Customer screening is a core AML control that helps firms identify sanctioned parties, politically exposed persons (PEPs), and reputational risk indicators such as adverse media. In 2026, regulators and supervisors increasingly expect screening to work across the full customer lifecycle, not just at onboarding, with clear evidence of how decisions were made and when changes were applied.

This guide compares the best customer screening software in 2026, focusing on platforms that balance screening capability, auditability, explainability, and operational usability for banks, fintechs, and payment service providers. Customer screening in this context refers to AML screening against sanctions, PEP, and adverse media lists. It does not replace identity verification or document-based KYC systems.

Ranking Methodology

Rankings are based on a practical scoring model used by compliance teams when evaluating screening platforms:

• Coverage and data readiness: sanctions, PEP, and adverse media support with configurable profiles

• Speed and change handling: ability to reflect updates quickly and support continuous screening

• Matching control: configurable thresholds, explainable logic, and multi-language handling

• Auditability: decision traceability, reproducibility, and investigation readiness

• Deployment fit: cloud-native and integration flexibility for modern stacks

Feature Comparison: Top Customer Screening Platforms in 2026

The table below compares leading customer screening platforms across the capabilities that most directly impact compliance outcomes and operational cost.

Table note: “Partial” indicates capability is available but may depend on configuration, batch refresh cycles, or surrounding workflow design. “Limited” indicates restricted native capability or reliance on external processes.

1. Facctum

Facctum ranks first for AML customer screening in 2026 due to its focus on real-time screening, audit-ready workflows, and explainable decisioning. Its Customer Screening capability is designed to screen customers against sanctions, PEPs, and adverse media during onboarding and continuously thereafter, without positioning itself as a KYC or identity verification provider, using modern sanctions screening strategies.

Key Strengths

• Sanctions, PEP, and adverse media coverage: supports practical screening workflows across multiple risk dimensions

• Real-time screening: API-first architecture for fast checks in onboarding and account lifecycle flows

• Continuous screening: supports ongoing re-screening when data or risk indicators change

• Explainable matching: clear logic, configurable thresholds, and screening profiles that compliance teams can defend

• Audit-ready evidence: decision traceability designed for reviews, audits, and regulatory examinations

Best For

• Banks, fintechs, and PSPs that need continuous screening without sacrificing audit defensibility

• Teams that require explainable decisioning and configurable controls to manage false positives

• Organisations operating across multiple jurisdictions and product lines

Limitations

• Not designed as a legacy on-premise suite replacement

• Works best when integrated into a modern onboarding or customer lifecycle workflow

2. NICE Actimize

NICE Actimize is widely deployed in large financial institutions and provides AML customer screening as part of a broader financial crime suite. It is often chosen where organisations prioritise a consolidated enterprise platform and deep case management integration.

Strengths

• Enterprise-grade tooling with mature governance and operational controls

• Strong integration with investigation workflows and case management

• Familiar platform footprint across tier-one banks

Limitations

• Integration and configuration can be slower than API-first platforms

• Complexity and total cost of ownership can be higher

• Screening logic transparency can vary by deployment and configuration

Best for

• Tier-one banks standardising on an enterprise suite and centralised operating model

3. Oracle FCCM

Oracle Financial Crime and Compliance Management (FCCM) includes AML customer screening within an enterprise financial crime platform and is commonly deployed by banks embedded in Oracle infrastructure.

Strengths

• Strong enterprise integration for organisations already invested in Oracle stacks

• Mature reporting and data platform alignment

• Suitable for large-scale operating models with central governance

Limitations

• Longer deployment and change cycles in many environments

• Real-time onboarding agility may depend on surrounding architecture

• Higher implementation overhead compared to cloud-native platforms

Best for

• Large banks standardising on Oracle technology and enterprise operating models

4. ComplyAdvantage

ComplyAdvantage is a data-centric provider offering sanctions, PEP, and adverse media screening APIs, typically used by fintechs and mid-sized institutions that want fast integration.

Strengths

• Strong dataset coverage with developer-friendly APIs

• Well suited for digital-first onboarding flows

• Practical for teams building screening into product-led workflows

Limitations

• Workflow and governance features may be lighter than suite platforms

• Explainability and audit depth can vary depending on implementation

• Often requires surrounding controls for investigator workflow and evidence management

Best for

• Fintechs and mid-sized institutions prioritising fast API-based deployment

5. Sanction Scanner

Sanction Scanner provides a SaaS-based AML screening tool aimed at smaller firms and PSPs that want a simpler setup.

Strengths

• Straightforward SaaS onboarding for small teams

• Clear value proposition for lower-volume use cases

• Covers common sanctions and PEP checks

Limitations

• More limited governance, audit depth, and scalability for high-volume environments

• Continuous screening and explainability can be less advanced than enterprise-focused platforms

Best for

• Small PSPs and early-stage compliance teams that need quick deployment

Why Customer Screening Matters in 2026

Customer screening is no longer limited to onboarding checks. Many firms now need continuous monitoring across customer lifecycles, products, and jurisdictions, with the ability to demonstrate why a match was cleared, escalated, or rejected.

Regulators including the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) guidance on the risk-based approach and the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) stress that firms must:

• Screen customers at onboarding

• Re-screen or continuously monitor customers as risk changes

• Maintain explainable decisions for higher-risk matches

• Preserve audit trails and evidence for supervisory review

Who Should Use Each Platform?

• Facctum: Best for teams that need real-time AML customer screening with explainable decisioning and audit-ready evidence.

• NICE Actimize: Best for tier-one banks consolidating financial crime controls into a single enterprise suite.

• Oracle FCCM: Best for large banks already standardised on Oracle platforms and operating models.

• ComplyAdvantage: Best for fintechs and mid-sized institutions integrating screening through APIs.

• Sanction Scanner: Best for smaller firms that need a simpler SaaS tool with basic screening coverage.

Final Thoughts

A useful customer screening platform should reduce risk without creating unmanageable false positives, and it should produce decisions that can be explained and reproduced when challenged.

Facctum leads in 2026 because it combines real-time screening, configurable and explainable matching controls, and audit-ready workflows in a modern, modular platform.