The rise of the information age has made information less and less challenging to find. Even information that used to be almost impossible to search for has become easily accessible. You can easily run a background check on potential employees and even potential dates. With the right tools, you can find information on almost anyone.
In this article, we provide the 12 best free people search engines for you to find anyone online, plus helpful tips and tricks.
People Search Tips & Tricks
While a lot of websites are free to use, some will offer paid services. However, most of the time, the only added benefit is that all the data will be gathered in one place. If you want a totally free service, you’ll need to use multiple websites to find all the information you need.
Another thing to note is that all the data gathered will be based on traces the person left online. It could be on social media, public records, etc. If the person hasn’t left anything online at one point or another, you won’t be able to find the information.
Lastly, you have to take note that it’s best to use more than one website. It’s easy to stick to one website if you feel that it’s already sufficient. However, you’ll most likely get more abundant (and more accurate) information using multiple sites at a time.
12 Best Free People Search Websites
Here are the 12 best free people search websites to do a background check on almost anyone.
1. Google
While the controversy of whether or not if Google is searching for us or vise versa is been endless. Is never really any harm for us to search for a person’s data on this search engine. After all, Google is the powerhouse that holds most of our information online. Before trying any people search alternative, it’s best to start using Google first and foremost. Whether it is on Google search itself or on Google Plus, you’ll for sure get somewhat of information. You can use the information you find to narrow down the results you’ll get on the other platforms. Additionally, Google also has a reverse image search if you want even to narrow things down further.
2. Facebook
Believe it or not, Facebook is a powerful free people search resource. It’s one of the biggest social networking sites with hundreds of millions of daily users. Searching for a person is as simple as using Facebook’s built-in search bar. You can search for their name, city, school, work, and more.
Facebook is a great free people search tool if you’re looking for an old classmate, co-worker, or a friend’s friend. Moreover, it’s a great way to find people associated with certain geographic locations, organizations, clubs, or groups. If you’re looking for the person’s personal details, Facebook’s a great choice since most engines don’t include personal information.
The only difficulty with Facebook is that many people keep their profiles private. However, if a person’s Facebook account is public, you’ll be able to freely browse their posts, photos, and more. Although, keep in mind that it’ll be difficult to narrow people down given the number of search results that show.
3. Family Tree Now
Family Tree Now is a free people search website launched in 2014 that allows access to public records. These public records include birth records, census records, death records, and other kinds of information.
As the name suggests, Family Tree Now is a great people search engine if you’re looking to find relatives. Even distant relatives from long ago are searchable via the website. Plus, the site goes a step further and lets you construct a family tree based on the information you gather.
One thing to note about Family Tree Now is that it gathers information from public sources. Because of this, the website doesn’t guarantee any kind of data accuracy. If you’re planning on using the site, some fact-checking and digging may be necessary. However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t a useful tool. With the search of a first and last name, Family Tree Now can powerfully gather all kinds of information. These include associated names, possible associates, age, possible relatives, addresses, phone numbers, and more.
4. FamilySearch.org
Many people use free people search engines to learn about their family history. While not all free people search tools offer this kind of information, some do. One such website is FamilySearch.org.
The website was created by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to assist people researching their family background. Since its foundation, FamilySearch has grown to become a reliable search engine. All you need to do is sign up and search away.
Once you’ve signed up and done some digging, you’ll notice that the website offers you surname statistics. It’s a powerful way to learn about your family history and the origins of your family name. Even information on deceased relatives is included in the archive to enrich your knowledge of your family heritage. The website even has an app to help you conveniently build your family tree.
5. Fast People Search
Finding information on certain people can be a tedious task. Other free people search websites offer unnecessary features that not everyone appreciates. Many people are looking for something quick and easy that will tell you all a person’s details, period. If that’s you, look no further than Fast People Search.
Fast People Search is a free people search engine that’s great for quickly finding details on a certain person. You search them by phone number, name, or physical address. The website then offers you other kinds of details that you might want. There are all kinds such as birthday, marriage status, previous addresses, past mobile numbers, email addresses, and more.
6. Find People Search
Find People Search is a powerful people finder with lots of information filters to help narrow down your search. More than just looking people up by name, you can add to the parameters the more information you have. Filtering searches based on the approximate age, location, maiden name, birthday, phone number, and more go a long way. Even normally overlooked details such as middle initials can help narrow down the search.
What’s great about Find People Search is that it requires no payment or registration. You can freely use the service as much as you want when you want. However, if you find the information a bit lacking, they also offer a totally optional subscription. You can get added information with either a personal or business subscription.
If you don’t want to subscribe, that’s also okay. The website gives lots of free information such as addresses, age, landline, phone service providers, and associated people. They even have a map view showing locations and addresses with their search tool.
7. LinkedIn
There are many business-focused search websites out there (like Pipl). However, they’re not always free. So, what do you do if you want free people search engines for business? Check out LinkedIn.
With millions of users, dozens of industries, and a worldwide reach, LinkedIn offers unmatched business information search. Search all the things you might need about a potential employee. It could be who they work with, former work positions, former supervisors you can contact, where they worked, and more. LinkedIn is the best if you’re looking for professionals and want to screen the people you hire.
If you’re going to use the website, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. First, you have to note that some privacy settings can hinder you from seeing everything. That is if you’re not a registered LinkedIn user. If you are, the user will be alerted that you viewed their profile.
8. PeekYou
Finding a free person lookup platform is hard enough, but what if the person you want to trace uses a username? With PeekYou, you can search not only using names or phone numbers but also using usernames.
Many people online like to remain anonymous under a username. Whether it’s their Twitter handle, Instagram account, or Reddit account, people mostly use usernames to remain anonymous. You’d be surprised how much online activity and information is hidden under the guise of a username.
9. PeopleFinders
PeopleFinders is a free people search engine that allows you to access a myriad of personal information. It offers information such as family members, phone number digits, and age. The website even offers you information on the person’s relatives.
If the information isn’t enough, you can pay an inexpensive fee to access a full report. This report will unlock almost all the details you could want. These include their full name, age, landline, past and current addresses, relatives, aliases, property records, bankruptcies, and more. It even offers criminal records, marriage and divorce information, and judgments and liens. You can print the report yourself or opt for an email of the PDF for an additional fee.
You can search almost anyone by giving a name, address, and phone number. There’s also an added tool for advanced searching to research based on age.
10. TinEye
Most free people search engines require even just one tidbit of information, usually a name. However, what do you do when all you’ve got going for you is an image? Just a photo of that person or a photo related to them.
If that sounds like you, look no further than TinEye, a free photo reverse search engine. It might sound too good to be true, but it isn’t. TinEye uses image recognition technology to help you match the image you provide with the same image anywhere online. What’s even more impressive is that you don’t even have to have the full photo. Sometimes, uploading only a part of the image can be enough to conduct a search. If you use TinEye along with the other search engines, you’ll undoubtedly be able to research more thoroughly.
11. True People Search
True People Search is a reliable and free people search engine. You can search for people by their name (the last name isn’t required), number, and address. They give you plenty of detailed information — even more than the other websites do.
With this site, you can easily find a person’s personal details, everything from age, email, and landline to previous areas lived in, and associates. It even acts as a free address finder. It also includes an age filter to help you narrow down too many results. If the details aren’t enough for you, you can pay for a full report. The only downside is that some sponsored links might blend with the information you’re viewing, so tread carefully.
12. White Pages
Sometimes using names to find people isn’t enough, especially when you only have other details. White Pages is a great free people search resource if you want to run a phone reverse search. With the website (that’s also a phone listing), you can easily find the owner of a phone number.
Of course, White Pages isn’t limited to phone numbers. You can also start with a number, address, or name (or even a business name). You’ll get multiple results with addresses, locations, and even relatives. If you’re a landlord and want to ward off sketchy tenants, White Pages also offers a “TenantCheck” service.
13. Zaba Search
Zaba Search is a free people search engine that gives nearly instant search results. It searches and hunts for information all over the web and provides you with the information you need. Its sources not only include regular websites but also phone directories and even court records.
After running a search, Zaba gives you the subject’s name, address, age, and phone number. Although, be warned that not all of its information is updated and that the website has lots of ads. Nevertheless, if you don’t mind the quirks, Zaba is a good additional resource for searching for information.
Final Word
If you’re looking for information, the internet is certainly a good friend. With the numerous free people search engines available, looking up a person’s information shouldn’t be a problem. There are even search engines that search using images or phone numbers, not just names. What’s more, you don’t even have to use only one. If you use multiple sources, you’d be surprised how accurate and powerful these search engines can be. However, if you don’t want to be searched. Here’s how you spoof your location without exposing your privacy on the internet.