Softwr

Recruitment · head to head

Checkr vs Zenefits

Checkr logo

Checkr

Recruitment

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zenefits logo

Zenefits

Payroll

All-in-one HR platform for growing companies

From
$8/month
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; Zenefits product discontinued by parent company TriNet
  • They diverge on capability: Checkr covers Package pricing, Zenefits covers HR Administration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Checkr and Zenefits actually diverge.

Attributes where Checkr and Zenefits differ
AttributeCheckrZenefits
Starting priceOn request$8/month
Pricing modelPer report, plus pass-through court and database feessubscription
PlatformsWeb, APIWeb
CategoryRecruitmentPayroll
FoundedUnknown2013

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Checkr

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

Only in Zenefits

  • HR Administration
  • Benefits Management
  • Payroll
  • Time and Scheduling
  • Compliance
  • Performance Management
  • Slack
  • Google Workspace

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

Zenefits

No use cases recorded yet. See the Zenefits review.

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

Zenefits

  • Product discontinued by parent company TriNet
  • Remaining customers forced to migrate to more expensive TriNet products

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

Zenefits

$8/month
  • Essentials$8/month
    • HR Administration
    • Time Off Tracking
    • Scheduling
  • Growth$16/month
    • All Essentials features
    • Compensation Management
    • Performance Management

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 Zenefits if

  • You need hr administration.
  • You also want benefits management.
Zenefits review

Questions people ask

Is Checkr or Zenefits better?
Neither clearly leads. Checkr starts at On request and Zenefits at $8/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Checkr or Zenefits?
Checkr starts at On request and Zenefits at $8/month.
Does Checkr or Zenefits run on more platforms?
Checkr runs on Web, API. Zenefits 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 Zenefits is typically brought in for.
What can Checkr do that Zenefits cannot?
Checkr covers Package pricing, API and dashboard, Adjudication tools, Continuous checks. Zenefits covers HR Administration, Benefits Management, Payroll, Time and Scheduling.

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.

Zenefits: Is Zenefits still available as a standalone product?

No. Zenefits was discontinued as a standalone product after TriNet's acquisition in 2022. Existing customers are being migrated to TriNet HR Plus (ASO) or TriNet PEO at higher costs.

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.

Zenefits: What were Zenefits' main features before discontinuation?

Zenefits provided HR, benefits management, payroll as optional add-on, time and attendance tracking, and compliance tools for small to mid-sized businesses with 10-200 employees.

Source
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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