Tool profile
Certn: cost, fit and limits
Certn is a background screening service that lets employers order criminal record, identity, employment, education, international and public records checks, with self-serve prices for Canada and custom packages for enterprise accounts. It serves employers in Canada and abroad.
What to know first
Certn publishes self-serve prices on a Canada tab, from $24.99 for a basic criminal record check to $39.99 for a Quebec record check, with a separate Enterprise route by quote. Its security page lists SOC 2 Type 2, SOC 3 and ISO/IEC 27001:2022 reports with dates. The company does not state its headquarters or legal entity on the pages read. Dollar amounts on the self-serve tab are shown in Canadian dollars.
Certn at a glance
| Maker | Certn, Not stated on the vendor pages |
|---|---|
| Free plan | No |
| Entry price | $24.99 per check |
| API access | Yes |
| Category | Best AI Background Check Software in 2026, rank 2 of 12 |
| Website | certn.co |
Who Certn is best for
Canadian employers with steady hiring
Printed prices for criminal record checks and a self-serve flow suit a small business that needs results in 4 to 72 hours without a sales contract.
Security-reviewed procurement
Dated SOC 2 Type 2, SOC 3 and ISO/IEC 27001:2022 reports give a vendor risk team documents to read before the first trial order.
Companies hiring candidates abroad
International background checks cover candidates from 200-plus countries and territories, with biometric ID checks against more than 13,500 identity documents.
Certn plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Canadian Criminal Record Check | $24.99 | Federal database search for convictions with no pardon, ID verification first, turnaround of 4 to 72 hours. |
| Enhanced Canadian Criminal Record Check | $29.99 | Basic check plus CPIC investigative Data Bank and Police Information Portal searches, 4 to 72 hours. |
| Quebec Record Check (SOQUIJ) | $39.99 | Quebec penal court records only, returned in one day. The check covers court records of that province and does not reach federal databases. |
| Enterprise | Custom quote | Custom packages arranged through Certn's team for larger employers. The Enterprise tab asks buyers to speak with the team, and no figure is printed. |
Checked November 2026.
What Certn does
- Criminal and public records
- Criminal Record Check, International Background Check and Public Records Search are separate products. The public records product is limited to Canada and not offered for US candidates.
- Social media check
- Listed at $59.99 with a 1 to 2 day turnaround. The pricing page says machine learning flags possible risk indicators in public posts. The $59.99 price is the highest among the single checks on the list.
- Identity verification
- Biometric ID checks run against more than 13,500 identity documents, and the Canadian record checks require ID verification before the order proceeds. That step also lowers the chance that a candidate submits someone else's name.
- Credential verification
- Employment, education and credential checks go to past employers, institutions and licensing bodies, which suits roles that depend on a license. Turnaround depends on how fast the employer, school or licensing body replies to the request.
- Continuous monitoring
- Workforce results can be re-checked after hiring. Driver's Abstract is a separate $35.99 product that is not available in Alberta. The pricing page says it is not available in Alberta, and the monitoring product is sold on its own.
How Certn handles your data
The FAQ says clients configure their own data retention periods and that data is securely deleted when no longer required. Data centers sit in Canada, Australia, the UK or the EU depending on the region, with no on-premise servers. The security page lists a SOC 2 Type 2 report for September 2024 to September 2025, a SOC 3 report for the same period and ISO/IEC 27001:2022 dated October 31, 2025. Whether customer data is used to train models is not stated on the pages read.
Where Certn falls short in practice
- Canada-centered price list. The printed prices are on a Canada tab. A US employer will not see comparable self-serve rates, and US checks may add state fees on top.
- Social media check costs more. At $59.99 the social media check costs about double the basic criminal record check, so a policy that screens every hire this way raises the per-candidate cost quickly.
- Entity and headquarters unstated. Contract paperwork needs a legal entity and address, and none appears on the pages read, so those details have to come from sales. Procurement teams usually need that detail for a data processing agreement.
Works with
Alternatives to Certn
Certn: common questions
Are Certn's prices in Canadian dollars?
The self-serve prices appear with a dollar sign on the Canadian tab, and the pack for this page treats them as Canadian-dollar figures. Check the currency on the checkout screen before ordering, especially for a US account, where state fees may also apply.
How long does a Certn criminal record check take?
The Basic and Enhanced Canadian criminal record checks list 4 to 72 hours, the Quebec SOQUIJ check lists one day and the social media check lists 1 to 2 days. These are stated ranges, so plan for the longer end when a hire has a start date.
What does the Enhanced Canadian check add?
The Enhanced check at $29.99 adds the CPIC investigative Data Bank and Police Information Portal searches to the Basic federal database search. Basic covers convictions with no pardon at $24.99. ID verification is required before either order moves forward. Enhanced therefore suits roles with police-information needs.
Which security reports does Certn publish?
The security page lists a SOC 2 Type 2 report covering September 2024 to September 2025, a SOC 3 report for the same period and an ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certificate dated October 31, 2025. Ask for the full SOC 2 report under NDA if your review needs detail.
Does Certn integrate with applicant tracking systems?
Greenhouse, Lever and Workday are named as integrations. Others may exist but were not named on the pages read. Ask which version and which candidate fields sync, and whether results return to the ATS record automatically. Pricing for connector use was not stated.