Work Insiders directory

GoodHire alternatives

4 tools our write-ups put next to GoodHire, with starting price, free tier, MCP and API side by side.

GoodHire from $29.99/check API

The short answer

  • Checkr : Modern API-first background checks if you want the other SMB-to-mid-market default. From $29.99/report
  • Certn : US and Canada self-serve packages plus a partner API if you hire across the border. From $13.99/check
  • Verified First : Background, drug, and I-9 with broad ATS hooks when I-9 is in the same conversation. From $29.99/check
  • HireRight : Enterprise CRA if volume, global coverage, and a sales-led program matter more than a $29.99 card. From Sales-quoted

Why people look past GoodHire

Those prices are for fewer than 50 checks a year. Volume is a custom quote. County, state, and federal searches, drug tests, MVR, and education/employment verifications stack on. Third-party pass-through fees apply. Do not budget $29.99 as the all-in cost of a hire.

What we noted

  • $29.99 is the <50-checks band, not volume pricing
  • County, drug, and verification add-ons plus pass-through fees
  • US-centric; not a global screening platform

Not the right fit for

  • Global screening programs that need one worldwide CRA
  • Enterprises that will immediately exceed 50 checks and wanted the $29.99 number to hold

Worth keeping in mind: SMBs can actually see a rate card: Basic $29.99, Essential $59.99, Complete $94.99 per check, with a self-serve path under 50 checks a year instead of a mandatory sales call.

GoodHire alternatives compared

ToolFree tierFromMCPAPIHead to head
GoodHire (the one you are on) –No$29.99/check–No✓Yes
Checkr Modern API-first background checks if you want the other SMB-to-mid-market default. –No$29.99/report✓Yes✓YesHead to head
Certn US and Canada self-serve packages plus a partner API if you hire across the border. –No$13.99/check–No✓YesHead to head
Verified First Background, drug, and I-9 with broad ATS hooks when I-9 is in the same conversation. –No$29.99/check–No✓YesHead to head
HireRight Enterprise CRA if volume, global coverage, and a sales-led program matter more than a $29.99 card. –NoSales-quoted–No✓YesHead to head

What each one does differently

Checkr

$29.99/report MCP API

Why it comes up: Modern API-first background checks if you want the other SMB-to-mid-market default.

Stands out: Self-serve packages plus MCP at mcp.checkr.com so hiring agents can read reports.

Watch out: Court and database access fees are billed on top, at cost. Essential and Complete cost more. International checks are priced by country.

Best for

  • US employers running criminal packages at hire
  • Teams that want candidate self-entry and ATS hooks
  • Platforms ordering checks through the Checkr API

4.5 on Capterra from 303 reviews

Read the Checkr write-up GoodHire vs Checkr

Certn

$13.99/check API

Why it comes up: US and Canada self-serve packages plus a partner API if you hire across the border.

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.

Best for

  • US and Canadian employers buying criminal and identity checks
  • Staffing teams that want self-serve packages
  • ATS-connected hiring on Greenhouse, Lever, or Workday

4.6 on Capterra from 81 reviews

Read the Certn write-up GoodHire vs Certn

Verified First

$29.99/check API

Why it comes up: Background, drug, and I-9 with broad ATS hooks when I-9 is in the same conversation.

Stands out: A public $29.99 Basic package and a long ATS list, with I-9 in the same vendor, aimed at teams that refuse a CRA minimum.

Watch out: Basic is nationwide criminal plus watchlists, not county-unlimited or employment/education verify. Those sit on Essential and Premium.

Best for

  • SMBs that want pay-per-check screening
  • TA teams that need I-9 with background
  • Companies connecting screening to an ATS

4.7 on Capterra from 19 reviews

Read the Verified First write-up GoodHire vs Verified First

HireRight

Sales-quoted API

Why it comes up: Enterprise CRA if volume, global coverage, and a sales-led program matter more than a $29.99 card.

Stands out: Integrates with 70 solutions across more than 45 HCM and ATS providers, plus the HireRight Connect REST API.

Watch out: No published per-check price. Cost depends on industry, check types, volume and regulatory needs, so budget only after a scoped package.

Best for

  • Enterprises with regulated or high-volume hiring
  • Teams that screen inside their ATS or HCM
  • Employers screening candidates in many countries

Read the HireRight write-up GoodHire vs HireRight

Common questions

What is the best GoodHire alternative?
It depends on what sent you looking. Our write-ups put Checkr closest to GoodHire. Why it comes up: Modern API-first background checks if you want the other SMB-to-mid-market default. The table above shows all 4 on price, free tier, MCP and API.
What is the cheapest GoodHire alternative?
Of the published starting prices here, Certn is lowest at $13.99/check. Starting price is the entry plan, not the seat count you will end up on, so read the plan table on each listing.
Which GoodHire alternatives have an MCP server?
Checkr ships a first party MCP server, so you can drive it from Claude or ChatGPT without building against the API yourself.

Keep looking

Back to the GoodHire write-up Every Background check tool we list Search the whole directory

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