PeopleFinders review

PeopleFinders, based in Sacramento, California is a straightforward online tool for finding out more about someone using 43 billion public records. PeopleFinders has been doing this for decades now, since 1999, and has access to about 6,000 databases of info.

• Want to try PeopleFinders? Check out the website here

This people search finder scours public databases to help you identify someone based on just their name, phone number, email, or address. You can buy a single report or get unlimited access to run as many searches as you want.

Plans and pricing

PeopleFinders offers several different pricing options. For a single individual, there are two reports: a search report that includes basic contact information and a background report that includes criminal, property, and court records.

A search report for a single individual costs $1.95, while a background report costs $9.95. You can also access unlimited reports with a monthly subscription. PeopleFinders charges $24.95 per month for unlimited search reports that include “Available data like contact info, aliases, relatives, and known associates.”  The per month charge for unlimited background reports is a modest increase to $29.95 which covers all the info of the lower plan, with the addition of Property records, assets, business records, criminal records, bankruptcies, liens, judgments, and more,” for a more comprehensive set of data.

There is no discount offered for subscribing on an annual basis.

Features

PeopleFinders offers several ways to search for someone. Sure, most people finders have you search for a name, or an address as the starting point. Some also let you base the search on a phone number, better known as a reverse phone lookup. However, we were surprised to not only see the previously mentioned three methods, but also a fourth- based on an email. For name searches with multiple potential matches, PeopleFinders presents you with a list of possible results along with age and known family members to help you narrow down your search. That’s critical, since many similar search tools present you with a paywall before you even know if there are results for your search.

Reports generated by PeopleFinders provide a broad overview of an individual. You get their name, history of addresses, phone numbers, and relatives with a search report. If you purchase a background report, you also get court and arrest records, property and bankruptcy records, and a check of the national sex offender registry. Notably, PeopleFinders doesn’t include email addresses or social media handles in its report, nor does it provide information about whether an individual owns a gun or holds a gun license.

It’s important to note that all of the data that PeopleFinders uses is scraped from public databases. The main advantage for paying for a report as opposed to running your own searches is that PeopleFinders conveniently and efficiently pulls in data from a wide variety of sources in just a few minutes.

Interface and in use

Using PeopleFinders is fast and easy. You can select what type of search you want to run on the platform’s website and then just enter the information you have. A database search typically takes under one minute for a reverse phone lookup, but it can take up to several minutes if you search for a common name in a populated city. Helpfully, the service has an advanced search function that lets you further constrain name searches by adding a middle name and age range.

We were also happy to find that PeopleFinders gives you at least a preview of what information is included in its report on an individual before you pay for it. The service indicates whether the person’s current address, phone, and background information are available or not, which can influence whether you want to continue with your purchase.

PeopleFinders also offers mobile apps for iOS and Android, although the name of each app is not PeopleFinders, but rather IdentityWatch. This can make it a little difficult to find the app on each store, but going through the link at the bottom of the PeopleFinders home page is simple enough. Both apps are highly rated at just over 4 out of 5 stars.

Each version of the app includes a surprising number of features that aren’t available through the web interface. For example, the PeopleFinders app will automatically scan incoming phone numbers and run a quick reverse phone lookup on them. If the phone number matches PeopleFinders’ proprietary list of spam callers, it will automatically block the call for you. The mobile apps also offer report sharing, which isn’t readily available through the PeopleFinders web interface.

Support

You can get in touch with the PeopleFinders support team by phone and mail. Support is available from 7 am to 6 pm Pacific Monday to Friday, and from 7 am to 3:30 pm Saturday and Sunday. We did not find a support portal, direct email, or a way to chat.

The company’s website also has a helpful knowledge base that answers most basic billing and interface questions. Through a handful of articles, there is a FAQ to address issues that cover “I forgot my login information,” “Is anyone notified that I am searching for them,” and “What is included in membership?” There is no forum, startup guides, or video walkthroughs so the more advanced help options are lacking.

Security

PeopleFinders uses standard SSL encryption to keep your account information and searches secure. When you search for someone with this tool, there’s no way for the person you searched to know that you pulled a report. 

If you want, you can opt out of PeopleFinders so that your information doesn’t appear in searches. You’ll need to search yourself and copy the URL of your report page in order to request removal from the site.

The competition

PeopleFinders competes directly with several people search finders owned by Intelius, including US Search, Instant Checkmate, and BeenVerified. One of the big advantages to PeopleFinders over those services is that it enables you to purchase a single report, whereas the others force you into a monthly subscription. We also much prefer PeopleFinders’ mobile apps since it makes it easy to share reports and automatically runs a search on any unknown number that calls your phone for a bonus spam alert.

Final verdict

PeopleFinders is a reasonably priced and easy to use tool for looking up a long lost friend, screening a new acquaintance, or checking on who’s calling. We liked the option for lower volume users to purchase individual reports rather than sign up for an unlimited subscription. The advantage of the monthly subscription is that it comes with PeopleFinders’ mobile apps, which offer automatic reverse phone lookup and spam blocking when an unknown number calls your phone.

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