5 BEST Social Catfish Alternatives (2025)

My experience with Social Catfish is primarily positive, but I have noticed misleading information, mainly dates from sections in reports highlighting divorce and arrest records. I have used other tools that are at par or even worked better than Social Catfish in terms of reports and authenticity of information. A similar tool, BeenVerified, helped me check the history of a used 2022 Ford Edge SEL that I planned to purchase. If you think that these alternatives are a carbon copy of Social Catfish, you might be wrong. These choices can do more than only detect online scams, fake profiles, or reconnecting with someone.

After investing over 140 hours and testing 25+ options, one thing was clear to me. No tool is perfect, nor do they come totally free of cost. The best they offer for free is a partial range of information like address, age, phone number, or, at times, email IDs. I had to invest quite a few bucks in testing the tools, ultimately sticking to 5 affordable solutions, offering a better set of features and comprehensive reports. Read further to learn more about my top picks on the best Social Catfish alternatives.

Best Social Catfish Alternative (Sites like Social Catfish): Free/Paid

Tool	Unique Features	Free Trial	Link
Intelius	People Directory, Public Record, Trending Names, Detailed Background Check	5-Day Paid Trial at $0.95	Learn More
Spokeo	Social Media Profiles, Genealogy Reports, Sex Offences, Block Calls via dedicated app	7-Day Paid Trial at $0.95	Learn More
BeenVerified	VIN Search, Obituaries Search, Fraud Scan, Unclaimed Money	7-Day Paid Trial at $1	Learn More
PeopleSearch	Analyze and compare properties, Names Directory	Basic Search Free	Learn More
Melissa Lookups	Check Phone number from international destinations, search by ZIP code lookup, search by IP Address	Free Results	Learn More

1) Intelius

Intelius is a public records business that provides information services, including people and property searches, background checks, and reverse phone lookups. The report format was acceptable, but it would have been better if more images had been included.

Nevertheless, the report includes contact details, location history, family members, social media profiles, criminal records, and financial information. If you want to learn about your tenant or trace a lost contact, Intelius can be a valuable addition to your arsenal. There’s even a free search option for broader searches that will give you a general sense of the information available.

Features:

• People Search: Intelius’s People Search is a core feature that allows you to find detailed information about individuals by searching with their name, phone number, address, or email address. It provides key details like age, known aliases, education, address history, and possible relatives.
• Public Records Search: It provides access to a vast database of public records, including property details, court records, and other vital info like birth and death certificates. You can use it for genealogical research, legal investigations, and general information gathering.
• Background Checks: This is an effective feature for conducting due diligence on someone, such as a potential employee, tenant, or business partner. I was able to find information even on undertrials, including the case numbers of their litigations from courts across the country.
• Intelius Connections: It also has a unique feature called Intelius Connections, which lets you explore connections beyond the targeted person’s immediate circle. I liked the bar graphs and flowcharts used by Intelius to provide a visual representation of relationships.
• Identity Protect: Intelius offers an Identity Protect service to protect your personal information from identity theft and fraud. This feature includes credit monitoring, dark web monitoring, and social media monitoring. While it comes at an additional cost, you have the peace of mind and proactive protection against identity theft.
• Mobile App: This people search engine offers a mobile app for both Android devices and iPhones. It is convenient for conducting quick searches, checking reports, or staying updated on your Identity Protect alerts on the go. If you are using Android devices, download Intelius Background Pro from the Play Store. For iPhone users, the app is available in the Apple Store as Intelius Search.

Pricing:

Below, I have provided the updated pricing structure of Intelius:

Plan	Trial Offer	Monthly Rental
Reverse Phone Lookup	$0.95 for 5 days	$35.3
People Search	$0.95 for 5 days	$25.11
Address Lookup+ People Search	$0.95 for 7 days	$34.95
Identity Protect	—-	$9.95

You can avail the trial offer to test the tool’s capability. If you want to download the reports and access them offline, just pay an additional $3.99, no matter which plan you are availing.

Why Intelius is a Good Social Catfish alternative?

I’ve added a checkmark symbol (✔️) next to the features where Intelius appears to have a clear advantage over Social Catfish based on my research. This should make it easier to see at a glance where Intelius excels.

Feature	Intelius	Social Catfish
Database Size	✔️ Over 20 billion records	❌ Over 300 million records
Identify Protect	✔️ Yes	❌ Not available
Mobile App	✔️ Available for iOS and Android	❌ No dedicated mobile app

Visit Intelius >>

5-Day Trial for $0.95

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2) Spokeo

For those seeking a reliable Social Catfish alternative, Spokeo stands out. It offers comprehensive people searches by aggregating data from multiple sources, providing details like social media profiles, contact information, and background checks. Spokeo’s user-friendly interface and lifetime report updates make it a superior choice.

From personal experience, Spokeo’s reverse phone and email lookups have been invaluable for verifying identities. Unlike Social Catfish, Spokeo offers free basic searches and more affordable pricing options. Its exhaustive approach to data collection makes it a better option for those needing detailed and accurate information.

Features:

• Reverse Phone Lookup: This is a fantastic feature for identifying the owner of a mysterious phone number. After revealing the details, it helped me block those frustrating telemarketing calls. Simply enter the phone number, and Spokeo will provide details like the owner’s name, location, and social media profiles.
• Email Lookup: Spokeo’s email lookup feature is a great way to learn more about the person behind an email address. By entering an email address, you can uncover the owner’s identity, age, aliases, and associated locations.
• Address Lookup: This feature is perfect for researching a property or neighborhood. I’ve used it to learn more about a new home, like owner details, neighborhood data, and property history.
• Reverse Name Lookup: I’ve used this feature countless times to find old friends, research potential business partners, or simply satisfy my curiosity. By inputting a name, you can quickly gather publicly available information about an individual.
• Username Search: If you know the username, you can use Spokeo’s username search feature to learn about the social media profiles an individual is linked with. I was able to extract details of dating sites where the individual I was searching, has been linked to.

Pricing:

The basic search from Spokeo is free, but you get only limited information displayed. For comprehensive reports and unlimited access to all of Spokeo’s features, there are several paid options mentioned below:

Membership Type	Billing Frequency	Billing Amount
7-Day Trial	One-time	$0.95 (renews at $29.95/month)
1-Month Membership	Monthly	$19.95
3-Month Membership	Quarterly	$44.85
Professional	Monthly	$69.95

Why Spokeo is a Good Social Catfish alternative?

The comparison table between Spokeo and Social Catfish focuses on areas where Spokeo offers a clear advantage over Social Catfish.

Attribute	Spokeo	Social Catfish
Data Sources	✔️ Collect data from online and offline sources, including public records and social media	❌ Focuses on social media and online identity verification
Lifetime Updates	✔️ Provides lifetime updates on purchased reports	❌ Does not explicitly offer lifetime updates

Visit Spokeo >>

7-Day Trial for $0.95

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3) BeenVerified

BeenVerified is a versatile background check tool that excels at delivering accurate and comprehensive data, including contact details, criminal records, and even unclaimed money searches. Thanks to its user-friendly interface, I didn’t find any difficulty accessing the tool. Even BeenVerified Background Search, the Android app, operated smoothly on my Samsung Galaxy M35 for on-the-go searches.

Compared to Social Catfish, BeenVerified offers broader search capabilities, such as vehicle lookups and unclaimed money searches. These features certainly give BeenVerified an extra edge for those seeking detailed insights beyond online identity verification.

Features:

• Name Lookup: BeenVerified lets you search for details about someone by name. The report reveals key details such as full name and aliases, age, associated phone numbers and email IDs, current or previous addresses, criminal records, education, etc.
• Obituary Search: This feature allows you to find information about deceased individuals, including their obituary notices, which can provide details such as birth dates, family associations, and residences.
• Reverse Phone Lookup: You can identify unknown callers by entering a specific phone number. The tool reveals details about the owner, associated addresses, and other relevant data.
• Address Lookup: The Address Lookup feature allows you to research properties. While accessing the report, I noticed information about past and present owners, property structure (map), and even a rough estimation of the property value. There is also a section where you will notice some brief info on people residing close to the property.
• Vehicle Reports: By simply entering a vehicle identification number (VIN), you can access the car’s history, including accidents, repairs, and title information.

Pricing:

Here are the subscription details of BeenVerified:

Plan Name	Price	Charge Frequency	Charge Amount	Features Included
1-Month Membership	$36.89 per month	Monthly	$26.89	Access to all of BeenVerified’s features for one month, including 100 monthly searches.
3-Month Membership	$23.98 per month	Quarterly	$71.94	Access to all of BeenVerified’s features for three months, including 100 monthly searches.

Why BeenVerified is a Good Social Catfish alternative?

Have a look at the comparison table between BeenVerified and Social Catfish to gain a better understanding:

Attribute	BeenVerified	Social Catfish
Database Size	✔️ Large, aggregates data from multiple sources	❌ Comprehensive, but less detailed than BeenVerified
Search Options	✔️ Offers vehicle search, unclaimed money search	❌ No vehicle search, but includes reverse image search
Data Accuracy	✔️ Advanced algorithms for accurate data	❌ Data accuracy can vary

Visit BeenVerified >>

7-Day Trial for $1

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4) PeopleSearch

PeopleSearch is a free people search engine backed by Whitepages®, a trusted authority in personal directories. I would rate it good in terms of speed and accessibility. PeopleSearch provides instant contact details, address history, and family connections—all without a paywall.

Compared to Social Catfish, which focuses on online identity verification, PeopleSearch offers deeper personal background insights. I found it a handy alternative that offers free service for reconnecting with lost contacts effortlessly.

Features:

• People Search: PeopleSearch is a free and efficient people search engine powered by Whitepages®. By entering an individual’s full name, you can find detailed information about them. This feature provided me with key details such as age, known aliases, current and previous addresses, and possible relatives.
• Contact Information: The platform provides access to a vast database of contact details, including phone numbers and mailing addresses. I found it helpful in reconnecting with lost contacts or verifying someone’s current contact information.
• Background Reports: PeopleSearch aggregates data from reliable public sources to offer background reports that may include criminal records, traffic records, property records, and other public records.
• Relatives & Associates: The platform provides information about an individual’s family members and associates, including their names, phone numbers, and addresses. You can use it to understand personal networks and connections. It can be valuable for genealogical research or personal investigations.
• Compare Properties: The Analyse and Compare Property feature of PeopleSearch provides detailed insights into property values, ownership history, and market trends. I could assess real estate investments while comparing multiple properties. It helped me with the decision making process.

Pricing:

PeopleSearch is a free tool and does not require a credit card or any payment details to view the basic reports. For a comprehensive and detailed background report, please refer to the WhitePages URL.

Why PeopleSearch is a Good Social Catfish alternative?

Here is a comparison table between PeopleSearch and Social Catfish:

Attribute	PeopleSearch	Social Catfish
Free Search	✔️ Free Name Search (Phone and Address search through WhitePages)	❌ Not completely Free
Property comparison	✔️ Comes with property comparison option	❌ Only provides information but not comparison
Speed	✔️ Very Fast to generate	❌ Takes time to generate results

Link: http://www.peoplesearch.com

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5) Melissa Lookups

Melissa Lookups is a versatile tool offering over 40 specialized search engines to verify identities, validate addresses, and retrieve property or business details. While testing this tool, its ease of use and depth of data stood out.

Unlike Social Catfish, Melissa excels in batch processing and detailed property insights, such as deed history and market trends. Its seamless interface and robust accuracy make it a superior choice for professional data verification tasks.

Features:

• Address Check: Melissa’s Address Check tool instantly verifies and corrects U.S. and Canadian addresses according to USPS and Canada Post standards. I could input addresses using either an autocomplete feature or free-form entry.
• Personator: This feature verifies, corrects, and appends personal info such as names, addresses, phone numbers, and emails. It helped me to keep you up-to-date of the contact details. You will notice updates flushing once there is a change in information about an individual.
• Death Check: This tool displays a list of individuals who have died in the last 10 years based on first and last name or Social Security Number (SSN). I have found information such as age, date of birth, and date of death. This feature is good enough to verify records and prevent fraud. ​
• Global Email Check: Melissa’s Global Email Check verifies the validity of email addresses. After using this tool, I have noticed a significant reduction in email bounce rates.
• IP Location: Melissa’s IP Location tool allows users to determine an IP address’s geographic location. The report gives a fair idea of the IP address including ISP, pincode, state, country, connection type, domain, and more.

Pricing:

Melissa Lookups offers 1,000 free credits monthly to the users. You can use these free credits to test the services or handle smaller data needs without any cost.

Why Melissa Lookups is a Good Social Catfish alternative?

Below, I have created a comparison table between Melissa Lookups and Social Catfish:

Attribute	Melissa Lookups	Social Catfish
Global Lookups	✔️ Supports both US and international phone numbers	❌ Primarily focused on US data
Bulk Processing	✔️ Can process up to 500 contacts at once	❌ No bulk processing feature mentioned
Ease of Use	✔️ Simple interface with extensions for browsers	❌ Requires additional steps for full reports

Link: https://lookups.melissa.com/home

Comparing Best Social Catfish Alternatives

The best Social Catfish alternative depends on your individual needs and preferences. Carefully evaluate the features, pricing, and user feedback presented in the below table to make an informed decision:

Site	Intelius	Spokeo	BeenVerified	PeopleSearch	Melissa Lookups
Data Accuracy	Mixed reviews, excels in education details	May have outdated or incomplete data	Verified public sources, some inconsistency	Powered by Whitepages®, which is known for reliable data, but accuracy depends on public records.	Multi-source database with billions of records
Search Depth	People search, reverse phone, address, connections	Name, email, phone, username, address, location	People search, background checks, reverse phone, address, property, monitoring, username search, unclaimed money	Contact details, mailing addresses, and family member info	Personator search, address, global phone, global email
User Interface	User-friendly, intuitive, “fast pass” feature	User-friendly website and app with call blocking	User-friendly, desktop and mobile app	Simple with a basic search box	User-friendly website, Chrome extension
Customer Support	Phone, email, tickets, FAQs	Phone, email, chat	Phone, email, live chat	Toll-free number, email, tickets	Phone, email
Value for Money	$24.86/month or $21.13/month (bi-monthly)	$19.95/month or $14.95/month (3-month plan)	$26.89/month or $17.48/month (3-month plan)	Free but premium data may require Whitepages® upgrades	Credit-based system, 1,000 free credits monthly, purchase additional credits
Trial Options	5-day trial for $0.95	7-day trial for $0.95	7-day trial for $1	Free	1,000 free credits monthly
Mobile App	Yes	Yes, with call blocking	Yes	Yes	Yes
Key Features	Comprehensive background checks, Identity Protect service	Affordable pricing, Court Records section, Spokeo Enterprise	Comprehensive data, monitoring service, FCRA compliance	Name-based search, contact details, address history, family connections	Credit-based system, Global Address Database (GAD), U.S. Property Data

How do We Choose the Best Social Catfish Alternatives?

Our team aims to offer top picks that are consistently updated and great for diverse verification needs. We take time to ensure these Social Catfish alternatives are easy to use and genuinely helpful in simplifying your search. Here’s how we picked the best Social Catfish alternatives:

• We evaluated how each service handles data with ease and ensures your privacy to consistently deliver secure results.
• Our team chose options that often provide rapid checks in order to simplify processes and save valuable time.
• We made sure to shortlist solutions offering hassle-free setup, which is perfect for all users consistently seeking reliability.
• The experts in our team selected ultra-responsive platforms that help you find relevant information precisely and with ease.
• We considered cost-effectiveness and aimed to provide innovative picks that are consistently great options for varied verification purposes.

Additional Tips to Consider

Beyond the core features and pricing, here are some additional factors to keep in mind when choosing a Social Catfish alternative:

• Data Privacy: Understand the platform’s privacy policy and how they handle your personal information. Some platforms may share your data with third parties, so choose a service that aligns with your privacy preferences.
• Customer Support: It is also necessary to focus onb the responsiveness of the customer support. Look for platforms with multiple support channels (phone, email, chat) and readily available help resources.
• Opt-Out Options: Check if the platform allows you to opt out of its database and remove your information if you wish. This is crucial for maintaining control over your online presence.
• User Reviews: To better understand the platform, read user reviews and testimonials. Pay attention to feedback on data accuracy, customer support, and overall satisfaction.
• Trial Periods: You must use the free or paid trial options to test the platform before committing to a paid subscription. This allows you to experience the features and interface firsthand.

Verdict

In this review, I have introduced you to some of the best Social Catfish alternatives. Each option offers remarkable features and reliable information that assist in resolving issues related to online identity tracking. After carefully analyzing these alternatives, my vote for top 3 picks goes to:

• Intelius: It provides comprehensive background checks and delivers detailed reports that encompass criminal records, contact information, and more.
• Spokeo: Spokeo aggregates data from various sources, including social media profiles and public records, offering a well-rounded view of an individual’s online presence.
• BeenVerified: This versatile platform offers features like reverse phone lookup and vehicle history reports. Its mobile apps enhance accessibility, allowing users to conduct searches on the go.