The best sanctions screening software and companies in 2026

You are likely visiting this page because you are looking for:

• Sanctions and PEP screening software that improves efficiency and accuracy
• A quick comparison of leading sanctions screening providers
• A clear list of features to support a technology review or RFP

Sanctions screening is now a core control in financial crime compliance. Firms must screen customers, counterparties and transactions against global sanctions lists, and increasingly combine those checks with PEP and adverse media screening, to meet regulatory expectations and avoid enforcement, financial penalties and reputational harm.

• Five features to look for in sanctions screening software
• A high-level overview of seven sanctions and PEP screening vendors, including LSEG World-Check One
• Practical benchmarks to measure the effectiveness of your sanctions screening programme

In a global environment of rising fraud and financial crime, sanctions screening is now an essential element of regulatory compliance – and a necessary measure to prevent financial penalties and reputational harm.

Regulations require customers, counterparties and transactions to be screened against global sanctions lists in order to identify potential links to sanctioned entities or individuals, but this can be challenging, since the sanctions environment is complex and always evolving. 

Choosing the right sanctions screening software is crucial. 

Against this backdrop, here are five essential features to look for:  

• Real-time updates 

Sanctions lists can change quickly, so effective sanctions screening software must provide frequent updates to sanctions data, ideally with 24/7 monitoring of all major lists. 

• Comprehensive coverage

Coverage of all key sanctions bodies and relevant programmes is essential. Look for global support and consistent coverage across multiple jurisdictions.

• Advanced entity matching 

Leading solutions typically use multiple identifiers per record (for example, names, aliases, dates of birth); support local language scripts and transliteration; and offer configurable matching rules aligned to your risk appetite and jurisdictional needs.

• Machine learning, analytics and adverse media

Ideally, software should combine sanctions, watchlists, PEPs and adverse media in a single view, as well as provide analytics to help prioritise alerts and reduce noise. Insights into patterns and connections between entities are also crucial.

• Scalability, integration and workflow

Key considerations include the ability to support both real-time and batch screening across large populations; the use of APIs and data feeds to integrate screening into workflows; and case management, audit trail and reporting capabilities that satisfy internal and regulatory stakeholders.

Here is our high-level overview of PEP and sanctions screening software vendors in 2026 [note1]:

• LSEG Risk Intelligence delivers sanctions, PEP and adverse media screening through the World-Check risk-intelligence database and the LSEG World-Check One screening platform. 

‒  World-Check aggregates millions of structured risk profiles on individuals and entities – including sanctions; watchlists; regulatory and law-enforcement lists; PEPs, relatives and close associates; and adverse media – to support KYC, AML, CFT and broader financial crime risk management.

‒  World-Check One brings this data together with screening software to deliver faster checks, fewer false positives and clearer insight into sanctions, PEPs and reputational risks.

• ComplyAdvantage provides an AI-led financial crime risk management platform with sanctions, watchlist, PEP and adverse media screening, alongside transaction and payment screening. Capabilities support real-time updates, configurable risk parameters, and case management to streamline remediation.

• Quantifind offers AI-driven sanctions and financial crime solutions focused on reducing false positives and revealing hidden risk through real-time screening. Tools emphasise entity resolution, advanced analytics and explainable AI to support more accurate alerting.

• Quantexa delivers a decision intelligence platform used by financial institutions and other sectors to build network views of customers and counterparties. There is a focus on connecting internal and external data to create relationship graphs and help manage sanctions and export-control risk, including indirect exposure.

• Dow Jones Risk & Compliance provides sanctions and watchlist data, third-party risk management and due diligence services. Content is used to support AML, CTF, sanctions and anti-bribery and corruption programmes. 

• Moody’s Analytics offers KYC and financial crime solutions that include sanctions screening and sanctioned-securities capabilities. Its products help you to assess sanctions risk across customers, counterparties and portfolios, and monitor securities for sanctions exposure over time.

• LexisNexis Risk Solutions provides financial crime compliance tools that combine proprietary watchlist and sanctions data with an enterprise screening platform. Its products offer configurable workflows for initial checks and ongoing monitoring, with a focus on scalability and integration into existing infrastructures.

Whichever provider you choose, measuring the effectiveness of your sanctions screening programme over time is important. Here are six metrics to watch:

• False-positive rate: This should drop as a result of tuning and better use of identifiers – without increasing risk.
• Response times: New sanctions designations and list updates should quickly reflect in screening results and workflows.
• Onboarding and transaction turnaround times: These must be short, and screening should not negatively impact the customer experience.
• Remediation time: The time from alert creation to disposition, including escalations and quality checks, must be within acceptable limits.
• Coverage and completeness: In-scope customers, counterparties, transactions and securities should be covered against all appropriate lists and risk data.
• Audit and reporting quality: You must be able to easily demonstrate screening decisions, controls and governance to internal audit and regulators.