--- title: "Instant Checkmate Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra" description: "With the help of Capterra, learn about Instant Checkmate Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other Background Check products and more." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/177787/Instant-Checkmate/" page_type: "product" language: "en" publication_date: "2026-10-19" --- # Instant Checkmate Software Review 2026: Features, Integrations, Pros & Cons Last updated on October 19, 2026 Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Description](#description)[Use cases](#use-cases)[Alternatives](#alternatives)[FAQs](#faqs)[Features](#features)[Pricing](#pricing)[Support](#support)[Reviews](#reviews) Instant Checkmate ## What is Instant Checkmate? Public records search service designed for performing background checks, reviewing criminal history, and performing reverse phone number lookups. Users can search for someone’s criminal records, addresses, age, known aliases, and arrest records. ## What is Instant Checkmate used for? [Background Check](https://www.capterra.com/background-check-software/) Overall rating Based on 28 user reviews Reviews sentiment Positive 32% Neutral 39% Negative 29% ### Starting price Free trial not available Capterra Shortlist charts the highest-rated and most popular products... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Do you work for Instant Checkmate?[Manage this product listing](https://www.g2.com/products/instant-checkmate/claim_requests/new?auto=true) ## Compare with a popular alternative Capterra selects software alternatives based on relevant features, verified user reviews and user interactions. Placement may be influenced by client status. ### Instant Checkmate 3.0 (28) VS. [### PlatinumHR](https://www.capterra.com/p/125669/PlatinumHR/) [3.3 (3)](https://www.capterra.com/p/125669/PlatinumHR/#reviews) Starting Price Contact vendor Starting Price Contact vendor Free Trial Free Version Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version Ease Of Use 3.8 (28) Ease Of Use 4.0 (3) Value For Money 2.8 (23) Value For Money 3.3 (3) Customer Service 2.8 (19) Customer Service 2.7 (3) ## FAQs about Instant Checkmate Overview ### Which roles and teams benefit most from Instant Checkmate? Instant Checkmate is most used by business owners, managers, and administrative leaders who check public records and contact details when evaluating business relationships or handling operations. Recruiters, safety professionals, and private investigators use it to support screening and identity research, while freelancers and service providers verify unfamiliar contacts before accepting work or clients. Answer based on 28 reviews Features and Usability ### What are the key features of Instant Checkmate? Instant Checkmate offers criminal history verification, data verification, education verification, and employment eligibility verification for screening workflows. It also includes reference checking, fraud detection, instant checks, tenant screening, and screening services integration to support background and identity-related review processes. Getting Started and Support ### What customer support options does Instant Checkmate offer? Instant Checkmate provides Email/Help Desk, FAQ/Forum, and Phone Support. Users describe support experiences differently: some say representatives answer questions clearly and explain issues well, while others report frustration with billing disclosures and unhelpful phone interactions when resolving report problems. Answer based on 2 reviews ## Features AI summary Based on 709 Background Check reviews Capterra data shows that buyers of background check software rank the following features as their top priorities: - **Background Screening** (**54%** of reviewers rated this feature as critical) - **Identity Verification** (**50%**) - **Criminal History Verification** (**56%**) Instant Checkmate includes **Criminal History Verification**, which helps users review criminal records as part of their screening process. However, it does not include **Background Screening** or **Identity Verification**. Instead, it offers **Employment Screening** (**47%**) and **Data Verification** (**44%**), giving teams additional ways to review work-related records and confirm key information, helping businesses make more informed screening decisions and reduce risk. Employment Screening 1.0 (1) 0.00% of 1 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Screen and verify candidates for professional roles Data Verification 1.0 (1) 0.00% of 1 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Process of checking different types of data for accuracy to avoid errors or inconsistencies Education Verification 1.0 (1) 0.00% of 1 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Verify an individual's educational past, including degree, training, or certification claims, among others Fraud Detection 1.0 (1) 0.00% of 1 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Identify and prevent suspicious activity Reference Checking 1.0 (1) 0.00% of 1 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Process used by hiring managers to get more information about a candidate by contacting previous employers Tenant Screening 1.0 (1) 0.00% of 1 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Evaluate the criminal, financial, and employment history of tenants Instant Checkmate 8 features ### All Features - Criminal History Verification: Verify an individual's arrest record through connection with a criminal database - Data Verification: Process of checking different types of data for accuracy to avoid errors or inconsistencies - Education Verification: Verify an individual's educational past, including degree, training, or certification claims, among others - Employment Screening: Screen and verify candidates for professional roles - Fraud Detection: Identify and prevent suspicious activity - Reference Checking: Process used by hiring managers to get more information about a candidate by contacting previous employers - Screening Services Integration: Screening performed by employees working for the vendor. Software functionality is offered on top of these services. - Tenant Screening: Evaluate the criminal, financial, and employment history of tenants --- Get Advice We can help you find the software with the features you need. Features 3.3 (28) 3.3 Based on 28 reviews ## Pricing Value for money 2.8 (23) ### Starting price Free trial not available Value for money 2.8 (23) 2.8 Based on 23 reviews Connect with a Capterra advisor for a free 15-minute consultation Get a personalized software list aligned to your business needs with guidance from our expert advisors. Our team has helped 1 million+ businesses like yours find options that fit their needs. ## Support, customer service and training options Customer Service 2.8 (19) Support - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - 24/7 (Live rep) - Chat Training - In Person - Live Online - Webinars - Documentation - Videos Deployment - Web - Android - iPhone/iPad Typical users - Freelancers - Small businesses - Mid size businesses - Enterprises Customer Service 2.8 (19) 2.8 Based on 19 reviews ## User reviews Overall rating 3.0 Based on 28 reviews Filter by rating Counts reflect reviews available in this feed. 5(4) 4(5) 3(11) 2(3) 1(5) Mentioned topic Recent reviews first, then most helpful RE Reviewer Musician Used the software for: Less than 1 year ### "Check Mate" 1.0 Overall Rating 1.0 1.0 Ease of Use 2.0 2.0 Features 2.0 2.0 Customer Service 1.0 1.0 Likelihood to Recommend 1/10 February 24, 2026 Instant Checkmate is exactly that. As soon as you pay them money, they have you in Check Mate! I paid for a background check on myself and most of the information was listed 4-5 times and then the rest wasn't even mine. You can't do an accurate without a person's SSN. The report given was absolutely useless and they won't refund, so I had to dispute it with my bank! Bad business when you don't deliver the product paid for and then won't refund or make it right! Cons The service I received is different than what I originally purchased I am not satisfied with the quality of service I received I'm being charged for a service. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. RE Reviewer Manager Used the software for: 1-3 years ### "Know who your dealing with at all times" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 May 12, 2020 Instant checkmate will be your best friend. It allows you to make sure people are who they say they are. Pros This is a great system. It helps you know the main facts. True some privacy is nice but the most important thing is safety. Cons It's kinda general. It allows you to search one by one so it can take a rather long time to get through a list. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. RE Reviewer Bartender Used the software for: 1-3 years ### "Checkmate" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 December 31, 2019 Overall my experience was pretty positive when they overcharged. I called customer service and they were very helpful and friendly. They were to fix the program right away and the money went back into my account immediately. Pros I used this app to do a background check on my tenants for the property that I rent out.I found it to very helpful and I got fast results for the background checks. Cons The only con that I had was that I did one day free trial and they ended up charging me for a month instead of a free trial. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. VR Verified Reviewer Private Investigator Used the software for: Less than 1 year ### "Decent compared to others" 4.0 August 28, 2018 Customer service is great answer all questions Thorley and give explanations to them really enjoyed using this product. Pros Easy to use, for the most part it was pretty accurate, it's a decent tool to have in your resource Group Cons Nothing really negative to say. A little more accurate information, but for the price it's a good resource to have. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. VR Verified Reviewer Branch Manager Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "easy search" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 August 16, 2021 I'm able to verify information quickly and painlessly with minimal impact to the day and resulting in less leg work for my clients Pros This product is super easy to use. I was able to quickly verify the accuracy of the results. Cons The log in can be a little buggy on some browsers, so I find myself waiting until I'm on my main computer Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. RE Reviewer Owner Used the software for: Less than 1 year ### "There's a reason they don't give a free trial" 1.0 Overall Rating 1.0 1.0 Ease of Use 1.0 1.0 Features 1.0 1.0 Customer Service 1.0 1.0 Likelihood to Recommend 1/10 September 25, 2024 Very disappointed with the product. It did not at all provide what I really needed and thought it was going to provide. Pros There was really very little to like once I saw an actual report. Cons There was so much information missing and what was provided was so often extremely inaccurate. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. Roger J. Stocker Used the software for: Less than 1 year ### "Not Very Accurate" 3.0 Overall Rating 3.0 3.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 3.0 3.0 Customer Service 1.0 1.0 Likelihood to Recommend 1/10 December 14, 2018 Over all it has its merits and it's flaws like any soft ware but there are much better programs out there with higher accuracy that I would use first before using this again Pros What I liked best is that this software will pull up all relevant information for employers and even the general public. Cons What I don't like about this software is their ability to pull up outdated or even exponged records and include them in their report s which can result in misleading information being presented. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. RE Reviewer free lance transcriber Used the software for: 1-3 years ### "What a waste and sneaky at that! " 2.0 Overall Rating 2.0 2.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 1.0 1.0 Customer Service 1.0 1.0 Likelihood to Recommend 1/10 March 15, 2019 My over all experience was awful. Iwould never use them again. Pros I needed to have a background check done for employment one day, about 6 months ago. And when I used this software, for one, they NEVER told me of my payment disclosure, and amount. Then, when I did finaly receive the report, it had nothing of ANY use on it. The customer service rep that I got in touch with over the phone, tolod me that it says things in the fine print. They do this to make a quick dollar, and I do not find this fair at all. Cons How sneaky they are about getting your money. It's almost disgusting. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. RE Reviewer Senior Recruiter Used the software for: Less than 1 year ### "Has potential, but lacks polish" 2.0 November 25, 2019 Hit-or-miss option to quickly check the background of a candidate. Should not be relied on for a comprehensive or conclusive background check, but it can be a quick way to see if it's worth the time to run a full one. Pros Quick to use, depending on the person/background it can be an easy way to see if there might be an issue on their background. Cons It does not seem to be accurate and pulls too broad of a search into the results. If a candidate has a common name or multiple relatives, the results seem to get confused about who you are actually searching for. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. Verified Reviewer Freelance Graphic Designer Used the software for: Less than 1 year ### "Simple way to find public records" 3.0 October 9, 2018 Helps me to easily and quickly find background information with free and paid options. Pros Instant Checkmate makes it easy to find public records for a low cost if I want more information. It's nice also that I can take my information down if I wish to. Cons The site looks like it might not be a legit service, but it is. The user interface design could use some updates in order to make it look more legit. But it does have a Norton logo, so you do know that you can trust it. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. 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