Are you looking for a reliable people search tool to find accurate contact information? In this comprehensive PeopleSmart review, we’ll cover everything you need to know, including:
- How PeopleSmart works
- Pricing and subscription plans
- Data accuracy and sources
- Customer support
- Pros, cons and limitations
- Alternatives to consider
- Answers to frequently asked questions
By the end, you’ll have a clear understanding of whether PeopleSmart is the right people finder for your needs. Let’s dive in!
What is PeopleSmart?
PeopleSmart is a web-based people search and prospecting tool. It allows users to easily look up contact information like:
- Names
- Phone numbers
- Email addresses
- Mailing addresses
- Employment details
- Social media profiles
The interface is user-friendly and intuitive, similar to a search engine. Simply enter the criteria you’re looking for, and PeopleSmart will return a list of potential matches.
How PeopleSmart Works
To conduct a search on PeopleSmart, enter any combination of:
- First and last name
- Phone number
- Email address
- Physical address
- Company name
- Job title
- Industry
PeopleSmart will then scan its database of millions of records to find the best potential matches. Results are returned in a structured report, ranked by confidence level.
Key Features
- Centralized dashboard to save and monitor contacts
- Advanced search filters (name, company, title, location, etc.)
- Reverse phone and email lookup
- PDF reports and CSV export options
- Email alerts when monitored records are updated
- 24/7 customer support via phone, email, and live chat
Access to these features depends on your subscription plan. More on that next.
PeopleSmart Pricing
PeopleSmart offers several paid subscription options, depending on your needs. All plans come with core features like:
- Unlimited searches
- Advanced search filters
- Downloadable reports
- 24/7 support
The main difference between plans is the number of Contact Report credits included per month. Contact Reports contain full access to a person’s aggregated records.
Subscription Plans
- Basic: $39/month for 50 Contact Report credits
- Professional: $99/month for 125 Contact Report credits
- Business: $199/month for 300 Contact Report credits
Custom plans with higher contact limits are also available. Reach out to the PeopleSmart sales team for a quote.
7-Day Trial
Not sure if PeopleSmart is right for you? Take advantage of their 7-day trial for only $1. You’ll get full access to the platform, allowing you to thoroughly test its capabilities before committing to a paid plan.
To learn more about canceling your PeopleSmart subscription, check out our step-by-step guide.
PeopleSmart Accuracy
One of the most important considerations with any people search tool is data accuracy. So how does PeopleSmart stack up?
Data Sources
PeopleSmart aggregates data from hundreds of public records sources, including:
- Federal, state, and county records
- Utility records
- Property records
- Phone directories
- Social media profiles
- Business databases
These sources are continuously updated to ensure information is as current as possible. However, it’s important to understand that no people finder is 100% accurate. Records can become outdated when people move, change phone numbers, get married, etc.
PeopleSmart also cannot access certain non-public records like criminal histories or credit reports. Only authorized entities (employers, landlords, etc.) can view that sensitive data, in accordance with FCRA guidelines.
Confidence Scoring
To help users gauge accuracy, PeopleSmart assigns a “confidence score” to each data point. Records are ranked from highest to lowest confidence.
The system also labels the top result for each data type (phone, email, address) with a “Best Match” tag. Additional guidance like “Higher Confidence” helps users quickly identify the most reliable data.
While not perfect, PeopleSmart’s confidence scoring is a handy way to streamline your research and improve hit rates. Just remember to always verify important details using additional sources.
Customer Support
Even the best people search tools aren’t without occasional issues. That’s where great customer support comes in.
Support Options
PeopleSmart offers several convenient ways to get help when you need it:
- Phone support
- Email support
- Live chat
- Online knowledge base
Whether you have a billing question or a technical issue, the PeopleSmart team is generally quick to assist.
Support Hours
Phone support is available 7 days a week, from 6:00am to 11:30pm ET.
For less urgent matters, email support is available 24/7. Typical response times are within 24-48 hours.
The online knowledge base is also accessible any time, providing a wealth of self-help resources. Categories include account management, search tips, billing, and more.
Pros and Cons
Now that we’ve covered the key aspects of PeopleSmart, let’s summarize some of the main pros and cons.
Pros
- Intuitive search interface
- Wide variety of detailed contact data
- Well-organized, easy-to-read reports
- High data confidence across multiple sources
- Handy monitoring and alerts feature
- Responsive 24/7 customer support
- Affordable plans for both individuals and businesses
Cons
- Multiple records returned can be time-consuming to review
- Cannot conduct background checks or pull sensitive data
- Occasional minor data discrepancies
- Data limited to US records
Overall, PeopleSmart’s benefits seem to outweigh the drawbacks for most users. Plan options are flexible enough to meet varying needs and budgets.
Use Cases
So what are some of the most common reasons to use a tool like PeopleSmart? Let’s take a look.
Business Prospecting
One of the top use cases is business prospecting. Sales teams use PeopleSmart to:
- Build lead lists in a specific industry, location or role
- Find key decision-maker contact information
- Gather background data to personalize outreach
- Enrich and validate existing prospect databases
Instead of wasting time manually scouring the web for data, PeopleSmart delivers it in a structured format, saving hours of tedious work.
Candidate Recruiting
Recruiters also use people finders to streamline candidate sourcing. PeopleSmart enables them to:
- Identify top talent by role, skills or location
- Find up-to-date contact details
- Discover alumni and professional associations
- Build Boolean search strings for LinkedIn
Armed with more complete candidate data, recruiters can fine-tune their outreach to improve response rates.
Professional Networking
Keeping in touch with professional connections is crucial in today’s career landscape. Tools like PeopleSmart empower you to:
- Locate former colleagues and classmates
- Connect with attendees after an event or conference
- Find mutual connections to ask for introductions
- Update contact details that have changed
Growing and nurturing your network has never been easier, even when you’re short on time.
Customer Data Enrichment
Many businesses struggle to keep their customer databases complete and current. As a result, key contacts often fall through the cracks. PeopleSmart helps by:
- Filling in missing phone numbers, email addresses and more
- Updating records that have gone stale
- Merging duplicate records
- Tying offline and online data together
More comprehensive customer data enables timely, personalized communication that closes deals and builds loyalty.
Limitations
For all of its strengths, PeopleSmart does have a few limitations to be aware of.
No Background Checks
As mentioned earlier, PeopleSmart is not a background check service and should not be used as such.
Users cannot obtain criminal records, credit reports, or other highly sensitive data. PeopleSmart is also not FCRA-compliant for use in tenant screening, employment eligibility decisions, etc.
If you need to remove your personal information from PeopleSmart’s database, follow the steps in our PeopleSmart Opt-Out tutorial.
US Records Only
Currently, PeopleSmart only provides data on US persons. The database does not contain international records.
For multinational companies needing to research global contacts, PeopleSmart will need to be used in conjunction with other tools.
PeopleSmart vs Alternatives
There are countless people search services out there, both free and paid. So how does PeopleSmart compare?
Free People Finders
Free people finders can be useful for one-off, non-critical searches. Examples include Whitepages, Zabasearch and PeekYou.
However, free tools are often limited in terms of:
- Number of searches
- Depth of data provided
- Accuracy and freshness of records
- Usability and customer support
For any consistent, professional application, a paid service is generally a better bet. The time savings and quality difference can more than justify the cost.
Paid People Finders
There’s no shortage of paid people search tools, either. Popular options include BeenVerified, Intelius and Spokeo.
Feature-wise, most paid services are fairly comparable, offering things like:
- Comprehensive contact data
- Downloadable reports
- Ongoing monitoring
- Mobile apps
- Customer support
Pricing varies, although PeopleSmart’s plans are on the more affordable end of the spectrum. Some services, like Intelius and BeenVerified, also offer background checks for an additional fee.
Ultimately, the best people finder for you depends on your unique needs and budget. We recommend taking advantage of free trials to directly compare your top contenders.
Key Takeaways
We’ve covered a lot of ground in this PeopleSmart review. Here are some of the most important points to remember:
- PeopleSmart is an intuitive, affordable people search tool for businesses and individuals.
- Data is aggregated from hundreds of reliable sources and updated frequently.
- Searches can be conducted using a variety of criteria like name, phone, email, company and more.
- Results are well-organized and ranked by confidence level to streamline research.
- Custom reports can be saved, monitored and exported in multiple formats.
- Multiple support channels are available, including 24/7 email assistance.
- PeopleSmart is great for prospecting, recruiting, networking and customer data enrichment.
- Be aware that PeopleSmart cannot be used for background checks or employment screening.
- Free people finders may be suitable for limited use cases, but lack the robustness of paid tools.
- When choosing a people search service, consider your specific needs, budget and scalability.
PeopleSmart FAQ
Let’s wrap things up by addressing some of the most frequently asked questions about PeopleSmart.
Can I use PeopleSmart for tenant screening?
No. Tenant screening is regulated by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and requires the use of authorized consumer reporting agencies. PeopleSmart does not meet FCRA requirements.
How does PeopleSmart get its data?
PeopleSmart aggregates data from numerous public records sources, including government databases, phone directories, property records, business filings and more.
Are PeopleSmart searches confidential?
Yes. Searches are completely confidential. The person you look up is not notified in any way.
How fresh is PeopleSmart’s data?
Records are updated continuously – as often as daily in many cases. However, some data sources are only refreshed monthly or quarterly. It’s always a good idea to cross-reference important details.
Can I search for international records on PeopleSmart?
Currently, no. PeopleSmart only contains records on US persons. The company has not announced any plans to add international data.
What if I find incorrect data on myself or others?
PeopleSmart offers an opt-out process for those wishing to remove their information from the company’s database. Simply email support@peoplesmart.com with your request and the team will assist you.
Does PeopleSmart offer an API?
Yes. Businesses can access PeopleSmart’s data via API to enhance their own systems. Contact PeopleSmart for API pricing and integration details.
How do I cancel my PeopleSmart subscription?
If you need to cancel your PeopleSmart subscription for any reason, follow our cancellation walkthrough for step-by-step guidance.
Hopefully this in-depth review has given you a clear picture of what PeopleSmart has to offer. While not perfect, it’s a robust people search tool that delivers accurate data through an intuitive interface.
For businesses and individuals needing a reliable, cost-effective way to find contact information at scale, PeopleSmart is definitely worth considering. Just remember to take advantage of the $1 trial before committing to a paid plan.
