yente

Yente is an open-source screening API for teams that need to search and match people, companies, and other entities inside their own environment. It is strongest for organizations able to run search infrastructure and manage compliance data themselves; smaller teams seeking a hosted service may find the operational burden less attractive.

Overview

Yente provides search, retrieval, and matching for FollowTheMoney entities. OpenSanctions is the default source, while company registries and custom watchlists can also be indexed. A manifest lets operators restrict which OpenSanctions data is indexed and create custom scopes, giving compliance teams more control than a fixed, vendor-defined list.

On-premises deployment keeps customer query data within the deployment context, a meaningful advantage for organizations with strict data-residency or confidentiality requirements. Yente is MIT-licensed and free as software, but that does not remove data-licensing costs: commercial use of OpenSanctions requires a separate license subscription. Non-commercial and exempt users can use the civic manifest.

Key features

Screening and monitoring

The API supports individual searches, entity retrieval, and matching, with batch screening, PEP screening, and ongoing monitoring. Transaction screening is not supported, so teams focused on payment-by-payment controls need another product or an additional system. Custom list management covers organization-specific watchlists rather than only the default sanctions source.

Datasets and updates

Custom datasets must be line-based JSON feeds containing FollowTheMoney entities. That standard is useful when your data pipeline already produces the format, but it creates conversion work for teams maintaining spreadsheets, relational exports, or another entity model. By default, Yente checks for new OpenSanctions builds hourly and reindexes when an update is available, reducing manual refresh work.

Deployment and operations

Pre-built Docker containers, example Docker Compose files, and Kubernetes configurations provide a practical starting point for self-hosting. Elasticsearch and OpenSearch are supported backends, so operators can choose between those search stacks. The documented sizing is substantial for a small deployment: each Python service is estimated at 800 MB of memory, while the Elasticsearch index needs 4–16 GB of memory and 10–30 GB of disk.

Operational visibility is better than a bare API: /healthz and /readyz endpoints support service checks, and OpenTelemetry metrics and traces can feed an existing observability setup. Default matching limits accept up to 100 entities per batch and return up to 500 results per match query; larger workloads will require configuration review or additional processing design.

Pricing

Yente is free and open source under the MIT License, with no paid software tiers or seat charges. The important commercial term is the data, not the application: commercial OpenSanctions use requires a license subscription, while non-commercial and exempt users may access the data through the civic manifest. Teams should therefore budget for licensing when deploying Yente in a commercial compliance program.

Platforms

Yente is available as an API for Linux, web-connected workflows, and self-hosted or on-premises deployments. Docker and Kubernetes examples suit organizations with container infrastructure; Elasticsearch or OpenSearch must be operated as the search backend.

Who it's for

Yente fits compliance, engineering, and platform teams that need screening inside their own network, want to combine OpenSanctions with registries or private watchlists, and can maintain indexing infrastructure. It is also a good foundation for organizations that need API-based PEP screening and ongoing monitoring with customized scopes.

It is a weaker fit for teams wanting a turnkey hosted product, transaction screening, or minimal infrastructure ownership. The JSON feed requirement, search-cluster sizing, match caps, and commercial OpenSanctions licensing all add implementation and operating responsibilities.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Self-hosting and privacy: on-premises operation keeps query data within the deployment context.
• Flexible data control: manifests, custom scopes, registries, and private watchlists let teams tailor screening coverage.
• Open integration model: MIT licensing, API access, Docker, Kubernetes, Elasticsearch, and OpenSearch support work well with existing platforms.
• Built-in observability: health endpoints and OpenTelemetry support simplify production monitoring.

Cons

• Commercial data cost: using OpenSanctions commercially requires a separate license subscription.
• Infrastructure overhead: operators must run Python services and a search backend with documented memory and disk requirements.
• Format and scale constraints: custom feeds must use line-based FollowTheMoney JSON, while default matching is capped at 100 entities per batch and 500 results.
• No transaction screening: payment screening is outside Yente's scope.

Alternatives

OFACScreen is a better choice for a hosted API and web workflow with a 14-day trial, 25 searches, three users, five monitored names, and CSV imports up to 25 rows. SanctionsScreening.io suits buyers seeking a managed API/web service with a published Pro plan at $29 a month. Choose ScreeningHub when a hosted or self-hosted product with a free allowance of 100 screens per month is preferable.

FinCrimeRadar is a free web option for teams that do not need an API-led deployment. Eastnets SafeWatch AML is a paid web alternative. NICE Actimize is a paid API/web platform with custom pricing. Enlighta Sanctions Screening and Kharon Compliance are paid API/web alternatives.

Verdict

Choose Yente if you need an extensible, self-hosted screening API and have the engineering capacity to operate its search stack and data feeds. Its strongest reason to choose is control over deployment and datasets; its main reason to look elsewhere is the infrastructure work and separate OpenSanctions licensing required for commercial use.