Here’s a concise, practical guide to affordable AML screening options for small businesses / startups in the U.S., plus how to choose and next steps.

Recommended low-cost / entry options

• Sanction Scanner — lightweight, API-first screening popular with SMBs and fintechs; positioned for lower-cost plans and easy integration. Good for sanctions/PEP/adverse-media checks. (sanctionscanner.com)
• Persona — identity + KYC provider with a free/low-volume tier (commonly cited as ~500 free checks/month on starter plans), useful if you need ID verification plus watchlist screening. (planetcompliance.com)
• Sumsub / Ondato — mid/low-cost vendors that bundle ID verification + AML screening; frequently recommended for startups because of simple onboarding and API access. (BusinessScreen.com)
• SEON — fraud-focused provider that adds digital-footprint intelligence and AML screening; affordable for merchants and platforms wanting transaction-level signals. (techbullion.com)
• Marble (open-source) — an open-source AML rules/monitoring project you can self-host to keep costs very low if you have engineering resources. Useful as a starter or supplement. (planetcompliance.com)

Typical price expectations (ballpark)

• Very small / entry plans: often start around $0–$500/month (free tiers or pay-per-search for very low volumes). (sanctionscanner.com)
• Growing small businesses: $500–$1,500/month gets more features (real-time checks, API, basic monitoring). (sanctionscanner.com)
• Mid-tier / enterprise features: $1,500+/month. (Include if you need global coverage, continuous monitoring, advanced AML analytics.) (sanctionscanner.com)

How to choose the right affordable provider (quick checklist)

• Coverage: sanctions lists (OFAC/EU/UN), PEPs, adverse media — confirm which lists and update frequency. (Sanctions/PEP coverage is essential.) (sanctionscanner.com)
• Pricing model: pay-per-search vs monthly seats vs tiered API bundles — estimate your monthly search volume and compare costs. (sanctionscanner.com)
• Integration: API + SDK availability and how fast you can onboard (sandbox/testing). (sanctionscanner.com)
• False-positives & matching algorithm: ask vendors about fuzzy matching, transliteration support, and customization of thresholds. (BusinessScreen.com)
• Extras you may need: identity verification (ID doc checks), KYB/UBO for business customers, transaction monitoring, case-management tools. (BusinessScreen.com)

Quick evaluation script (what to ask vendors)

• “What exact watchlists/PEP databases do you screen and how often do they update?” (sanctionscanner.com)
• “Do you offer a free tier, trial, or pay-as-you-go pricing so we can test volumes?” (planetcompliance.com)
• “What are your false-positive rates / sample matching behavior, and can we tune rules?” (BusinessScreen.com)
• “Can you provide API docs and a sandbox so we can test integration and real response payloads?” (sanctionscanner.com)

Fast next steps

1. Estimate your monthly screening volume (individuals vs businesses, one-off vs continuous monitoring).
2. Sign up for free trials / sandbox accounts with 2–3 of the vendors above (e.g., Sanction Scanner, Persona, SEON or Sumsub). Test API responses, false-positive rates, and integration effort. (sanctionscanner.com)
3. Compare total monthly cost at your expected volume (include setup fees, identity checks, KYB if needed). (sanctionscanner.com)
4. Pick the vendor that gives required coverage and acceptable false positives at the lowest total cost; keep an eye on scaling paths (so you won’t outgrow the system quickly). (BusinessScreen.com)

If you want, I can:

• shortlist 3 vendors for you to trial based on your expected monthly volume and whether you need ID verification / KYB; or
• draft a short RFP/email you can send to vendors to get comparable pricing and trial access.

Which of those two would you like?