Comparison
Certn vs Sterling
C
Certn
The budget-friendly, international-first background check option
VERIFIED JUN 18, 2026
S
Sterling
Fifty years of screening depth, now digesting inside First Advantage
VERIFIED JUL 5, 2026
| Pricing model | per-check | custom-quote |
| Starting point | Entry-level checks start around $13 | Quote-based contracts |
| Best for | Small businesses hiring internationally or on a tight budget that want to order checks without a sales process. | Mid-size and larger employers in regulated industries, or anyone whose hires span countries where shallow database checks don't exist. |
| Countries | United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, India, Philippines | United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, India |
| Editorial score | 8.1/10 | 7/10 |
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
Sterling
Pros
- International criminal coverage that leads the industry in several markets
- Document-based identity verification integrated into screening, not bolted on, which is the fraud-relevant part
- Deep compliance tooling for regulated industries where screening errors carry legal cost
Cons
- Acquired by First Advantage in late 2024, long-term platform and integration roadmap is an open question
- Quote-only pricing with volume commitments, hostile to occasional screeners
- Overbuilt and overpriced for straightforward US SMB hiring
United StatesCanadaUnited KingdomAustraliaIndiaPhilippines