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Estimate

Sterling costs $20 to $500 per month as of July 2026. Pricing depends on your chosen tier, contract length, and negotiated discounts.

Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.

  • Free tier: No free tier available

Sterling offers 1 pricing tiers: Standard. The Standard plan is 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..

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Know Before You Buy — See Sterling Plans

Sterling lists $20-$500/month, but hidden costs like implementation and support add to the total as of July 2026. Key hidden costs: varied check pricing, volume-based cost increase, customization fees. Verified from 1 sources by CostBench.

Hidden Costs Breakdown

1

Varied Check Pricing

critical addon

Different types of background checks, such as criminal history or credit checks, each have their own pricing structure.

industry

Types of Checks Required: Different checks, such as criminal history, employment verification, education verification, credit checks, and specialized investigations, each have their own pricing structure

2

Volume-Based Cost Increase

critical overage

The overall cost will increase with the number of checks conducted, although higher volumes may lead to discounts.

industry

Volume of Checks: While higher volumes may lead to discounts, the overall cost will increase with the number of checks conducted

3

Customization Fees

high addon

Specific requirements such as international checks, enhanced criminal searches, or tailored reporting options can incur extra fees.

industry

Customizations and Additional Services: Specific requirements like international checks, enhanced criminal searches, or tailored reporting options can incur extra fees

4

State/Court Fees

critical compliance

Additional court fees may be added to the total report order in states where courthouses charge for accessing criminal records, and some states charge a fee to access motor vehicle records which is passed to the buyer.

industry

Similarly, some states charge a fee to access motor vehicle records, which will be passed on to the buyer

5

ATS Integration Issues

high implementation

Difficulties with Sterling's integration with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) could lead to unforeseen process changes and potential costs.

industry

Integration Challenges: Some users have reported difficulties with Sterling's integration with their Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), which could lead to unforeseen process changes and potential costs if the integration doesn't work as advertised

6

Credit Card Processing Fee

medium addon

Using a credit card incurred a 3% fee on $5500 in background checks over a few months, with ACH being the only option to pay without a service fee.

industry

Payment Processing Fees: One reviewer mentioned that the only option to pay without a service fee was via ACH, and using a credit card incurred a 3% fee on $5500 in background checks over a few months

Frequently Asked Questions

01 What hidden costs should I budget for with Sterling?

Beyond the license fee, budget for: Credit Card Processing Fee (3%). Exact totals depend on your deployment size and negotiated terms.

02 Does Sterling charge for implementation?

Sterling implementation is not included in the license cost. Difficulties with Sterling's integration with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) could lead to unforeseen process changes and potential costs..

03 How much does Sterling support cost?

Premium support pricing for Sterling depends on your tier and contract terms. See the sourced cost breakdown above for any verified figures we have.

04 Are there overage or storage costs with Sterling?

The overall cost will increase with the number of checks conducted, although higher volumes may lead to discounts..

05 What add-ons cost extra with Sterling?

Add-on pricing for Sterling varies by feature. The sourced cost breakdown above lists any verified add-on costs we have.

Now You Know the Real Cost — See Sterling Plans

Check current Sterling pricing

Prices and terms change; verify against the live pricing page.

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