Choose a background screening platform around the evidence the role requires, rather than the cheapest package called Basic. Checkr makes US criminal-search depth explicit; Certn publishes a Canadian check catalog; Veremark makes references and employment history central to its global packages; Zinc exposes country-dependent checks through configurable packages; Accurate combines a broad service catalog with candidate and client workflows. The key difference is what each order actually verifies. An identity match, a criminal-record search and confirmation from a former employer answer different questions.
What the buying decision includes
For a fair shortlist, specify candidate location, relevant history, required records, who supplies missing documents and who resolves disputed information. Then request the same set of searches from all five providers. A national database search is not equivalent to county searches or an employer verification. Prices below describe particular published scopes, not a universal screening basket. The employer must determine appropriate checks and handling requirements for its jurisdiction with its responsible advisers; a provider’s compliance language does not establish that every check is appropriate for every role.
| Platform | Distinct purchasing scope | Commercial boundary | Best shortlist condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Checkr | US criminal-search tiers | Per report plus access fees and selected extras | You need explicit county/state/federal scope |
| Certn | Canadian checks and identity prerequisites | CAD catalog; access fees and verification extras | Canadian screening is central to hiring |
| Veremark | Reference and employment-history packages | USD per candidate; country packages differ | References and work history drive the decision |
| Zinc | Country-dependent configurable checks | Package-builder pricing; some amounts vary by location | You need flexible checks and document follow-up |
| Accurate | Broad screening and service workflows | Request a scoped offer; no universal rate assumed | Support and specialized services matter alongside ordering |
Checkr
Checkr’s Workforce packages distinguish Basic from Essential and Complete by search depth. Basic starts at $29.99 per report; Essential at $59.99 adds identity verification and unlimited county criminal searches; Complete at $94.99 also adds unlimited state and federal criminal searches. The published dollar prices exclude possible third-party court and database access fees. Employment and education verification, driving records and drug screening have their own prices and scope. Checkr official source.
Shortlist Checkr when US criminal-record coverage must be visible at purchasing time. Do not compare a Basic report with another vendor’s package containing employer references and education checks. Request the intended history and add-ons in one order, with USD currency, access fees and any volume terms confirmed. Its lower starting report price establishes a narrower starting basket, not a lower total cost for every hire. Checkr official source.
Certn
Certn’s published Canadian catalog separates Basic and Enhanced criminal checks, Quebec court records, identity, credit and other verifications. Basic Canadian criminal checking is listed at CAD24.99 and requires successful identity verification before fulfillment. The enhanced check adds named investigative sources. Employment and education verification are listed separately at CAD29.99 each, with possible access fees. A promotional banner ending September 2025 is expired and should not be included in a current budget. Certn official source.
Certn is a useful starting point for employers whose hiring is substantially Canadian, with a tailored offer for broader needs. Compare the Canadian catalog against the required countries rather than converting one US package into CAD and assuming equal coverage. Establish whether identity verification is already included elsewhere in the order, how many employers or qualifications each charge covers, and who follows up with sources. Published turnaround ranges depend on outside records and responses. Certn official source.
Veremark
Veremark’s Global Essential package is USD42 per candidate for two references and an identity check. Professional at USD144 adds three years of employment history and social media checking; Executive at USD183 adds the highest academic qualification and global sanctions. The page distinguishes location-specific packages and says platform prices are in US dollars even where local display prices are indicative. Larger hiring programs can obtain tailored pricing. Veremark official source.
Choose this approach when corroborating work history and references is the main operational gap. The package names are not comparable to Checkr’s criminal-search tiers: the Global Essential description is a different evidence basket. Add country-specific criminal or right-to-work requirements explicitly rather than inferring them from a higher package name. Ask how unreachable references, incomplete employment dates and extra employers affect completion and charges. Veremark official source.
Zinc
Zinc documents identity, reference, qualification, criminal, right-to-work, financial and other check types, with availability dependent on country, employer package and local-provider requirements. Its help material distinguishes institution-verified education from OCR education checks. Those should not be treated as interchangeable evidence just because both appear under education. Institutional and third-party verifications can also involve working-day processing. Zinc official source.
Zinc’s pricing help says pay-as-you-grow customers see prices while creating a new package; some criminal and credit costs vary by location. Contract customers may not see package-builder prices. No account or payment card was created for this comparison, so a numerical package total is not asserted. Shortlist Zinc if configurable evidence and candidate follow-up matter, then ask for the actual country/check combinations, completion rules and invoice treatment before ordering. Zinc official source.
Accurate
Accurate lists criminal, driving, global, sanctions, verification, drug and health, monitoring, and Form I-9/E-Verify services. It also describes mobile candidate documentation, ATS integrations and search-status tracking. The breadth matters when the hiring operation needs specialized services and support in the same program. It does not show that every service is available everywhere or included in one package. Accurate official source.
Accurate separately describes a self-service path for businesses running fewer than 100 checks annually and an enterprise path for higher volume. Request the selected checks, candidate-support arrangements, integrations and fees as a single scoped offer. No universal Accurate price is established by this service page. Prefer this shortlist when service ownership is decisive, but compare its proposed basket with the other four rather than paying for breadth the role does not need. Accurate official source.
Which purchase fits your operation?
The defensible shortlist follows the missing evidence: Checkr for explicit US criminal-search tiers, Certn for a clearly scoped Canadian catalog, Veremark for reference and work-history packages, Zinc for configurable country-dependent checks, and Accurate for a broader screening-service workflow. Compare the completed evidence basket and exception handling before comparing headline prices.
Before signing, ask each finalist to describe the same role and candidate-country scope in writing: searches, history depth, identity prerequisite, source follow-up, dispute support, access charges and retention/export responsibilities. Keep the screening result separate from the hiring decision. A vendor can supply evidence without removing the employer’s responsibility for interpreting and handling it.
For related decisions, compare candidate skills assessments and applicant tracking systems.
By Toolverly Editorial, with AI-assisted research and drafting. Product information checked November 6, 2026.
Photo by Jakub Żerdzicki on Unsplash. Read about our publication or send a correction.