2022 Whitepages Review [Pros, Cons, Alternatives]

More than 35 million people have used the services of Whitepages since it opened its doors in 1997. Finding loved ones, reconnecting with high school sweethearts, and doing a background check on potential tenants have never been easier. Whitepages is dedicated to helping individuals find and verify people through digital resources.

In this exclusive Whitepages review, we’ll take a closer look at the service and its credibility. Is it trustworthy? Does it really work? And is it one of the best people search sites available?

We’ll dive into the following:

• Key highlights
• Features
• Product range
• Plans and pricing
• Pros and cons
• Customer reviews
• Alternative options and competitors
• FAQ

Whitepages Overview

The slogan ‘Search, Find, Know’ makes it very clear what Whitepages is all about. The company has a comprehensive database compiled from public and criminal records from all 50 states. It contains more than 275 million people’s contact information, including phone numbers, addresses, workplace, and rental history.

This service is among the three top-ranking domains for background checks. Whitepages prices are affordable, and the platform is easy to use. The company offers a free service with publicly available information and two paid plans for a more in-depth background check. One of the best features of the platform is the easy-to-use app, available for both iOS and Android devices.

Who/What Is It Best For?

The Whitepages background check service can be used by US residents to find family or loved ones. Landlords use the Whitepages TenantCheck service specifically designed for tenant screening. The service is also suitable for those who want to do a thorough background check on someone. Whether you’re suspicious that a person might be a criminal or scammer or want to check just in case, Whitepages has the answers.

Whitepages Features

When looking for a reliable background checking service, you have to consider a few key characteristics. Next, in our Whitepages review, we’ll take a closer look at the quality and consistency of the company’s services.

Accuracy

Since Whitepages is a privately owned business, they aren’t affiliated with any contact information companies. Data is accumulated from many different sources, including publicly available information and third-party data suppliers. The service checks public records and other open sources to ensure the accuracy of reports.

In our research, we came across more than one review of Whitepages premium, noting that some information might not be available on the website. This is either because it has been removed by the original source or has not yet been updated on Whitepages.

FCRA Compliance

In researching our review of Whitepages premium, we found that this service doesn’t comply with the FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act). Even though Whitepages has a reliable database, it can’t be used for official screening purposes because accuracy is not 100% guaranteed.

However, the Whitepages TenantCheck program does provide FCRA compliant reports to landlords.

Transparency

When choosing a background screening service, it’s important to consider its transparency. Whitepages doesn’t claim that their product is 100% accurate and encourages all customers to verify information independently. Their privacy policy is up to date and ensures the online safety of users.

Data Sources and Data Size

Next, in our in-depth Whitepages.com review, we’ll go over where the service gets its information. The company sources data in two different ways—through public records and third-party data suppliers. Publicly available data includes information published on the internet, social media profiles, and phone directories.

Third-party data come from many different sources. Whitepages obtains Information through data licensors, affiliated entities, marketing companies, etc. If a given state’s regulation allows it, criminal records are also made available for tenant screening.

Products Available

For comprehensive background checking, Whitepages has a service called SmartCheck, and for screening potential tenants, it offers its TenantCheck service.

SmartCheck

SmartCheck is fast and easy to use. Whitepages reviews by consumers testify that it’s confidential and anonymous. Compiling data from millions of online sources and records from across the 50 states, SmartCheck provides:

• Previous and current address information
• Property ownership
• Personal info like age, relatives, and maiden names
• Landline and cell phone contact numbers
• Email addresses
• Foreclosure and bankruptcy information
• Criminal history

Whitepages TenantCheck

TenantCheck is another helpful service offered by the company. The cost of Whitepages premium is definitely worth it if you’re a landlord and want to run a check on potential tenants. You can either request a basic or enhanced report.

The basic report includes:

• General contact and personal information
• Credit report
• Resident score
• Criminal history for the past seven years

The enhanced report includes all of the above, plus:

• Financial history, including any bankruptcies
• Any evictions in the past seven years

As some other online Whitepages reviews note, you can use these two background check services for a number of purposes. As one of the top background check sites, Whitepages can help you with the following:

• Check the financial information of a potential investor or business partner
• Verify potential tenant information to avoid being scammed
• Track down family members or long-lost friends and colleagues
• Protect yourself against online scams by checking sellers
• Verify texts and calls from unknown numbers
• Protect your family by researching your neighbors

Ease of Use

Once you’ve chosen your product type—background check or tenant screening, the website is very easy to navigate. To make things easier, Whitepages even has a mobile app that can run remotely through background searches. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use it:

Step 1:

Go to Whitepages’ website and click on ‘Background Checks’ at the top-left corner of the page. Enter the person’s name and address to start searching. There’s an option to do a reverse phone search or reverse address search when you don’t have the person’s name. This is one of the best free reverse phone lookup services, but Whitepages only shares limited info before you have to pay a fee.

Step 2:

On the results page, the platform shares all the individuals that match the input and gives some basic information, such as residence and relatives. For a more thorough background check, you need to purchase one of their two products.

Step 3:

If you decide to purchase a report, you’ll receive it almost immediately via email or on your SmartCheck mobile app.

Plans & Pricing

Whitepages prices are straightforward and affordable, especially compared to alternatives. They offer a free plan, monthly subscriptions, and one-off reports.

Monthly plans cost as little as $4.99 for 20 premium reports, and annual packages cost $29.99. TenantCheck is $20 per month and includes a maximum of 20 lookups, although you can upgrade it. You can also buy one-off reports through the app. Prices are as follows:

• One premium lookup—$1.99
• Contact lookup—$3.99
• Contact lookup bundle of three—$7.99
• Background report—$9.99
• Background report bundle of three—$16.99
• Full story plan—$14.99

Pros & Cons

Next, in our detailed Whitepages review, we look at the service’s advantages and disadvantages.

Pros

• Easy-to-use app
• Affordable
• Straightforward pricing
• Free background check (limited)
• FCRA-compliant TenantCheck

Cons

• Only available for US citizens
• Not 100% accurate

Whitepages Reviews

Whitepages has been accredited by the BBB (Better Business Bureau) since 15 March 2013 and has an A rating. Looking at online Whitepages pro reviews, you’ll find that scores fluctuate from one source to another—some review sites rate the service as low as 2.2 stars, while others give it a score of 4.3 stars.

Many reviewers recommend the tenant screening service as it’s FCRA compliant but for anything else, suggest opting for Whitepages’ free search tool.

Alternatives

Some of Whitepages’ biggest competitors are Spokeo, TruthFinder, and PeopleFinder. Let’s take a look at how they stack up against each other:

As already mentioned, Whitepages is one of the biggest data brokers in the US and has information on hundreds of millions of US individuals. Name, age, residence, prior addresses, phone numbers, relatives, financial information, property information, and even criminal records are among the details they may know about the person you are trying to reach.

Wrap Up

Whitepages is the perfect service for landlords who want to screen their tenants before occupancy. It’s also a great option for anyone looking for long-lost friends, family members, and colleagues. At an affordable price and a free basic search option, Whitepages is an excellent search site.

Disclaimer: Whitepages is not a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act guidelines. You may not use the service or the information it provides to make decisions about consumer credit, employment, insurance, tenant screening, or any other purpose that would require FCRA compliance. Whitepages TenantCheck program, however, is FCRA compliant.