Xref (now part of ELMO Software) is an Australian reference checking tool known for its polished UX. However, Xref only does reference checks. RefChecks offers everything Xref does - digital reference checks with customisable questionnaires - plus the rest of an 80+ check catalogue: right to work (VEVO), pre-employment medicals, working with children checks, licences and certificates, and more, with fraud detection built in.
For most Australian employers, RefChecks offers the better combination of features, pricing, and fraud protection compared to Xref.
Features
| Feature | RefChecks | Xref |
|---|---|---|
| Digital Reference Checks | ||
| Custom Questionnaires | Fully customisable with conditional logic | Fully customisable with template library |
| Referee Fraud Detection | AI fraud database, IP analysis, and pattern matching (Growth and Enterprise plans) | Basic duplicate detection |
| Right to Work (VEVO) | Direct VEVO verification | |
| Medical Screening | In-house booking and tracking | |
| ID Verification | DVS-integrated 100-point check | |
| Credit / Financial Checks | ASIC directorship checks live; credit history & AFSA bankruptcy coming soon | |
| Psychometric Testing | Coming soon | |
| Employment Cross-Referencing | AI compares candidate CV claims against referee responses | |
| ATS Integrations | Coming soon, starting with JobAdder and Manatal | Native integrations with JobAdder, SmartRecruiters, Lever |
| International Screening | Coming soon | |
| Candidate Portal | Full portal with document uploads and multi-check tracking | Candidate notification and status page |
| Bulk Reference Requests | ||
| Multi-Language Support | English only | Supports multiple languages for referees |
| Sanctions & PEP Screening | Coming soon | |
| Continuous Monitoring | Managed re-screening on configurable schedules (VEVO, adverse media) |
Pricing
| Tier | RefChecks | Xref |
|---|---|---|
| Starter / Small Team | References included in your plan (from free) | From $55 per reference request |
| Professional / Growth | Free / Team $99 / Growth $199 per month for references; background checks priced per check | Annual subscription, pricing on request |
| Enterprise | Custom pricing - contact us for SLAs and API access | Contact sales - ELMO suite bundling available |
Analysis
Verdict
This comparison is straightforward: Xref does one thing - reference checks. RefChecks does everything Xref does, plus the rest of an 80+ check catalogue - right to work (VEVO), pre-employment medicals, working with children checks, licences and certificates, and ID verification - all with fraud detection built in.
Xref charges from $55 per reference request. With RefChecks, reference checks are included in your monthly plan, and on Growth and Enterprise plans you also get fraud detection that goes well beyond Xref's basic duplicate checking.
RefChecks also offers a capability Xref has no answer for: continuous post-hire monitoring that re-screens employees on your behalf on configurable schedules across VEVO and adverse media. Xref does not offer this.
Xref makes sense if your organisation is already deeply embedded in the ELMO HR ecosystem and you only need reference checks, or if a ready-made ATS connection matters more to you right now than check coverage. RefChecks ATS integrations are on the way, starting with JobAdder and Manatal. For everyone else, RefChecks is the clear winner - you get a complete screening platform with AI-powered fraud prevention, ongoing compliance monitoring, and dramatically lower costs. There is no reason to pay more for less.
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