The KYC solutions that support international onboarding across Europe and North America are GBG, NorthRow, Fenergo and Trulioo.
Below is a comparative overview and guidance on choosing among them.
Comparison of KYC solutions
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Feature / Vendor
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GBG
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NorthRow
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Fenergo
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Trulioo
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Coverage
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195+ countries
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220+ jurisdictions
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100+ jurisdictions
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450+ data sources worldwide
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KYC & KYB
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Yes – GBG Go (KYC), GBG Detected (KYB)
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Yes – Integrated KYC/KYB
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Yes – Lifecycle Compliance Suite
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Yes – Modular KYC & KYB options
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Sanctions/PEP
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Yes – continuous screening
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Yes – real-time screening
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Yes – integrated AML/PEP modules
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Yes – 6,000 watchlists + AML monitoring
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Biometrics / Liveness
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Yes – facial biometrics & deepfake checks
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Yes – liveness detection
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Yes – via third-party integrations
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Yes – biometric verification supported
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Custom Workflows
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Yes – configurable risk thresholds
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Yes – no-code workflow builder
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Yes – deeply configurable via CLM engine
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Yes – modular workflows
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Integration Options
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API-first, CRM integrations (e.g. Salesforce)
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API + Passport CRM plugin
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On-premise, cloud, or SaaS + CRM integration
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REST APIs, SDKs, dashboards
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Fraud Detection
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Yes – synthetic ID + deepfake detection, global identity network (GBG Trust)
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Yes – part of onboarding logic
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Limited – focused on compliance
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Yes – part of platform offering
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Reporting & Audits
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Audit-ready, real-time dashboards
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Yes – audit logs + real-time alerts
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Yes – advanced compliance reporting
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Yes – reporting dashboards + audit trail
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Deployment Flexibility
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Cloud (SaaS), on-prem, hybrid
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Cloud-hosted, EU servers
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Cloud, on-prem, or hybrid
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Cloud-based, modular platform
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GBG: identity intelligence at global scale
Overview & coverage:
- GBG Go is GBG’s flagship identity platform, designed to support onboarding across many jurisdictions.
- It maintains a library of 8,500+ ID templates for document verification.
- Its identity verification capabilities extend across ~195 countries for biometric and document checks.
Core features:
- Document verification + biometric / liveness checks
- PEP/sanctions screening, adverse media checks
- Configurable risk scoring, policy thresholds, and audit trails
- Fraud detection layers: synthetic ID, deepfake detection, tampering checks and global identity network (GBG Trust) delivers 96% identity fraud detection accuracy in live trials
- API-first design for integration into existing systems
- Unified offering: GBG also provides KYB / business verification via GBG Detected
Strengths / ideal use cases
- Strong global coverage with local depth (good for multi‑jurisdiction scale)
- Integrated fraud + identity + business checks simplifies operations
- Particularly suited for fintechs, marketplaces, e‑commerce that require friction‑balanced yet compliant onboarding
NorthRow: efficient, secure, and global
Overview & Coverage
- NorthRow supports identity verification in over 220 jurisdictions.
- It offers automated KYC, KYB, document checks, liveness detection, and sanction / PEP screening.
- It integrates via “WorkStation” and supports CRM/connector integrations.
Core Features
- Identity + document + liveness verification (auto decisions)
- Ongoing monitoring (sanctions, adverse media, PEPs)
- Custom workflows and auditability (you can build bespoke processes or use templates)
- Flexibility: modular components, API connectivity, hosted in EU cloud infrastructure
Strengths / Ideal Use Cases
- Good for businesses wanting flexibility in workflow design
- Strong in balancing onboarding speed and compliance risk
- Useful for regulated firms looking for modular control over KYC/KYB pipelines
Fenergo: CLM + Compliance for Financial Institutions
Overview & Coverage
- Fenergo offers a Client Lifecycle Management (CLM) solution tailored to banks, financial institutions, and regulated firms.
- It supports onboarding and compliance in 100+ jurisdictions (typical vendor claim).
Core Features
- Seamless integration of KYC, AML, screening, identity verification, transaction monitoring
- Agentic AI to optimize decisions and reduce manual workflows
- Flexible deployment: on‑premises, SaaS, or hybrid
- CRM integrations (e.g. Salesforce) for relationship manager workflows
Strengths / Ideal Use Cases
- Institutions that require deep, full life cycle compliance (beyond just onboarding)
- Enterprises with legacy systems who need flexible deployment
- Firms that want close alignment between compliance and client relationship / CRM workflows
Trulioo: Global Coverage with Modular Flexibility
Overview & Coverage
- Trulioo provides identity and business verification globally.
- Its platform taps into 450+ data sources, 6,000+ watchlists, and 20,000 adverse media feeds.
Core Features
- PII verification, document & biometric checks
- UBO / business entity discovery and verification
- Continuous AML / watchlist screening
- Custom workflows and decisioning logic via API orchestration
- Dashboarding, reporting, and real-time risk insights
Strengths / Ideal Use Cases
- Firms expanding into many markets requiring broad data reach
- Businesses that want a modular “pick the building blocks you need” architecture
- Organizations needing real-time, continuous risk monitoring
Key Considerations When Choosing a KYC Provider
When evaluating KYC (and KYB) platforms for international onboarding, it’s not enough to compare features superficially. You should weigh how solutions map to your architecture, risk appetite, customer expectations, and regulatory footprint. Below are essential evaluation criteria and a comparison lens.
1. Regulatory Alignment & Compliance Support
- Ensure support for EU regulation (AMLD6, GDPR, DAC7) and U.S. regimes (FinCEN, CCPA, Patriot Act / CIP)
- Look for configurable workflows: ability to adapt thresholds, escalate, override, or route differently per jurisdiction
- Audit trails, decision logging, explainability matter for regulatory reviews
2. Depth, Quality & Freshness of Data
- Coverage in both Europe and North America is critical (local sources, credit bureaus, voter rolls, government registries)
- Frequency of refresh matters: stale data increases false negatives/positives
- Inclusion of watchlists, sanctions, PEPs, adverse media feeds
3. Integration & Developer Experience
- API-first design, SDKs, webhooks
- Prebuilt connectors (e.g. Salesforce, CRMs, banking platforms)
- Clear documentation, sandbox environments
- Low time-to-value (ideally you can go live within weeks)
4. User Experience & Conversion Metrics
- Minimize friction while maintaining security
- Metrics: pass rates, dropout rates, manual review rates
- Support for fallback or progressive checks (e.g. request more documents only when initial check fails)
5. Modularity & Platform Versatility
- Do you also need KYB, transaction monitoring, fraud detection, AML screening, ongoing monitoring?
- Platforms that offer modular layers let you scale functionality over time
- Centralised case management, analytics, reporting across modules is a plus
6. Reporting, Transparency & Governance
- Real-time dashboards and KPI tracking
- Customisable reporting and exportable logs (for audit or regulatory review)
- Explainability: ability to trace why a decision was made or flagged
7. Track Record, References & Industry Fit
- Has the provider been used by regulated entities (banks, fintechs, payment processors)?
- Case studies, ROI metrics, performance benchmarks (latency, throughput)
- Fit with your risk profile (higher risk verticals may need more advanced screening)
FAQs on KYC Solutions
Do all these providers support both individual (KYC) and business (KYB) verification?
Most do, either natively or via integrated modules. For example, GBG offers GBG Detected as a dedicated KYB solution. Trulioo also supports UBO / business discovery. NorthRow and Fenergo similarly support business verification workflows.
How should I handle differences between U.S. and EU identity regimes?
Choose a provider that allows jurisdiction‑specific logic and branching (e.g. different document sets, threshold logic). Also ensure coverage of local data sources (e.g. SSN / credit bureau in U.S., national ID registries in EU).
What’s a realistic timeline to go live with one of these systems?
For many vendors, pilots or basic onboarding can launch in 4–8 weeks; enterprise rollouts may take several months, depending on integrations, compliance reviews, and custom logic.
How do these platforms manage ongoing or continuous monitoring after onboarding?
They typically offer watchlist screening, adverse media monitoring, and change detection (e.g. new sanctions). You can configure periodic rescreening or event‑triggered rechecks.
What performance or latency benchmarks should I ask vendors for?
Seek metrics like average decision latency (e.g. <2 seconds), percentage auto‑decisions vs manual reviews, throughput (requests per second), and SLA guarantees.
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