For occasional checks, start with OFAC’s free Sanctions List Search. If you need recurring rescreening, batch screening, an audit trail, or an API, compare paid services such as OFACScreen and Visual OFAC against your workflow and budget. No screening tool by itself establishes that a transaction is permitted: an alert is a potential match that needs review, and sanctions obligations can extend beyond name matching.
Can you check a customer against the OFAC list for free?
Yes. The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) provides a free Sanctions List Search and a Sanctions List Service with downloadable sanctions data, customizable datasets, and archives. The public search applies fuzzy logic to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) and Non-SDN Consolidated lists, making it useful for an individual lookup.
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OFAC says the public search is intended for individual users seeking potential matches, not for automated systems running continual searches. For automated use, OFAC provides machine-readable data in formats including XML, CSV, PIP, DEL, and flat files. A business planning automation should use suitable data files or a screening service rather than continually querying the public search.
What is the best OFAC screening software for a small business?
There is no universal best choice. Match the tool to the number of people or transactions you screen, when checks happen, whether you need to recheck existing records, and how you document alert review. The options below differ in workflow and pricing transparency; features described by vendors should be confirmed for your own use case.
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| Option | What it offers | Best fit | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| OFAC Sanctions List Search and Sanctions List Service | Free fuzzy-logic public search of SDN and Non-SDN Consolidated lists, plus official downloadable data and customized datasets. | Occasional manual lookups or access to official list data. | Public search is not intended for continual automated searching; it does not provide a complete ongoing screening workflow. |
| OFACScreen | The vendor advertises eight U.S. and international lists, fuzzy matching, daily list refresh, saved-name rescreening, alerts, CSV batch screening, audit history, and a REST API. | Self-serve screening that needs monitoring, batch checks, saved-name rescreening, or API access. | Confirm the specific lists, update timing, limits, false-positive review process, and fit for your business; features are vendor claims. |
| Visual OFAC | The vendor describes recurring customer and contact screening, transaction monitoring, business-system integrations, screening records, and modular services. | Businesses seeking broader integrations, support, or a tailored deployment. | The vendor directs prospects to request a quote rather than publishing a small-business entry price. |
Published OFACScreen plan prices
OFACScreen’s pricing page lists Starter at $49 per month, billed annually, with up to 1,000 monthly searches, daily rescreening of up to 10 saved names, CSV batches up to 100 rows, API access, and up to three users. It lists Professional at $149 per month, billed annually, with up to 2,000 monthly searches, daily rescreening of up to 50 saved names, CSV batches up to 10,000 rows, and up to ten users. These are vendor-published prices and allowances, not market averages; check the current pricing page for terms and available free search or trial options.
Visual OFAC describes its products as modular and asks prospects to request a quote. There is no published small-business price in the reviewed vendor information, so compare an actual quote with your expected screening volume rather than estimating a cost.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to choose a proportionate screening workflow
Before comparing plans, map the activity you need to screen: customers, suppliers, owners, payments, or another set of counterparties. Identify when a check should occur, how often existing records need to be reconsidered, whether work is mostly one-by-one or in batches, and whether screening must connect to onboarding or payment systems.
Check list coverage against your actual obligations
Ask which OFAC lists and any non-OFAC lists the service covers, and whether that coverage is relevant to your jurisdictions and transactions. A larger list count is not automatically better. OFAC lists and sanctions programs are not interchangeable: different lists have different prohibitions, and other government lists, such as those maintained by the Bureau of Industry and Security, have distinct purposes and legal requirements. Review the rules that apply to your business rather than treating a vendor’s list bundle as a legal checklist.
Verify data updates and rescreening
Ask how quickly the service incorporates list changes, whether it rescreens saved names, and how it communicates delays or outages. OFACScreen advertises daily list refresh and daily rescreening within plan limits; Visual OFAC describes recurring screening. These descriptions do not establish a contractual update service level, so obtain the timing and service commitments that matter to your workflow.
Make sure staff can investigate and record alerts
A fuzzy name match is a potential match, not a final determination. OFAC advises reviewing the full listing and comparing available details such as aliases, nationality, identification numbers, addresses, and other relevant identifiers. OFAC states, “Many potential matches identified through screening are false positives.” A useful workflow lets staff see why an alert occurred, gather additional information when needed, and record how it was resolved or escalated.
Compare workflow, limits, and total cost
- Volume: Compare monthly searches, saved-name limits, batch row caps, and any overage or per-search charges with your expected activity.
- Operations: Check for API access, CSV upload, user limits, integrations, case handling, and audit-history export where needed.
- Support and setup: Ask about implementation effort, support availability, and any costs not included in a listed subscription or quote.
- Records: Confirm what evidence of screening and alert disposition you can retain and retrieve for your internal process.
What screening software does not decide
OFAC screening supports a sanctions compliance program; it does not guarantee compliance or prove a transaction is allowed. OFAC says U.S. persons, including businesses facilitating or engaging in online commerce, are responsible for avoiding unauthorized dealings and should develop a tailored, risk-based compliance program. Jurisdiction-based programs, ownership—including the 50 Percent Rule—authorizations, exemptions, and transaction context can raise issues that a name-screening result alone will not resolve. Escalate a close match or uncertain transaction through an appropriate compliance or legal process.
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