Background screening · October 2026 Edition
Checkr vs Sterling
Eight of fourteen models named Checkr first on the direct prompt; one named Sterling. Checkr was named by fourteen of the fourteen models and Sterling by thirteen and Checkr carries 48 labels and Sterling 25, so the shares are not directly comparable.
Named in two categories this edition.
Named in one category this edition.
First-choice share31%2%Of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts, 0 to 100.
Negative rate8%32%Negative labels as a share of the product's labels, 0 to 100.
Rank in category#1#8A position in a field of 12; printed, not drawn.
Labels4825A count; the two differ.
The two percentage rows are drawn on one 0 to 100 track, Checkr reading right to left. Rank and label count are printed, not drawn.Accurate Background was named alongside these two in twelve of the fourteen direct answers. Checkr vs GoodHire · Checkr vs BackgroundChecks.com · Checkr vs Certn
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.
By framing
How many of the fourteen models made each the first choice, per way of asking, and how many argued against it.
CheckrFirst choices, of fourteen modelsSterling
Direct812 against Sterling
Paraphrase60
Comparative80
Budget-constrained301 against Sterling
Scale-constrained00
Negative014 against Checkr · 5 against Sterling
Bars are first choices, 0 to 14 each sideModels that argued againstA model can name both, so the two sides of a row do not sum to fourteen.
Across every category in the October 2026 Edition, Checkr and Sterling were named in the same answer sixty-eight times, of the 164 answers naming Checkr and the 93 naming Sterling. In those answers Sterling took the first choice four times and Checkr twenty.
Every model, every framing
The eighty-four answers behind the chart above, one cell each: where Checkr and Sterling stood in it.
| 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 | |
Checkr Sterling first choice named as an alternative argued againstblank: not namedEach cell is one answer, Checkr on the left and Sterling on the right.The direct prompt
The plain question, one answer per model, grouped by where Checkr and Sterling stood in it.
Checkr first, Sterling not the choice
8 of 14 modelsSterling was named in the answer but not as the choice, or not at all.Claude Haiku 4.5Accurate Background, Checkr alternatives: Mitratech AssureHire
GPT-5.4 miniCheckr alternatives: Atlantic Employee Screening, Certn, Hireology
Gemini 3.5 FlashCheckr alternatives: Accurate Background, Certn, Verified First
Perplexity SonarCheckr alternatives: Accurate Background, GoodHire, Mitratech AssureHire
Kimi K2Checkr alternatives: Accurate Background, Certn, GoodHire, iprospectcheck
GLM 4.7 FlashXCertn, Checkr alternatives: Accurate Background, Cisive, GoodHire
MiniMax M2.5Checkr, HireRight alternatives: Accurate Background, GoodHire, IntelliCorp
GPT-6 LunaCheckr alternatives: Accurate Background, First Advantage
Sterling first, Checkr an alternative
1 of 14 modelsCheckr was named in the answer but not as the choice, or not at all.Grok 4.1 FastSterling alternatives: Checkr, GoodHire, HireRight
Neither was the first choice, one was named
3 of 14 modelsThe answer put something else first and named one of the two as an alternative.Mistral SmallMitratech AssureHire alternatives: Accurate Background, Sterling
DeepSeek V4 FlashAccurate Background alternatives: Certn, Checkr, GoodHire
Qwen 3.7 FlashGoodHire alternatives: Accurate Background, Checkr, CredCheck, Dun & Bradstreet, Sovren, Verified First
Neither was named
2 of 14 modelsThe answer made no first choice from these two in this category.Llama 4 MaverickMitratech AssureHire alternatives: Accurate Background, BackgroundChecks.com, Certn, GoodHire, HireShield
Muse Glimmer 30BBchex, Verified First alternatives: Accurate Background, DISA Global Solutions, GoodHire, Mitratech AssureHire, Orange Tree
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.
By buyer segment
The same question asked on behalf of a different buyer. Each standing is computed within its segment and they are never added together. The figures above are the mid-market standing, which is the one the category orders by.
Small business
Checkr leads by thirty-one points.
Checkr31%#2 of 8Sterling0%#7 of 8Mid-marketThe figures above
Checkr leads by twenty-nine points.
Checkr31%#1 of 12Sterling2%#8 of 12Enterprise
What the models said about Checkr
Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Six of eight in this category shown.
“Checkr is the most frequently sued background check company” Claude Haiku 4.5 · negative prompt · hard negative
“466 complaints in 3 years ... often about delays, errors, or unresolved issues in employment screening” Grok 4.1 Fast · negative prompt · soft negative
“Checkr has faced a sharp spike in CFPB complaints and numerous class-action lawsuits” Gemini 3.5 Flash · negative prompt · soft negative
“Market leader for high-volume / tech and gig hiring. "the best background check tools for recruiters in 2026 are Checkr (market leader with 120,000+ customers and AI-powered workflows)"” Muse Glimmer 30B · comparative prompt · first choice
“Checkr excels in speed/tech integrations; ... Fast (AI-powered), scalable for high-volume/gig economy, 200+ ATS integrations” Grok 4.1 Fast · comparative prompt · first choice
“API-first architecture — one of the most technically advanced platforms... Checkr for its API-first speed and automation” DeepSeek V4 Flash · comparative prompt · first choice
What the models said about Sterling
Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Six of eight in this category shown.
“Trustpilot reviews highlight disorganization, incompetence, extremely slow turnaround times (weeks/months), poor customer support” GLM 4.7 FlashX · negative prompt · hard negative
“$4.75 million FCRA class action settlement for providing outdated information to employers” DeepSeek V4 Flash · negative prompt · hard negative
“Recently sued in 2024 for allegedly falsely reporting criminal history and arrest warrants” MiniMax M2.5 · negative prompt · hard negative
“Stick with well-established, accredited providers like Sterling, HireRight, GoodHire, or TransUnion SmartMove” Mistral Small · negative prompt · first choice
“Sterling (now part of First Advantage) \u2013 Strongest fit for mid-market B2B.” Grok 4.1 Fast · direct prompt · first choice
“Best for: Large enterprises needing comprehensive health screenings - Limitations: Quote-based pricing” Kimi K2 · comparative prompt · alternative
Also compared
Checkr vs GoodHireCheckr vs BackgroundChecks.comCheckr vs CertnCheckr vs Verified FirstCheckr vs Accurate BackgroundCheckr vs HireRightGoodHire vs SterlingBackgroundChecks.com vs SterlingCertn vs SterlingVerified First vs SterlingAccurate Background vs SterlingHireRight vs SterlingAll twenty-eight head-to-head pages and the full background screening standing
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.