Utilizing background check sites may seem like a huge undertaking, but it’s worth knowing exactly who you’re working with or dealing with.
A background check is useful for many reasons, including vetting a potential partner or simply improving one’s own life.
Concealed-hands investigation is nothing new. They’ve been widely used for decades to gain information on a person of interest.
You could even be intrigued to learn the results of your background check. It’s also a great tool for keeping tabs on who has access to your data.
So how exactly can you conduct a free background check on the internet?
You may do a background check on someone for free using one of the many available web services.
What follows is a discussion of the most useful background check sites.
Best Background Check Sites in 2025
- Instant Checkmate
- TruthFinder
- Spokeo
- Intelius
- Instant Checkmate
- US Search
- First Advantage
1. Instant Checkmate
Instant Checkmate is like other sites that conducts background checks on individuals by searching public records.
The primary distinction is that additional locations and potential relatives are presented in the search query for a person. Information like this can aid in focusing your inquiry.
In a short time, this San Francisco company can give you access to your case online background check.
Because it relies so heavily on public records, this program can provide any information found online.
Detailed Information
Suppose you are curious about a new friend or would like to learn more about them before accepting them only as a work colleague.
In that case, you can learn about their criminal past, just as if they have been charged with arson, theft, deceit, burglary, or even manslaughter.
You should always know who you’re dealing with, regardless of how long ago a crime was committed.
Employment Background Checks
Background checks can reveal not only the target’s current and previous addresses but also their employment history.
This feature will expose the target’s past and present places of employment. The victim’s loans and other banking details are also accessible.
Name-Based Search
You can run a background check using a name-based search by inputting the individual’s first and last name along with their city and state.
Finding the person is still possible even if you don’t have all of this data.
People Search
People search provides an alphabetical list of contact information.
The full names of all the people listed here can be searched for using just the first and last letters of their names.
Criminal Records
Someone’s criminal history can be accessed through a specific menu. Their initial name, last name, and state of residence are all searchable criteria.
You’ll be able to quickly scan through criminal, traffic, and arrest history reports. A subscription is required to view the full report.
2. Truth Finder
Truth Finder is a major background check service and one of the best sites to use if you need to examine someone’s credentials. The site has a straightforward user experience.
TruthFinder provides comprehensive background checks on US residents.
TruthFinder can do its job because it compiles data from many sources and presents it to you as reports.
With a TruthFinder membership, you can investigate as much as you like. All the information is stored in a third-party database, which they can access.
They deliver high-quality assistance at fair costs. Positive feedback from clients attests to the quality of the services offered.
TruthFinder is a trustworthy resource for finding verified facts about anyone, as evidenced by its many favorable user reviews.
Reverse Phone Lookup
Truthfinder’s opposite phone lookup function is the first thing most people notice about it. Enter the number calling you into the search bar to see a list of prospective callers.
Each match can be filtered based on the information you provide, like name, address, contact information, etc.
This method won’t be difficult to find out who’s been contacting you.
This is a great tool for determining whether or not a given number has been linked to criminal behavior.
You don’t need to download anything, and getting started is simple.
Your search for the owner of a particular cell phone number will yield information on that person’s connectivity status and geographical location.
This resource will be invaluable if you’re trying to track down someone hiding out and not want you to find them.
Information You Can Find
Relatives, friends, former partners, housemates, work associates, and neighbors can all be researched.
Information such as a person’s criminal past, sex offender status, assets, and prior employers will also be displayed.
Background check information obtained from TruthFinder is wonderfully accurate. They have a huge database.
3. Spokeo
Spokeo is a background check website that allows you to find information about a person by using their email address or some other kind of identity verification to consult what it claims to be a wide range of authoritative sources.
Reports are also expected to be updated often when new information becomes available.
With the help of Spokeo, you may learn about a person’s interests, educational background, financial standing, online dating profile, and even gaming and music accounts.
However, not all searches were successful; some names were transposed, indicating a lack of human oversight.
However, Spokeo gets extra credit for being able to perform a reverse mobile number search on those annoying spam callers.
Types of Background Checks Offered
Spokeo provides numerous search criteria to assist you in finding the relevant data.
Many Spokeo background check reviews attest to the fact that with just a few pieces of information, users can locate the desired individual.
Start a free Spokeo background check by entering the following data.
- First Name Last Name
- Contact information via emails
- Locational identifier
- Social media and online dating account names
- Mobile number
- Telephone number
Reports
Spokeo uses over fifty online and offline resources to compile its data, including public records.
The information is laid up in a detailed profile of your target, much like a resume.
Important identifiers, including a person’s name, date of birth, age, place of residence, and a photo, if one is available, come first on the list.
Data Reliability
Spokeo gathers information from various online and offline sources, including profiles on social networking sites, marketing surveys, and public records.
The site is so sure of its statistics that it provides its services to corporations and huge groups of people.
Background reports are not credit reports and are not suitable for employment checks, but the information acquired by the query optimizer may be beneficial for marketing companies or homebuyers.
However, it should be noted that the information provided may not be complete or up-to-date.
The quantity of data in most outcomes is also unlikely to match the sample profile.
4. Intelius
Intelius facilitates a quick and painless background checking search for the desired individual and any mutual contacts they may have.
If you happen to run into a friend from high school, the Intelius Connection engine may help you discover other people they are related to.
Intelius can scour over 20 billion records, such as criminal and driving histories, social media profiles, legal cases, and phone numbers.
A person’s name, telephone, or address can all be used as search criteria within the background check service.
It’s helpful when meeting someone for the first time online or when moving in with a new roommate.
Fast Pass Feature
Intelius’s special fast pass function may come in handy if you need information quickly. With the quick pass, you can avoid waiting in line and go directly to your report.
You can conduct as many searches as you like, and your privacy will be protected at all times, so the people you are looking for will never know.
People Search
A person’s most pertinent details are readily available using Intelius’s People Search function. Your query can include a name, number, or street address.
Age, date of birth, past and current addresses, contact information, potential relatives, social media platforms, email accounts, and job and educational histories are all at your fingertips.
Mobile App
You don’t need a web browser to use the Intelius platform. The firm now has apps for both Apple and Google’s mobile operating systems.
Whether a customer accesses Intelius via the mobile app or the mobile-responsive Intelius.com, they will receive the same high-quality service from the company.
Employment Background Checks
With these reports, companies can research prospective workers’ histories in search of red flags that might prevent them from getting hired.
Family Background Checks
These reports can reveal a person’s marital status, the existence of any kids, and the existence of any parental rights.
Those reports also detail the history of where the persons on them have lived.
5. Instant Checkmate
Instant Checkmate is like other sites that conducts background checks on individuals by searching public records.
The primary distinction is that additional locations and potential relatives are presented in the search query for a person. Information like this can aid in focusing your inquiry.
In a short time, this San Francisco company can give you access to your case online background check.
Because it relies so heavily on public records, this program can provide any information found online.
Detailed Information
Suppose you are curious about a new friend or would like to learn more about them before accepting them only as a work colleague.
In that case, you can learn about their criminal past, just as if they have been charged with arson, theft, deceit, burglary, or even manslaughter.
You should always know who you’re dealing with, regardless of how long ago a crime was committed.
Employment Background Checks
Background checks can reveal not only the target’s current and previous addresses but also their employment history.
This feature will expose the target’s past and present places of employment. The victim’s loans and other banking details are also accessible.
Name-Based Search
You can run a background check using a name-based search by inputting the individual’s first and last name along with their city and state.
Finding the person is still possible even if you don’t have all of this data.
People Search
People search provides an alphabetical list of contact information.
The full names of all the people listed here can be searched for using just the first and last letters of their names.
Criminal Records
Someone’s criminal history can be accessed through a specific menu. Their initial name, last name, and state of residence are all searchable criteria.
You’ll be able to quickly scan through criminal, traffic, and arrest history reports. A subscription is required to view the full report.
6. US Search
US Search is totally free and offers several methods for uncovering the target’s undetected, legitimate, and useful information.
Searches by name and backward lookups are two methods used. The website needs his name to perform a background check on the victim.
Current and previous residences, additional contact numbers, and full names are all retrievable details.
You may look up his background and criminal history on the site by searching for his name.
Addresses, birthdays, number of people in his household, and results of background checks are all included.
The website guarantees the records it hosts are accurate and up-to-date.
People Search
Discover a person’s position with the help of this superb resource.
If you enter a person’s first and last name, you’ll get access to their complete address history and current contact information.
This US Search individuals service may display additional information about a person, such as aliases and family members.
You can improve your search results by including a street number and state in your query.
Background Check
Public arrest records, legal judgments (which may encompass traffic violations), unpaid taxes, and debts are all available through this database search tool.
The investigation we conducted for this US Search review revealed that the firm only has access to criminal records in 43 states and can only produce results from a single state simultaneously.
US Search does not confirm people’s employment or academic credentials as other background check businesses do.
Report Design
While US Search reports can get cluttered with too much data, we found them well-designed and straightforward.
We liked how the different portions were each given their color to help us keep track of where we had left off.
We also appreciated that each report included a map in the “Known Addresses” section.
Criminal Background Checks
The Background Check option is an added service and, as such, comes with an additional cost. As would be anticipated, the cost is more than for standard searches.
User feedback, however, indicates that fewer sources contribute to the more in-depth searches.
US Search Criminal Background Check allows you to review criminal histories in 43 states and marriage registrations in 11.
Because of this, you might not always get the answers you want.
Nonetheless, it is a wonderful feature because it offers access to criminal and financial records and information on civil judgments, defaults, and unpaid fines.
It does not reveal information on credit records or similar facts to thwart identity theft.
7. First Advantage
Fast turnaround times and access to background checks in multiple countries make First Advantage the top background check website overall.
So that you don’t have to, the company will contact you directly if they require more information from you.
Many users highly recommend First Advantage’s services, which have a good overall rating. It allows you to customize your search to narrow it down to the targeted person.
Their background checks are very accurate, and thanks to their huge database, you can also find criminal backgrounds.
First Advantage Services
First Advantage provides domestic and foreign firms services, including background checks in many jurisdictions.
As most results are returned in just 24 hours, this service is ideal for a background check. It provides drug testing and can request FBI background checks using fingerprints.
Customized Reports
Since the needs of each company are unique, it is only fair that any potential solutions be customized to meet those specific requirements.
Because of First Advantage’s ability to tailor its services to meet the specific demands of its clientele, a variety of businesses can now benefit from its innovative approach.
Insight Advantage
Another plus for First Advantage is that they value and act upon customer feedback. This program provides insightful and actionable reports that are data-driven.
Consequently, you can zero in on ways to boost the effectiveness of your staff onboarding processes.
Final Words
This article covered some of the best background check sites and services.
In the past, searching for public records required a trip to the county clerk’s office, a written request, and a personal appearance in person for out-of-state records.
Finding the criminal history of the person you wish to research by going door to door is the worst possible option.
But nowadays, owing to the internet, anyone may easily access any public data about themselves. These websites are simple to navigate and accessible from any location.
Free background checks offer you the lowdown on the person you look up to but don’t expect them to spill the beans on their personal life since it would violate their privacy and, maybe, stalking.
