Checkr vs Sterling: the challenger vs a merged incumbent
By Jean Luc Poitier, SEO and growth marketing strategist · Checkr Reviews · Updated November 1, 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 a large clinic network. Checkr is the self-serve platform: published pricing from $29.99, same-day signup, 200+ integrations, a 4.5 on G2, and the stronger candidate feedback on both invited and unprompted Trustpilot reviews.
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.
Checkr vs Sterling at a glance
| Compared on | 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 overall | 3.9 (1,030 reviews) | 2.3 (~3,980 reviews) |
| Recent Trustpilot reviews | Invited: 4.6. Unprompted: 1.4 | Unprompted only: 1.1 (100 most recent) |
| 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 November 1, 2026. “Not published” means the company does not publish that figure.
Sterling's Trustpilot score has fallen to 2.3
Sterling's overall Trustpilot score is now 2.3 across about 3,980 reviews, below Checkr's 3.9. It was built over many years, largely from candidates the company invited to review, and Sterling has stopped collecting them: its 100 most recent reviews, back to March 2025, are all unprompted, and 95 are one star. Checkr is ahead on candidate feedback: candidates it has invited rate it 4.6, and its unprompted reviews (1.4) run ahead of Sterling's (1.1).
The merger is the open question
First Advantage is combining two large platforms, sales organizations, and account structures. Past mergers like this have ended with product roadmaps merging and some customers migrating. Checkr's risks are of a different kind: it is a private company on its own platform, and the main concerns reviewers raise are support responsiveness and county-court turnaround. If the merger has you comparing vendors, see our Sterling alternatives.
Where Sterling wins
- 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
Checkr vs Sterling FAQ
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 rebrand is done: sterlingcheck.com now reads "Sterling is now First Advantage. New name. Same expert insight." Anyone buying "Sterling" today is buying from 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?+
Checkr leads on every like-for-like measure. Sterling's overall Trustpilot score is 2.3, against Checkr's 3.9, and its 100 most recent reviews are all unprompted and average 1.1. Checkr has asked candidates for feedback, and those candidates rate it 4.6; its unprompted reviews average 1.4, ahead of Sterling's. On employer-facing G2, Checkr rates 4.5 across 457 reviews, while Sterling's ratings now blend into First Advantage's listings.
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 necessarily bad. If you're signing now, though, ask the sales team which platform you'll be on in two years.