Identity verification software enables organizations to verify or authenticate users’ identities remotely, by validating their personal information and documents. It can be used to verify employees’ identities, before granting them access to corporate systems and applications, or to verify customers’ identities before onboarding them or granting them access to a service or platform. Implementing an identity verification solution can help businesses prevent data breaches and fraud, streamline customer onboarding, and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements like Know Your Customer (KYC), Anti-Money Laundering (AML), and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). It enables them to achieve this whilst building user trust and streamlining the end user verification experience.
In order to achieve all this, identity verification software typically employs multiple verification methods to establish users’ identities, including ID document verification, biometric identification, and liveness detection. The strongest solutions also offer reporting of user login and verification activity as well as offering robust security features (such as encryption) to ensure the security and integrity of sensitive user data.
In this article, we’ll explore the top identity verification software designed to help you onboard users, secure access to systems and services, and mitigate identity cyberattacks and fraud. We’ll highlight the key use cases and features of each solution, including supported verification methods, compliance support, additional security features, and end user experience.
ComplyCube Identity Assurance is a comprehensive identity verification suite designed for establishing the appropriate Level of Assurance (LoA) for various use cases. The suite offers a wide range of identity verification methods, delivering fast and accurate identity verification to bolster KYC controls and safeguard businesses.
ComplyCube Identity Assurance delivers advanced document authenticity checks, utilizing AI and human experts to confirm the validity of a wide range of ID documents, such as passports, driving licenses, and visa stamps. The suite also offers proprietary face mapping, which enables secure and intuitive repeat access authentication across multiple devices. ComplyCube’s multi-bureau checks offer instantaneous and accurate verification of customer details against global data points, with the option for “2+2 verification” to ensure double-source verification. The platform also employs biometric verification to compare the individual presenting the identity document against the document itself. It also utilizes AI-powered liveness detection and anti-spoofing measures to block presentation attacks and enable frictionless authentication. Finally, for address verification, ComplyCube integrates POA verification services to extract, standardize, and verify customer details and geolocation data against multiple trusted bureaus.
DocuSign Identify is a collection of identity verification and authentication products designed to address the challenges of automating identity verification while ensuring security and ease of use. DocuSign’s solutions cater to various industries and use cases, leveraging different identity and eID methods based on regional requirements. These methods include Document ID and eID Verification, knowledge-based authentication, AES and QES compliance, and SMS authentication. This enables the platform to cater to a wide range of global users and ensure a secure and user-friendly experience.
In the United States, users can verify their identity through personal questions, while the UK and France utilize bank-based IDs and eID, respectively. For European Union compliance, DocuSign offers ID Verification for EU Qualified—a solution that incorporates AI-enabled user identification into the eSignature workflow, expediting the approval process for Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES). The platform’s liveness detection in ID Verification allows for biometric checks, enhancing the security of the signing process by confirming the authenticity of IDs and matching facial features to ID photos. When it comes to verification policies, admins can customize their own configurations, specifying permitted ID methods, country of issuance, retention policies, and name-matching precision. Admins can also easily integrate verification statuses and ID data with other systems of record through APIs, and authentication information is included in eSignature Certificates of Completion.
HyperVerge offers an identity verification platform designed to confirm the identities of customers across more than 195 countries. This solution aims to reduce drop-off rates during customer onboarding processes. This is achieved through deploying single image passive liveness technology, which functions effectively even on low-end devices and in environments with low bandwidth. This allows for seamless customer onboarding experiences.
HyperVerge Identity Verification is powered by proprietary AI models, which are engineered to work in real time and can be adapted to accommodate new requirements as they arise. These models verify liveness through selfies, without complex gestures or videos, helping to improve the overall end user experience. The technology has been extensively trained on diverse facial variations, resulting in highly accurate results that account for race, age, and gender. A standout feature of HyperVerge’s platform is the no-code workflow, which allows users to easily customize and build their own workflows to best suit their products. Workflow configuration and modification can be completed effortlessly, providing businesses with a flexible and user-friendly identity verification solution.
ID.me provides comprehensive identity verification solutions that are easy to deploy, meeting various business needs and risk tolerances. Their services offer three methods for identity verification: online, virtual in-person, and in-person. This flexible approach enables users to complete the identity proofing process using the most convenient method for them, making ID.me a suitable option for businesses seeking a comprehensive and adaptable solution.
The online method uses remote verification of physical IDs, mobile network operator data, fraud, and compliance checks for quick and secure verifications. Virtual in-person verification involves completing identity proofing with a trained Trusted Referee via video conference, while in-person verification services are available through their partnership with Sterling, allowing individuals to verify their identity through kiosks located at retail locations. ID.me’s platform also includes mobile network operator SIM verification, document verification (using machine vision), facial recognition, and biometric matching. The solution aligns with NIST 800-63-3 standards, complying with federal and state-level requirements for IAL2/AAL2 identity proofing and authentication. It offers an interoperable login feature, where after initial verification, users will not need to re-verify their identity across any organization with ID.me integration.
iDenfy is an identity verification company that offers a comprehensive solution for businesses, processing over 3,000 ID documents from more than 190 countries. Their platform uses advanced facial recognition and 3D liveness detection to authenticate users and prevent fraud, while ensuring a user-friendly experience.
IDenfy’s identity verification technology combines the power of artificial intelligence with human supervision to provide a highly accurate success rate of 99.99%. iDenfy guarantees that client verifications are reviewed within three minutes, flagging any potential errors or fraud attempts. This meticulous system ensures efficient and accurate results, as well as providing customizable user interface options and dynamic ID verification steps. iDenfy offers secure data storage for up to ten years, with the ability to delete data within 60 seconds of its creation and automatic scalability to process an unlimited number of verifications quickly and reliably. Their solution is also compatible with over 2,000 applications, making it simple to integrate the service across various channels for stress-free identity verification.
Jumio Identity Verification employs AI, ML, and biometrics to automate the user verification process for businesses. It helps companies enhance conversion rates, comply with AML and KYC regulations, and prevent fraud, while providing a fast and efficient decision.
Jumio Identity Verification automates user onboarding, reducing abandonment rates and streamlining the verification experience. The platform verifies IDs by checking photography presented by the user against known document templates and ensuring that the person in the selfie matches the person on the ID document. It also uses advanced ML to predict the age of the person in the selfie, comparing it to the date of birth on the ID. Jumio Identity Verification helps deter fraud by performing a liveness check, using advanced face-based biometric technology for added security. Additionally, Jumio offers a convenient course correction feature that enables users to retake a picture of their ID or selfie if the initial image is unreadable. Finally, the solution is highly secure, with data transmitted and stored using strong AES 256-bit encryption. It’s PCI-DSS Level 1 compliant, and designed to meet KYC, AML, CCPA, and GDPR compliance requirements.
Ondato offers an identity verification solution for businesses, utilizing advanced AI-based tools for digital identity verification, supported by human review. Their platform is designed to streamline the onboarding process for customers and ensure regulatory compliance with KYC, GDPR, and AML guidelines.
There are four supported ID verification methods within Ondato’s platform: automated identity verification using real-time document and photo checks; assisted identity verification through video calls supervised by KYC agents; manual identity verification, allowing customers to submit documents for later review; and NFC identity verification for a smooth, secure, and fast process.
Ondato helps to streamline the onboarding process for customers by utilizing optical character recognition to eliminate manual form filling, and advanced technologies to compare biometric face data with the provided documentation. The system quickly checks customer data against a wide range of registries for accuracy and to detect any fraudulent activity and provides a comprehensive 360-degree view of customers while minimizing identity fraud risks by combining initial ID checks, IP address analysis, email usage patterns, sanctions, politically exposed persons, and adverse media screening. Although the platform relies on machine learning for detecting spoofing attempts and confirming matches, a KYC specialist always provides final confirmation to ensure accuracy.
Onfido’s Verification Suite offers a comprehensive set of tools for KYC processes, including document and biometric verification, data verification, and fraud detection. It caters to the compliance needs of businesses while ensuring secure and streamlined user experience.
Onfido Verification Suite’s document verification feature, powered by Atlas AI, supports over 2,500 documents from 195 countries, providing rapid analysis and classification. Biometric verification offers two options—Selfie or Motion—to match photo IDs with facial biometrics, ensuring the rightful owner is presenting the identity document. The platform also offers fraud detection by leveraging phone and device intelligence to accurately identify trusted and fraudulent behavior during onboarding. The platform also offers a drag-and-drop workflow builder, Onfido Studio, that allows businesses to create custom verification journeys tailored to varying customer risk levels. In recent updates, the suite has also introduced Motion capture for biometric verification and passive fraud intelligence signals, continuously improving its capabilities to better serve businesses in maintaining security and compliance.
Persona Identity Verification is a comprehensive solution that enables businesses to collect, verify, and orchestrate customer identities. This platform covers various identification methods, including government IDs, documents, selfie liveness, authoritative databases and issuing sources, phone and email verification, and mobile driver’s licenses.
Persona Identity Verification enables verification via a wide range of government IDs, such as passports and driver’s licenses, in over 200 countries and territories. With automated ID classification and data extraction, it quickly detects fraud and expedites user verification, often within five seconds. It also provides a secure collection flow for documents, with checks to detect tampering and data extraction for better decision making.
Persona’s selfie liveness feature ensures real-time user verification by comparing live selfies to uploaded ID portraits and previously collected selfies. Additionally, it offers access to multiple authoritative databases and issuing sources across 40+ countries in a single platform, streamlining user verification processes, and enabling customized matching logic. Finally, the platform supports phone and email verification through low-friction flows, allowing for rapid identity confirmation, fallback methods, and prevention of fraudulent access. It also supports mobile driver’s licenses, eliminating the need for physical wallets and facilitating validation against issuing DMV sources.
ZignSec is an identity verification service that provides user-friendly Know-Your-Customer (KYC), Know-Your-Business (KYB), and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) services. The technology is designed to simplify complex compliance tasks such as real-time verification of customer and business information, risk assessment, and flagging suspicious activities.
ZignSec offers a range of features including document scanning with AI/ML for detection and analysis, registry checks that validate customer details against government records, and ID verification. The platform utilizes sophisticated technologies, including Electronic Identities (eIDs), to verify online identities without sacrificing user experience. These features support several industries including banks and financial services, gaming, insurance, and e-Commerce businesses, to prevent fraud and enforce compliance more effectively.
ZignSec is a reliable identity verification partner with robust documentation, product guides, and API services to help clients integrate their system. The platform supports multiple languages and can be translated if required. With its cloud-based setup, clients can gain a comprehensive overview of all transactions and get into the details of each customer. In our testing we found the platform to be fully-featured, with a user-friendly interface and granular admin options.
ZignSec’s platform can serve as an efficient and cost-effective solution for KYC, KYB, and AML needs. It consolidates identity verification features in one place, with the ability to scale globally, ensuring businesses meet their regulatory requirements while reducing the need for multiple disparate solutions.
Identity verification (also known as identity authentication) is the process of ensuring that someone is who they say they are, at the time they’re saying it. There are two main scenarios where a business might want to verify someone’s identity:
Identity verification software enables businesses to validate their customers’ or employees’ identities remotely, without those users having to travel to be verified on-site or send verification documents (such as a copy of a driver’s license or passport) in the post. This not only helps organizations to ensure the security of their data and their customers’ data and to achieve compliance with data privacy regulations, but it also helps them to speed up the verification process, freeing up security resource for other tasks. Finally, implementing digital identity verification software can also help organizations to improve their customer acquisition and retention rates: firstly, by streamlining the verification process and making it more user-friendly for the user being verified; and secondly, by showing customers that you take their data security seriously.
Identity verification software collects personal information from the user, then compares the presented information with a trusted database containing the same information to ensure it’s real and legitimate. For example, it could ask the user to present a face scan, then compare that scan to a biometric record stored on the user’s phone, or to a government-held database of passport data. If the presented data matches the data in the trusted database, the user is granted access.
There are various methods that can be used for identity verification, and each of those use a different type of information to verify the user. Let’s take a look at the most common methods.
ID document verification asks users to scan an official ID document such as a passport, driver’s license, or ID card, then checks that the presented document is legitimate. Because this method of verification often involves the use of government-issued documents, it’s considered very reliable. It’s also an accepted method for achieving KYC and AML compliance. This makes ID document verification well-suited to the financial industry, where organizations need to check users’ ID before allowing them to open a bank account, onboarding them, and during financial agreement processes. However, it isn’t the most user-friendly verification method as it requires the user to scan and upload their document.
Biometric verification asks the user to present biometric information, then compares that scan to a record in a trusted database. There are two main types of biometrics that the user could present:
Biometric verification is considered one of the most secure methods of identity verification, as it’s incredibly difficult for an attacker to steal or replicate someone’s biometric information. However, it can be more complex to set up biometric verification initially, and it’s critical that your organization stores users’ biometric data securely.
One way in which cybercriminals may try to evade biometric authenticators is by spoofing a user’s ID using a mask or photograph, to get around a facial recognition scan. Liveness detection is a method of identity verification that helps to prevent ID spoofing in this way. Liveness detection checks whether a person’s physical characteristics and measurements match those of an ID document that they’ve presented. However, liveness detection tools require the user to prove that they’re actually there, in real time, for example by asking them to film a series of head movements. Some more sophisticated methods exist too, such as thermal imaging and 3D recognition, but these require specialist hardware and aren’t generally suitable for everyday commercial applications.
One-time passcodes are a common method of identity verification that many users will be familiar with. This method of verification transmits a single-use code to the user via SMS, email, or an authentication app during the verification process. They are then asked to input that code, proving that they have access to certain devices or accounts associated with their identity. While users are likely to be familiar with this method of verification, it does have some drawbacks. Firstly, it’s not very intuitive, as it requires the user to use multiple devices or applications to verify themselves. Secondly, it’s relatively easy for a cybercriminal to re-direct SMS or email OTPs to their own phone or email account. The best way to prevent this is by enforcing the use of authentication apps, which require the user to have physical access to a device to sign in. They also place a limit (usually 30-60 seconds) on how long a user has to input the code.
Knowledge-based verification requires the user to answer questions correctly in order to be granted access to an account. These might be questions chosen by the user when they created the account, or they might be questions based on information in the user’s account. For example, if someone wants to transfer a large amount of money, their bank may wish to verify their ID first by asking them questions about their recent transactions.
Database verification, also known as digital footprint verification, pulls data from other databases, such as social media, to verify information presented by the user. It’s a quick verification method and can often be done in real-time, and it doesn’t require the user to provide any extra information about themselves, making it user-friendly. However, it relies on the other databases being up-to-date and secure. Because of this, we don’t recommend using database verification as a standalone verification method.
There are a few key features that you should look for when comparing identity verification solutions:
Caitlin Harris is Deputy Head of Content at Expert Insights. Caitlin is an experienced writer and journalist, with years of experience producing award-winning technical training materials and journalistic content. Caitlin holds a First Class BA in English Literature and German, and provides our content team with strategic editorial guidance as well as carrying out detailed research to create articles that are accurate, engaging and relevant. Caitlin co-hosts the Expert Insights Podcast, where she interviews world-leading B2B tech experts.
Craig MacAlpine is CEO and founder of Expert Insights. Before founding Expert Insights in August 2018, Craig spent 10 years as CEO of EPA cloud, an email security provider acquired by Ziff Davies, formerly J2Global (NASQAQ: ZD) in 2013, which has now been rebranded as VIPRE Email Security. Craig has extensive experience in the email security industry, with 20+ years of experience helping organizations to stay secure with innovative information security and cyber security solutions.