Partnering with reliable technology vendors is one of the most critical decisions an organization makes. When it comes to background checks, you need an accurate, compliant, and dedicated solution to help you meet your goals. If you’ve been exploring screening providers, you’ve likely heard of First Advantage and Verified First — two unique companies offering a wide range of services to meet the needs of modern hiring.
If you are considering First Advantage for background screening, you’re likely looking for a vendor with robust, enterprise-grade screening and compliance capabilities. What if you could access powerful, comprehensive screening solutions while experiencing accuracy, speed, or top-tier client support?
This guide offers a detailed comparison of modern background screening providers, First Advantage vs. Verified First. You’ll learn how each provider delivers on key metrics that actually impact your HR team: ease of use, accuracy and compliance, support, and overall value.
To help you compare background check providers, here is a head-to-head comparison of First Advantage vs. Verified First screening solutions and services.
| Key Metric | Verified First | First Advantage |
| Core Service Offerings | Verified First offers core background screening services, including standard checks, drug testing, I-9, and verifications, as well as HR-centric add-ons such as social media screening, candidate texting capabilities, and Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) Monitoring. | First Advantage offers global core screening services, including standard background checks, drug testing, I-9, verifications, and specialized regulatory solutions such as criminal monitoring, fingerprinting, and driver record monitoring. |
| Client Support | Long-term support, including dedicated account managers for every client, with an average phone call wait time of under 30 seconds. Live chat, email, case submission, and account reviews are also available! | Relies on specialized, multi-departmental support teams (necessary for global scale), which can lead to high fragmentation, slow resolution, and follow-up delays reported by customers. |
| Accuracy & Turnaround Times | Verified First boasts a 99.8% Total Accuracy Rate. It leverages a robust combination of technology and dedicated human review to maintain compliance and reliability. | First Advantage employs an automation-first approach, which can increase speed, but also leads to inaccuracies, outdated records, and potential Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) exposure. |
| Technology & Integrations | Verified First’s patented VF Connector provides a seamless browser extension integration. For larger projects, Verified First also offers full custom API integrations and is ready to connect with 150+ leading HR, Talent Acquisition, and payroll platforms today. | Modern proprietary systems and robust APIs; popular with enterprise organizations. This often requires significant internal IT resources and extended integration timelines. |
| Pricing & Fees | Transparent, industry-leading pricing. Verified First offers four pricing tiers (plus customization options) with clear, pay-for-what-you-use pricing and predictable budgeting. | Includes mandatory Setup Fees (e.g., up to $175 for small businesses) and contract minimums, necessary to cover high overhead and global operations. |
| Stability | Verified First is a client-first screening partner. Resources are dedicated to product innovation and client experience, not corporate restructuring. As a privately-owned vendor, you can trust that they put your best interest first. | First Advantage has acquired multiple companies since 2020 (most recently, Sterling Check Corp. in 2024), meaning resources are being dedicated to these acquisitions and achieving corporate synergy, which can strain client services and platform stability. |
| Flexibility & Customization | Flexible screening packages tailored to your specific industry, roles, and hiring needs. Verified First also offers à la carte products for full customization. | Standardized packages geared towards enterprise organizations. It can be difficult and slow to customize services or change scope after contracting. |
Accuracy and compliance are the foundation of a successful background screening program. Enterprise-focused providers such as First Advantage rely on technology and scale-driven algorithms to efficiently manage complex, global data streams. Their system is designed to handle volume and provide comprehensive, large-scale compliance tools.
Relying solely on automation for compliance can create risks. The pressure to process millions of checks efficiently often favors speed over human oversight, leading to reporting errors, Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) violations, and other potential risks.
Verified First background checks combine the power of technology with human expertise, contributing to its 99.8% total accuracy rate. Verified First’s commitment to accuracy is backed by a robust security and compliance framework that ensures reports are not only fast and reliable but also proactively structured to avoid the risks associated with automated, high-volume screening.
A stable support system is your greatest asset. As a large global enterprise, First Advantage's support resources are spread across vast, complex needs, managing multilingual candidate support and integrating acquired systems (like Sterling).
This transactional model relies on impersonal, multi-departmental routing where customers are often directed to separate teams for each specific product or region. User reports indicate high wait times, fragmented communication, and slow resolutions as tickets are passed between specialized groups. While they excel at global coverage, this wide focus is the trade-off clients accept for dedicated, personalized service.
The quality of your screening vendor’s support is just as critical as the quality of the report itself. Verified First offers a personalized support model. Every client, regardless of its size or screen volume, is assigned a dedicated account manager who understands your business, compliance needs, and integrations. Our personalized approach creates greater accessibility, which is why our average client phone call wait time is under 30 seconds. By partnering with Verified First, you secure a stable screening partner committed to your success.
The complexity of your screening technology should match your needs, not the size of your vendor. For a large, global provider like First Advantage, technology is designed to handle large quantities of data and complex regulatory frameworks.
Leveraging complex APIs and proprietary platforms may be highly functional and supportive of high-volume screening needs, but these systems often require significant internal IT resources and setup timelines. The First Advantage/Sterling acquisition also means clients may face platform instability, UI changes, and data migration challenges.
Verified First offers the best of both worlds: technology built for everyday users and backed by IT professionals. We provide custom API integrations for organizations that require deep technical connectivity, as well as one of the simplest integrations on the market: the patented VF Connector. This seamless browser extension provides one-click access to your integrated HR platform. With over 150 leading HR, Talent Acquisition, and payroll platforms already supported, we ensure your screening solution fits effortlessly into your daily workflow, eliminating the need for complex IT projects or separate logins.
The total cost of your screening solution usually exceeds the per-check cost. Large enterprise providers such as First Advantage often frame their pricing around "putting your buying power to work." This rigid structure is designed to cover the high overhead of continuous corporate acquisition and maintaining a global infrastructure. These models frequently require mandatory charges such as setup fees (up to $175, even for small business accounts), implementation costs, and contract minimums, which can limit flexibility and drain your budget.
Verified First offers transparent, competitive pricing based on a simple and predictable philosophy: You only pay for the services you need. Verified First continually seeks ways to reduce costs and improve services for clients, fueling innovative technology and product solutions. Our clients enjoy true, à la carte flexibility and transparent pricing, meaning you can easily scale your screening needs up or down without penalties or unexpected costs.
The choice between a provider like First Advantage vs. Verified First comes down to selecting a business model that supports your needs.
First Advantage excels at global, high-volume enterprise screening. Its automation-first, scalability-focused model is highly effective for efficiently managing large transactions. If your organization is a conglomerate operating in 20+ countries or requires extensive specialized auditing for global finance, First Advantage’s scale is built to handle that level of complexity. This type of system relies on a transactional vendor relationship, which does not support every organization’s needs.
Verified First offers a clear alternative: a dedicated partnership model built for your success. We combine cutting-edge technology and human expertise to protect your company and help you achieve your hiring goals. This commitment yields quantifiable results: 99.8% accuracy, a 98% client satisfaction rate, and the flexibility to handle your most complex screening needs.
Ultimately, the choice isn't about which company is "better," but which company provides the right fit for your level of complexity. If you don't require the rigid, multinational infrastructure, choosing the dedicated partnership and superior usability of Verified First can offer more value with less risk.
Ready to see how a partner-driven approach can transform your hiring process?
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