# What Claude (Anthropic) with web search answered for background check services (small businesses) on 2026-10-22

## In short

On 2026-10-22, Claude (Anthropic) with web search was asked "best background check services for small businesses". It named 7 brands, in this order: Checkr, GoodHire, TransUnion ShareAble, Certn, HireRight, Sterling and PBSA-accredited.

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Question | best background check services for small businesses |
| Asked on | 2026-10-22 |
| Engine | Claude (Anthropic) with web search |
| Model | claude-opus-5 |
| Brands named | 7 |
| Sources cited | 8 |
| Audience | small businesses |
| Coverage | Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included. |
| Last verified | 2026-10-22 |

Page: https://bikoosh.com/answers/s/background-check-services-small-businesses-2026-10-22
Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.

## The answer, as recorded

Asked on 2026-10-22 through Claude (Anthropic) with web search (model claude-opus-5).

> Here's what I'd actually recommend, in order:
> 
> **1. Checkr** - The default pick for most small businesses. Self-serve signup, no contract or minimums, published per-report pricing ($29.99 Basic / $59.99 Essential / $94.99 Complete, plus court and database fees that run $0 in about half of US jurisdictions up to ~$95 for a New York state criminal search). Good API/ATS integrations if you ever grow into them. ([checkr.com](https://checkr.com/resources/articles/best-background-checks), [costbench.com](https://www.costbench.com/compare/checkr-vs-goodhire/))
> 
> **2. GoodHire** - Historically *the* small-business-friendly option, with strong US-based support and no monthly minimums for occasional hiring. Important caveat: Checkr acquired GoodHire, and the two now list identical pricing ($29.99/$59.99/$94.99), with GoodHire's self-serve tier capped around 50 checks/year before you need a custom quote. So treat it as a sibling brand of #1, not an independent alternative - check which one is still taking new accounts before you plan around it. ([goodhire.com/pricing](https://www.goodhire.com/pricing), [goodhire.com comparison](https://goodhire.com/resources/articles/goodhire-vs-checkr-compari

## Brands named, in the order the engine gave

| Position | Brand | How it was named |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Checkr | recommended |
| 2 | GoodHire | recommended |
| 3 | TransUnion ShareAble | recommended |
| 4 | Certn | recommended |
| 5 | HireRight | recommended |
| 6 | Sterling | mentioned |
| 7 | PBSA-accredited | mentioned |

## Sources the engine cited

- https://checkr.com/resources/articles/best-background-checks (vendor)
- https://www.costbench.com/compare/checkr-vs-goodhire/ (other)
- https://www.goodhire.com/pricing (vendor)
- https://goodhire.com/resources/articles/goodhire-vs-checkr-comparison (vendor)
- https://fitsmallbusiness.com/shareable-for-hires-review/ (other)
- https://newsroom.transunion.com/free-access-to-employment-screening-helps-small-businesses-and-the-unemployed-get-back-to-work-more-quickly/ (vendor)
- https://goodhire.com/resources/articles/best-background-check-services (vendor)
- https://accurate.com/blog/accurate-vs-sterling-vs-hireright-background-checks (vendor)

The question page: https://bikoosh.com/answers/q/background-check-services/small-businesses

Alerts and membership: Answer Watch Pro, 79 USD per month: https://bikoosh.com/answers. Bikoosh is monitoring assistance, not complete protection.

Answer Watch records what one AI answer engine said on one date, nothing more. Each page names the engine and the model, carries the date the question was asked, and lists the brands that appeared in the answer in the order the engine gave them, with the sources it cited. It is a measurement, not a ranking, not a recommendation and not a claim about the world. Brands that did not appear in an answer are not named on any public page. Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.