Disclaimer: We sustain our work & review products through paid collaborations.
Spokeo Reviews
User reviews
Last updated:

Ratings

Overall
4/5
Features
4
Price
4
Support
4

Pros

Simple report format
Usability
Handy mobile app
Affordable

Cons

No data on assets
Lacks report clarification

We live in a tumultuous time, where it’s hard to trust the information we’re given. So, having a service that can make everything that little bit more transparent is more than reassuring, it’s essential. Spokeo is a background check and data organization solution that helps you search and connect with people and understand the data.

Spokeo's user-friendly experience is only one of the reasons it’s so popular. The company provides a completely free service, but for users wanting more than just information about the age, relatives, and location of the person, upgrading only costs $14.95 with its 3-month plan. Members can also enjoy the benefits of the service on the go with its mobile-optimized site.

Up to $5 off Spokeo search
If you choose to extend your Spokeo subscription for three months, then you'll pay $14.95 each month instead of the monthly fee of $19.95.
Save on Spokeo Quarterly Membership

Features

Features
Subscription available
Complete background check reportn/a
Nationwide criminal reportsn/a

Spokeo was founded by four Stanford University graduates who originally used it to pull data from social media sites. Over time, they upgraded the search engine to the point that members now have access to a full portfolio complete with criminal records, a family tree, and even property values.

As a background check service, the company aims to inform users about numerous aspects of their subject’s life. However, Spokeo stands out from the competition with its comprehensive data sources and alternative search method that resembles a phone book, where you can alphabetically browse through the family names of millions of U.S. residents.

Spokeo profile

The company is clearly handy for personal tasks like looking up a person you’re dating online or reverse searching an unknown number that keeps calling you. However, it could also be key for companies in real estate, skip tracing, law enforcement, and fraud investigations, with it even providing an API for a more streamlined workflow.

Reports

Report types
Criminal records
Sex offenses
Bankruptcies
Court judgements
Show all

Spokeo gathers information from thousands of sources, including public records. The data is organized into a comprehensive data sheet about your target, closely resembling an in-depth CV. It can also be stamped ‘verified’, meaning it includes data confirmed by authoritative sources.

The list starts with key pieces of information such as name, birth month and year, age, location, and a photo if it’s available. It’s also possible to monitor a profile and be notified if anything changes.

Spokeo can also go into more detail, starting with the subject’s extended contact info and location history. It’s interesting that the site has the capacity to collect the net worth of someone’s past and current properties and even the name of other residents who have occupied the building. Unfortunately, cars and investments aren’t listed.

There’s also a section containing court records, although Spokeo warns users that the information might not actually pertain to the person in question. Moreover, the report doesn’t go very deep into the cases, mentioning only the nature of the crime, the country where it happened, and the sources from which the records originate. The court ruling and whether the sentence was served aren’t listed.

Spokeo court records

The service wraps up the report with the subject’s relatives, social media platforms, work and education history, and personal information, such as census, birth, military, and marriage records.

However, Spokeo provides a disclaimer stating that under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), it should not be used for employee or tenant screening, and cannot guarantee that its sources (and data) are up to date. This may be due to the fine it received in 2012 from the Federal Trade Commission for selling information to recruiters for employment screening and not respecting consumer protection laws.

Searches

Search options
Address lookup
Phone number lookup
Email lookup
City, state
Show all

The site encourages everyone to test its free basic search engine. A search bar is featured at the bottom of the main page, where the various parameters for the search algorithm can be set. Users are able to find someone by entering the subject’s name, username, phone number, email, or address. The first option is straightforward, but it’s possible that you’ll end up with a lot of results.

The good thing about searching with an email address is that it should retrieve any of the target’s cross-linked social media accounts. Interestingly, doing an address-based search may bring up valuable details about the house or even highlight any sex offence charges in the neighborhood.

Spokeo advanced name search

Ease of use

We found the user interface extremely straightforward, and first-time visitors will definitely feel at ease. The main search bar is the first thing you’ll see on the site, and it can do it all. The same level of convenience awaits those who use the service on their smartphone, thanks to its mobile-optimized site.

Platform support

Web app
Mobile optimized
macOS
Linux
Android
Windows
iOS

Data reliability

Spokeo pulls data from thousands of sources, both online and offline, such as social media pages, court records, and real estate listings. It even offers the service to enterprises.

Despite insisting that the background reports don’t constitute credit reports and that the information cannot be used for employment screenings, the data gathered by the search algorithm could still be very useful for marketing agencies or house hunters. Nevertheless, it’s important to stress that the presented data may not be 100% accurate or up to date.

Spokeo recent searches

Security and privacy

Spokeo doesn’t store your personal information itself but instead uses third-party 128-bit Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption to protect your data. It’s also possible to increase your account security with 2-step verification.

The company’s privacy policy clearly states that you need to be over 18 to create an account. The policy informs users that some of their information, such as their search history and cookies, is collected purely to improve their customer experience and develop and improve its services. It also informs users that certain information (such as your IP address) is collected for the sole purpose of background verification against fraud.

Performing a reverse search will reveal Spokeo's profile of you, and if you don’t like what you see, then the site offers an opt-out process to hide it from others. This option is available from the privacy policy page, and all you need to do is enter the URL of the unwanted report and then provide an email address for verification purposes. Bear in mind that your presence is only removed from the search results of Spokeo and not any of the public records from which it was drawn.

Pricing

Pricing
Lowest price $14.95/mo
Free trial
Money-back guarantee
Free version

While Spokeo allows customers to search the database without an upfront payment or a dedicated account, access to any information other than someone’s name, age, or location requires a premium subscription.

The company offers both personal and business paid plans. While it claims to provide a range of options with different costs, the only visible prices are its monthly and quarterly plans for personal use, costing $19.95 and $14.95 per month, respectively.

All other variations in pricing are hard to find, and businesses need to contact customer service for an enterprise quote and to access its free demo.

Plans come with monthly search quotas, and while these start at 100, it’s difficult to find information on the website about how much increasing this quota costs. Court and historical record searches are available as add-ons, but again, this price is unknown.

The company provides refunds and suggests users get in touch with customer service if they wish to cancel the service.

Accepted payment methods

Visa
Mastercard
American Express
Discover
PayPal
Wire Transfer
Check
Crypto

Customer service

Customer support
24/7
Live chat
Email
Phone
Show all

Spokeo has received a stellar A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, which is a testament to its customer service. The help desk assistants are available from 5 am on weekdays and 7 am on weekends until 6 pm, and there are also staff dedicated solely to helping out those who wish to prevent their profile from popping up in searches. We found the live chat only helpful some of the time, as it didn’t have answers to quite a few questions.

The customer service team can be contacted by phone or email, but it’s also possible to request a call to opt out of its searches. The company is active on Facebook and X and shares inspirational videos on YouTube about how people have used the service to reunite with their loved ones.

Bottom line

Spokeo is a special kind of background check service that focuses on a smooth user experience, a comprehensible search system, and presents a well-organized, easy-to-read report. The site is best suited to those wishing to reconnect with an old friend or check the credibility of a new neighbor, since more serious results aren’t 100% accurate, and it’s illegal to use this information for employee or tenant screening.

However, the service is a viable option for marketing businesses when used ethically. It’s budget-friendly, although it’s hard to get much clarity on the cost of upgrades and add-ons, and even what the basic premium plan provides. However, we rate the company highly for its free option, which has a thorough people search engine and extremely clear reports.

Spokeo FAQ

Is Spokeo legit?
Is Spokeo free?
Is Spokeo safe?
Does Spokeo work?

Why you can trust us

The Best Reviews team researches and tests all products first-hand. We've been reviewing products and services since 2012 and are proud to only publish human-created content.

Recent updates

See a list of the modifications that were made to this article.
May 12, 2025
Updated images.
May 9, 2025
Complete overhaul of the review.
June 2, 2025
Minor internal formatting update; content remains the same.
Spokeo logo
Free Searches

Alternatives to Spokeo

User reviews

T

Troy Yuma

June 2025

Very shady

I was led to believe that the service was free to try and if you wanted to continue service you would sign up for it. Exactly one week went by and because I didn’t deny service oh and by the way was never sent a notice that the free trial was over and given me the chance to end it then I found out by seeing the charge on my bank statement. That’s dishonest and shady and I won’t, don’t, wouldn’t do business with a company that is that way, nor will I ever endorse it.

Troy Yuma Arizona.

Overall
Features
Price
Support
B

Bobby Hughes

January 2025

Scam!! False advertisement says free! LIES!!

Overall
Features
Price
Support

Our response

Hello Bobby, thank you for leaving a comment about Spokeo. While the company allows you to use its database to search for someone’s name, age, and location, all additional information requires a paid subscription to be accessed. Would you mind explaining your point further, so that we can better understand how you feel you have been mislead? Many thanks.

Discussions

Share your thoughts, ask questions, and connect with other users. Your feedback helps our community make better decisions.

©2012-2025 Best Reviews, a clovio brand – All rights reserved