Nobody wants to pay $25 a month only to discover the reports are garbage. That’s why a free trial background check matters so much. You get to kick the tires before handing over your credit card.
I’ve tested more of these services than I’d like to admit, and the difference between good and bad ones becomes obvious within minutes.
Some platforms promise a free trial but hide anything useful behind upgrade buttons. Others actually let you search, dig through reports, and decide if the data is worth paying for.
These days, 96% of employers run checks, and regular people have started using them too, whether to screen a new roommate or check out a Tinder match. Here are five services that won’t waste your trial period.
How We Chose the Best Background Check Services
Every site below had to offer a paid trial under $2 with a clear end date, not a “free” trial that quietly requires a card and bills in full after a few days. From there, we weighed what the trial actually unlocks, whether cancellation is self-serve or requires contacting support, how far each site’s reports go beyond a name and address, and any FTC or FCRA enforcement history that affects trust.
Top 6 Best Background Check Services With a Trial
Each service below offers some form of trial access, though the terms vary. I tested them by running the same searches and comparing what information actually appeared during the trial period versus after payment.
1. Searqle
Most people-search trials start the same way: type in a first name, last name, and maybe a state. That works if you already know who you’re looking for. It works less well if all you have is a phone number that keeps calling you, an email from a stranger, or a photo that doesn’t match the name someone gave you. Searqle is built around that gap.
Searqle is a people search and identity verification platform that runs a search using a phone number, an email address, or a photo, then pulls the results into a single report — treating all three as equally valid starting points.
Key features:
- Phone number lookup with caller-identity detail
- Email address lookup that traces an address back to a name and known accounts
- Photo lookup, matching an image against public profile data
- Reports covering address history, relatives, employment/education background, and social profiles
- Fast report generation, usually returning results in minutes
Pricing runs in three tiers: trial for $1 that unlocks phone, email, and photo search; a weekly plan at $14.90 for 4 search credits; and a monthly plan at $39.90 for 20 credits.
The $1 trial ties Spokeo and Intelius for the lowest price here, but Searqle is the only one of the six that accepts a photo as a direct search input rather than just showing photos inside a report you started with a name.
Pros:
- $1 trial with no setup required
- Three search entry points (phone, email, photo) instead of one
- Weekly plan priced for a single, short-term need
- Reports combine identity, address, contact, and digital-footprint data in one place
Cons:
- No single-report, pay-once option — every tier is credit- or subscription-based
- Paid tiers cap searches by credit count rather than offering unlimited reports
Searqle works best for identifying an unfamiliar caller, verifying a new contact, or checking what’s public about a phone number, email, or photo before deciding whether a situation needs more than a quick look.
2. TruthFinder
TruthFinder is a people-search platform built around detailed personal reports, covering everything from criminal and traffic records to employment history and social profiles, accessed through a browser or its mobile app.
Key features:
- Unlimited person and location reports on the People Search membership
- Separate reverse phone lookup and reverse email lookup add-ons
- Mobile app for managing and viewing existing reports
- Optional $3.99/mo add-on for PDF downloads and ongoing report monitoring
TruthFinder pricing: People Search runs $28.33/mo, $67.32/3mo, or $117.84/6mo. Reverse Phone Lookup is a separate $4.99/mo add-on. There’s no trial or single-report option — you commit from the first charge.
Pros: reports are detailed and cover a wide range of categories; the mobile app is straightforward to navigate; a sample report is available before you buy.
Cons: TruthFinder was fined $5.8 million by the FTC in 2023 over deceptive marketing about report accuracy; there’s no trial period, so you’re paying full price from day one.
Best for: someone who wants the most detailed report available and is ready to commit to a subscription without testing a low-cost trial first.
3. Instant Checkmate
Instant Checkmate focuses on unlimited background searches, with particular depth on criminal, arrest, and traffic records, plus a mobile app for on-the-go lookups.
Key features:
- Unlimited person and location reports while subscribed
- Dedicated search tools for inmate records, traffic violations, and arrest history
- Report monitoring for updates to existing searches
- Mobile app with the same search functions as the desktop site
Instant Checkmate pricing: a 5-day trial costs $1, after which Person Reports renew at $35.47/mo (or $85.13 billed every three months). Phone Reports are a separate $5.99/mo add-on.
Pros: the $1 trial mirrors Searqle’s price point; unlimited reports once subscribed; transparent pricing tiers with no hidden per-report fees.
Cons: Instant Checkmate settled FCRA violation charges in 2014 and was fined by the FTC again in 2023 for deceptive practices; there’s no single-report purchase option if you only need one lookup.
Best for: someone who expects to run several criminal or arrest-record searches over a month and wants unlimited access rather than per-search limits.
4. BeenVerified
BeenVerified splits its focus between standard people-search reports and a dedicated vehicle-history tool, covering VIN and license-plate lookups alongside its standard identity reports.
Key features:
- VIN and license-plate lookup for vehicle history, ownership, and recall data
- Separate mobile app built specifically for vehicle searches
- Up to 100 reports per month included in a standard membership
- Niche add-ons, including an unclaimed-money search
BeenVerified pricing: a 7-day trial runs $1 before converting to the standard rate. The 1-month membership is $36.89/mo; a 3-month membership runs $71.94 (about $23.98/mo). Both include up to 100 reports monthly.
Pros: the vehicle-search feature is genuinely distinct from the rest of this list; reports pull from multiple data sources; a dedicated app exists for car-specific lookups.
Cons: the 100-report monthly cap can matter for heavy users; canceling requires a phone call or email rather than a self-serve option on the account page.
Best for: anyone specifically checking a used car’s VIN or license plate alongside a standard people search.
5. Spokeo
Spokeo is the only site on this list that offers a genuine pay-per-report option instead of forcing every user into a subscription first.
Key features:
- Pay-per-search pricing available alongside a monthly membership
- Report monitoring included with a paid membership
- Broad data categories, including lifestyle, social media, and household information
- Results drawn from a large public-records database, with fast turnaround
Spokeo pricing: a 7-day trial costs $0.95, after which plans range from roughly $19.95 to $29.95/mo depending on the tier and any promotional rate applied at signup. Criminal records and sex-offender searches are available as an added fee on top of the base report.
Pros: the per-report option makes it the most flexible for a single, occasional search; pricing undercuts TruthFinder and Instant Checkmate’s standard monthly rates; report monitoring is bundled in rather than a separate add-on.
Cons: reports are noticeably less detailed on criminal history than the other sites here; there is no mobile app.
Best for: someone who wants one report without committing to a recurring subscription at all.
6. Intelius
Intelius bundles people-search and address-lookup tools, with background-report data available as a separate add-on rather than included by default.
Key features:
- Combined people-search and address-lookup membership option
- Background-report add-on for criminal and employment data
- Reverse phone and email lookup tools
- Bi-monthly billing option that lowers the effective monthly rate
Intelius pricing: trial pricing ranges from $0.95 to $1.99 for 5 days depending on the search type selected at signup. Standard people-search membership runs about $24.86/mo (or $21.13/mo billed bi-monthly at $42.25). The combined Address Lookup + People Search plan runs $34.95/mo.
Pros: the trial price is among the lowest on this list; the bi-monthly billing option reduces the effective monthly cost; address-lookup and people-search data are bundled rather than sold as fully separate products.
Cons: the trial itself excludes criminal records and employment history — the categories most likely to matter for a background check — until you upgrade past the trial tier.
Best for: someone primarily checking an address history or running a basic people search, rather than someone who needs criminal-record depth from day one.
Risk-Free Trial Background Check Sites Compared
| Site | Trial Price | Trial Length | Price After Trial | Per-Report Option | Cancellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Searqle | $1 | 7 days | $14.90/wk (4 credits) or $39.90/mo (20 credits) | No | Self-serve |
| TruthFinder | No trial | — | $28.33/mo | No | Self-serve |
| Instant Checkmate | $1.00 | 5 days | $35.47/mo | No | Phone/email required |
| BeenVerified | $1.00 | 7 days | $36.89/mo | No | Phone/email required |
| Spokeo | $0.95 | 7 days | $19.95–$29.95/mo | Yes | Self-serve |
| Intelius | $0.95–$1.99 | 5 days | $24.86–$34.95/mo | No | Self-serve |
Searqle and Spokeo tie for the lowest trial price, but Searqle is the only site here that lets you search by photo in addition to phone and email, and it keeps cancellation self-serve — unlike BeenVerified and Instant Checkmate, which both require contacting support directly.
How to Use a Risk-Free Trial Without Getting Charged
A $1 trial only stays risk-free if you manage the end date yourself. None of the six sites above send a reminder before the renewal charge hits.
- Note the exact trial end date and time the moment you sign up — most trials run on a 24-hour clock from signup, not the calendar day.
- Run the search you actually came for first, before exploring extra features that don’t change your decision to keep or cancel.
- Check whether cancellation is self-serve (Searqle, Spokeo, Intelius, TruthFinder) or requires a phone call or email (BeenVerified, Instant Checkmate) — and start that process at least a day early if support is required.
- Save or screenshot the cancellation confirmation, including any confirmation number or email receipt.
- Check your card statement for the specific renewal amount listed in the pricing table above — some trials show a different charge on the statement than the price quoted on the signup page.
Trial vs Full Report: What’s the Difference
Think of a background report free trial as a test drive, not the whole ownership experience. It lets you see what a service has to offer before you decide if it’s right for you. A full subscription lets you use all of the service’s features.
Most trials only show you the basics, but a paid plan goes much deeper.
| Feature | Trial Access | Full Subscription |
| Basic Contact Info | ✅ | ✅ |
| Address History | ✅ | ✅ |
| General Public Records | ✅ | ✅ |
| Criminal/Court Records | ❌ | ✅ |
| Detailed Employment History | ❌ | ✅ |
| Property Ownership Data | ❌ | ✅ |
| Ongoing Monitoring Alerts | ❌ | ✅ |
Note: Some services, like Spokeo, might charge extra for court records even with a paid membership.
So, what’s the point of a trial? It lets you see if the service is a good fit. You can check out the user interface, see how quickly you get results, and confirm if it has information on the people you’re searching for.
The trial also shows you how reports are laid out, which is important if you plan to use the service regularly to check on new contacts or people you meet online.
What Is a Searqle Trial Offer
Want to know more about Searqle? You can get a three-day $1 dollar free trial background check, during which you can run up to five searches in all of their databases. You will have full access to the same reports that paid subscribers do, such as phone, email or image lookups.
With Searqle, you can search using a phone number, email address, or photo to uncover associated profiles, contact details, location-related records, and other publicly available information. Results are generated in seconds, helping users gain valuable insights into unfamiliar contacts and online identities.
The trial is ideal for anyone who wants to verify information, identify unknown callers, reconnect with people, investigate suspicious contacts, or better understand someone’s digital footprint before making important decisions. It offers a practical way to evaluate the platform’s capabilities and determine whether a full subscription is right for your needs.
Typical Mistakes to Avoid in Trials
What is the worst thing about background check trials? Let me name a few:
Forgetting to Cancel Before the Trial Ends
Almost all services automatically renew, and when the trial period ends, your card will be charged $20 to $35. Set a reminder in your calendar for the day before your trial ends to avoid this. It’s easy to avoid surprise charges.
Giving up Too Soon
Another mistake people make is thinking that a free trial background check service is bad because it doesn’t work well in trials. If a report shows little data, it could be because the person you looked up doesn’t have a lot of digital footprints.
Instead, try looking for yourself or someone you know well. You can check the accuracy this way against information that has been confirmed.
Read the cancellation policy
Some services let you cancel online, but others only let you do it by phone during business hours. TruthFinder, for instance, needs phone cancellations between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. Pacific time, which surprises a lot of users.
Finally, don’t think that all trials give you the same level of access. Some show full reports, while others hide important information like criminal records behind paywalls, even during trials.
FAQ
Services like That’sThem and NumLookup really do offer free basic lookups for phone numbers and other contact information. You will need to pay for a service or trial to get full background reports with criminal records. You can search for specific counties on free county court websites, but it takes a long time.
No. Searqle, Spokeo, and TruthFinder are examples of background check services that do anonymous searches. The person who is being searched does not get any notice. You don’t need permission to use these platforms for personal use because they only use information that is already available to the public.
Your payment method is charged the full monthly subscription fee. Most services don’t give refunds for the first billing cycle after a trial. If this happens, call customer service right away because some companies make exceptions for first-time charges. When you sign up for a trial, set a phone reminder for yourself.
Conclusion
Free trial background check periods let you try out people search services without spending a lot of money. If you only need to do a few searches, Searqle’s $1 trial is a good deal. You can use NumLookup and CocoFinder for free to do basic lookups without having to sign up. If you’re still weighing your options, you can explore a detailed side-by-side comparison of Spokeo or TruthFinder to see how their trials, pricing, and report depth really compare.
Before the trial ends, make sure to read the cancellation terms, set a reminder, and try out the service by looking up someone whose information you can verify. This way, you get something useful out of the trial and don’t have any surprise charges on your card.
