ComplyAdvantage vs SanctScan: When You Need a Full AML Suite (2026)

ComplyAdvantage publishes a Starter plan on its pricing page with annual-billing terms. Higher tiers — Mid-market and Enterprise, which add transaction monitoring, payments screening, agentic workflows, and customer-screening modules — are not publicly priced; pricing is by sales quote and depends on entity volume, modules selected, and negotiated terms.

This page breaks down what each platform delivers, when paying for a full AML suite makes sense, and when a sanctions-only tool is the better fit.

ComplyAdvantage Pricing at a Glance

ComplyAdvantage's published Starter pricing changes from time to time, so we link rather than restate. See complyadvantage.com/pricing for the current Starter rate and entity allowance. Mid-market and Enterprise tiers are sales-quoted; ComplyAdvantage does not publish those prices. Professional-services and onboarding fees can apply on top of license costs for enterprise deployments.

SanctScan vs ComplyAdvantage: Side-by-Side

Quick Comparison

The Core Difference

ComplyAdvantage is a full AML intelligence platform. It combines sanctions screening with KYC, PEP screening, adverse media monitoring, and AML transaction monitoring in a single suite. This is exactly what a bank, money transmitter, or crypto exchange needs to satisfy BSA/AML and CDD requirements.

SanctScan is a sanctions-only platform. It does one thing: screen names against global sanctions lists with continuous monitoring and webhook alerts. It does this with self-serve signup and a published monthly price, without bundling KYC, PEP, adverse media, or transaction monitoring you may not need.

If you need the full AML stack, ComplyAdvantage is a reasonable choice. Its Starter tier (see their pricing page) bundles sanctions, watchlists, PEPs, adverse media, and customer screening at a published price. Mid-market and Enterprise tiers are sales-quoted and add transaction monitoring, payments screening, and agentic workflows. If you only need sanctions compliance — and most non-financial businesses do — those bundled modules are features you are not legally required to use, and may not be paying for.

Pricing Breakdown

ComplyAdvantage Pricing

ComplyAdvantage publishes only the Starter tier; Mid-market and Enterprise are sales-quoted.

• Starter: Published on complyadvantage.com/pricing with annual-billing terms. Includes sanctions, watchlists, PEPs, adverse media, ongoing monitoring, and customer screening up to a published entity allowance.
• Mid-market / Enterprise: Sales-quoted only. Adds transaction monitoring, payments screening, and customer-screening modules. ComplyAdvantage does not publish these prices.
• Contract structure: Annual is the published default; monthly options are not advertised on the public Starter tier.
• Onboarding: Professional-services fees can apply on top of license costs for enterprise deployments.

SanctScan Pricing

Free is ad-hoc only. Solo adds daily continuous monitoring and PDF exports. Starter unlocks API access, webhooks, and team accounts (up to 5 seats). Growth adds 15-minute rescreens and unlimited screens. No annual contract required. No implementation fees. Upgrade or cancel anytime.

Real Cost Comparison

For a SaaS company that needs sanctions screening, continuous monitoring, and audit-ready exports — and that's it — the comparison sits at the entry tier of both platforms.

• ComplyAdvantage Starter: See complyadvantage.com/pricing for the current monthly rate and entity allowance. Bundles sanctions, watchlists, PEPs, adverse media, ongoing monitoring, and customer screening.
• SanctScan Starter: $39/month ($468/year). Includes sanctions screening across 9 lists, hourly continuous monitoring for 150 monitored entities, API + webhooks, team accounts.
• SanctScan Growth: $149/month ($1,788/year). Unlimited screens, 1,000 monitored, 15-minute rescreens.

If your obligation is sanctions compliance only, SanctScan Starter delivers that core capability with API + webhooks included on the same tier — at a published price you can sign up for without a sales call.

If you need the full AML suite (transaction monitoring, payments screening, customer screening, agentic workflows), ComplyAdvantage's mid-market and Enterprise tiers are the right comparison set. Those tiers are sales-quoted; SanctScan does not attempt to compete in that segment.

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Sanctions List Coverage

Both platforms cover the major global lists:

For OFAC SDN and major multilateral lists, coverage is equivalent.

Fuzzy Matching and Accuracy

Both platforms use fuzzy matching to handle transliteration variants, typos, and name order differences — essential for catching real matches without generating excessive false positives.

SanctScan's matching is optimized specifically for sanctions data, with tuning for common transliteration patterns in Arabic, Cyrillic, and Chinese names.

Continuous Monitoring

Both platforms offer ongoing monitoring that re-screens entities when list data changes.

SanctScan triggers re-screening within hours of a list update. Alerts are delivered via email and/or webhook. Resolution and documentation are tracked in the dashboard.

API Integration

Both platforms offer RESTful APIs. SanctScan's API is designed to be integrated in an afternoon — the average time from signup to first API call in production is under 2 hours.

Audit Trail

Both platforms log every screening with timestamp, result, and score. SanctScan's audit logs are exportable and structured for regulatory review.

What ComplyAdvantage Has That SanctScan Doesn't

ComplyAdvantage includes:

• KYC / Identity verification — Document collection, biometric checks (via partners)
• PEP screening — Politically Exposed Person database
• Adverse media — News and media monitoring for negative coverage
• AML transaction monitoring — Rule-based and ML-based transaction analysis
• Regulatory reporting tools — SAR/STR filing support

If you are a bank, money transmitter, neo-bank, or crypto exchange, you likely need these capabilities. They are genuinely useful for regulated financial institutions subject to full AML/KYC obligations.

Who Should Use Which?

Choose SanctScan if:

• You are a B2B SaaS, technology, or platform company
• You need sanctions compliance but not a full AML/KYC suite
• You already have a KYC vendor and need sanctions-only coverage
• You are an exporter, freight forwarder, or trade finance company
• You are a law firm, accountant, or professional services firm
• You are a marketplace or e-commerce platform screening sellers
• You want to be live in production today, not in 6 weeks
• You need transparent, predictable pricing without annual contracts

Choose ComplyAdvantage if:

• You are a bank, credit union, or regulated financial institution
• You are a money transmitter or payment processor
• You are a crypto exchange or digital asset platform
• You need full BSA/AML compliance including CDD and transaction monitoring
• You need PEP screening or adverse media as part of your risk framework
• Your regulator explicitly requires a comprehensive AML platform

Migration from ComplyAdvantage

If you are currently using ComplyAdvantage for sanctions screening only — and are not using KYC, PEP, adverse media, or transaction monitoring features — migrating to SanctScan is straightforward:

1. Export your monitored entity list from ComplyAdvantage
2. Import entities via SanctScan's bulk API or dashboard
3. Configure your webhook endpoint
4. Update your API calls to use SanctScan's endpoint
5. Cancel your ComplyAdvantage subscription

Most migrations complete in a day. You keep the same sanctions coverage, the same monitoring capability, and the same audit trail — at a published, predictable price.

FAQ

Is SanctScan as accurate as ComplyAdvantage for sanctions screening?

For OFAC SDN and major multilateral lists, coverage and accuracy are comparable. Both platforms use fuzzy matching and monitor list updates. The core difference is breadth of data products (ComplyAdvantage covers PEP, adverse media, etc.), not sanctions accuracy.

Does SanctScan cover PEP screening?

No. SanctScan covers sanctions lists only. If PEP screening is required by your regulator (typically under AML rules for banks and MSBs), you need a platform that includes PEP data.

Can I use SanctScan alongside a separate KYC vendor?

Yes — this is the most common use case. Many businesses have Jumio, Onfido, Persona, or similar KYC vendors for identity verification and use SanctScan separately for sanctions screening. The two tools are complementary and don't overlap.

What is the typical implementation timeline for SanctScan?

Most teams complete integration in a single day. The API is straightforward, documentation is clear, and there is no onboarding call or professional services engagement required. You can sign up, get an API key, and run your first production screen in under 2 hours.

Does ComplyAdvantage require an annual contract?

Typically yes. ComplyAdvantage's standard commercial terms involve annual contracts, which creates lock-in and makes it difficult to switch. SanctScan offers monthly billing with no contract and no cancellation fees.

Is SanctScan compliant with OFAC's expectations for a sanctions compliance program?

Yes. SanctScan's audit logs, monitoring alerts, and documented screening processes are designed to satisfy OFAC's Framework for Compliance Commitments. Every screening is logged with timestamp, result, score, and input data. Monitoring ensures you catch designation changes for existing relationships.

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Compare plans and start screening today — or contact us if you are migrating from ComplyAdvantage and have questions.