KYC, AML and fraud
Tessio vs Sumsub
Sumsub is a full funnel KYC, AML and fraud platform, strong in crypto and fintech. Tessio is a narrow age verification API that stores no documents or dates of birth and checks age with the EU age verification app (the EU Digital Identity Wallet follows once our access certificate is issued). If your obligation is compliance onboarding, that gap matters, so here is how they compare.
Sumsub covers the whole compliance funnel. Document and biometric verification, liveness, AML screening, transaction and fraud monitoring and crypto tooling like travel rule support. For high risk verticals that need real KYC and AML, it is a broad and capable suite.
Tessio doesn't do KYC or AML. It proves one claim, over 18, from a wallet credential and returns a signed yes or no with no document or date of birth kept. When you only need an age gate rather than full compliance onboarding, that is a lot less data to hold.
Tessio and Sumsub, side by side
| Tessio | Sumsub | |
|---|---|---|
| Core approach | OpenID4VP presentations from the EU age verification app (EU Digital Identity Wallet to follow) | Document and biometric verification plus AML screening and fraud monitoring |
| What you get back | A signed over 18 yes or no | A KYC and AML verification result |
| Personal data stored | The yes or no and your reference. No date of birth, no document image, no selfie | Processes ID documents and biometric data |
| EU Digital Identity Wallet | The EU age verification app works today. The EU Digital Identity Wallet follows once our access certificate is issued. | Writes about eIDAS 2.0 and can take wallet credentials as an input to its KYC flows |
| Self hosting | Yes. Open source .NET core under Apache-2.0 | No. Hosted service |
| Full KYC and AML | No. Age assurance only | Yes. This is the core of the product |
| Built on | Open source ASP.NET Core (OpenID4VP, SD-JWT VC, mdoc) | Proprietary |
| Primary market | EU age assurance for regulated platforms | Crypto, fintech and high risk KYC and AML |
We try to keep this fair and current from public sources. If something about Sumsub is out of date, tell us at hello@tessio.eu and we'll fix it.
Where Sumsub is strong
- A full compliance funnel in one place, from KYC and KYB through AML screening to transaction monitoring.
- Particularly strong in crypto and other high risk verticals with demanding compliance needs.
- Broad global document and jurisdiction coverage for onboarding.
When to choose Sumsub over us
When your requirement is real KYC and AML, not just age, Sumsub is built for it and Tessio isn't. If you run a crypto exchange or a fintech that has to screen customers, monitor transactions and hold identity records, a full compliance platform is the right tool and an age gate won't cover it.
When teams pick Tessio
Pick Tessio when age is the actual requirement and you want to store no documents or dates of birth. You get a signed over 18 boolean, so there is no document or biometric data to secure. It is designed around wallet credentials, and the open source .NET core can run inside your own environment when check data cannot go to a hosted service.
Frequently asked
Is Tessio a Sumsub alternative?
For age checks, yes. Tessio confirms someone is over 18 with the EU age verification app and stores no document or date of birth. Sumsub is a full KYC and AML platform, so if you need compliance onboarding it does far more than Tessio. Which fits depends on the obligation you're meeting.
Does Sumsub support the EU Digital Identity Wallet?
Sumsub publishes eIDAS 2.0 material and can take wallet and national digital ID credentials as inputs to its KYC flows; confirm the details with Sumsub directly. Tessio's live checks use the EU age verification app. The EU Digital Identity Wallet follows once our access certificate is issued.
Can I use both?
Yes. Use Sumsub for KYC and AML where regulation requires it. Use Tessio for the age gate where you only need a yes or no and would rather keep no documents or dates of birth.
Compare and explore
Age verification API
See if Tessio fits
Signup is open and a test project works as soon as you create one. Sending real traffic needs us to switch your organisation to live mode, so that part stays a conversation. Pricing is published, with no quote needed.