US Search is a simple yet effective people search finder and background check tool. The service enables you to search for anyone using just a name, phone number, or address.
- Want to try US Search? Check out the website here
US Search reports often have erroneous information, so they cannot be used for official purposes like employment or credit checks. However, the platform is still useful for reconnecting with an old friend or investigating a new acquaintance’s history.
In our US Search review, we’ll help you decide whether this people finder is worth the money.
Plans and pricing
US Search doesn’t have a standard pricing page, which makes it difficult to figure out how much the company charges. We were only able to find a single plan, which offers unlimited reports for $19.86 per month. There was no option to purchase just a single report.
Features
US Search is a useful but relatively low-quality tool for pulling information from public records. All of the databases that US Search uses are publicly available. The main advantage of this service is that it compiles several different records into a single report.
You can search people by name, phone number, address, or email address, and US Search will turn up a large list of search results to help you find the exact person for whom you are looking. Unlike other people search tools, US Search doesn’t put up a paywall in front of the search results. You’ll be able to see the list so you can find the right person—you only pay to access the full report for an individual.
The reports contain basic information like the names of family members, past addresses, properties owned, and any criminal records. Helpfully, they also offer any known phone numbers, email addresses, and social media handles so that you can get in touch with the person you’re searching for. That makes US Search particularly useful for reconnecting with an old friend or long-lost relative.
The problem with US Search is that its information is often only partially correct. When searching ourselves, for example, we found that most reports contained inaccurate information about family members and past addresses mixed in with correct information. In part because of these inaccuracies, US Search doesn’t comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. So, reports generated by this tool cannot be used for screening job or rental applicants.
On top of that, US Search reports are often incomplete. While they promise social media information and property records, this data was often missing from the reports we looked at. Unfortunately, there’s no way to know which data fields are present in a report before signing up for a paid subscription to view it.
Interface and in use
The US Search interface is simple, if not exactly streamlined. When you navigate to the site, you’re presented with options to search for someone by name, phone number, or address. There are multiple tabs for People Search, Criminal Records, Background Check, and more. However, these tabs don’t actually change the search parameters available to you or the content of the reports you’re presented with.
The reports are presented in a single web page, which typically means that they are difficult to navigate and require a lot of scrolling. This isn’t a huge deal, but it would be nice if the reports were delivered as PDFs with tables of content or if the US Search website offered tabs for navigating through the information. US Search doesn’t offer a mobile app, and unfortunately its reports have the same extended vertical layout when viewing them on a smartphone screen.
Support
US Search doesn’t offer much in the way of support. You can get in touch with the company by email or phone (between 10 am and 8 pm Eastern Monday to Friday), but don’t expect a lot of help. The company’s representatives mostly deal with billing and account issues, and cannot assist you in finding someone using the software.
Security
US Search uses 256-bit encryption to keep your search results and account information secure. However, there aren’t any security measures in place, like two-factor authentication, to protect your account from misuse.
We also thought it was telling that US Search simply requires you to check a box saying that you won’t abuse its reports by stalking or harassing someone. The company doesn’t do anything to verify the identity of people using its service.
The competition
For the money, we think there are better people search services than US Search. Instant Checkmate, for example, charges $34.78 per month but the information you get is far more likely to be accurate. The service also includes information about bankruptcies and weapons permits, which can be useful if you’re searching someone in your neighborhood.
If you need to run a background check for employment, you’ll need a service that’s compliant with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. GoodHire, which starts at $29.99 per search, is a good option.
Final verdict
US Search is an affordable tool for running an unlimited number of people searches each month. However, this service often delivers incomplete or inaccurate reports. When you can’t be sure that the information you’re getting is correct, it dramatically reduces the value of US Search’s reports. We would recommend opting for a more accurate people search tool, even if it costs a bit more.
- We’ve also highlighted the best background check services
