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Compare › Thirdfort
ZealiD vs Thirdfort
Thirdfort is UK client due diligence with screening built in, made for law, property and accountancy firms. Trust Circle verifies each client, shares their files and handles qualified signatures, with no fee per check. Here is how they compare.
In short
Thirdfort wins on UK screening.It runs PEP and sanctions screening through ComplyAdvantage, with ongoing monitoring, and checks beneficial owners including PSCs. It checks source of funds through open banking and meets HM Land Registry's Digital ID standard. Clients rate it 4.5 on Trustpilot from 7,292 reviews, most of them end clients.
Trust Circle has no fee per check.Thirdfort lists "£15 per biometric, cryptographic ID check" without discounts, on top of a monthly platform fee. In Trust Circle each client verifies once, the check is included in every plan, and it stays valid for two years.
Trust Circle also shares and signs.Thirdfort's site doesn't mention e-signature. Trust Circle gives each client a shared space for their files and a qualified signature. Firms that need UK screening can keep their screening tool and record its result in the KYC questionnaire.
ZealiD and Thirdfort, side by side
Sources: Thirdfort pricing, law firm pricing, accountant pricing, AML checks page and homepage; Thirdfort on Trustpilot; ZealiD pricing. Checked November 2026.
Where they really differ
Screening built in, or recorded from your own tool
A Thirdfort check can cover far more than identity: PEP and sanctions screening with ongoing monitoring, beneficial owners and source of funds. That is its real strength. Trust Circle checks identity with an ID document and a face check, and stops there. If you need screening, you run it in a tool built for it and note the result in the KYC questionnaire. What Trust Circle adds is the rest of the client file: shared documents and qualified signatures.
What each one covers
Paid per check, or verified once for two years
Thirdfort charges per completed check, paid in credits that stay valid for two years. In Trust Circle, each client verifies once in the ZealiD app and stays verified for two years. The check is part of your plan, with no limit, and your client doesn't pay.
Price your last 12 months of checks
Take your Thirdfort invoices for the past year. Add the platform fee, the credits you bought and the VAT, then count the ID checks you ran and the clients you checked more than once. That gives you your real cost per client.
Then compare it with the Trust Circle plan that fits your team, where ID checks are included. Keep the screening checks in your total too, since you would still need them.
Your last 12 months
What each one costs
Thirdfort charges a monthly platform fee plus credits for each check, on a 12-month contract. The fee starts at £167 a month for law firms and conveyancers and £83 a month for accountants, plus VAT. Trust Circle is priced per plan, billed yearly, with identity verification included and a set allowance of qualified signatures.
Thirdfort
Platform fee a month + VAT, plus credits. 12-month contract
See Thirdfort pricing →Trust Circle
A month, billed yearly. ID checks included
See pricing →Which one is right for you?
Choose Thirdfort if:
- You need PEP and sanctions screening with ongoing monitoring in the same tool
- You check beneficial owners and PSCs on company clients
- You need source of funds checks through open banking
- Your conveyancing work needs HM Land Registry's Digital ID standard
Choose Trust Circle if:
- You want ID checks without a fee per check
- You want a verification that stays valid for two years
- You share documents with clients, not just check them
- Your clients sign with a qualified signature
- You have clients in the EU as well as the UK
Use both if: you're a UK firm that needs screening and source of funds checks. Keep Thirdfort for those, record the result in the KYC questionnaire, and use Trust Circle for client files and qualified signatures.
What Trust Circle doesn't do
Live sanctions and PEP screening, beneficial ownership checks and the risk decision stay with your firm.
It doesn't check source of funds through open banking.
What our customers say
Following a challenging couple of weeks during which our previous TSP partner refused to accept the latest form of identity documents from Malta, it became crucial for us to locate a provider who could smoothly integrate it into our system. ZealiD offers a robust platform and a competitive pricing model which is among the finest in the industry.
Paper procedures are a no-go for modern businesses with complicated signing journeys and long delays. It was time for us to go digital, and ZealiD came through with a user-friendly and simple solution that cut our signing cycles from weeks to just minutes ensuring the highest level of security.
ABN AMROMicrosoftDLA PiperBird & BirdBinderrOyster HRCALIPIA
More comparisons
Verify, share and sign in one place
- Identity verification in every plan, no fee per check
- Verified once, valid for two years
- ZealiD AB is a qualified trust service provider on the EU Trusted List
- Documents stored in Stockholm, EU
Common questions
Does Trust Circle screen clients against sanctions and PEP lists?
No. Trust Circle verifies who your client is, but it doesn't run live sanctions or PEP screening. You keep a screening tool, such as Thirdfort, and record its result in the KYC questionnaire next to the client's verified identity. The KYC questionnaire is an add-on on Professional, €100 a month.
Does identity verification cost extra?
No. It's included in every Trust Circle plan, from Micro to Enterprise, with no limit on how many clients you verify and no fee per check. Your client doesn't pay either, and the verification stays valid for two years. See plans.
How much does Thirdfort cost?
Thirdfort charges a monthly platform fee plus credits for each check, on a 12-month contract. The fee is from £167 a month plus VAT for law firms and conveyancers, and from £83 a month plus VAT for accountants. Without discounts, Thirdfort says you would pay £15 per biometric, cryptographic ID check. Credits stay valid for two years. Thirdfort pricing.
Does Thirdfort offer electronic signatures?
We found no e-signature on Thirdfort's site. Trust Circle includes qualified electronic signatures from ZealiD, a qualified trust service provider. Qualified electronic signature.
Can we use Thirdfort and Trust Circle together?
Yes. Run screening and source of funds checks in Thirdfort, note the result in the Trust Circle KYC questionnaire, and keep the client's files and signatures in their Trust Circle. About Trust Circle.
Is ZealiD a qualified trust service provider?
Yes. ZealiD AB is on the EU Trusted List (Sweden), supervised by PTS and audited every year by TÜViT and SRC Security. Files in Trust Circle are kept in Stockholm, EU. Certifications and compliance.