Best Background Check Services of 2026
Independently reviewed and tested by our research team
TruthFinder
Core Features
- Searches 500M+ public records instantly
- Includes criminal records, addresses, phone numbers & social profiles
- Unlimited searches with monthly subscription
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Our Review
TruthFinder is our top pick for personal background checks. In our testing, it returned the most comprehensive results across all search types — name, phone, address, and email. The reports include criminal records, contact history, social media profiles, and more. It's especially useful for reconnecting with lost contacts or verifying someone you've met online.
Pros
- ✓ Comprehensive reports
- ✓ Easy to use
- ✓ Affordable subscription model
Cons
- ✗ Subscription required for full reports
- ✗ US-only coverage
How We Test Background Check Services
We evaluate each service by signing up for accounts and performing real searches. We test various search types including name searches, phone number lookups, email searches, and address searches. We then verify the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the results against known data. We also evaluate the user interface, report readability, pricing transparency, and customer support quality.
Our WatchdogScore combines coverage breadth, data accuracy, ease of use, value for money, and customer support into a single 1-10 rating. Services scoring 9.0 or above receive our Editor's Choice designation.