ClearStar vs First Advantage

ClearStar provides employment screening services, including background checks and health screenings. Its listed options include pre-employment screening, drug and occupational health checks, employee monitoring, social media screening and Smart Screen by Equifax. The social media service uses AI-enhanced analysis to flag risk patterns. Candidates can receive one invitation by text and email for all services. ClearStar says it connects with ATS platforms including SAP, Paycor, Workday, Eightfold.ai, Dayforce, SmartRecruiters and Employ, and describes partner integrations as API-driven. It says its global searches cover more than 230 countries. Listed credentials include ISO 27001:2013, ISO 27018:2019 and ISO 27701:2019 certifications, plus a SOC 2 Type 2 report. Its regulatory support includes FCRA and EEOC expertise, GDPR readiness and participation in EU-U.S., UK and Swiss-U.S. Data Privacy Frameworks. ClearStar lists industries including healthcare, manufacturing, retail, staffing and transportation among those it serves. Founded in 1995, it is headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia. Pricing is customized around screening mix and compliance requirements, and is available on request. No free plan or free trial is listed.

First Advantage provides employment background checks, identity verification, and related screening for organizations from small businesses to global employers. Its services include drug and occupational health screening, fingerprinting, and international checks across more than 200 countries and territories. Small businesses can invite candidates to submit the information and authorization needed for checks, track progress, and review completed reports online. Available reports vary by role, hiring policy, and applicable requirements. For connected hiring systems, First Advantage lists more than 100 ATS and HCM integrations, including Workday, iCIMS, and Bullhorn. Its REST API can initiate checks, return results, and provide real-time status updates; the company says its API can process thousands of screens per hour. The Trust Center lists multi-factor authentication, audit logging, role-based access control, and credentials including SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO/IEC 27001:2022. Customer care is described for candidates and employees, with dedicated technical support for integration setup. Pricing is on request, and the listed small-business option is pay-as-you-go with no setup fees or minimum screening volume.