Comparison
Certn vs Persona
C
Certn
The budget-friendly, international-first background check option
VERIFIED JUN 18, 2026
P
Persona
Configurable identity verification that doesn't assume you're a bank
VERIFIED JUN 18, 2026
| Pricing model | per-check | freemium |
| Starting point | Entry-level checks start around $13 | Startup and small business track: 500 free verifications a month, then roughly $1 per verification after that |
| Best for | Small businesses hiring internationally or on a tight budget that want to order checks without a sales process. | Small and mid-size companies that need both individual and business identity verification and want to configure exactly what gets checked. |
| Countries | United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, India, Philippines | United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Australia |
| Editorial score | 8.1/10 | 8/10 |
Certn
Pros
- Lowest entry price point of the major background check platforms covered here
- Genuine international reach if you hire contractors or remote staff outside the US
- No sales call required to get started, order a check and go
Cons
- Domestic US depth and turnaround can lag Checkr on high-volume US-only hiring
- Smaller integration ecosystem than the bigger US-focused competitors
- Pay-as-you-go pricing gets expensive fast if you're running high volume without negotiating a plan
Persona
Pros
- Genuinely usable at small-business scale, including a free tier that covers a lot of early-stage volume
- Covers both individual identity and business verification in one platform
- International coverage most competitors in this space don't have
Cons
- Workflow builder has a learning curve, plan on someone owning configuration, it's not fully out of the box
- Full fraud tooling and KYB live behind the custom-quoted Growth plan
- Built for a lot of use cases beyond payroll, so you're paying for and navigating features you may not need
United StatesCanadaUnited KingdomAustraliaIndiaPhilippinesGermanyFrance