Background screening · November 2026 Edition
Checkr vs Spokeo
Eleven of fourteen models named Checkr first on the direct prompt; zero named Spokeo. Checkr was named by fourteen of the fourteen models and Spokeo by nine and Checkr carries 63 labels and Spokeo 12, so the shares are not directly comparable.
Named in two categories this edition.
Named in one category this edition.
First-choice share53%2%Of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts, 0 to 100.
Negative rate13%58%Negative labels as a share of the product's labels, 0 to 100.
Rank in category#1#7A position in a field of 15; printed, not drawn.
Labels6312A 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.Certn was named alongside these two in eleven of the fourteen direct answers. Checkr vs Certn · Checkr vs GoodHire · Checkr vs Accurate Background
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 modelsSpokeo
Direct110
Paraphrase110
Comparative100
Budget-constrained412 against Checkr · 5 against Spokeo
Scale-constrained20
Negative106 against Checkr · 2 against Spokeo
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.
Every model, every framing
The eighty-four answers behind the chart above, one cell each: where Checkr and Spokeo stood in it.
| Model | Direct | Paraphrase | Comparative | Budget-constrained | Scale-constrained | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 Spokeo first choice named as an alternative argued againstblank: not namedEach cell is one answer, Checkr on the left and Spokeo on the right.The direct prompt
The plain question, one answer per model, grouped by where Checkr and Spokeo stood in it.
Checkr first, Spokeo not the choice
11 of 14 modelsSpokeo 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
Mistral SmallCertn, Checkr alternatives: ADP RUN, Mitratech AssureHire, Verified First
DeepSeek V4 FlashCertn, Checkr alternatives: Accurate Background, GoodHire, Turn
Llama 4 MaverickCheckr alternatives: AccuSourceHR, Bchex, Certn, ClearStar, First Advantage, GoodHire, Mitratech AssureHire, Turn, Verified First
Kimi K2Certn, Checkr alternatives: First Advantage, GoodHire, 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 thirty-one points.
Checkr31%#2 of 10Spokeo0%#– of 10Mid-marketThe figures above
Enterprise
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 Spokeo
Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Four of five in this category shown.
“Be especially cautious about using consumer background check services like Spokeo and Intelius for employment or rental decisions.” Claude Haiku 4.5 · negative prompt · hard negative
“such as *MyLife* and *Spokeo*) have faced FTC fines and actions for deceptively marketing their services as "background checks"” Gemini 3.5 Flash · negative prompt · hard negative
“consumer-oriented tools (like Spokeo or TruthFinder, which are cheaper but not FCRA-compliant and risky” Grok 4.20 · budget prompt · hard negative
“I'd recommend starting with Spokeo for occasional searches or BIB.com for more comprehensive employment screening needs” MiniMax M2.5 · budget prompt · first choice
Also compared
Checkr vs CertnCheckr vs GoodHireCheckr vs Accurate BackgroundCheckr vs AccuSourceHRCheckr vs BackgroundChecks.comCertn vs SpokeoGoodHire vs SpokeoAccurate Background vs SpokeoAccuSourceHR vs SpokeoBackgroundChecks.com vs SpokeoAll twenty-one head-to-head pages and the full background screening standing
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.