Softwr

Recruitment · head to head

Checkr vs Lever

Checkr logo

Checkr

Recruitment

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Lever logo

Lever

Recruitment

Talent acquisition suite built for collaboration

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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; Lever customized pricing requires sales contact, no public pricing
  • They diverge on capability: Checkr covers Package pricing, Lever covers Applicant Tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Checkr and Lever actually diverge.

Attributes where Checkr and Lever differ
AttributeCheckrLever
Pricing modelPer report, plus pass-through court and database feesquote
PlatformsWeb, APIWeb
FoundedUnknown2012

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), 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 Lever

  • Applicant Tracking
  • Candidate CRM
  • Sourcing
  • Interview Management
  • Analytics
  • Offer Management
  • LinkedIn
  • Indeed

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 Lever
  • A startup or mid-size employer wanting self-service ordering through a dashboard without a dedicated screening account managernot Lever
  • An employer that needs continuous rescreening for driving-related roles rather than a one-time check at hirenot Lever
  • A company budgeting screening costs that needs to model court fee variance across the states it hires innot Lever

Lever

  • Applicant tracking from sourcing through offernot Checkr
  • Building and nurturing talent pipelines of passive candidatesnot Checkr
  • Automating interview scheduling, follow-ups and offer lettersnot Checkr
  • Reporting on hiring performance across sourcesnot Checkr
  • Screening at volume with AI ranking and recommendationsnot 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

Lever

  • Customized pricing requires sales contact, no public pricing
  • Premium features like advanced CRM functionality require additional fees
  • Implementation requires some technical configuration

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

Lever

On request
  • LeverTRM$undefined/month
    • ATS
    • CRM
    • Sourcing
  • LeverTRM for Enterprise$undefined/month
    • All LeverTRM features
    • Advanced Security
    • Dedicated Support

Which should you pick?

Choose Checkr if

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

Choose Lever if

  • You need applicant tracking.
  • You also want candidate crm.
Lever review

Questions people ask

Is Checkr or Lever better?
Neither clearly leads. Checkr starts at On request and Lever at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Checkr or Lever?
Checkr starts at On request and Lever at On request.
Does Checkr or Lever run on more platforms?
Checkr runs on Web, API. Lever runs on Web.
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 Lever is typically brought in for.
What can Checkr do that Lever cannot?
Checkr covers Package pricing, API and dashboard, Adjudication tools, Continuous checks. Lever covers Applicant Tracking, Candidate CRM, Sourcing, Interview Management.

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.

Lever: What is Lever used for?

Lever is modern recruiting software that centralizes recruiting into a single system for sourcing candidates, managing applications, scheduling interviews, collaborating with hiring managers, automating workflows, and measuring hiring performance.

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.

Lever: Does Lever include both ATS and CRM?

Yes. Lever integrates comprehensive Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) functionalities within a single offering called LeverTRM, with features like AI-powered screening and interview transcripts.

Source
Checkr: Is pricing different for enterprise volume?

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

Lever: What integrations does Lever support?

Lever integrates with 300+ tools including Slack for notifications, Zoom for interviews, calendar applications for scheduling, background check services, job boards, and leading HRIS platforms for talent management workflows.

Source
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