Age assurance
Tessio vs AgeChecked
AgeChecked is a UK age assurance specialist with a strong record in gambling and age restricted commerce. Tessio is a wallet native age verification API built on the EU Digital Identity Wallet. Both minimise data, so this comparison is more about market and method than philosophy.
AgeChecked orchestrates multiple age check methods: a client API, batch upload, a consumer pop-up gateway, database and knowledge checks, and a large anonymised database of pre-verified ages. It anonymises consumers and says it keeps no personal data on its systems, which makes it a genuinely privacy-minded option, and it is well suited to UK regulated sectors.
Tessio takes the wallet native route. A user proves they are over 18 from their EU Digital Identity Wallet, and you get a signed yes or no with no personal data kept. Where AgeChecked leans on UK data sources and its own database, Tessio leans on the EU wallet standards and the coming mandate.
Tessio and AgeChecked, side by side
| Tessio | AgeChecked | |
|---|---|---|
| Core approach | EU Digital Identity Wallet credential over OpenID4VP | Orchestrated age checks: database and knowledge checks plus a large anonymised age database |
| What you get back | A signed over-18 yes or no | An age assurance result |
| Personal data stored | None. No date of birth, no document image, no selfie | Anonymises consumers and says it keeps no personal data on its systems |
| EU Digital Identity Wallet | Native. The whole product is built on it | UK and DIATF oriented. No EUDI-native wallet verifier we could find, so verify |
| Self-hosting | Yes. Open-source .NET core under Apache-2.0 | No. Hosted service |
| Full KYC and AML | No. Age assurance only, on purpose | Offers KYC and AML for regulated sectors |
| Built on | Open-source ASP.NET Core (OpenID4VP, SD-JWT VC, mdoc) | Proprietary |
| Primary market | EU age assurance for regulated platforms | UK gambling and age restricted commerce |
We try to keep this fair and current from public sources. If something about AgeChecked is out of date, tell us at hello@tessio.eu and we'll fix it.
Where AgeChecked is strong
- A strong UK regulated-sector record, especially in gambling and age restricted commerce.
- A large anonymised database of pre-verified ages plus a wide range of permissioned data sources.
- A privacy-minded posture that anonymises consumers and holds no personal data on its systems.
When to choose AgeChecked over us
If your users are mainly in the UK and you want an established age assurance provider with deep national data coverage and a gambling-sector track record, AgeChecked is a strong fit and covers users who don't have an EU wallet. When UK data based checks are what you need today, it's the more proven option.
When teams pick Tessio
Pick Tessio when you're building for the EU wallet, you want a signed over-18 boolean from a wallet credential rather than database matching, and you want the option to self host the open source .NET core. It is designed around the eIDAS mandate, so you integrate once and stay ready as wallets roll out.
Frequently asked
Is Tessio an AgeChecked alternative?
For EU age assurance, yes. Both keep personal data to a minimum. AgeChecked leans on UK data sources and its own anonymised database, while Tessio proves age from the EU Digital Identity Wallet, so the right pick depends on your market.
Does AgeChecked support the EU Digital Identity Wallet?
AgeChecked is UK and DIATF oriented, and we could not find a native EUDI Wallet verifier. If native EUDI support matters to your rollout, confirm the current state with AgeChecked directly.
Can I use both?
Yes. You could use AgeChecked for UK data based checks and Tessio for wallet native EU checks, especially while the EU wallet ecosystem is still ramping up.
Compare and explore
Age verification API
See if Tessio fits
Access is invite only while we onboard design partners. Tell us what you're building and the volume you expect, and we'll get you a sandbox key and a quote.