Head to head

Certn vs Searchlight

Same facts, side by side: starting price, free tier, MCP, API and what each one is actually built for.

Certn

$13.99/check

Background screening with public self-serve checks. US Core Criminal is $13.99 on the USD card; a separate CAD card is published for Canada.

Where Certn fits

US and Canadian employers buying criminal and identity checks
Staffing teams that want self-serve packages
ATS-connected hiring on Greenhouse, Lever, or Workday
Buyers who want a public check price instead of a CRA quote

Searchlight

Quote-based

Automated structured reference checks plus predictive hiring insights. Annual plans by hiring volume; sales-quoted. Not the UK staffing firm of the same name.

Where Searchlight fits

TA teams replacing phone references
Companies on Greenhouse, Lever, Ashby, UKG, or Workday
Quality-of-hire programmes
US in-house recruiting, not UK staffing

At a glance

Detail	Certn	Searchlight
Starting price	$13.99/check	Quote-based
Free tier	–No	–No
MCP server	–No	–No
Public API	✓Yes	–No
Listed under	Background check	Assessments
Capterra	4.6 from 81 reviews	Not enough reviews

Where they pull apart

Certn

Stands out: A rare public rate card for screening (criminal, identity, and verifications priced per check in both USD and CAD), plus ATS names (Greenhouse, Lever, Workday) on the marketing site.

Watch out: There are two rate cards, one in USD and one in CAD, and the figures differ. Check you are reading the one for your hiring country before you budget, and remember county searches and pass-through access fees stack on the headline check.

Not the right fit for

Teams that want one global rate card rather than per-country pricing
Enterprises standardised on Sterling or First Advantage
Buyers who need a free trial of a background check

Searchlight

Stands out: References as a predictive instrument trained on post-hire outcomes, with Greenhouse, Lever, UKG, Ashby, and Workday named.

Watch out: This is not Searchlight the UK agency. Pricing is annual and quoted by volume.

Not the right fit for

UK buyers looking for the staffing firm
SMBs that want a $42 reference package
Teams that need a public monthly seat

Pros and cons

Certn

Public self-serve check prices rather than a CRA quote
Greenhouse, Lever, and Workday named
Identity plus criminal plus verifications in one vendor

Two currency cards to keep straight
County searches and access fees stack on the headline price
No trial

Searchlight

Structured references instead of phone tag
Named Greenhouse, Lever, Ashby, UKG, and Workday connectors
Quality-of-hire positioning rather than a CRA package

Quote-only annual plans
Easy to confuse with the UK staffing firm
No public per-seat price

What each one costs

Certn

$13.99/check

Self-serve USD on the US site: US Core Criminal $13.99, Complete $49.99, Complete+ $79.99; Basic Canadian Criminal $17.99, Enhanced $21.50; OneID $3.50; digital references $3.50; Social Media $42.99; MVR $25.99. County searches add $9.99 where applicable, and third-party pass-through access fees may apply. A separate CAD card is published at certn.co/pricing. Enterprise and volume are quoted. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 18 Sep 2026

Searchlight

Quote-based

Quote-based annual plans by hiring volume. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 15 Sep 2026

Common questions

Can you try Certn or Searchlight for free?

Neither carries a free tier on our listing.

Not the pair you wanted?

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Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 18 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?