Certivus vs. Xama: Which Has Better Value?
Answer-first summary
How does Certivus compare with Xama?
Certivus publishes every rate: no platform fee, no subscription, £2.49 for a full KYC and AML check (from £10 of free credit) with AML screening included in that price, and ongoing monitoring at £0.99 per client per year against Xama's £1.58. Xama is a UK-accountant tool with an unbundled model; an indicative ~£13/mo platform fee plus ~£2.10 per AML check and ~£1.58 per entity per year for monitoring, so the true cost climbs with volume. Xama's accounting-software integrations are a genuine strength; Certivus wins on transparent, published pricing.
- Use Certivus for published pricing; AML screening is included in the check price and monitoring is £0.99 a client a year.
- Consider Xama if its accounting-software integrations are your primary buying driver.
- Xama's ~£13/mo is platform access only; verify current per-check and monitoring fees before comparing.
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, with AML screening included in that price.
- •Xama's ~£13/mo is platform access only; AML checks (~£2.10 each) and monitoring (~£1.58/entity/yr) are billed on top (indicative; verify current pricing).
- •ongoing monitoring is £0.99 per client per year with Certivus, and billable to your clients at a recommended ~£15/client/yr.
- •Certivus has unlimited users for every firm; the honest trade-off is that Xama's accounting-software integrations are its core strength.
Feature
Certivus
Xama
Pricing
£2.49 for a full KYC and AML check, no platform fee and no subscription. £10 of free credit to start. Public and self-serve.
£13/mo platform access + ~£2.10 per AML check (indicative; verify current pricing).
Standard check (identity + AML)
Included in the check price.
AML checks charged ~£2.10 each on top of the £13/mo platform fee (indicative).
Ongoing monitoring
£0.99 per client per year, billable back to your clients (recommended ~£15/client/yr).
Charged ~£1.58 per entity per year (indicative; verify current pricing).
Integrations
CSV import + bulk export.
Accounting-software integrations; a core strength.
Free trial / self-serve
£10 of free credit (4 full checks), no card, plus a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Free plan + trial credits (expire after 90 days).
Unlimited users
Unlimited team members for every firm, at no charge.
Verify seat terms with Xama.
What 30 checks a month actually costs
Xama's ~£13/mo is platform access only; 30 checks is really around £76–90 once you add per-check AML (~£2.10 each) and per-entity monitoring (indicative; verify current pricing). Certivus charges no subscription, just £0.99 to £2.49 per check, with AML screening included in the check price and ongoing monitoring at £0.99 a client a year. See Certivus pricing.
The Verdict
Choose Certivus if:
- •You want published per-check pricing, with AML screening included in the check price
- •You'd rather bill ongoing monitoring back to your clients (~£15/client/yr) than absorb per-entity fees
- •You want a public, self-serve £10 of free credit (4 full checks) and unlimited users for every firm
Choose Xama if:
- •Its accounting-software integrations are your primary buying driver
- •Your check volume is very low and you prefer an unbundled, pay-per-check model (check current fees)
Who should compare Certivus with Xama?
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 Xama
- 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 Xama where accounting-software integrations are the main buying criterion and you have checked total cost at your expected verification volume; use Certivus where UK-accountancy workflow, transparent pricing, and audit-ready evidence are the deciding factors.
Certivus vs Xama questions
Is Certivus or Xama cheaper for accountants?
It depends on how you count. Xama's headline is around £13 per month, but that is platform access only; AML checks are charged at roughly £2.10 each and ongoing monitoring at around £1.58 per entity per year on top (indicative figures; verify current pricing with Xama). Certivus has no platform fee and no subscription: you top up a wallet and each check draws its own rate, from £0.99 for an AML screening to £2.49 for a full KYC and AML check, with ongoing monitoring at just £0.99 per client per year. New accounts start with £10 of free credit. For a practice running a regular flow of checks, Certivus is usually more predictable because every rate is published and there is no platform fee to cover before the first check.
What does Xama's monthly price actually include?
Xama's platform fee (indicatively ~£13/mo) covers access to the tool; per-check AML screening and per-entity ongoing monitoring are billed separately. So the real cost of, say, 30 checks in a month is closer to ~£76–90 once you add the per-check and monitoring fees. Certivus has no platform fee at all and charges just £0.99 per client per year for monitoring, so 30 checks costs £75 at the standard rate and less on a retainer. Always verify current Xama pricing directly, as list prices change.
What matters more: integrations or published pricing?
It depends on the practice. Xama's accounting-software integrations are a genuine strength and can reduce duplicate data entry. Certivus prioritises transparent, published pricing with AML screening included in the check price, ongoing monitoring at £0.99 a client a year, a structured evidence trail, and audit-ready exports. Weigh the integration you need against total cost at your expected check volume.