{"question": "best background check services for small businesses", "category": "background-check-services", "category_name": "background check services", "audience": "small-businesses", "audience_name": "small businesses", "engine": "Claude (Anthropic) with web search", "model": "claude-opus-5", "asked_at": "2026-10-18T23:49:40Z", "permalink": "https://bikoosh.com/answers/s/background-check-services-small-businesses-2026-10-18", "question_page": "https://bikoosh.com/answers/q/background-check-services/small-businesses", "brands_named": [{"position": 1, "brand": "Checkr", "label": "compared"}, {"position": 2, "brand": "GoodHire", "label": "compared"}, {"position": 3, "brand": "TransUnion ShareAble", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 4, "brand": "Certn", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 5, "brand": "Sterling", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 6, "brand": "Gusto", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 7, "brand": "Rippling", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 8, "brand": "BambooHR", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 9, "brand": "Homebase", "label": "mentioned"}], "sources_cited": [{"url": "https://checkr.com/resources/articles/best-background-checks", "domain": "checkr.com", "source_type": "vendor"}, {"url": "https://cnbc.com/select/best-background-check-sites", "domain": "cnbc.com", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://wf.joinhomebase.com/blog/background-check-software", "domain": "wf.joinhomebase.com", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://www.costbench.com/compare/checkr-vs-goodhire/", "domain": "costbench.com", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://betterteam.com/shareable", "domain": "betterteam.com", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://newsroom.transunion.com/free-access-to-employment-screening-helps-small-businesses-and-the-unemployed-get-back-to-work-more-quickly/", "domain": "newsroom.transunion.com", "source_type": "vendor"}], "answer_text": "## Short answer\n\nFor most small businesses, it's **Checkr or GoodHire**, and the real decision is volume: a handful of hires a year vs. steady hiring.\n\n**1. Checkr** - my default recommendation. Self-serve signup, pay per check, no minimums, and the fastest turnaround of the major providers (most criminal searches back in under an hour). It also has the deepest integration list, so it plugs into whatever ATS or payroll you already use. Roughly $30-$80 per check depending on package depth.\n\n**2. GoodHire** - now a Checkr company, but still sold separately and still the most SMB-friendly of the two. Cleanest interface, genuinely good US-based phone support, and packaged tiers (Basic / Essential / Complete, about $30 / $55 / $90 per check) so you're not building a screening program from parts. There's a one-time setup fee around $50. Pick this over Checkr if you want a human to call and don't need API work.\n\n**3. TransUnion ShareAble for Hires** - the cheapest credible option if you hire two or three people a year. $25 basic / $40 plus / $60 pro, pay-per-use, no setup fee, no contract, and the Pro tier includes a credit report (useful for roles handling money). Built explicitly for sm", "answer_truncated": true, "measurement": "One answer from one engine on one date. Not a ranking and not a claim about the world; brands the engine did not name are not recorded.", "limitation": "Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.", "alerts": {"name": "Answer Watch Pro", "price_usd": 79, "period": "month", "gets": "daily change alerts for up to 5 brands in what one AI answer engine says, history, CSV export. Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included", "url": "https://bikoosh.com/answers"}}