Finding someone online can be challenging, especially when you only have limited information like a phone number or address. That’s where AnyWho and similar reverse phone lookup services come in handy. However, AnyWho does have some drawbacks that lead people to seek out alternatives.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the top AnyWho alternatives for accurately and ethically finding people and public records online.
Overview of AnyWho
AnyWho is a free online white pages directory by AT&T that allows you to search for people by name, phone number, or address. It compiles data from public sources and phone listings to help you reconnect with old friends, identify unknown callers, research businesses, and more.
Key Features:
- Reverse phone number lookup
- People search by name
- Address lookup
- Business listings (yellow pages)
However, AnyWho isn’t without its flaws:
- Limited information in reports
- Frequent irrelevant results
- Slow search speed
- No mobile app
- Outdated interface
This is why having a list of working alternatives is useful for both personal research and professional investigations. The top options provide more detailed insights with higher accuracy.
Why You Should Use an AnyWho Alternative
AnyWho alternatives shine where AnyWho falls short. Benefits include:
1. More Accurate and In-Depth Results
Many AnyWho alternatives compile data from broader sources leading to richer reports on individuals and businesses. This includes social media, court records, criminal checks, bankruptcies, marriage/divorce filings, relatives, former residences, etc.
2. Better Chance of Finding Useful Information
With access to larger databases, expanded search filters, and real-time information from multiple locations, your odds of locating the details you want are vastly improved over AnyWho’s limited scope.
3. Stay Completely Anonymous
Unlike social networks, the right people search sites never expose the fact that you performed a search on someone to them or anyone else. Your privacy stays protected behind the scenes.
4. Available on iPhone & Android
Most competitors offer mobile apps on iOS and Android for on-the-go searches compared to AnyWho’s web-only presence.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Alternatives
With an abundance of options to replace AnyWho, keep these key aspects in mind when evaluating each:
Search Capabilities
At a minimum, reverse phone and address lookup features are standard. Search by name, email address, username, and business name/phone number opens up more pathways to find information.
Background Checks
Look beyond surface level details at criminal records, legal filings, relatives, former residences, etc. for deeper insights on individuals.
Information Accuracy
Database size and frequency of updates impact reliability. Cross-referenced data from court filings, governmental sources, and internet/social media provide extra verification.
Security Protocols
Legit services explain what steps they take to protect your anonymity as a searcher, verify users, encrypt data, prevent hacking, and comply with all applicable laws.
Customer Support
If something goes wrong or the reports contain errors, easy access to customer service by phone or email is vital – something AnyWho lacks.
Pricing/Availability
The best AnyWho competitors offer basic people searches, reverse lookups and background checks for free before requiring payment for full reports. Having the option to pay as you need is useful.
The 7 Best AnyWho Alternative Services
Based on extensive evaluation across the above criteria, these top 7 AnyWho alternatives provide the most utility:
1. Truthfinder
Truthfinder earns the #1 spot for best AnyWho alternative due to exceptional accuracy across hundreds of millions of records on individuals and businesses.
Available data goes far beyond surface details with criminal and court checks, relatives, marriage/divorce filings, current and former addresses, bankruptcies plus social media integration.
The user-friendly site and apps make it simple to begin a search by name, phone number, or address to uncover personalized insights. With mobile access, TruthFinder turns any smartphone into a portable background check tool.
Customers praise Truthfinder’s responsiveness in quickly correcting any erroneous information found in reports. Membership plans are affordably priced for casual and regular use.
2. Intelius
Offering instant access to over 20 billion public records on its intuitive site and easy-to-use mobile app, Intelius is a close second choice.
It enables all types of searches (name, address, phone number, business) along with delivering hard-to-find details on relatives, criminal offenses, legal history, bankruptcies and more.
Intelius continues growing its industry-leading database for the freshest information. Members can tailor report contents like choosing a 1-month, 3-month or unlimited use plan with prices to match different needs.
3. BeenVerified
With a single search at BeenVerified unlocking current address history, phone numbers, emails, relatives, criminal checks, legal filings, bankruptcies and more, it packs incredible depth.
The web interface simplifies entering a name, phone, address, username or business. For versatility, download the BeenVerified app to search on the go from iOS and Android devices when away from your computer.
Unlike clunky AnyWho, its database supplies frequently updated information and monitoring options to track changes on people of interest over time. Subscription lengths and pricing adapt for both periodic and regular searching.
4. PeopleFinders
Reconnect with long lost classmates at school reunions by harnessing PeopleFinders‘ extensive insights uncovered from public records on over 1 billion unique individuals and businesses across North America.
It enables looking up data by name, phone number, address, email, and username through the traditional website or mobile apps for iPhone and Android. Expect details like marriage/divorce, lawsuits, bankruptcies, current/past addresses, age, known aliases plus relatives.
While less robust on criminal records than our top picks, PeopleFinders still produces valuable lifestyle and relationship information at an affordable entry price. Bonus perks like opting out of search results and scam warnings further boost its appeal.
5. PeekYou
A unique option compared to traditional people finder sites is PeekYou’s specialty in aggregating personal info connected to someone’s digital footprint – social media, blog comments, web pages, photos etc.
Its niche database mines 60+ sites and uses semantic analysis for accuracy. Backed by strong technology, expect insights through search inputs like name, username, handle, email address, gender and keywords.
Downloading the PeekYou app opens up quick mobile access from Apple and Android devices to uncover social media and interest graph insights in just a few clicks.
6. Spokeo
Glean professional digital insights tied to over 530 million email addresses via Spokeo. It combines personal record details, job history, education, interests, and other social-professional activity harvested online.
Options to search by name, phone, address, username or email populate individual and business profiles with photos, network details, interests, and more.
The information holds particular value for job candidates, online dating, social media marketing, and professional networking contexts. Subscription levels meet both basic lookup needs and regular monitoring of people.
7. ZabaSearch
When you need a fast, easy source of basic public data on individuals, ZabaSearch fills the gap. It compiles freely accessible information which surfaces current address, age, past locations, and phone numbers tied to an input name.
The barebones yet functional interface performs lookups rapidly with no registration needed. Results link out to partner Intelius for running more in-depth background checks for a fee.
As long as your needs are simple to moderate, ZabaSearch provides sufficient accuracy on contacts without heavy investment. The dataset scope falls short of highly robust alternatives.
FAQs About AnyWho Alternatives
Still evaluating the best fitting AnyWho alternative service? These commonly asked questions provide more guidance:
Are AnyWho alternatives legal and ethical to use?
Yes, top providers follow stipulations around compiling and sharing personal information derived from public records and consenting data sources. However, always validate licensing, security protocols and policies before using a service for lookups.
What are signs I should avoid an AnyWho alternative site?
Red flags include lack of contact information, shady privacy policies, pushy sales tactics before joining, unsecure web connections, no mention of legal compliance or data protection, outdated design, and poor reputation based on reviews.
Do I have to pay to use AnyWho alternative sites?
Some services offer basic quick searches, reverse lookups and limited records for free while complete reports generally require payment. Review pricing models since options run the gamut from pay as you go to monthly to annual subscriptions or pre-paid member credits.
Can I do mobile lookups on iPhone/Android apps?
Yes, most leading providers allow iOS and Android installations for easy on the go access alongside traditional web searches from a desktop computer browser. The apps carry the same (or expanded) capabilities.
What searches can I run besides reverse phone lookups?
Standard name, address and phone searches are universally supported while some sources provide lookups by email address, username, business name/phone, and IP location details. This expands search paths to locate information.
How can I remove my personal information?
Check site policies for opt out processes. Common options are filling webforms requesting profile removal, emailing support teams or submitting legal takedown notices. Success varies based on responiveness so persistence may be needed.
The Takeaway on Finding AnyWho Alternatives
AnyWho served a useful purpose in its heyday for basic public record lookups but modern privacy-protected alternatives with enhanced features now surpass its capabilities in most cases.
Evaluate competitor people search services through lenses like database comprehensiveness, accuracy, privacy, cost, and mobile compatibility before choosing the best fit for your needs.
For optimal results, turn to highly rated leaders like TruthFinder, Intelius or BeenVerified to uncover personal and professional insights through versatile search options, real-time data monitoring, and easy site/app access.
When leveraged ethically, AnyWho alternative sites support reconnecting you to long lost friends, researching interesting new contacts, and investigating unfamiliar businesses at your discretion.
