Head to head · Verified June 2026
Sterling vs HireRight: Both Quote-Only Fortune 500
The two largest legacy Fortune 500 background check providers. Both are quote-only. The decision is rarely about per-check price; it is about ownership, industry fit, and global footprint.
Direct answer
Which is cheaper, Sterling or HireRight?
Both are quote-only. Neither publishes per-check rates publicly. Per-check pricing in this band depends heavily on annual volume, the depth of bundled services, and contract length. Request a quote from both at the same volume and bundle scope to compare like with like.
Side-by-side
| Dimension | Sterling | HireRight |
|---|---|---|
| Published pricing | No (quote only) | No (quote only) |
| Ownership | First Advantage (since 31 Oct 2024) | Standalone (private equity owned) |
| Customer profile | Fortune 500 + multinational | Fortune 500 specialism |
| Geographic coverage | 15+ countries | Global; country list not published |
| Industry configurations | Customised per industry | Healthcare, financial services, transportation, technology |
| Sales cycle | 4 to 8 weeks typical | 6 to 10 weeks typical |
| Best fit | Multinational HR with existing First Advantage relationship | Fortune 500 with multi-region drug-testing requirement |
How to choose
- You already use First Advantage. Pick Sterling (or just consolidate with First Advantage directly).
- You need a global multi-region drug-testing programme integrated with the background check workflow. Pick HireRight.
- You need a healthcare-specific configuration. Consider Cisive (via PreCheck) before either of these.
- You hire under 1,000/year. Step down to Checkr or GoodHire; the enterprise commercial overhead is not justified at that volume.
The procurement reality
For both vendors, year-on-year escalators (the contractual price increase applied at renewal) are private to each customer. Request the escalator schedule explicitly when negotiating the master service agreement. The default in this band is mid-single-digit annual increases unless capped.
Last verified June 2026