Prices and terms checked on Checkr's and GoodHire's own pages, October 18, 2026 · Research-based comparison, not hands-on testing: we did not open an account or order checks with either company · Not legal advice
Checkr vs GoodHire is not a contest between two rival companies: GoodHire's own company page says "Checkr Is Our Parent Company", and on October 18, 2026 its three employer packages carried exactly the same names, contents and starting prices as Checkr's: $29.99, $59.99 and $94.99 per check. So the price per hire for a standard US background check starts at the same number at either one. What differs is everything around that number: which add-on prices are posted, how you buy above 50 checks a year, the account terms you accept, the support model and a few compliance features.
This page compares those differences line by line, prices hires with an international address history, and ends with who should sign up where. For the fee-by-fee cost of a US hire, see our Checkr pricing breakdown with passthrough fees. More screening guides sit on the Saazora HR and hiring tools hub.
Is GoodHire owned by Checkr?
Yes. GoodHire's company page says: "In April 2022, Checkr acquired Inflection. GoodHire is part of Inflection." GoodHire's Terms of Use name the operator as Inflection Risk Solutions, LLC, "a subsidiary of Checkr Group, Inc." and "d/b/a GoodHire". GoodHire was started by Matthew and Brian Monahan as a self-service screening tool for small businesses; Checkr was founded in 2014 by Daniel Yanisse and Jonathan Perichon and serves more than 140,000 customers.
The link goes deeper than ownership. On the GoodHire pages we read, four links leave goodhire.com for a Checkr domain:
- "Learn more about pass-through fees" on GoodHire's pricing page opens Checkr's own passthrough fee page.
- "International background checks" on GoodHire's screening page opens Checkr's international checks page.
- "Credit checks" on the same page opens a Checkr product page.
- "Help Center" in GoodHire's footer, on every page we fetched, opens Checkr's help center, and if a submission on GoodHire's signup or quote form fails, the error message says to "contact our parent company Checkr" through a Checkr help desk link.
In practice, that means the court, DMV and database fees GoodHire refers you to are the ones in Checkr's fee table, and international checks are documented on Checkr's site. Comparing the two on headline price is pointless. Comparing how each one sells, bills and supports is useful.
Checkr vs GoodHire prices side by side
Both pricing pages were fetched on October 18, 2026. Checkr's prices are unchanged from our October 16 check.
| Item | Checkr (checkr.com/pricing) | GoodHire (goodhire.com/pricing) |
|---|---|---|
| Basic: SSN trace, sex offender registry, global watchlist, national criminal | From $29.99 per report | From $29.99 per check |
| Essential: Basic plus identity verification and unlimited county criminal | From $59.99 (labelled "most popular") | From $59.99 |
| Complete: Essential plus unlimited state criminal and federal criminal | From $94.99 | From $94.99 |
| Court, DMV and database fees | Extra, "passed through at cost with no markup" | "Additional third-party fees may apply", linking to Checkr's fee page |
| Motor vehicle record (MVR) | $9.50 per check, plus DMV fee | No price posted |
| Identity verification as an add-on | $4.99 per check | No price posted (included in Essential and Complete) |
| Drug screening | From $10 per test | No price posted (4-, 5-, 8- and 10-panel tests listed) |
| Employment verification | From $12.50 per check, plus database fees | No price posted |
| Healthcare sanctions (FACIS) | From $6 per check | No price posted (healthcare sanctions checks listed) |
| High volume | Enterprise: "Contact sales for pricing" | More than 50 checks a year: "Get a custom quote" |
| Check on yourself | Personal checks from $49.99; Checkr Profile free | Personal reports "start at just $49.99" |
| Tenant screening | Starter, Essential, Complete: $24.99 / $34.99 / $44.99 | Not offered on GoodHire's pricing page |
On Checkr's side, the identity step now comes first: Essential and Complete orders start with a government ID plus live-selfie check, and Checkr's identity verification page states that "failed or incomplete verifications prevent a background check from starting", allowing up to three resubmissions. Checked October 22, 2026.
US dollars before passthrough fees and tax, from each company's pricing and product pages, October 18, 2026. "No price posted" means we found no published price on the GoodHire pages we read; GoodHire may show prices after signup.
The gap is transparency, not price. On Checkr's page you can total up a hire with an MVR or a drug test before you sign up. On GoodHire's, only the three packages and the $49.99 self-check carry a public price, so add-on costs show up later in the buying process.
Price per hire when the candidate has lived abroad
International checks are where a per-hire price moves the most, and GoodHire's own link for them points to Checkr's page. Checkr's international pricing page lists a criminal or adverse media check per country, plus a $5 global watchlist check and $35 per employer or school for international verifications ($10 and $12 for India).
A Saazora calculation for one US hire on Essential who has also lived in one other country, using Checkr's listed international criminal price for that country. US passthrough fees and tax are left out.
| Other country of residence | International criminal check | Essential + that check | Essential + check + 1 foreign employer verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $27.00 | $86.99 | $121.99 |
| India | $32.00 | $91.99 | $101.99 |
| Philippines | $35.00 | $94.99 | $129.99 |
| Mexico | $60.00 | $119.99 | $154.99 |
| United Kingdom | $68.00 | $127.99 | $162.99 |
| Germany | $75.00 | $134.99 | $169.99 |
| Australia | $81.00 | $140.99 | $175.99 |
Saazora calculation from checkr.com/pricing (Essential from $59.99) and checkr.com/pricing/international (country criminal prices; employment verification $35 per employer, $10 in India), October 18, 2026. Checkr's fee page says international criminal and adverse media prices already include passthrough fees.
Two practical points. A UK or German record check can add more than the Essential package itself, so budget per country, not per hire. And Checkr publishes these prices openly, while GoodHire sends you to the same Checkr page; if you are quoted a different number through either account, ask which price list it comes from.
What actually differs between Checkr and GoodHire
With prices equal, these are the differences we could document from each company's own pages on October 18, 2026:
| Area | Checkr | GoodHire |
|---|---|---|
| How you start | Self-serve signup with a card or ACH on file; Checkr's small business page promises "pay-as-you-go screenings with no contracts or minimums" | Signup form asks for expected checks per year (1–10 up to 1000+); under 50 a year "Get started right away", over 50 a custom quote |
| Target buyer | Small businesses through enterprise, plus separate tenant, personal, mortgage and platform "Trust" products | Employers only: small business and "midsize and large organizations", plus self-checks |
| Integrations | Partners page names pre-built integrations, including Greenhouse, Gusto, Intuit QuickBooks, Rippling and BambooHR | "Connect to leading ATS and HRIS platforms" and an API, with no partner names on the pages we read (goodhire.com/integrations returned 404) |
| Support | Help center and support requests | US-based, FCRA-certified reps by phone, chat or email, Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm ET; dedicated account managers for larger customers. Its help center link opens Checkr's help center |
| Adverse action | Workflow that "sends the appropriate notices on your behalf", with an audit log | Integrated adverse action that GoodHire says accounts for "180+ state, county, and local ban-the-box laws"; "FREE Adverse Action support, included with all orders" |
| Candidate context | "Candidate Stories": you can request more context from the candidate about a record | "Comments for Context": candidates add comments to their report, and you can request one |
| Review rules | Adjudication rules (Checkr Assess); Checkr Assistant suggests a package and "guides. It doesn't decide." | Record filtering and automated adjudication rules |
| Multi-location accounts | Enterprise packages through sales | Parent-child account hierarchy, billing codes, bulk ordering, an option for the candidate to pay within the workflow |
From Checkr's pricing, small business, partners, adverse action and Checkr Assistant pages and GoodHire's pricing, get-started, get-a-quote, service difference, compliance features, large organizations and screening pages, October 18, 2026. Feature names are each company's own.
None of these features makes the hiring decision. Both tools prepare notices and apply rules you set, but a person on your team decides whether to hire, as the FTC's adverse action rules assume.
Account terms: Checkr's Services Agreement vs GoodHire's Payment Policy
This is the difference most comparisons skip, and the one most likely to matter a year from now.
- Length. Checkr's Services Agreement is "effective for one (1) year" and "automatically renews" for one-year periods unless either side gives 30 days' notice before the term ends; ending early "for convenience" takes 90 days' written notice. GoodHire's Terms "remain in full force and effect while you use the Services" and say "You may terminate your use of the Services at any time."
- When you pay. Self-serve Checkr customers are charged "on a per-Report basis"; customers with a signed order are invoiced monthly. GoodHire's Payment Policy says charges "are due in full upon placing your order" unless an order form says otherwise, with a credit or debit card on file.
- Disputes and refunds. Checkr requires fee disputes in writing within 30 days after the end of the month, or they are "deemed waived". GoodHire "does not issue refunds for Services that have already been provided", including employment verifications once the set number of contact attempts is made.
- Late fees and price changes. Both charge 1.5% a month on unpaid amounts (GoodHire after 60 days). GoodHire promises at least 30 days' written notice of a price change once any fixed-price period ends.
Neither set of terms is a reason to avoid either company: with no minimum spend, an open account costs nothing until you order. But if you dislike auto-renewing agreements, GoodHire's wording is simpler, and if you hire on a signed order, read that order, because it overrides both companies' standard terms.
Which one should you sign up with?
Because the parent company and the price list are shared, choose by the way you buy:
- Pick Checkr if you want to price add-ons such as MVRs, drug tests or verifications before you sign up, connect to Gusto, Rippling, BambooHR, QuickBooks or Greenhouse, screen rental applicants, or hire internationally from the same price list you can read today.
- Pick GoodHire if you value named US-based phone support during set hours, run a multi-location account with billing codes, or prefer terms you can walk away from at any time.
- Either one for a small US employer ordering a handful of Essential checks a year: the per-hire price starts at the same $59.99 plus the same passthrough fees.
Neither company publishes a coupon code. The saving comes from the smallest package your written screening policy needs and not ordering checks you do not use. Our guide to background check costs for small businesses compares other providers' prices if you want options outside the Checkr family.
Saazora may earn a commission if you sign up for Checkr through the link below, at no extra cost to you. We have no affiliate relationship with GoodHire.
If Checkr's posted prices and integrations fit, you can create a free Checkr account and order a single report (affiliate link). To compare GoodHire's buying path, its GoodHire pricing page shows the same three packages and the 50-checks-a-year split. Package details and Checkr's free setup are summed up on our Checkr offers page.
The FCRA duties are yours at either company
Checkr and GoodHire are both consumer reporting agencies, and switching between them does not change what the employer must do under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. This is not legal advice; ask an employment lawyer about your state and city. The federal steps, as the FTC describes them:
- Disclose and get written consent before ordering, in a stand-alone document, not inside a job application.
- Certify a permissible purpose to the screening company, such as employment.
- Send a pre-adverse action notice with a copy of the report and the CFPB's "A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act" before deciding against someone, so they can explain or dispute.
- Send an adverse action notice after the decision, naming the screening company and stating that it "did not make the decision".
Many states and cities add fair-chance or "ban the box" rules on when criminal history can be considered. GoodHire says its workflow accounts for these laws and Checkr's adverse action guide notes that some places require a longer waiting period, but the legal responsibility stays with you.
Settled on Checkr? Our Checkr review covers who it fits, what each package searches and the account terms before you sign up.
Checkr vs GoodHire questions
Is GoodHire cheaper than Checkr?
Not on posted prices. On October 18, 2026 both listed Basic at $29.99, Essential at $59.99 and Complete at $94.99, and GoodHire's fee link points to Checkr's passthrough fee page. Above 50 checks a year GoodHire quotes custom prices, so a volume quote could differ.
Is GoodHire legit if Checkr owns it?
Yes. It is operated by Inflection Risk Solutions, LLC, a Checkr subsidiary, under its own Terms of Use and Payment Policy, and runs FCRA-regulated employment screening like Checkr.
Do I need accounts with both?
No. They sell the same core packages, so one account is enough. Choose the one whose buying path, support model and terms suit you.
How we researched this comparison
On October 18, 2026, we fetched Checkr's pricing, international pricing, passthrough fee, small business, partners, adverse action and Checkr Assistant pages and its Services Agreement, and GoodHire's pricing, company, get-started, get-a-quote, service difference, compliance features, large organizations, screening, MVR, drug testing and employment verification pages, its Terms of Use and its Payment Policy. We also recorded where each GoodHire link pointed. The per-hire international totals are Saazora's own arithmetic from Checkr's posted prices. We did not open an account or order a check with either company, so this is a research-based comparison, not a test. GoodHire's customer survey figures were left out because they are the company's own marketing claims. FCRA steps come from the FTC's "Using Consumer Reports: What Employers Need to Know" and the CFPB's Summary of Rights. More on our process: Saazora's review and research process.
Sources (checked October 18, 2026): Checkr pricing page, international pricing page, passthrough fee page, small business page, partners page, "The Basics of Adverse Action", Checkr Assistant article, Services Agreement; GoodHire pricing, company, get started, get a quote, service difference, compliance features, large organizations, screening, MVR, drug testing and employment verification pages, Terms of Use, Payment Policy; FTC, "Using Consumer Reports: What Employers Need to Know"; CFPB, "A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act".
Research-based comparison, not hands-on testing and not legal advice. Neither Checkr nor GoodHire paid for or reviewed this article.
