Compared
Certaby vs Thirdfort
Thirdfort is a UK compliance vendor focused on legal services, conveyancing, estate agents, and accountants. Ships AML plus ID plus Source-of-Funds via Open Banking. Particularly strong in legal sector adoption. Pricing is quote-only; contracts are subscription with per-check fees.
Certaby is per-check PAYG with no contract: £4.95 for a Letting Agent Client Check (S1), £29.95 for a Conveyancer Pack (S2). Thirdfort pricing is quote-only with no published per-check rate; typical contracts start at the mid-hundreds per month plus per-check fees.
| Feature | Certaby | Thirdfort |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per-check PAYG (£4.95 / £29.95) | Quote-only subscription + per-check |
| Time to first check | Email sign-in, ~60 sec | Demo + contract + onboarding |
| Sector focus | Letting + conveyancing (S1 + S2) | Legal + conveyancing + estate + accountancy |
| AML + PEP screening | OpenSanctions + OFSI/UN/EU | Proprietary data layer |
| Source-of-Funds (Open Banking) | On conveyancer Pro roadmap | Built in |
| ID + biometric verification | Not in v1 (gated on demand) | Built in |
| Property environmental pack | Built in to S2 (flood, radon, coal, contaminated land, knotweed) | Separate environmental search |
| PSC tree walking | Recursive to depth 5 | KYB module |
| Audit-cert format | Hash-bound + public verifier (7y) | PDF cert |
Where Thirdfort wins
- Thirdfort has Open Banking Source-of-Funds production-wired; Certaby does not in v1. For conveyancers who specifically need SoF inside the same cert, Thirdfort is the closer fit today.
- Biometric ID verification is built in to Thirdfort. Certaby has no IDV in v1.
- Thirdfort has deeper accountancy-sector adoption than Certaby; the Certaby accountant suite (S3) is on the roadmap.
Ready to compare for real?
Run a Certaby check on a real prospect to see the output format, audit-cert PDF, and verify URL alongside your existing tooling. No card to view the result; no contract.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Certaby conveyancer pack include Source-of-Funds checks?
Not in v1. The pack screens the named parties (name, date of birth and nationality) against sanctions, PEPs, adverse media, and the FCA Warning List; that is name screening, not document or biometric identity verification (and not an HMLR Digital ID / Safe Harbour check), and it does not pull bank transaction history. SoF via Open Banking (TrueLayer or Plaid) is on the conveyancer Pro roadmap; the Pro tier opens when a paying customer asks for it. For high-risk enhanced due diligence, you would still need a separate SoF process; the Certaby pack handles the simpler customer due diligence ground.
Is the £29.95 Conveyancer Pack comparable to a Thirdfort full conveyancing transaction cost?
The Certaby pack covers AML plus the environmental risk pack (flood, radon, coal, contaminated land, knotweed) plus a property snapshot. Thirdfort typically charges separately for the AML and ID layers (each with their per-check fees) and the environmental search is a separate £25-£60 chartered product. So the Certaby pack tends to land lower for the same buyer outcome in straightforward matters; complex matters with biometric ID or full SoF still need additional services.
Can I use Certaby in a Lexcel-accredited or CQS-accredited firm?
Yes. Lexcel and CQS specify what the firm must do (the risk assessment, the per-matter due diligence, the file retention); they do not specify the vendor. The Certaby audit-cert PDF satisfies the per-matter due diligence evidence requirement when paired with your firm risk assessment and onward enhanced due diligence where required.
Or see the 5-vendor matrix to compare Certaby against all peers in one view, run the free suite demo for no card, or review pricing.