Spokeo vs PreCheck
Spokeo and PreCheck answer different questions. Spokeo looks up a person from text you already have, like a name or phone number. PreCheck starts from a photo and finds where that face appears online.
At a glance
Spokeo
People search
PreCheck
Face search engine
- Own face index, plus additional sources
- $1 per search, no subscription
- Credits never expire
- Web, Telegram bot and developer API
The short answer
If all you have is a photo, Spokeo can't help: its site offers no photo search. PreCheck searches our own face index plus additional sources and returns every match with a score and a link, for $1 per search with no subscription. If you have a name or phone number and want contact records, Spokeo is built for that.
Spokeo vs PreCheck, side by side
| PreCheck | Spokeo | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Face search engine | People search engine |
| Search with a photo of a face | Yes, upload one photo | No photo search on Spokeo's site |
| Search by name, phone, email or address | No, PreCheck is focused on face search | Yes |
| Where results come from | Yes. Our own face index, plus additional search sources | Phone books, social networks, marketing surveys, real estate listings and other public sources, according to Spokeo |
| What you get back | Match score and a link to each source | Contact details, address history, relatives and property records |
| Price | $1 per credit, 1 credit per search | Prices not published; Spokeo says cost varies by plan length and promotions |
| Subscription | No subscription, pay as you go | Auto-renewing membership plans; trials convert to a subscription unless cancelled |
| Credits | Credits never expire | Prepaid plans are non-refundable |
| Developer API | Yes, every account includes API access | Yes, through Spokeo Business |
| Removal / opt-out | Yes, removal requests honored | Yes, an opt-out form for each listing |
| Credit, job or tenant screening | Not allowed; PreCheck is not a consumer reporting agency | Not allowed; Spokeo says it is not a consumer reporting agency |
Spokeo details come from its public website as of September 13, 2026. Features and prices change, so check Spokeo's site before you buy.
Our own face index, plus more sources
A face search is only as good as the faces it can reach. PreCheck runs its own face index and searches it together with additional sources, so a single photo is checked against more than one place at once.
Our own face index
We crawl and index public images ourselves, and every search runs against that index.
Plus additional sources
Every search also runs against additional face search sources, so one search covers more of the web.
Merged and ranked
Matches from every source are combined, duplicates removed, and sorted by match score with a link to each page.
Key differences
A photo instead of a name
Spokeo needs a name, phone number, email or address to start. PreCheck needs only a photo, which is often all you have when checking a dating match or an unknown profile.
Face matches instead of contact records
Spokeo returns records such as addresses, phone carriers and relatives. PreCheck returns the web pages where a face appears, each with a match score and a link.
Pay per search instead of a membership
Spokeo sells auto-renewing memberships, and its trials convert to a subscription unless you cancel in time. PreCheck charges $1 per search, and credits never expire.
Our own face index
Every PreCheck search runs against our own face index plus additional sources. Matches are merged, duplicates removed and ranked by score.
Spokeo may suit you if
- You already know a name, phone number, email or address
- You want contact details, address history or property records
- You need a people data API for a business
PreCheck is the better fit if
- You only have a photo
- You want to see where a face appears across the web
- You want to pay per search instead of a membership
- You want to find photos of yourself and request removal
Frequently asked questions
Can Spokeo search by photo?
Spokeo's website offers searches by name, phone, email and address. We found no photo or face search there as of September 2026. PreCheck is built for searching by photo.
Is PreCheck a Spokeo alternative?
For photo searches, yes. PreCheck finds where a face appears online from one photo. It does not replace Spokeo's name, phone and address records.
How much does PreCheck cost?
Each search uses one credit, and credits are $1 each. There is no subscription, and credits never expire.
Can I use PreCheck or Spokeo for employment or tenant screening?
No. Neither service is a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, so neither may be used for credit, employment, insurance or tenant screening decisions.
See what PreCheck finds
Upload one photo. We search our own face index and additional sources, then show every match with a score and a link. $1 per search, no subscription.
More comparisons
Sources for Spokeo, reviewed September 13, 2026: Spokeo homepage , Terms of Use , Payment Policy , Reverse phone lookup , Spokeo Business API , Opt-out .
Spokeo is a trademark of its respective owner. PreCheck is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Spokeo. This page compares publicly available information and is not a statement about how Spokeo operates beyond what it publishes.