Zero of fourteen models named BackgroundChecks.com first on the direct prompt; one named Certn. BackgroundChecks.com was named by twelve of the fourteen models and Certn by thirteen and BackgroundChecks.com carries 20 labels and Certn 29, so the shares are not directly comparable.
Named in one category this edition.
Named in one category this edition.
Share is the count of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts over all fourteen models, for a mid-market B2B company; rank is within the category; every quote names the model and the prompt it came from. Both figures come from the background screening page.
Across every category in the October 2026 Edition, BackgroundChecks.com and Certn were named in the same answer twenty-nine times, of the 60 answers naming BackgroundChecks.com and the 68 naming Certn. In those answers Certn took the first choice four times and BackgroundChecks.com five.
| Model | Direct | Paraphrase | Comparative | Budget-constrained | Scale-constrained | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | ||||||
| GPT-5.4 mini | ||||||
| Gemini 3.5 Flash | ||||||
| Perplexity Sonar | ||||||
| Grok 4.1 Fast | ||||||
| Mistral Small | ||||||
| DeepSeek V4 Flash | ||||||
| Llama 4 Maverick | ||||||
| Qwen 3.7 Flash | ||||||
| Kimi K2 | ||||||
| GLM 4.7 FlashX | ||||||
| MiniMax M2.5 | ||||||
| GPT-6 Luna | ||||||
| Muse Glimmer 30B |
Bold names in an answer are the products the judge labeled a first choice; a model naming several gives each of them that label. The full answer text for every row is in the record.
Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Five of six in this category shown.
“multiple customer reviews label it a "scam," citing canceled accounts after payment without delivering reports” Grok 4.1 Fast · negative prompt · hard negative
“Complaints about randomly locking users out of accounts” MiniMax M2.5 · negative prompt · soft negative
“For the tightest budget, BackgroundChecks.com appears to offer the lowest entry point at $24.99 per basic report with no contracts or fees.” MiniMax M2.5 · budget prompt · first choice
“The best background check provider for a company with a limited budget is BackgroundChecks.com, which offers a pay-as-you-go screening service” Llama 4 Maverick · budget prompt · first choice
“BackgroundChecks.com, Certn, and HireShield are recommended for lighter, pay-as-you-go needs” Mistral Small · budget prompt · first choice
Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Four of five in this category shown.
“Cheaper options like Certn exist but have reliability concerns (e.g., login issues, variable support), making them riskier” Grok 4.1 Fast · budget prompt · soft negative
“recommended for lighter, pay-as-you-go needs, making them suitable for small businesses with budget constraints” Mistral Small · budget prompt · first choice
“If you need the absolute lowest per-report cost and can self-serve: Certn ~ $13.99-$17.99/check.” Muse Glimmer 30B · budget prompt · first choice
“Start with Checkr Professional or Certn Business for most mid-market B2B companies” GLM 4.7 FlashX · direct prompt · first choice
Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category, each against each. The output is the models' output; nothing here is a recommendation by the index.