Checkr vs Sterling Pricing (2026)
Compare / Checkr vs Sterling
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Team size
25 seats

Checkr vs Sterling

Background Checks pricing comparison · 2026

Checkr pricing ranges from $29.99–$89.99/month, while Sterling ranges from $20–$500/month. These products use different pricing models ( vs ), so a direct price comparison isn't meaningful — costs depend on usage volume and mix.

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See pricing on each vendor's site
Above-the-fold path — each link opens the vendor's pricing page in a new tab.
Visit Checkr pricing
Discount programs →
Visit Sterling pricing
Discount programs →
Compare
2 products · Background Checks
Side-by-side · live
Checkr
Checkr offers background screening services across four custom-priced plans — Basic, Essen
verified 6w ago
$564 $400K
View pricing →
Sterling
Sterling pricing starts at custom pricing.
verified 9d ago
$564 $400K
View pricing →
Verdict · Vendr median · year 1
Sterling saves $399K vs Checkr · 25 seats
Cheapest $564
Spread 100%
Estimated license cost
at 25 seats
List price × seats. Click a tier below to lock it.
Usage-based
Custom rates
see vendor pricing for volume tiers
Usage-based
Custom rates
see vendor pricing for volume tiers
What buyers actually pay
median, annual
Vendr deal-flow data. The real benchmark, not list price.
Median annual
$400K/yr
Vendr · n=6 · limited data
↓ Lowest median
Median annual
$564/yr
Vendr · n=408
REF · 01

Sources & confidence

Every dollar amount and contract clause below traces back to a sourced fact. We don't manufacture composite scores.

Where this data comes from
Vendr · TrustRadius · Reddit · BBB · official docs
Sources 12 sourced facts
7 hidden-cost · 1 contract · Vendr median · 3 review platforms
Last verified 1mo ago
Confidence Medium confidence
Sources 8 sourced facts
6 hidden-cost · Vendr median · 1 review platform
Last verified 1w ago
Confidence Limited confidence
REF · 02

Plans at a glance

Every tier per product. Lock one to drive the cost row above and reveal a tier-specific outbound CTA.

Tier ladder
Click a tier to lock the cost row to it. Locking surfaces a tier-specific Visit CTA.
REF · 03

Hidden costs

Each cost is severity-ranked, with the dollar range quoted from its source (Vendr, Reddit, TrustRadius, BBB, official docs) — never our estimate.

Beyond the sticker
Severity-ranked, sourced
5 documented
  • Passthrough Fees & Add-ons
    40-70%
    1 source
  • Court Access Fees
    $0 to over $95 per search
    1 source
  • Employment Verification Fees
    $12.50 to $119.95
    1 source
  • County Criminal Search Fee
    $15
    1 source
  • Instant Database Access Fee
    $63
    1 source
5 documented
  • Varied Check Pricing
    1 source
  • Volume-Based Cost Increase
    1 source
  • Customization Fees
    1 source
  • State/Court Fees
    1 source
  • ATS Integration Issues
    1 source
REF · 05

What users say

Aggregated, with sample sizes. We use whichever review platform has data.

User reviews
TrustRadius · Trustpilot · G2
TrustRadius
8.9out of 5 (84)
Trustpilot
3.9out of 5 (789)
G2
4.5out of 5 (399)
Best for
Most affordable option with limited criminal search
Trustpilot
2.5out of 5 (3,970)
Best for
Large enterprises and Fortune 100 companies in regulated industries (fintech, healthcare, logistics, enterprise SaaS) requiring scalable global screening programs with advanced compliance and customization capabilities.
Watch out
Negative interactions with service and customer communications.
Decide
Get a quote from each vendor
Each link opens the vendor's pricing page in a new tab.
Visit Checkr pricing
Discount programs →
Visit Sterling pricing
Discount programs →
License cost is computed from publicly listed plans (real math, list price × seats). Median annual cost is from Vendr's deal flow when available — see source badges. Hidden costs and contract terms each cite their own sources. We do not invent composite scores.
Background Checks

Checkr

$29.99–$89.99
/month
4 plans
Full pricing breakdown →
VS
Background Checks

Sterling

$20–$500
/month
1 plan
Full pricing breakdown →
⚖

Different Pricing Models

Direct price comparison isn't meaningful here — Checkr uses pricing while Sterling uses pricing. Your actual cost will depend on usage volume, team size, or both. Here's each product in its native unit.

Checkr

$29.99–$89.99 / month
See full Checkr pricing →
vs

Sterling

$20–$500 / month
See full Sterling pricing →

Checkr and Sterling both operate in the background checks category. This page compares their list pricing.

Plan-by-Plan Pricing

Plan Checkr Sterling
Basic Custom Custom
Essential Custom —
Complete Custom —
Enterprise Custom —

Market Intelligence

Checkr

Median annual cost
$400,000
Based on
6 deals

Sterling

Median annual cost
$564
Based on
408 deals

What Users Say

Checkr

G2
4.5out of 5 (399)
Trustpilot
3.9out of 5 (789)
TrustRadius
8.9out of 10 (84)

Sterling

Trustpilot
2.5out of 5 (3,970)
Top complaints
  • Negative interactions with service and customer communications.
  • Issues with staff, citing incompetence and poor communication skills.
  • Significant delays in the background check and verification process.

Hidden Costs

Beyond the sticker price — what catches buyers off guard.

Checkr 7 hidden costs

high
Passthrough Fees & Add-ons 40-70%
medium
Court Access Fees $0 to over $95 per search
medium
Employment Verification Fees $12.50 to $119.95
medium
County Criminal Search Fee $15
low
Instant Database Access Fee $63
See all Checkr hidden costs →

Sterling 6 hidden costs

critical
Varied Check Pricing
critical
Volume-Based Cost Increase
high
Customization Fees
critical
State/Court Fees
high
ATS Integration Issues
See all Sterling hidden costs →

Continue researching

Checkr

Sterling

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