Top 8 KYC Software & Tools Solutions 2023

In the past, Know Your Customer (KYC) checks were only compulsory for financial institutions. These days, a growing number of companies need to verify their customers’ identities with KYC software.

Today, we’ll look at your best options, from fully-fledged KYC solutions to clever add-ons to your stack that save you resources.

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

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 or 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 therefore help you learn a user’s first and last name, as well as an address and an ID document.

Top Features for 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 will be able to determine 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. No point in spending thousands of dollars a month if you have a very low volume of applications.
• AML features: KYC software is often bundled with features to check for AML, or anti-money laundering. This may include looking at lists of Politically Exposed People, or monitoring transactions over a certain threshold. 

The 8 Best KYC Software Solutions

Disclaimer: Everything in this article was gleaned from online research and user reviews. We did not manually test the tools. However, we ensured the information was correct as of Q1 2023. Feel free to get in touch to request an update or correction.

SEON – Use Pre-KYC Checks to Save Money

When it comes to digital footprint analysis, SEON is simply 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.

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 50+ 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 immediately 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 50+ 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 SaaS model with a free 14-day trial and cancel anytime contracts.

SEON Cons

• No document check or biometric authentication: SEON is used as a pre-KYC filter or as a tool for extra info during a manual review. It is not a KYC solution, strictly speaking.
• No AML or PEP checks: KYC and AML often go hand in hand. While you can use SEON to monitor transactions, you can’t check sanction lists with it.

SEON Pricing

• Starts at $299 per month – book a live product demo to see how we can help your business.

Choose SEON If:

• You are concerned about your KYC costs and want to streamline the process.

Onfido – Leverage AI Liveness Verification

What do companies such as Revolut, Remitly, and Bitstamp have in common? That’s right, 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.

Onfido Pros

• 2,500 document types: Ondifo can verify ID documents from most countries around the world.
• 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.

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.

Trulioo – Enjoy Global Document Verification

Trulioo (pronounced truly-you) offers ID document verification by scanning its huge list of 5 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, but also to check for 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.

Trulioo Pros

• Huge database: Probably one of the largest databases of IDs for KYC.
• Simple pricing: KYC software pricing tends to be opaque, which is why it’s nice to know exactly how Trulioo segments its products.

Trulioo Cons

• No data enrichment or risk scoring: Trulioo won’t be great for manual reviews or to manage risk in other areas apart from KYC.

Trulioo Pricing

• No pricing is available online but you have three options: a free trial, the Growth plan, or Enterprise that includes business verification.

Choose Trulioo If:

• You have customers all around the world and you need to verify their identity.

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 their solution, you’ll 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.

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.

Refinitiv Pricing

• Must contact the sales team for a quote.

Choose Refinitiv If:

• In addition to KYC and AML checks, you want to make use of their vast financial databases.

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.

KYC-Chain Pros

• Blockchain KYC: If you’re interested in learning 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 need to go through KYC and AML checks too. 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.

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.

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 gambling 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 around the world.

Token of Trust Cons

• Expensive: Token of Trust customers report that the company’s pricing is at the higher end of the spectrum.

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 IDV and biometric authentication.

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 startup or scale-up fintech. For the sake of transparency, we should point out that Charles Delingpole, one of ComplyAdvantage’s founders, is a SEON investor.

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 be compliant 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.

ComplyAdvantage Pricing

• Pricing is available upon request. The ComplyLaunch program gives startups and scale-up fintechs access to some of ComplyAdvantage’s tools for free.

Choose ComplyAdvantage If:

• You are eligible for its free services for startups, and if you want to leverage APIs for AML and KYC.

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.

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.
• Opaque pricing: While there is a free trial option, the pricing is only available after you contact the sales team.

Ondato Pricing

• Bespoke contract for enterprise-level businesses, flat monthly rate plus $0.95 – $1 for growing and expanding businesses.

Choose Ondato If:

• A full suite of KYC tools is what you require.

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. That’s to say, 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 also 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 indeed 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.

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.

FAQ