Short answer — widely used, well-regarded AML/sanctions/PEP/adverse‑media screening tools (good starting shortlist):

• ComplyAdvantage. (ComplyAdvantage.com)
• Refinitiv / World‑Check One (LSEG). (solutions.LSEG.com)
• LexisNexis Risk Solutions (WorldCompliance / Firco). (risk.lexisnexis.com)
• NICE Actimize (WL‑X / Autonomous AML). (kychub.com)
• Dow Jones Risk & Compliance. (finscan.com)
• Sanction Scanner (and similar API‑first tools for SMEs). (sanctionscanner.com)
• ThetaRay (AI/analytics‑heavy transaction & payment screening). (finscan.com)
• Castellum.AI and other smaller AI‑first vendors (good for false‑positive reduction experiments). (Sanctions.io)

How I chose these (what to look for)

• Coverage: sanctions lists, global watchlists, PEPs, adverse media, corporate ownership/UBO.
• Update cadence & provenance: how fast new sanctions/entries appear and whether data is human‑curated.
• Matching & algorithms: fuzzy name matching, transliteration support, entity‑resolution/graph linking (reduces missed hits).
• False positives & explainability: ML alone isn’t enough — look for explainable matching or human‑in‑the‑loop tuning.
• Integrations & latency: API availability, onboarding flow integration, and payment/real‑time screening speed.
• Case management & audit trails: built‑in workflows for investigations and regulator reporting.
  (Those evaluation points are reflected in vendor positioning and analyst rankings cited above.) (ComplyAdvantage.com)

Quick vendor notes (what each is generally best for)

• ComplyAdvantage — modern, API‑first RegTech with real‑time adverse‑media and payment screening; strong for fintechs and businesses wanting high automation and lower false positives through ML. (ComplyAdvantage.com)
• Refinitiv / World‑Check One (LSEG) — market‑leading watchlist/identity coverage and enterprise integrations; used by large banks and global institutions for authoritative PEP / sanctions data and identity checks. (solutions.LSEG.com)
• LexisNexis Risk Solutions (WorldCompliance / Firco) — deep, human‑curated watchlist data, enterprise transaction‑screening tools, and strong analyst recognition (Chartis/FCC50). Good for institutions needing proven, auditable data. (risk.lexisnexis.com)
• NICE Actimize — enterprise grade financial‑crime suite (screening + monitoring + case mgmt) suited to large banks with complex rule sets and legacy integrations. (kychub.com)
• Dow Jones Risk & Compliance — strong adverse‑media and sanctions intelligence; good for firms that need rich media/context alongside watchlist hits. (finscan.com)
• Sanction Scanner (and similar smaller vendors) — lower cost, quick to deploy, friendly for SMEs, crypto firms and challenger fintechs; good API coverage and simple UIs. (sanctionscanner.com)
• ThetaRay — specialized in AI analytics for transaction monitoring and anomalies; useful where you need advanced detection of complex laundering patterns across flows. (finscan.com)
• Castellum.AI and other AI‑first startups — promising false‑positive reduction and explainable ML; consider for pilot projects but validate maturity and regulatory acceptance first. (Sanctions.io)

Procurement / implementation quick checklist

• Define scope: onboarding checks only, ongoing monitoring, transaction/payment screening, or full case management.
• Test matches: run a proof‑of‑concept (PoC) using your real data (names, entity structures, historical alerts) to measure hit rates and false positives.
• Latency & throughput: if you screen real‑time payments, confirm performance SLA (ms/second needs). Vendors like ComplyAdvantage advertise sub‑second payment screening. (ComplyAdvantage.com)
• Data refresh & auditability: verify update cadence for sanctions/PEP/adverse‑media and that the system provides full audit logs for examiners. (risk.lexisnexis.com)
• Explainability & tuning: confirm whether analysts can tune rules, whitelist/greylist safely, and see why a match was generated.
• Regulatory fit: ensure vendor supports your jurisdictional requirements (USA OFAC, EU, UK, etc.), and can deliver necessary SAR/STR support. (risk.lexisnexis.com)

Budget & sizing guidance

• Enterprise banks: expect higher cost but richer integrations and service (NICE Actimize, LSEG/Refinitiv, LexisNexis). (kychub.com)
• Mid‑market / fintechs: ComplyAdvantage, Dow Jones, ThetaRay, and some API providers strike a balance of capability and price. (ComplyAdvantage.com)
• Small firms / startups / crypto: Sanction Scanner, SEON, and similar vendors provide lower‑cost, fast API integrations. (sanctionscanner.com)

Next practical step (fastest way to pick)

1. Decide the three non‑negotiables for your business (e.g., real‑time payment screening, UBO coverage, low false positives).
2. Run 2–3 PoCs for 2–4 weeks with your data (vendors will usually do trial integrations). Measure precision/recall, throughput, and analyst time saved.
3. Ask vendors for regulator references and audit logs/reporting examples.

If you want, I can:

• Narrow this list for your industry and company size (bank/fintech/crypto/SaaS).
• Create a 1‑page RFP checklist you can send to vendors to compare PoCs side‑by‑side.

Which would you prefer?