is the count of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts over all fourteen models, for a mid-market B2B company; rank is within the category; every quote names the model and the prompt it came from. Both figures come from the background screening page.

By framing

How many of the fourteen models made each the first choice, per way of asking, and how many argued against it.
CheckrFirst choices, of fourteen modelsCertn
Direct113
Paraphrase110
Comparative100
Budget-constrained442 against Checkr
Scale-constrained20
Negative106 against Checkr
Bars are first choices, 0 to 14 each sideModels that argued againstA model can name both, so the two sides of a row do not sum to fourteen.

Across every category in the November 2026 Edition, Checkr and Certn were named in the same answer ninety-three times, of the 194 answers naming Checkr and the 102 naming Certn. In those answers Certn took the first choice three times and Checkr fifty-nine.

Every model, every framing

The eighty-four answers behind the chart above, one cell each: where Checkr and Certn stood in it.
ModelDirectParaphraseComparativeBudget-constrainedScale-constrainedNegative
Claude Haiku 4.5
GPT-5.4 mini
Gemini 3.5 Flash
Perplexity Sonar
Grok 4.20
Mistral Small
DeepSeek V4 Flash
Llama 4 Maverick
Qwen 3.7 Flash
Kimi K2
GLM 4.7 FlashX
MiniMax M2.5
GPT-6 Luna
Muse Glimmer 30B
Checkr Certn first choice named as an alternative argued againstblank: not namedEach cell is one answer, Checkr on the left and Certn on the right.

The direct prompt

The plain question, one answer per model, grouped by where Checkr and Certn stood in it.

Both were the first choice

3 of 14 modelsThe answer named them together, and the judge labeled each a first choice.
Mistral SmallCertn, Checkr alternatives: ADP RUN, Mitratech AssureHire, Verified First
DeepSeek V4 FlashCertn, Checkr alternatives: Accurate Background, GoodHire, Turn
Kimi K2Certn, Checkr alternatives: First Advantage, GoodHire, Verified First

Checkr first, Certn an alternative

8 of 14 modelsCertn was named in the answer but not as the choice, or not at all.
GPT-5.4 miniCheckr alternatives: Certn, GoodHire, VICTIG
Gemini 3.5 FlashCheckr alternatives: Accurate Background, Certn, Verified First
Perplexity SonarCheckr alternatives: AccuSourceHR, Certn, Mitratech AssureHire, Verified First
Grok 4.20Checkr alternatives: Certn, GoodHire
Llama 4 MaverickCheckr alternatives: AccuSourceHR, Bchex, Certn, ClearStar, First Advantage, GoodHire, Mitratech AssureHire, Turn, Verified First
GLM 4.7 FlashXCheckr alternatives: Certn, GoodHire
MiniMax M2.5Checkr alternatives: Accurate Background, Certn, GoodHire
Muse Glimmer 30BCheckr alternatives: AccuSourceHR, Accurate Background, BackgroundChecks.com, Certn, HireShield, Mitratech AssureHire, Turn, Verified First

Neither was the first choice, one was named

1 of 14 modelsThe answer put something else first and named one of the two as an alternative.
GPT-6 LunaAccurate Background alternatives: Checkr

Neither was named

2 of 14 modelsThe answer made no first choice from these two in this category.
Claude Haiku 4.5AccuSourceHR alternatives: Accurate Background, Bchex, Mitratech AssureHire
Qwen 3.7 FlashCheckster alternatives: BrightCheck, Certified Background, GoodHire

Bold names in an answer are the products the judge labeled a first choice; a model naming several gives each of them that label. The full answer text for every row is in the record.

By buyer segment

The same question asked on behalf of a different buyer. Each standing is computed within its segment and they are never added together. The figures above are the mid-market standing, which is the one the category orders by.
Small business
Checkr leads by twenty-seven points.
Checkr31%#2 of 10
Certn4%#3 of 10
The full small business standing →
Mid-marketThe figures above
Checkr leads by forty points.
Checkr53%#1 of 15
Certn13%#2 of 15
The full mid-market standing →
Enterprise
Checkr leads by forty-four points.
Checkr46%#1 of 10
Certn2%#5 of 10
The full enterprise standing →

What the models said about Checkr

Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Six of eight in this category shown.

“Checkr drew 469 of the 1,051 complaints the CFPB received in 2025 about the 8 employment background check company names studied, 44.6%, more than any other screening company” Muse Glimmer 30B · negative prompt · hard negative
“Even large, fully accredited employment background screeners (e.g., *Checkr, First Advantage, HireRight, Sterling*) are legitimate, FCRA-compliant CRAs, but job seekers and employers frequently register complaints about them” Gemini 3.5 Flash · negative prompt · soft negative
“Tops CFPB complaints (469 in 2025, ~45% of total for major firms). Users report frequent inaccuracies, delays in results, and frustrating support.” Grok 4.20 · negative prompt · soft negative
“Checkr is widely considered the "Apple" of background checks—featuring a mobile-first applicant experience, an open API, and aggressive use of AI” Qwen 3.7 Flash · comparative prompt · first choice
“mid-market modern screening platforms (like Checkr, Rippling built-in checks, or GoodHire) often outperform legacy enterprise vendors” Gemini 3.5 Flash · scale prompt · first choice
“I'd recommend starting with Accurate ... or Checkr if you prefer a modern, automation-focused platform. Both are well-suited” Claude Haiku 4.5 · paraphrase prompt · first choice

What the models said about Certn

Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Three of four in this category shown.

“Checkr or Certn offer the best combination of modern technology, transparent pricing, scalability, and integration capabilities” Kimi K2 · direct prompt · first choice
“Certn is the cheapest option at $13.99/month, making it a strong choice for budget-conscious businesses” Mistral Small · budget prompt · first choice
“If you need the absolute lowest price per report: Choose Certn.” Qwen 3.7 Flash · budget prompt · first choice
Also compared

Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category, each against each. The output is the models' output; nothing here is a recommendation by the index.