Introduction

KYB (Know Your Business) tools are specialized compliance and risk-management solutions designed to verify, monitor, and assess businesses rather than individuals. While KYC focuses on personal identity, KYB goes deeper—examining company registration data, ownership structures, ultimate beneficial owners (UBOs), financial legitimacy, sanctions exposure, and ongoing risk signals.

In today’s regulatory environment, KYB tools are no longer optional. Regulators expect banks, fintechs, marketplaces, payment providers, and B2B platforms to prevent shell companies, money laundering, fraud rings, sanctions evasion, and corporate identity abuse. Manual checks are slow, error-prone, and impossible to scale—especially for global operations.

Real-world use cases include onboarding merchants and vendors, verifying SMEs and enterprises, monitoring ownership changes, screening corporate sanctions, and supporting audits or regulatory examinations.

When choosing a KYB tool, buyers should evaluate:

• Depth of business data coverage
• UBO and ownership transparency
• Global registry access
• Automation vs manual workflows
• Integration readiness
• Security, auditability, and regulatory alignment

Best for:
Compliance teams, risk officers, onboarding specialists, fintechs, banks, B2B marketplaces, payment processors, crypto platforms, and regulated enterprises operating across borders.

Not ideal for:
Solo founders with no regulatory exposure, purely local businesses onboarding only individuals, or early-stage startups where KYB risk is minimal and manual checks are sufficient.

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Top 10 KYB (Know Your Business) Tools

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1 — Trulioo

Short description:
A global identity and business verification platform offering extensive KYB coverage across multiple jurisdictions.

Key features

• Global business registry access
• UBO identification and ownership mapping
• Sanctions and watchlist screening
• Risk scoring and verification workflows
• API-first integration
• Ongoing business monitoring

Pros

• Very broad international coverage
• Strong reputation with regulators

Cons

• Pricing can be high for smaller teams
• Configuration complexity for advanced use cases

Security & compliance: SOC 2, GDPR, encryption, audit logs
Support & community: Enterprise-grade onboarding, detailed documentation, premium support

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2 — ComplyAdvantage

Short description:
Risk-intelligence-driven KYB and AML platform focused on dynamic, real-time data insights.

Key features

• Corporate registry verification
• UBO and control structure analysis
• Adverse media detection
• Sanctions screening
• Continuous monitoring
• API and dashboard access

Pros

• Strong risk intelligence capabilities
• Excellent for ongoing monitoring

Cons

• Less intuitive UI for non-compliance users
• Pricing varies by data usage

Security & compliance: GDPR, encryption, audit trails
Support & community: Strong documentation, compliance-focused customer success

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3 — Dow Jones Risk & Compliance

Short description:
Enterprise-grade KYB solution built on authoritative corporate, sanctions, and adverse media data.

Key features

• Global business entity data
• UBO discovery and relationship mapping
• Sanctions and PEP screening
• Adverse media analysis
• Workflow customization
• Audit-ready reporting

Pros

• Highly trusted data sources
• Excellent for regulated enterprises

Cons

• Expensive for SMBs
• Heavier implementation effort

Security & compliance: SOC 2, ISO standards, GDPR
Support & community: Premium enterprise support, analyst assistance

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4 — Refinitiv World-Check

Short description:
A widely used KYB and risk-screening platform trusted by banks and global institutions.

Key features

• Business verification and screening
• Ownership and UBO identification
• Sanctions and watchlists
• Adverse media insights
• Workflow integration
• Reporting and case management

Pros

• Industry-standard credibility
• Deep compliance coverage

Cons

• UI feels dated
• Costly for mid-market users

Security & compliance: ISO certifications, GDPR, encryption
Support & community: Enterprise onboarding, structured training

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5 — Onfido

Short description:
Known for identity verification, Onfido also provides scalable KYB checks for digital platforms.

Key features

• Business registry checks
• Director and UBO verification
• Risk flags and screening
• API-based automation
• Fast onboarding workflows
• Global coverage expansion

Pros

• Developer-friendly APIs
• Smooth onboarding experiences

Cons

• Less depth in complex ownership cases
• Advanced KYB features cost extra

Security & compliance: SOC 2, GDPR, encryption
Support & community: Good documentation, responsive support

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6 — SEON

Short description:
A fraud-focused KYB and risk analysis platform combining behavioral and business signals.

Key features

• Company data enrichment
• Digital footprint analysis
• Risk scoring
• KYB verification signals
• Real-time decisioning
• API integration

Pros

• Strong fraud detection capabilities
• Fast decision-making

Cons

• Less traditional compliance depth
• Limited regulatory reporting

Security & compliance: GDPR, encryption
Support & community: Good onboarding, active customer success

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7 — Sumsub

Short description:
An all-in-one compliance platform offering KYB, KYC, and transaction monitoring.

Key features

• Business verification
• UBO and ownership checks
• Sanctions and watchlists
• Ongoing monitoring
• Dashboard-driven workflows
• Global data coverage

Pros

• Unified compliance platform
• Flexible pricing models

Cons

• UI can feel dense
• Some data depth varies by country

Security & compliance: SOC 2, GDPR, encryption
Support & community: 24/7 support, extensive documentation

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8 — PassFort

Short description:
A workflow-centric KYB platform focused on orchestration and automation.

Key features

• Business onboarding workflows
• UBO verification
• Rule-based risk scoring
• Integrations with data providers
• Case management
• Audit-ready reporting

Pros

• Highly customizable workflows
• Strong automation focus

Cons

• Relies on third-party data sources
• Setup requires planning

Security & compliance: GDPR, audit logs, encryption
Support & community: Good enterprise support, training resources

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9 — Shufti Pro

Short description:
A cost-effective KYB and identity verification solution for fast-growing platforms.

Key features

• Business verification
• UBO checks
• Sanctions screening
• API integration
• Real-time responses
• Global coverage

Pros

• Competitive pricing
• Fast implementation

Cons

• Limited advanced analytics
• Less suitable for large enterprises

Security & compliance: GDPR, encryption
Support & community: Standard support, improving documentation

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10 — Persona

Short description:
A flexible identity and KYB platform focused on customization and UX.

Key features

• Business verification flows
• UBO and ownership checks
• Configurable workflows
• API and no-code options
• Risk signals
• Monitoring support

Pros

• Excellent customization
• Strong user experience

Cons

• Premium pricing
• Smaller compliance ecosystem

Security & compliance: SOC 2, GDPR, encryption
Support & community: High-quality documentation, responsive support

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Comparison Table

Tool Name	Best For	Platform(s) Supported	Standout Feature	Rating
Trulioo	Global enterprises	API, Web	Worldwide registry coverage	N/A
ComplyAdvantage	Risk-focused teams	API, Web	Real-time risk intelligence	N/A
Dow Jones R&C	Regulated institutions	Web, API	Authoritative data sources	N/A
Refinitiv World-Check	Banks & financial firms	Web, API	Industry standard screening	N/A
Onfido	Digital platforms	API	Fast onboarding flows	N/A
SEON	Fraud-driven teams	API	Behavioral risk signals	N/A
Sumsub	All-in-one compliance	Web, API	Unified KYB + KYC	N/A
PassFort	Workflow-heavy orgs	Web	Orchestration engine	N/A
Shufti Pro	SMBs & startups	API	Cost-effective KYB	N/A
Persona	UX-focused teams	API, Web	Customizable verification	N/A

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Evaluation & Scoring of KYB (Know Your Business) Tools

Tool	Core Features (25%)	Ease of Use (15%)	Integrations (15%)	Security (10%)	Performance (10%)	Support (10%)	Price/Value (15%)	Total
Trulioo	23	12	14	9	9	9	11	87
ComplyAdvantage	22	11	13	9	9	9	12	85
Dow Jones R&C	24	10	12	10	9	9	8	82
World-Check	23	10	12	10	9	9	8	81
Onfido	20	13	14	9	8	8	12	84
SEON	19	13	13	8	9	8	13	83
Sumsub	21	12	13	9	8	9	13	85
PassFort	20	11	12	8	8	8	12	79
Shufti Pro	18	13	12	8	8	7	14	80
Persona	21	14	13	9	8	8	10	83

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Which KYB (Know Your Business) Tool Is Right for You?

• Solo users & startups: Shufti Pro or SEON for affordability and speed
• SMBs & fintechs: Onfido or Sumsub for balanced compliance and usability
• Mid-market firms: Persona or ComplyAdvantage for customization and risk depth
• Enterprises & banks: Trulioo, Dow Jones Risk & Compliance, or World-Check

Budget vs premium:
Lower budgets favor streamlined tools; premium budgets unlock deeper data and regulatory confidence.

Feature depth vs ease of use:
Heavy compliance teams benefit from depth; growth teams prioritize automation and UX.

Integration & scalability:
API-first tools scale better for global onboarding.

Security & compliance:
Regulated entities should prioritize auditability, certifications, and data provenance.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is KYB and how is it different from KYC?
KYB verifies businesses and ownership structures, while KYC verifies individuals.

2. Are KYB tools mandatory?
In regulated industries, yes—especially for merchant and vendor onboarding.

3. Do KYB tools support global companies?
Most leading tools provide multi-country registry coverage.

4. How long does KYB verification take?
Automated checks can take seconds to minutes; complex cases take longer.

5. Can KYB tools detect shell companies?
Yes, through ownership analysis and risk indicators.

6. Do KYB tools include ongoing monitoring?
Many offer continuous monitoring for ownership or risk changes.

7. Are KYB tools expensive?
Pricing varies widely based on volume, regions, and data depth.

8. Can KYB be automated fully?
Mostly, but edge cases still require manual review.

9. What integrations should I look for?
CRM, onboarding systems, payment platforms, and case management tools.

10. What is the biggest KYB implementation mistake?
Choosing a tool without sufficient data coverage for target regions.

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Conclusion

KYB tools are a critical pillar of modern compliance and risk management. They protect organizations from fraud, regulatory penalties, and reputational damage by ensuring that business relationships are legitimate and transparent.

The most important factors when choosing a KYB tool are data coverage, ownership visibility, automation, integration readiness, and regulatory trustworthiness. There is no single “best” KYB solution—only the one that best aligns with your industry, scale, risk tolerance, and growth strategy.

Selecting the right KYB platform is not just a compliance decision—it’s a long-term investment in trust, scalability, and operational resilience.