Pricing, accuracy, and what you actually get — tested in-depth
Spokeo is a people search engine founded in 2006 and headquartered in Pasadena, California. The company aggregates publicly available information from hundreds of sources — including social networks, white pages directories, public records databases, court records, marketing data files, and change-of-address records — and packages them into searchable reports. As of 2026, Spokeo's database contains over 12 billion records on more than 1 billion people, making it the largest consumer-facing people search database available.
The core product is a reverse phone lookup: you enter a number and Spokeo attempts to match it to an owner and return associated records. But Spokeo also supports searches by name, email address, and physical address. The platform is particularly well-regarded for its social profile aggregation — it was originally built as a social search engine and that DNA still shows in how it surfaces LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and other public social data alongside traditional records.
| Plan | Price | What's Included | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone Lookup | $6.95/month | Unlimited phone number searches | Identifying unknown callers |
| People Search | $19.95/month | Phone + name + email + address searches | Full people research |
| Single Report | $0.95–$2.95 | One phone or background check report | One-off lookups |
| Background Check | $4.95–$9.95 | Full background report with criminal records | Vetting individuals |
The $6.95/month phone lookup plan is genuinely competitive — it's the cheapest entry point to unlimited phone searches from any major provider. The plan auto-renews monthly and can be cancelled at any time. Note that the $6.95 plan covers phone searches only; if you want to search by name or email, you'll need to upgrade to the $19.95 People Search plan. Single reports are useful if you have an occasional need and don't want a subscription.
A standard Spokeo phone lookup report includes the following data points (availability varies by number):
Spokeo's 12B+ record database is compiled from public records (DMV, voter registrations, property records), commercial data partners (credit header files, marketing databases), social media platforms (public profile data), and white pages directories. The company refreshes its data continuously, with major database updates quarterly and incremental updates in real-time for some data sources.
In our testing across 50 diverse phone numbers, Spokeo achieved an 82% accuracy rate — the highest of any service we evaluated. For landlines and carrier-registered mobile numbers, Spokeo returned a name in 91% of cases. For VoIP numbers (Google Voice, Skype, Zoom Phone), the hit rate dropped to 38%, and for prepaid/burner phones, it was just 22%. These limitations are inherent to how these number types are registered, not specific to Spokeo — all services struggle with VoIP and prepaid numbers.
One feature worth noting: Spokeo shows you that results exist (the city/state and record count) before you pay. This preview lets you confirm there's useful data before committing to a purchase — a consumer-friendly touch that competitors like Intelius don't always offer.
Spokeo is the right choice if your primary use case is identifying unknown callers and you want the most accurate results at the lowest price. It's especially well-suited for: people who receive frequent unknown calls and want quick identification, anyone researching a person they've met online (dating safety, marketplace transactions), users who want social profile aggregation alongside contact data, and casual users who want a month-to-month subscription without an annual commitment.
Spokeo is not the best choice if you need deep verified background checks for tenant or employment vetting (use a FCRA-compliant service for that), if most of the numbers you're looking up are VoIP or prepaid, or if you need to run bulk searches daily (BeenVerified's all-in-one plan may offer better value).
Cancelling Spokeo is straightforward. Log into your account, go to Account Settings > Membership > Cancel Membership. Your access continues until the end of the current billing period. You can also cancel by emailing support@spokeo.com with your registered email address, or by calling 1-888-906-0850 during business hours. Spokeo's cancellation process is among the cleaner ones in the industry — no dark patterns or required phone calls to cancel.
Compared to Intelius, Spokeo has a larger database and lower price but less depth on background checks. Compared to BeenVerified, Spokeo has higher accuracy but fewer search types at the entry price. For a full side-by-side analysis, see our Spokeo vs BeenVerified and Spokeo vs Intelius comparisons, or check the master best reverse phone lookup 2026 roundup.
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Start with the phone lookup plan for $6.95/month. Cancel anytime.
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Spokeo's phone lookup plan starts at $6.95/month for unlimited phone searches. The full people search plan (includes name, email, and address searches) is $19.95/month. Single reports are available from $0.95 each.
In our 2026 testing across 50 phone numbers, Spokeo achieved an 82% accuracy rate — the highest of any service we tested. It performs best on landlines and registered mobile numbers. VoIP and prepaid numbers return results less frequently.
Log into your account and go to Account Settings > Membership > Cancel Membership. You can also email support@spokeo.com or call 1-888-906-0850. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your billing cycle.
A Spokeo phone report typically includes the owner's full name, current address, age, relatives, associated email addresses, social media profiles (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram where public), and carrier information. Background check reports add criminal records, court records, and financial data.
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