OFACScreen

OFACScreen is a sanctions-screening service for US businesses, available through a web app and REST API. It is best suited to teams that need recurring checks and monitoring but can work within plan-based search, user, and monitoring caps. The trade-off is that its least expensive ongoing plan requires annual billing, while the free search keeps no history or audit trail.

Overview

The service screens individuals and entities against eight lists: OFAC SDN and Non-SDN, BIS, UN, EU, UK OFSI, Canada SEMA, and Swiss SECO. All are refreshed daily. Fuzzy matching is designed to account for transliterations, aliases, alternate spellings, and other name variations, a useful safeguard when names do not appear consistently across records.

Screening can be done through individual searches, CSV uploads, or the REST API. The API is offered on every plan, including the trial, and its batch endpoint accepts up to 100 names per request. Saved names are re-screened daily against all eight lists, with email alerts when a match appears. That ongoing check can help teams catch changes after an initial screen, though the number of saved names is capped on the lower tiers.

Key features

Batch screening and API

CSV uploads let teams screen multiple names together, but file limits vary sharply: the trial allows 25 rows, Starter 100, and Professional and Business 10,000. For larger recurring files, the step up from Starter matters; smaller uploads may be adequate for early-stage workflows. The API makes automated screening possible without a separate API-only tier, and supports batches of 100 names on every plan.

Monitoring and audit records

Daily re-screening and email alerts are valuable when a customer or counterparty needs continued oversight rather than a one-time check. Paid plans also record searches with timestamps and allow audit trails to be exported as CSV. The free search is a different proposition: it has no account, saved history, or audit trail, so it is better for a quick lookup than for a documented compliance process.

The privacy policy says screening audit logs are retained for seven years and uploaded CSV files are deleted within 30 days. It also says data is stored on US servers and protected with encryption in transit and at rest, access controls, secure password hashing, and regular security audits. Stripe handles payment information; OFACScreen says it does not store full card numbers.

Pricing

The free search costs nothing and allows 25 searches per day per IP across all eight lists. Because it requires no account and preserves no history or audit trail, it suits occasional checks, not teams that need traceable records or saved monitoring.

The 14-day trial costs nothing, billed for 14 days, and includes 25 searches, 3 users, 5 monitored names, CSV files up to 25 rows, and the REST API. It gives a small team a way to evaluate the workflow, but its low search and monitoring allowances limit sustained use. The plan details do not state what happens at the end of the trial.

A one-time screening report costs $9.99, paid once. It provides one screening, a timestamped PDF, and a permanent link without requiring an account. That is a practical option when a documented single check is enough, but it does not replace recurring screening or monitoring.

Starter costs $49 a month, billed annually. It includes 1,000 searches per month, 3 users, 10 monitored names, CSV uploads up to 100 rows per file, the REST API, and email support. It is the entry point for an ongoing team workflow, though the annual billing commitment and small monitoring allowance are meaningful constraints.

Professional costs $149 a month, billed annually, for 2,000 searches per month, 10 users, 50 monitored names, CSV files up to 10,000 rows, and priority support. It is a better fit when Starter's row and seat caps get in the way, though the monthly search quota only doubles while the price is substantially higher.

Business costs $349 a month, billed annually. Its 10,000 monthly searches, 25 users, 500 monitored names, 10,000-row CSV limit, per-user activity, and priority support suit a larger operation needing more volume and oversight. Enterprise has custom pricing based on volume and includes unlimited searches and monitored names, up to 999 users, custom integrations, an uptime SLA, and a dedicated account manager. It is the option for requirements beyond fixed tiers, but buyers need to engage for pricing.

Starter includes email support; Professional and Business include priority support, while Enterprise adds a dedicated account manager. Every tier retains the API's 100-name batch-request limit, so larger programmatic jobs must be split into requests.

Platforms

OFACScreen runs on the web and offers an API for integrations. The API's presence on every plan, including the trial, makes it accessible for teams that want to evaluate automation before committing to a paid tier.

Who it's for

The maker describes OFACScreen for regulated US industries including banks, fintech and payments, insurance, auto dealers, lending, real estate, gaming, and cryptocurrency. Its daily list refresh, fuzzy matching, monitoring alerts, and exportable paid audit trail address recurring screening needs. The free search is more appropriate for isolated checks; teams needing documented decisions or ongoing oversight should consider a plan with saved records and enough monitored names for their workload.

Pros and cons

• Broad list coverage with daily refreshes: eight US and international sanctions lists are checked, with automatic daily updates.
• Monitoring and audit support: saved names are re-screened daily with email alerts, and paid users can export timestamped search records as CSV.
• API included across plans: teams can evaluate or use programmatic screening without moving to a separate API tier.
• Free search is not a compliance record: it has no account, history, or audit trail, despite allowing 25 daily searches per IP.
• Low tiers impose tight operating limits: Starter allows only 10 monitored names and 100 CSV rows per file, while annual billing makes the $49 a month price less flexible.
• API batches remain capped: the 100-name request limit applies on every plan, including Enterprise.

Alternatives

For a wider comparison, browse Sanctions Screening Software.

• SanctionsScreening.io is another freemium web and API option, with a Pro plan at $29 a month; consider it if a lower stated paid-plan price is the priority.
• ScreeningHub offers a free tier with 100 screens per month and a €79 a month Starter plan, plus web, API, and self-hosted platforms; it may suit readers who prefer a monthly free-screen allowance or need a self-hosted option.
• Eastnets SafeWatch AML is a paid web-based alternative.
• FinScan is a paid API, self-hosted, and web option with pricing by request and a required demo; consider it if that purchasing route fits.
• LSEG Corporate Treasury Risk is a paid web option with pricing available by contacting sales and no free plan.
• Moody’s Trade Credit offers paid API and web access, with enterprise subscriptions or pay-as-you-go and pricing not stated.
• Napier Continuum is a paid API, self-hosted, and web alternative with pricing not shown and a demo booking path.
• OpenSanctions offers a free plan and trial, with a Screening API priced at €0.10, paid once per query; consider it if metered API requests are preferable to OFACScreen's monthly search quotas.

Verdict

OFACScreen is a strong fit for US-focused teams that need multi-list screening, daily monitoring, and an API without starting on a custom enterprise contract. Its clearest advantages are the eight-list coverage and recurring alerts, but the free search lacks records, Starter requires annual billing, and monitoring caps can make lower tiers a poor fit for growing portfolios. Choose it when those limits match your workload; look elsewhere if you need more flexible entry-level billing or a higher API batch size.