Recruitment · head to head
Checkr vs Factorial
Checkr
Recruitment
Background check platform priced per report, with third-party court fees passed through separately
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Factorial has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: 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; Factorial no published tier names or feature-based pricing breakdown
- They diverge on capability: Checkr covers Package pricing, Factorial covers HR Management.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Checkr and Factorial actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Recruitment).
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 Checkr
- Package pricing
- API and dashboard
- Adjudication tools
- Continuous checks
- Candidate portal
Only in Factorial
- HR Management
- Time Off
- Time Tracking
- Documents
- Payroll
- Performance
- Recruiting
- Shift Management
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Checkr
- A company running high-volume hourly or gig hiring that needs API-driven checks integrated into an existing ATSnot Factorial
- A startup or mid-size employer wanting self-service ordering through a dashboard without a dedicated screening account managernot Factorial
- An employer that needs continuous rescreening for driving-related roles rather than a one-time check at hirenot Factorial
- A company budgeting screening costs that needs to model court fee variance across the states it hires innot Factorial
Factorial
- Managing employee records, onboarding and offboardingnot Checkr
- Tracking time off, attendance and shiftsnot Checkr
- Running recruitment and performance reviews alongside HR datanot Checkr
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Factorial
- No published tier names or feature-based pricing breakdown
- Pricing customization requires sales consultation
Pricing, plan by plan
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
Factorial
Free- FreeFree
- Basic HR
- Time Off
- Documents
- Business$5/month
- All Free features
- Payroll
- Performance
Which should you pick?
Choose Checkr if
- You need package pricing.
- You work on Web, API.
- You also want api and dashboard.
Choose Factorial if
- You need hr management.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want time off.
Questions people ask
- Is Checkr or Factorial better?
- Neither clearly leads. Checkr starts at On request and Factorial at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Checkr or Factorial?
- Factorial has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Checkr and Free for Factorial.
- Does Checkr or Factorial run on more platforms?
- Checkr runs on Web, API. Factorial runs on Web, Ios, Android.
- Can I use Factorial for free?
- Yes. Factorial has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Checkr starts at On request.
- What is Checkr best used for?
- Checkr is most often used for a company running high-volume hourly or gig hiring that needs api-driven checks integrated into an existing ats, a startup or mid-size employer wanting self-service ordering through a dashboard without a dedicated screening account manager, an employer that needs continuous rescreening for driving-related roles rather than a one-time check at hire, a company budgeting screening costs that needs to model court fee variance across the states it hires in. Of those, a company running high-volume hourly or gig hiring that needs api-driven checks integrated into an existing ats and a startup or mid-size employer wanting self-service ordering through a dashboard without a dedicated screening account manager are not what Factorial is typically brought in for.
- What can Checkr do that Factorial cannot?
- Checkr covers Package pricing, API and dashboard, Adjudication tools, Continuous checks. Factorial covers HR Management, Time Off, Time Tracking, Documents.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
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.
Factorial: What is Factorial's starting price?
Factorial starts at $8 per month per user. The company offers modular pricing where customers select features across categories including time management, talent management, finance management, and IT management.
SourceCheckr: 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.
Factorial: Can I customize my Factorial plan?
Yes. Factorial offers customizable plans for all businesses and budgets. A specialist will design a plan based on specific business needs. All plans include the Factorial Core platform with employee directory, onboarding/offboarding, payslip distribution, legal e-signature, and custom notifications.
SourceCheckr: 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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