List of KYC Software and Tools
- SEON: Use Pre-KYC Checks to Save Money
- Onfido: Leverage AI Liveness Verification
- Trulioo: Enjoy Global Document Verification
- Refinitiv: Insights from Financial Data Analysts
- KYC-Chain: Employ Blockchain Technology for KYC
- Token of Trust: Conduct Electronic ID Verification
- ComplyAdvantage: Get AML and KYC with a Free Plan
- Ondato: Leverage Biometrics for KYC
- Actico: KYC for Traditional Finance
- iComply: Know Your Customer and Business
What Is KYC Software?
KYC software assists companies in meeting Know Your Customer (KYC) legal requirements. These requirements are clearly defined for certain industries, such as banking and financial products.
These companies must rely on KYC software to learn more about their users. This is to prevent fraud and criminal activity, including money laundering and assisting terrorism, among others.
KYC software will help you learn a user’s first and last name, as well as an address and an ID document.
Top Features of KYC Software
Before choosing KYC software, you should consider the following features:
- Frictionless data enrichment: This will let you know more about users without asking for official documents. The software analyzes digital footprints to give you an idea of who you are dealing with.
- Document verification: The software determines if the ID is valid, fake, or stolen. Different software has different data sources and methods for checking that information.
- Pay-as-you-go pricing: Ideally, you want your KYC software prices to scale along with your usage. There’s no point in spending thousands of dollars a month if you have a very low volume of applications.
- Anti-money laundering (AML) features: KYC software is often bundled with AML features. This may include looking at lists of Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) or monitoring transactions over a certain threshold.
The 10 Best KYC Software Solutions
SEON
Use Pre-KYC Checks to Save Money
When it comes to digital footprint analysis, SEON is an incredibly helpful tool to help you glean your customers’ true intentions.
SEON does not provide full KYC functionality – but it can save companies a lot of time and money spent on KYC by weeding out fraudulent users before they reach that crucial step.
As a result, you will not need to spend money running KYC checks on demonstrably bad actors who would be rejected anyway. In addition to helping save resources, this boosts an organization’s fraud prevention efforts.
Pros
- Check social signals
- Fast and frictionless
- Transparent pricing
- Also suitable for AML
Cons
- No document check or biometric authentication
- No on-premise deployment
SEON Pricing
- Starts at $599. Free version available with limited API calls.
Choose SEON If
- You are concerned about your KYC costs and want to streamline the process.
SEON’s tools give you insightful data points thanks to:
- Reverse phone lookup: Find all the red flags by checking whether the phone number exists, if it’s in the right country, and more.
- Reverse email analysis: Flag email addresses that don’t exist and spot suspicious free domains.
- Device fingerprinting: Learn which configuration of software and hardware the user relies on to connect to your site.
- Reverse digital profiling lookup: Check 90+ platforms and online networks for user data.
All this data is fed through a powerful risk-scoring engine, which outputs a fraud score with clear explanations. This allows you to filter out junk users before the KYC stage, ask for additional information with medium-risk customers, and get more information for a manual review.
SEON Pros
- Check social signals: SEON aggregates data from 90+ online platforms, including social networks, for user information – far more than any other KYC software tool.
- Fast and frictionless: Get results in split seconds via API.
- Transparent pricing: True software-as-a-service (SaaS) model with a free 14-day trial and cancel anytime contracts.
- Transparent pricing: Fully-featured free plan.
- Also suitable for AML: If you struggle with unifying your fraud management and compliance system, SEON has got you covered.
SEON Cons
- No document check or biometric authentication: SEON is a pre-KYC filter or tool for extra info during a manual review. It is not a KYC solution, strictly speaking.
- No on-premise deployment: If you can’t use cloud-based KYC tools, SEON isn’t ideal.
Leverage SEON to speed up KYC checks, save money on KYC, and flag suspicious users with behavioral analytics and a real time scoring engine.
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Onfido
Leverage AI Liveness Verification
What do companies such as Revolut, Remitly, and Bitstamp have in common? They all verify identities with Onfido. The company leverages its AI models to verify 2,500 kinds of ID documents in 195 countries.
With Onfido, you’ll get liveness verification, biometrics analysis, and, of course, an AI system that will automatically accept or reject applications – with the added bonus of manual review for cases that fall within a grey area. Last but not least, Onfido is suitable for both KYC and AML checks thanks to its PEP screening and transaction monitoring features.
Pros
- 2,500 document types
- KYC, AML, and anti-fraud
Cons
- False positives
- More friction
Onfido Pricing
- Available after a sales demo.
Choose Onfido If
- You want to go above and beyond with the accuracy of your KYC and don’t mind friction.
Onfido Pros
- 2,500 document types: Ondifo can verify ID documents from most countries.
- KYC, AML, and anti-fraud: You can perform all your compliance checks in one go, thanks to Onfido’s KYC and AML verifications.
Onfido Cons
- False positives: As with most automated, AI-driven KYC checks, you’ll get the odd error – which can be frustrating for legitimate customers.
- More friction: While the liveness verification is effective, the risk of false positives and poor quality can add friction to the user experience.
Trulioo
Enjoy Global Document Verification
Trulioo (pronounced truly-you) offers ID document verification by scanning its huge list of five billion identities in 195 countries. The company provides access to 11,800 types of documents, from driving licenses to residency permits. It’s ideal to meet KYC requirements and to check AML watchlists.
All of Trulioo’s products, which also include business verification, are available via API integration. You can try the solution for free, then move up to the Growth plan (for KYC and AML checks only). The Enterprise plan includes business verification too.
Pros
- Huge database
- Business verification
Cons
- No data enrichment or risk scoring
Trulioo Pricing
- No pricing is available online, but you have three options: a free trial, the Growth plan, or Enterprise (which includes business verification).
Choose Trulioo If
- You have customers all around the world, and you need to verify their identity.
Trulioo Pros
- Huge database: Probably one of the largest databases of IDs for KYC.
- Business verification: If you need to verify the identities of ultimate beneficial owners, Trulioo is suitable. That means Know Your Customer and Know Your Business (KYB) checks can be made from the same software.
Trulioo Cons
- No data enrichment or risk scoring: Trulioo won’t be great for manual reviews or managing risk in other areas besides KYC.
Refinitiv
Insights from Financial Data Analysts
Refinitiv is an award-winning data analytics company specializing in keeping a large financial data catalog, which it can leverage for KYC and AML.
When you integrate this solution, you get to choose the KYC model you need, including access to suggestions from hundreds of analysts worldwide who rely on 600+ sanctions and law enforcement watchlists. This makes Refinitiv a complete solution for both KYC and AML, with a specific focus on investment banking and asset management.
Pros
- AML and KYC tools
- Human-vetted data
Cons
- Pricing
Refinitiv Pricing
- You have to contact the sales team for a quote.
Choose Refinitiv If
- In addition to KYC and AML checks, you want to use its vast financial databases.
Refinitiv Pros
- AML and KYC tools: Companies in finance and banking need their customers to pass both KYC and AML checks. You can do both with Refinitiv.
- Human-vetted data: One of Refinitiv’s strong suits is its data, aggregated from data analysts who pore over the latest watchlists for AML.
Refinitiv Cons
- Pricing: A focus on top-tier financial institutions means you’re likely to get a higher quote.
KYC-Chain
Employ Blockchain Tech for KYC
KYC-Chain lets you verify identities, run Know Your Customer and AML checks and, perhaps more innovatively, leverage blockchain KYC. The latter is offered via its sister company, SelfKey, which allows users to store their KYC details on-chain. The company prides itself on its bank-grade compliance toolkit, which can scan more than 10,000 data sources in 240 counties with a response time of 30 seconds.
At the time of writing, KYC-Chain claims to have helped more than half a million customers create accounts in various industries, such as telecoms, trading, and fund management.
Pros
- Blockchain KYC
- Gaining traction in the crypto world
Cons
- Developing tech
KYC-Chain Pricing
- No pricing information is available online.
Choose KYC-Chain If
- You want to demonstrate to the crypto community just how invested you are in it.
KYC-Chain Pros
- Blockchain KYC: If you want to learn more about how a shared ledger can work for ID verification, KYC-Chain is a good place to start.
- Gaining traction in the crypto world: Crypto exchanges must go through KYC and AML checks. It looks like KYC-Chain has specific features for that market.
KYC-Chain Cons
- Developing tech: A new technology requires mass adoption to be truly valuable, and blockchain KYC is still in its infancy.
Token of Trust
Conduct Electronic ID Verification
What do you do if you’re the victim of an online scam? Complain to the police? Boost your online security?
For Darrin Edelman, the answer was to build a better KYC tool. This was exactly how Token of Trust was born in 2015. The Minnesota-based company now offers electronic ID verification as well as document scanning and age verification. The latter is particularly useful for companies in the adult or iGaming industry.
Pros
- A complete suite of KYC tools
- Global KYC and AML coverage
Cons
- Expensive
Token of Trust Pricing
- Unavailable online.
Choose Token of Trust If
- You’re in an industry that requires age verification and also want to conduct identity document verification (IDV) and biometric authentication. The company’s unique PACT Act compliance feature is also targeted to companies in the tobacco industry.
Token of Trust Pros
- A complete suite of KYC tools: You’ve got identity verification, biometric authentication, and even age verification.
- Global KYC and AML coverage: Judging from online reviews, Token of Trust delivers excellent results in numerous markets worldwide.
Token of Trust Cons
- Expensive: Token of Trust customers report that the company’s pricing is at the higher end of the spectrum.
ComplyAdvantage
Get AML & KYC with a Free Plan
ComplyAdvantage is another solution whose goal is to make compliance less painful. It offers customer screening and monitoring for KYC, but also transaction screening and media checks, making an ideal solution for all your AML needs.
All the integration is done via APIs, and one of its key advantages is that you can try a free version if you’re a fintech startup or scale-up. For the sake of transparency, we should point out that Charles Delingpole, one of ComplyAdvantage’s founders, is a SEON investor.
Pros
- Easy integration
- Free plan
- Ideal for KYC and AML
Cons
- No data enrichment
ComplyAdvantage Pricing
- Pricing is available upon request. The ComplyLaunch program gives fintech startups and scale-ups free access to some of ComplyAdvantage’s tools.
Choose ComplyAdvantage If
- You are eligible for its free services for startups and want to leverage APIs for AML and KYC.
ComplyAdvantage Pros
- Easy integration: Connect your system to ComplyAdvantage via well-documented APIs.
- Free plan: It’s rare to find KYC solutions with a non-paying (albeit limited) plan.
- Ideal for KYC and AML: PEP screening, adverse media checks… You’ve got all the tools needed to comply with both KYC and AML regulations.
ComplyAdvantage Cons
- No data enrichment: You can verify identities but won’t be able to complete user profiles based on alternative data.
Ondato
Leverage Biometrics for KYC
If you need video ID verification and facial biometrics, Ondato should be on your radar. The Lithuanian company hopes that its KYC software is so frictionless that it will be close to enjoyable for your customers.
It certainly seems to have its fans, as companies such as General Financing, Swedbank, and NFT Venture rely on its technology for both KYC and AML.
Pros
- Full suite of KYC tools
- White label option
Cons
- No data enrichment
Ondato Pricing
- The lowest price is a $569 license per month, to which you must add $0.85 per verification. It is a sliding scale, though, and prices vary depending on whether you need to verify IDs only, or also check PEP lists, for instance.
Choose Ondato If
- A full suite of KYC tools is what you require.
Ondato Pros
- Full suite of KYC tools: It’s not just video verification with Ondato – you also get e-signatures, NFC verification, and biometrics, among others.
- White label option: You can hide the Ondato branding to reassure customers.
Ondato Cons
- No data enrichment: It’s great for ID verification, but you can’t rely on Ondato for risk management.
Partner with SEON to reduce fraud rates in your business with real-time data enrichment, whitebox machine learning, and advanced APIs.
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Actico
KYC for Traditional Finance
Actico, which offers full digital transformation and decision automation products for some of the world’s leading financial institutions, also offers a complete compliance suite. It is designed specifically for AML, KYC, sanction list and PEP screening, and transaction screening. It also provides trade surveillance and even plays nicely with the renowned Avaloq Core banking system.
Companies currently relying on Actico include Santander, Volkswagen Financial Services, and ING, among others, and there is a definite focus on traditional banking rather than, say, neobanks or challenger banks.
Pros
- Powerful suite of compliance products
- Part of a larger business information (BI) ecosystem
Cons
- Pricier product
- Focus on traditional financial institution (FI) tools
Actico Pricing:
- Not available online.
Choose Actico If
- You are a traditional financial institution needing KYC and AML compliance – especially if you rely on the Avaloq Core banking system.
Actico Pros
- Powerful suite of compliance products: You get the KYC solution you need, plus transaction screening and AML as part of the deal.
- Part of a larger BI ecosystem: Actico also offers products for credit decisioning, fraud prevention, claims management, and fraud prevention.
Actico Cons
- Pricier product: There is no public information on the official pricing, but it is understood that Actico targets enterprise customers with a legacy pricing model that includes multi-year contracts.
- Focus on traditional FI tools: Actico targets renowned banks. If you need a more agile and flexible KYC solution, this might not be the best tool for you.
iComply
Know Your Customer and Business
iComply, also known as iComplyKYC, clearly states that it offers all the tools you need for identity validation. What are these tools exactly? Well, for starters, you have document verification, identity proofing, and identity verification using biometric authentication. There are also KYB tools to help your compliance even further.
If you also need anti-money laundering tools, the company has got you covered with watchlists, PEP, and adverse media checks – all available via modules that you can enable or disable depending on your current regulatory needs.
Pros
- Choice of integration
- KYB tools
Cons
- Opaque pricing structure
iComply Pricing
- You have to contact the iComply team for pricing details.
Choose iComply If
- You want modular KYC, KYB, and AML tools that integrate in various ways with your business processes.
iComply Pros
- Choice of integration: iComply lets you easily integrate via API or JavaScript. On-premise is also an option.
- KYB tools: You can know everything you need about customers and businesses, including ultimate beneficial owners.
iComply Cons
- Opaque pricing structure: There is a pricing calculator on the iComply website, but it won’t let you see the results until you speak with the sales team.
What Technologies Does KYC Software Use?
Since there are no set rules for performing a KYC check, a number of technologies may be employed and often combined as part of a multi-layered approach.
Real-time Video and Liveness Verification
Real-time ID checks are usually provided by a third-party company. You integrate the software into your system, and it allows customers to upload official documents to the site. Supported ID documents may include passports, driving licenses, or residency permits.
Pros and cons: Video streaming is quickly becoming the global standard for ID verification in the financial services industry. While the technology is quickly improving, it is still considered high friction; it’s a clear obstacle in your customer’s journey. This can be particularly damaging if you offer fast, mobile services where user experience is a competitive advantage, for instance as a neobank or challenger bank. Fraudsters are also increasingly good at bypassing video and ID verification with doctored documents and videos (deepfakes).
Biometrics
Another growing area of identity verification for KYC is the use of biometric technology. It includes physical measurements that are unique to each individual, such as a face ID, voice recognition, or fingerprint identification. In KYC, biometrics are often used at the authentication stage to ensure the person performing the action is the right one. There is an overlap with liveness identification and multi-factor authentication (MFA).
Pros and cons: Biometrics is a great tool for quick authentication, but it’s not enough to confirm the quality of ID documents. There are also reported high levels of false positives where the scanning isn’t precise enough to function properly.
Blockchain
While blockchain technology is commonly associated with cryptocurrencies, there has been a recent push to leverage it to store and share KYC identifiers anonymously. The idea is to capture user ID data, verify it once, and turn it into immutable data points that are accessible without revealing personal information – with enough confidence in their accuracy to pass a KYC check.
Pros and cons: Blockchain KYC tools have a ton of potential. They can scale and be much more affordable than traditional KYC software. However, these kinds of solutions will only show their true worth once adoption becomes more mainstream.
Digital Footprint Analysis
Sometimes a key part of a KYC check is simply proving that the person exists. With digital footprint analysis, the idea is to rely on a user’s behavior, social media presence, and online history to confirm that they are real. You can also get a better idea of who you’re dealing with by checking the tools they use. An email address or phone number, for instance, can reveal a lot of information about someone. The same can be true of the devices they rely on to connect to your site. You may not be able to confirm their IDs, but you can certainly flag suspicious behavior to learn if the person in question is a criminal or not.
Pros and cons: Digital footprint analysis is fast and frictionless, as it happens behind the scenes. It’s a fantastic way to filter out junk users and obvious fraudsters. However, as a standalone technique, it’s not enough to confirm someone’s identity.
AI and Machine Learning
While the terms artificial intelligence and machine learning may seem daunting, there’s another word you can use to describe the technology: automation. In short, it’s about using automated systems to accelerate verification to work with a higher volume of applications, whether it’s for image quality checks, document digitization, or suggesting risk rules. The key point is that you can’t outsource KYC to machines; the algorithms are simply a way to help with existing processes.
Pros and cons: AI and machine learning are fantastic tools to automate existing processes, but you must be able to trust the quality of your tech. It’s also worth considering whether you want to work with a blackbox (opaque) or whitebox (transparent) system. The former is designed to work out of the box. The latter can give you human-readable reasons to understand how it works so you can have more control.
Partner with SEON to stop losing money to fraud, and save money with pre-KYC checks.
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Choosing the Best KYC Software
With an increasing number of options for KYC verification, it’s useful to understand how KYC software works and which solutions make sense for your business.
Hopefully, this article will be a good primer on the topic, whether you need to perform KYC checks via data enrichment or ID document verification.
FAQs
KYC software is one of the most convenient solutions for automating Know Your Customer checks. These are legal requirements in a growing number of industries, including finance, iGaming, and crypto exchanges. KYC software can help you avoid compliance fines and accelerate customer verification to onboard more new customers without spending additional resources.
KYC stands for Know Your Customer. It is a set of guidelines that come from local regulators to ensure businesses know who they are dealing with.
The minimum requirements include knowing the customer’s full name, address, and date of birth. It usually involves checking an ID document such as a driver’s license, passport, or residency certificate.
