---
title: "HireRight vs Sterling: Which is more popular by branded search?"
description: "Which is more popular in search, HireRight or Sterling? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Background check services set worldwide. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time."
canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/hireright-vs-sterling"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# HireRight vs Sterling: Which is more popular by branded search?

Which is more popular in search, HireRight or Sterling? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Background check services set worldwide. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

## Key facts

- **Compared**: HireRight and Sterling
- **Competitive set**: Background check services
- **Market**: Global
- **Month measured**: Aug 2026
- **HireRight Share of Search**: 37.5%
- **Sterling Share of Search**: 5.7%

## Which is more popular in search, HireRight or Sterling?

- In August 2026, HireRight had more branded searches than Sterling among background check services worldwide. HireRight was estimated to have 119K branded searches compared to Sterling’s 18.1K, and held a 37.5% Share of Search versus Sterling’s 5.7%.
- HireRight was ahead of Sterling in every measured month of the 11 months ending August 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, HireRight’s estimated Share of Search among background check services worldwide moved from 38.2% to 37.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 121K to 119K.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Sterling’s estimated Share of Search among background check services worldwide moved from 8.6% to 5.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 27.1K to 18.1K.

## How did search popularity change for background check services worldwide in August 2026?

- In August 2026, Certn overtook Sterling to rank 4th among background check services worldwide, at 6.7%.
- In August 2026, HireRight lost estimated Share of Search among background check services worldwide, from 39.1% to 37.5%.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Sterling worldwide fell 33.2% over 11 measured months, from 27.1K to 18.1K in August 2026.

## Month by month

| Month | HireRight estimated searches | HireRight Share of Search | HireRight rank | Sterling estimated searches | Sterling Share of Search | Sterling rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | 121K | 38.2% | 2 | 27.1K | 8.6% | 3 |
| Nov 2025 | 99.1K | 36.3% | 2 | 22.2K | 8.1% | 3 |
| Dec 2025 | 97.5K | 37.7% | 2 | 18.1K | 7% | 3 |
| Jan 2026 | 97.6K | 32.4% | 2 | 18.1K | 6% | 4 |
| Feb 2026 | 99.1K | 27% | 2 | 22.2K | 6% | 3 |
| Mar 2026 | 120K | 29.4% | 2 | 22.2K | 5.4% | 3 |
| Apr 2026 | 121K | 32.6% | 2 | 22.2K | 6% | 4 |
| May 2026 | 119K | 33.9% | 2 | 22.2K | 6.3% | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | 119K | 38.6% | 2 | 22.2K | 7.2% | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | 119K | 39.1% | 2 | 18.1K | 6% | 4 |
| Aug 2026 | 119K | 37.5% | 2 | 18.1K | 5.7% | 5 |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — |

## How each brand is measured

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using HireRight’s and Sterling’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

- **HireRight**: Measured on the search terms “background check hireright”, “hireright”, “hireright app” and “hireright com”, summed into one figure.
- **Sterling**: Measured on the search term “sterling background check”.

- [HireRight profile](/demand/global-en/brands/hireright)
- [Sterling profile](/demand/global-en/brands/sterling)
- [All background check services worldwide](/demand/global-en/categories/background-check-services): The set both shares are measured inside, 6 brands.

## Methodology

- [How is branded search demand measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which is more popular in search, HireRight or Sterling?

In August 2026, HireRight had more branded searches than Sterling among background check services worldwide. HireRight was estimated to have 119K branded searches compared to Sterling’s 18.1K, and held a 37.5% Share of Search versus Sterling’s 5.7%.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "HireRight vs Sterling: Which is more popular by branded search?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/hireright-vs-sterling

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/hireright-vs-sterling. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.