The best identity verification software depends on why you're checking: KYC platforms suit regulated businesses onboarding customers, age assurance tools suit platforms with age limits, and developer APIs suit startups adding checks to an app. Eleven options follow in no particular order.
Identity verification software checks that people are who they say they are, usually by reading an ID document, matching it to a selfie and screening the person against watchlists. It's a legal requirement in some sectors and a fraud defence in many more.
The eleven tools below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order. Every description comes from the vendor's own site, read this week. For a real-world example of age checks in action, see how age verification on X works for businesses.
ID verification tools compared
In the free plan column, Yes means the tool's own site names a free plan, a free version, a free tool or an open source edition. Trial only means a time-limited trial. Not stated means the pages I read named neither, even where there's a button inviting you to try it.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| ComplyCube | Identity verification, KYC and AML | Fast-growing businesses going global | Trial only |
| Didit | Identity and fraud API | Startups wanting a free monthly allowance | Yes |
| GBG | Identity verification and fraud prevention | UK businesses checking identity and fraud | Not stated |
| iDenfy | Identity and business verification | KYC plus KYB in one API | Not stated |
| Jumio | AI identity verification platform | Reusable identity with a selfie | Not stated |
| Ondato | KYC software for onboarding | Video and NFC identity checks | Not stated |
| Persona | Configurable identity platform | Building custom verification flows | Not stated |
| Stripe Identity | ID checks inside a payments platform | Businesses already using Stripe | Not stated |
| Sumsub | Verification and monitoring platform | Crypto and fintech compliance | Not stated |
| Veriff | Identity verification software | Age checks and biometric verification | Not stated |
| Yoti | Verification and age assurance | Privacy-preserving age checks | Not stated |
Eleven identity verification tools to look at
ComplyCube
Best for: High-growth businesses that want document checks, biometrics and AML screening from one API, with a free trial.
Didit
Best for: Startups and developers that want one API for identity and fraud checks, with free verifications every month.
GBG
Best for: Established businesses that want identity checks, sanctions screening and fraud prevention from one identity specialist.
iDenfy
Best for: Companies that need to verify both customers and business clients, including risk scoring for business checks.
Jumio
Best for: Banks and large platforms that want AI identity checks, watchlist screening and returning users recognised by selfie.
Ondato
Best for: Regulated businesses that want customer onboarding with video-based and NFC chip identity verification options.
Persona
Best for: Product teams that want to design their own identity verification flows rather than accept a fixed one.
Stripe Identity
Best for: Businesses already on Stripe that want ID document and selfie checks added to the account they use for payments.
Sumsub
Best for: Crypto and fintech firms that want identity verification plus transaction monitoring and Travel Rule tools.
Veriff
Best for: Online platforms that need identity, age and biometric checks, with proof of address and AML screening as well.
Yoti
Best for: Businesses that need privacy-preserving age checks or digital ID, backed by a free app their customers can use.
Document checks, age assurance or full KYC?
Document and selfie checks confirm that an ID is authentic and belongs to the person holding it. Age assurance tools only need to know whether someone is over a threshold, and some estimate age without storing ID at all. Full KYC adds watchlist and sanctions screening, proof of address and ongoing monitoring, which regulated firms need.
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Don't buy more than you need. Collecting ID you don't need adds privacy risk, and every extra step loses some honest customers along the way.
Look for trust framework certification
GOV.UK explains that digital verification services can be independently certified against at least one of the current versions of the UK digital verification services trust framework, which sets out what a good digital identity looks like.
If you're checking identity in the UK, for example for right to work or renting, ask each provider whether it's certified against the trust framework and for which version. Outside the UK, ask which local standards and regulators it works with.
Questions to ask before you choose
- Which countries and ID documents must it support?
- Do we need full KYC, or only age or document checks?
- How long does a typical check take for a customer?
- What happens when a check fails: retry, manual review or reject?
- Where is personal data stored, and for how long?
- Is it certified against the standards that apply to us?
Signs your checks need an upgrade
- Staff check ID photos by eye. It's slow and easy to fool.
- Customers abandon onboarding. The flow is too long.
- Fake accounts get through. Checks miss edited documents.
- You can't show an audit trail. Regulators will ask for one.
Do you make identity verification software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on choosing ID verification
Start from the rule you must meet, then pick the lightest check that meets it. A gaming site, a bank and a dating app need very different things. Test the flow on a phone yourself; if it's fiddly for you, customers will drop out.
Ask about manual review. Every tool rejects some honest people, and a quick human fallback stops you losing them. Identity checks also help with fraud, and my guide to types of ecommerce fraud shows where they fit.
Frequently asked questions
What is identity verification software?
It's software that checks a person's identity, usually by validating an ID document, matching it to a selfie and screening against watchlists.
What's the difference between KYC and identity verification?
Identity verification confirms who someone is. KYC, or know your customer, adds risk checks such as sanctions screening and ongoing monitoring.
What is a liveness check?
It's a test that the selfie comes from a real person in front of the camera, not a photo, mask or deepfake.
Can age be checked without ID?
Some tools estimate age from a selfie without storing ID. Whether that's enough depends on the rules you must meet.
Are there free identity verification tools?
Yes. Some tools in the table name a free monthly allowance or a free trial on their own site. Check the free plan column.
Is identity verification data safe?
It's sensitive personal data, so ask where it's stored, how long it's kept and who can access it before you sign up.
What is reusable identity?
It's a setup where someone verifies once and can prove who they are again later, often with just a selfie, instead of repeating the full check.
