Certivus vs Sumsub: which fits your practice?
Sumsub is a global KYC/KYB platform for fintech and crypto, priced per verification in USD with a $149/mo minimum. Certivus is a UK accountancy compliance workspace from £2.49 for a full KYC and AML check, with free credit to start, AML screening in that price, and monitoring at £0.99 a client a year.
Answer-first summary
How does Certivus compare with Sumsub?
Sumsub is a strong global KYC/KYB platform built for fintech and crypto, with broad worldwide document coverage and configurable verification flows, priced per verification in USD; Basic at $1.35/ver ($149/mo min) and Compliance at $1.85/ver ($299/mo min), where AML, monitoring, and address checks live. Certivus is purpose-built for UK accountancy and law practices: it includes the standard identity and AML check plus ongoing monitoring in a GBP workspace from free credit to start and £2.49 for a full KYC and AML check, with onboarding, SAR prep, an evidence vault, and one-click HMRC-ready audit exports. Choose on whether you need global high-volume verification or a UK-accountancy-native compliance workflow.
- Choose Certivus for a UK-accountancy-native compliance workspace, a £2.49-per-full-check entry (or free credit), AML in the check price, monitoring at £0.99 a client a year, and HMRC-ready audit.
- Consider Sumsub for global, high-volume KYC/KYB across fintech and crypto with broad worldwide coverage.
- Sumsub prices per verification in USD with a $149/mo minimum, and gates AML + monitoring behind its $299/mo Compliance tier.
TL;DR: Quick Summary
- •Certivus is £2.49 for a full KYC and AML check with no subscription at all (and £10 of free credit to start), falling to £1.13 on a retainer, GBP, with identity and AML in that one price and monitoring at £0.99 a client a year; Sumsub prices per verification in USD; Basic $1.35/ver ($149/mo min), Compliance $1.85/ver ($299/mo min).
- •Sumsub gates AML screening, monitoring, and address checks on its $299/mo Compliance tier; Certivus includes AML in its check price, and monitoring is £0.99 a client a year with no tier to reach.
- •Certivus gives every account £10 of free credit (4 full checks) and has no subscription; Sumsub offers a 14-day trial plus 50 free checks.
- •Sumsub is global KYC/KYB for fintech and crypto with broad worldwide document coverage; Certivus is a UK accountancy compliance workspace with SAR prep, evidence vault, and HMRC-ready audit.
Feature
Certivus
Sumsub
Pricing
Transparent, public; £10 of free credit, then £0.99 to £2.49 per check with no subscription. Standard identity and AML check included.
Published USD per-verification plans; Basic $1.35/ver ($149/mo min), Compliance $1.85/ver ($299/mo min); Enterprise custom.
Entry minimum
£2.49 for a full KYC and AML check (Starter); or free credit before that.
$149/mo minimum on Basic (USD); $299/mo minimum on Compliance.
AML + monitoring
Standard AML check included in the check price; monitoring £0.99 a client a year.
AML, monitoring, and address checks sit on the Compliance tier ($1.85/ver, $299/mo min, USD).
Free to start
£10 of free credit to start, no card.
14-day trial plus 50 free checks; a trial, not free credit to start.
Primary sector
Built for UK accountancy and AML-supervised practices.
Global KYC/KYB for fintech and crypto.
Coverage
UK-focused identity and AML, HMRC-supervised accountancy workflow.
Broad worldwide document coverage and configurable verification flows.
Audit export
1-click PDF; timestamped, HMRC-ready.
Verification and compliance reporting; global, not HMRC-specific.
Currency
GBP; priced for UK firms.
USD; plans and per-verification rates are billed in US dollars.
Entry cost, side by side
Sumsub's entry is a $149/mo minimum on Basic ($1.35/ver, USD), and AML plus monitoring sit on the $299/mo Compliance tier. Certivus is £2.49 for a full KYC and AML check with AML screening in that price and ongoing monitoring at £0.99 a client a year; and there's £10 of free credit before that. Sumsub is the stronger pick for global, high-volume KYC/KYB; Certivus is the UK-accountancy-native workspace. See Certivus pricing.
When to choose each platform
Choose Certivus if...
- You run a UK accountancy or law practice and want a native HMRC-supervised compliance workflow, not a global fintech platform.
- A low entry point matters; £2.49 for a full KYC and AML check, or free credit to start, rather than a $149/mo minimum.
- You want the standard AML check and ongoing monitoring available from the start, not gated behind a higher Compliance tier.
- One-click HMRC-ready audit exports and an evidence vault are the deciding factors for your practice.
Consider Sumsub if...
- You are a global fintech or crypto business running high-volume KYC/KYB across many countries.
- Broad worldwide document coverage and highly configurable verification flows are your priority.
- You're comfortable with USD billing and a higher monthly minimum ($149 on Basic, $299 on Compliance).
- Global scale and breadth matter more than a UK-accountancy-native compliance workspace.
Who should compare Certivus with Sumsub?
The best AML software choice changes depending on who carries the risk, who controls the budget, and who has to run the work every week.
Managing partner
Compare predictable cost, inspection exposure, client acceptance risk, and whether the tool will be adopted across the firm.
ContinueMLRO / MLCO
Compare evidence quality, risk decisions, escalation routes, sanctions audit trail, and SAR-ready record keeping.
ContinueOperations lead
Compare setup time, client friction, staff training load, exports, and how cleanly the workflow fits day-to-day onboarding.
ContinueDecision checklist before choosing Certivus or Sumsub
- Ask for the current pricing model in writing, including checks, screening, users, exports, and support.
- Run one realistic client file through each workflow: individual, company, higher-risk client, and evidence export.
- Check whether the AML record would satisfy HMRC, SRA, or professional-body inspection without manual reconstruction.
- Use Sumsub where global, high-volume KYC/KYB for fintech and crypto, with broad worldwide document coverage and configurable verification flows; use Certivus where UK-accountancy workflow, transparent pricing, and audit-ready evidence are the deciding factors.
Certivus vs Sumsub: common questions
Is Certivus or Sumsub better for UK accountants?
Certivus is purpose-built for UK HMRC-supervised accountancy practices: a GBP compliance workspace that includes the standard identity and AML check and ongoing monitoring, plus onboarding, SAR prep, an evidence vault, and one-click HMRC-ready audit exports, from free credit and £2.49 for a full KYC and AML check. Sumsub is a global KYC/KYB platform built for fintech and crypto, with broad worldwide document coverage and configurable flows; powerful at scale, but priced per verification in USD with a $149/mo minimum, and AML plus monitoring sit on its higher Compliance tier. For a UK accountancy practice, Certivus is the closer fit; for global high-volume verification, Sumsub is strong.
How does Sumsub pricing work?
Sumsub publishes USD per-verification plans: Basic at $1.35 per verification with a $149/mo minimum, and Compliance at $1.85 per verification with a $299/mo minimum (the Compliance tier adds AML screening, ongoing monitoring, and address checks), plus a custom Enterprise tier. There's a 14-day trial with 50 free checks. All figures are in US dollars. Certivus, by contrast, includes the standard identity and AML check and ongoing monitoring in a GBP plan from £2.49 for a full KYC and AML check, with free credit to start.
Does Sumsub include AML and monitoring?
Sumsub offers AML screening, ongoing monitoring, and address verification on its Compliance tier; $1.85 per verification with a $299/mo minimum (USD). They aren't part of the entry-level Basic plan. Certivus includes the standard AML (PEP and sanctions) check in its published check price and charges ongoing monitoring at £0.99 per client per year, from the free credit onwards, so for AML-supervised UK practices there is no higher tier to reach before AML and monitoring are available.
Does Sumsub offer free credit to start?
Sumsub offers a 14-day trial with 50 free checks; good for evaluation, but a time-limited trial rather than free credit to start. Certivus gives every new account £10 of credit, which is 4 full checks or 6 identity checks, with no card required, so a UK firm can run real checks and keep an account open indefinitely. Pay-as-you-go credit never expires.