Softwr

Accounting · head to head

Avalara vs Checkr

Avalara logo

Avalara

Accounting

Tax compliance done right

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Checkr logo

Checkr

Recruitment

Background check platform priced per report, with third-party court fees passed through separately

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Avalara pricing varies significantly based on products, integrations, transaction volume, and jurisdictions; Checkr advertised per-report prices exclude court and database access fees, so the real cost per candidate varies by jurisdiction and is higher than the sticker in many counties
  • They diverge on capability: Avalara covers Tax calculation, Checkr covers Package pricing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Avalara and Checkr actually diverge.

Attributes where Avalara and Checkr differ
AttributeAvalaraCheckr
Starting price$29/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer report, plus pass-through court and database fees
CategoryAccountingRecruitment
Founded2004Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web, Api), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Avalara

  • Tax calculation
  • Returns filing
  • Exemption management
  • Document management
  • Real-time rates
  • QuickBooks
  • NetSuite
  • Shopify

Only in Checkr

  • Package pricing
  • API and dashboard
  • Adjudication tools
  • Continuous checks
  • Candidate portal

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Avalara

  • Real-time sales tax calculation at checkoutnot Checkr
  • Multi-state and multi-jurisdiction tax determinationnot Checkr
  • VAT, lodging, communications and excise tax calculationnot Checkr
  • Feeding tax results into an ERP or ecommerce platform through the APInot Checkr

Checkr

  • A company running high-volume hourly or gig hiring that needs API-driven checks integrated into an existing ATSnot Avalara
  • A startup or mid-size employer wanting self-service ordering through a dashboard without a dedicated screening account managernot Avalara
  • An employer that needs continuous rescreening for driving-related roles rather than a one-time check at hirenot Avalara
  • A company budgeting screening costs that needs to model court fee variance across the states it hires innot Avalara

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Avalara

  • Pricing varies significantly based on products, integrations, transaction volume, and jurisdictions
  • No free tier or trial period published
  • Enterprise sales model requires contacting sales specialists for customized quotes

Checkr

  • Advertised per-report prices exclude court and database access fees, so the real cost per candidate varies by jurisdiction and is higher than the sticker in many counties
  • Turnaround time depends on how fast individual courts process requests, which Checkr does not control and which can stretch well past the advertised average in rural or backlogged counties
  • Add-on checks such as MVR, drug screening and education verification are priced separately, so a full pre-employment package can cost significantly more than the base package price suggests
  • Enterprise-scale volume requires a custom Enterprise contract rather than the published per-report rates, so large employers cannot rely on the public pricing page to budget
  • Compliance obligations under the FCRA and state ban-the-box laws remain the employer's responsibility even though Checkr provides tooling, so legal review is still needed rather than assumed away by the platform
  • Candidate disputes and re-adjudication can add days to a hiring timeline, which matters for roles filled under time pressure

Pricing, plan by plan

Avalara

$29/month
  • AvaTax$50/month
    • Tax calculation
    • Exemption certificates
    • Returns filing

Checkr

On request
  • Basic$29.99/report
    • SSN trace
    • Sex offender registry
    • Global watchlist
  • Essential$59.99/report
    • Everything in Basic
    • Identity verification
    • Unlimited county criminal search
  • Complete$94.99/report
    • Everything in Essential
    • Unlimited state criminal search
    • Federal criminal search

Which should you pick?

Choose Avalara if

  • You need tax calculation.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want returns filing.
Avalara review

Choose Checkr if

  • You need package pricing.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want api and dashboard.
Checkr review

Questions people ask

Is Avalara or Checkr better?
Neither clearly leads. Avalara starts at $29/month and Checkr at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Avalara or Checkr?
Avalara starts at $29/month and Checkr at On request.
Does Avalara or Checkr run on more platforms?
Avalara runs on Web, Api. Checkr runs on Web, API.
What is Avalara best used for?
Avalara is most often used for real-time sales tax calculation at checkout, multi-state and multi-jurisdiction tax determination, vat, lodging, communications and excise tax calculation, feeding tax results into an erp or ecommerce platform through the api. Of those, real-time sales tax calculation at checkout and multi-state and multi-jurisdiction tax determination are not what Checkr is typically brought in for.
What can Avalara do that Checkr cannot?
Avalara covers Tax calculation, Returns filing, Exemption management, Document management. Checkr covers Package pricing, API and dashboard, Adjudication tools, Continuous checks.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Avalara: What are the starting prices for Avalara services?

Avalara Tax Calculation and Returns Compliance Package starts at $699. License Guidance is available for as low as $119. Sales Tax Registration costs $403 per location.

Source
Checkr: Does the per-report price include court fees?

No. Checkr states that standard third-party court and database access fees are passed through at cost on top of the package price, and these vary by jurisdiction.

Avalara: How does Avalara's pricing scale?

Avalara uses volume-based pricing that varies based on the number of integrated business applications, volume of monthly sales transactions, number of states or jurisdictions for tax collection, and Streamlined Sales Tax enrollment. Pricing scales with business growth and transaction volume.

Source
Checkr: Can Checkr be used without an ATS integration?

Yes, checks can be ordered manually through the Checkr dashboard as well as programmatically through the API.

Checkr: Is pricing different for enterprise volume?

Yes, high-volume employers negotiate an Enterprise contract rather than paying the published per-report rates.

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