Checkr vs Sterling: the challenger vs a merged incumbent
By Jean Luc · Updated August 7, 2026
Sterling was one of the big three screening incumbents; since October 2024 it belongs to First Advantage after a $2.2 billion acquisition. It remains an enterprise product sold through sales quotes, with decades of court-runner infrastructure and, notably, the strongest candidate-facing Trustpilot score among the legacy vendors (4.0 across ~3,880 reviews). Checkr is the self-serve platform: published pricing from $29.99, same-day signup, 200+ integrations, and a 4.5 on G2.
Below enterprise scale, Checkr wins on access alone. At enterprise scale, weigh Sterling's service depth against the consolidation now underway inside First Advantage, and make the migration question part of your evaluation.
At a glance
| Checkr | Sterling | |
|---|---|---|
| Published pricing | $29.99 / $59.99 / $94.99 per report | Not published; quote via sales |
| Billing | Pay as you go, no contracts or minimums | Contract-based enterprise agreements |
| Self-serve signup | Yes, same day | No; sales process |
| Trustpilot (candidates) | 4.1 (996 reviews) | 4.0 (~3,880 reviews) |
| G2 (employers) | 4.5 (457 reviews) | Blended into First Advantage listings post-merger |
| Ownership | Private; founded 2014, San Francisco | Acquired by First Advantage Oct 31, 2024 (~$2.2B) |
| Integrations | 200+ ATS/HRIS/payroll integrations | Enterprise ATS integrations (count not published) |
| Drug testing & clinics | Clinic network via add-ons (from $10/test) | Long-established clinic and occupational health network |
Figures checked against each company's published pages and review-platform listings as of August 7, 2026. “Not published” means the company does not publish that figure.
Sterling earned something rare: candidates don't hate it
Legacy screeners usually carry brutal candidate scores (HireRight sits at 1.1). Sterling's 4.0 from nearly four thousand Trustpilot reviewers is a genuine differentiator and worth saying plainly on a Checkr-focused site: on candidate sentiment at scale, Sterling is roughly Checkr's equal. If your evaluation weights candidate experience heavily and you're already an enterprise buyer, Sterling deserves a real look.
The merger is the open question
First Advantage is combining two large platforms, sales organizations, and account structures. History says that means product roadmaps merge and some customers migrate. Checkr's risk profile is different: a private company on its own platform, where the main watch-items reviewers raise are support responsiveness and county-court turnaround, not integration churn.
Where Sterling wins
- Candidate Trustpilot score at four times Checkr's review volume (4.0 across ~3,880)
- Decades of enterprise screening operations, including clinic networks for drug testing and occupational health
- Combined First Advantage scale post-merger, if you want one global vendor for everything
Frequently asked questions
Is Sterling still its own company?+
No. First Advantage completed its acquisition of Sterling Check Corp. on October 31, 2024, in a cash-and-stock deal valued around $2.2 billion. The brand now operates as "Sterling, A First Advantage Company" and is being folded into First Advantage.
Is Checkr or Sterling cheaper?+
Checkr publishes per-report prices ($29.99 to $94.99); Sterling does not publish pricing and sells through sales quotes. For small and mid-size teams, Checkr is the only one you can buy without a sales cycle. At enterprise volume, compare negotiated quotes.
How do their reviews compare?+
Unusually for this industry, Sterling's candidate-facing Trustpilot score is strong: 4.0 across roughly 3,880 reviews, comparable to Checkr's 4.1 across 996. On employer-facing G2, Checkr rates 4.5 across 457 reviews, while ratings for Sterling now blend into First Advantage's listings and are less directly comparable.
Does the First Advantage merger matter to buyers?+
Mergers of this size usually mean platform consolidation, account team changes, and migration projects for existing customers. None of that is automatically bad, but if you're signing now, ask which platform you'll be on in two years. It's a fair question their sales team should answer.