Indicium vs. Sterling, Checkr and HireRight: The DACH Comparison

If you are looking for background-check software in the DACH market, you quickly come across the US heavyweights Sterling, Checkr, and HireRight. This comparison shows which solution fits when — and why GDPR is central to the decision.

The providers at a glance

Sterling

• Founded: 1975, USA (New York)

• Focus: Enterprise customers worldwide

• Strength: Largest data set, broad feature set

• Weakness: US-centric, GDPR compliance retrofitted

Checkr

• Founded: 2014, USA (San Francisco)

• Focus: Tech companies, gig economy (Uber, Airbnb)

• Strength: Modern API, fast integrations

• Weakness: Strongly US-focused, little DACH presence

HireRight

• Founded: 1995, USA (Irvine, CA)

• Focus: Global enterprise, over 100 countries

• Strength: Global reach, broad compliance portfolio

• Weakness: Complex implementation, little DACH-specific functionality

Indicium

• Founded: 2020 in Zug (CH)

• Focus: DACH market, EU regulation

• Strength: GDPR-native architecture, BaFin fit-and-proper capable, German language/support

• Weakness: Younger company, smaller global data set than the US incumbents

The GDPR difference

This is the key differentiator for the DACH market.

US providers: GDPR retrofitted

Sterling, Checkr, and HireRight were built for the US market. US privacy law (FCRA, state laws) differs fundamentally from GDPR:

• The default is opt-out, not opt-in

• Data retention periods are longer

• Third-country transfers to the US are problematic under Schrems II

• Many US providers process data on US servers (CLOUD Act risk)

GDPR compliance was implemented after the fact — often through sub-processing agreements and EU subsidiaries. It works, but is legally more fragile than GDPR-native solutions.

Indicium: GDPR by Design

Indicium was built from day one for EU data protection:

• Servers exclusively in the EU

• Opt-in as the standard (documented consent for every check)

• Data processing under Art. 6 GDPR and § 26 BDSG

• Data processing agreement under Art. 28 GDPR

• Automatic deletion after 90 days (configurable)

• No data transfers to the US

For data protection officers and legal counsel, that is a decisive difference.

Feature comparison

Price comparison

When each provider fits

Sterling or HireRight fit if:

• You are a global conglomerate with 1,000+ hires per year

• You have offices in 20+ countries

• You need checks in less common regions (Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia)

• GDPR risk is factored into risk management

• Budget for enterprise contracts is available

Checkr fits if:

• You are a tech startup with high hiring volume in the US

• An API-first mindset and fast integration are important

• You prefer pay-per-use over fixed packages

• DACH regulation is not the focus

Indicium fits if:

• Main market is DACH + EU

• GDPR compliance is mandatory (compliance function, legal)

• Regulated industry: banks, insurance, FinTech, BaFin-licensed

• Personio, SAP, Workday are in use as HR systems

• German support and German contract structuring are desired

• Medium size (20–500 hires per year)

The Swiss and EU regulatory advantage

European regulation goes well beyond GDPR — and that is exactly where Indicium has a structural advantage over US providers.

Switzerland: revDSG + FINMA compliance

The revised Swiss Data Protection Act (revDSG, since September 2023) is close to GDPR, but it is not identical law. Differences include notification obligations (72 h vs. "as soon as possible") and fines (personal liability instead of corporate fines). Sterling, Checkr, and HireRight do not have specific revDSG documentation publicly available. Indicium explicitly documents GDPR and revDSG in parallel — crucial for Swiss banks under FINMA supervision and their suitability checks under Art. 3 BankG.

EU regulation: CRD VI, EBA-ESMA, AMLR

The EBA-ESMA Joint Guidelines on Suitability 2024 and CRD VI tighten fit-and-proper requirements across the EU. The new AMLR (from 2027) and AMLA (Frankfurt) significantly expand the monitoring regime. US providers have to map these requirements through European subsidiaries — structurally retrofitted. Indicium is designed in Europe and is therefore faster to adapt to new EU regulations.

Austria: EU law + national specifics

Austria applies EU law directly. Additional local requirements come through the FMA (financial sector), § 10 AVRAG (employee data protection), and § 1151 ABGB. Indicium supports Austrian customers with a German-language interface and can provide contract drafting under Austrian law on request.

Typical combinations

Many DACH companies use combinations:

• Indicium as the primary tool for DACH hires + Sterling/HireRight for international executive search

• Indicium as a compliance layer (BaFin fit-and-proper) + existing HR screening for standard roles

• Migration from a US provider to Indicium after a Schrems II decision and GDPR audit

Summary

Sterling, Checkr, and HireRight are strong tools for global enterprise use — but they are GDPR-retrofitted and US-centric. Indicium is the GDPR-native alternative for the DACH market with a clear BaFin focus.

For DACH companies with regulated roles or a priority on data protection, Indicium is the lower-risk choice. For global corporations with a US headquarters, Sterling or HireRight may still be the right decision.

Book a demo and compare Indicium directly with your current tool. Or take a look at the compliance documents in the Trust Center.

Read more — related articles

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• Background check: what is it and what is allowed?

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