Top 5 Business Entity Search Tools for 2026: Verify Companies with Confidence
Company onboarding isn’t just paperwork. It’s where you confirm a counterparty is legitimate, active, and in good standing—before you sign a contract, extend credit, or release a payment.
Most of that verification can now happen online in minutes, as long as you’re pulling from the right sources. That’s why teams look for a platform that combines a business registration and EIN search solution with practical checks to catch mismatches early.
Below, we compare the top business entity search tools for 2026 and explain how Compliancely fits into a compliance-first payer workflow.
How Does a Business Entity Search Make Onboarding Safer?
A business entity search makes onboarding simpler; it essentially helps to confirm that you’re onboarding a real, active business before you start dealings with them, i.e., extend credit, sign a contract, or set up payments. Instead of bouncing across multiple Secretary of State (SOS) sites, you can just run one lookup and validate the basics from the source registry data.
In most cases, the search returns practical identifiers—legal name, registration/charter number, entity status (active, dissolved, suspended), formation date, and registered address. Some registries also list officers or directors, but that varies by state and entity type.
What you generally won’t get from a U.S. registry search is beneficial ownership. That data isn’t public, and FinCEN’s BOI database isn’t open for general access (it’s limited to authorized users). BOI rules have also shifted—FinCEN’s March 2025 interim final rule exempted U.S.-created entities and U.S. persons, while setting deadlines for covered foreign entities.
From an onboarding perspective, the real risk is fragmentation. When entity verification is manual—split across tools—it slows approvals and creates mismatches between what’s in your various files (CRM, AP system, and compliance files). Powerful platforms can reduce that gap by pairing registry verification with adjacent KYB checks, like EIN/TIN validation, sanctions/watchlist screening, and address verification, to make onboarding much faster, more consistent, and easier to track and audit.
Top Business Entity Search Tools for 2026
1. Compliancely
Compliancely, a business entity lookup software for banks and other institutions, is built for teams that need strong and robust onboarding and underwriting decisions, without slowing the process down. It combines vendor and counterparty entity screening—TIN Match, SOS lookups, address validation, sanctions screening, and IRS tax transcripts—into one workflow. You can use Compliancely via real-time APIs, a web portal UI, or bulk file jobs. It also supports fintech, banking, lending, insurance, and payments teams that need integrated identity, tax, and sanctions checks.
Key Features
- Real-time business entity search using official registry data
- EIN or TIN matching, where legally allowed, including IRS TIN Matching for authorized 1099 filers
- Screening of entities and related individuals with an integrated watchlist and PEP search
- APIs, dashboards, and audit-ready records for compliance review
Pros
- Brings entity search, tax ID checks, and screening into one workflow
- Reduces manual reviews and spreadsheet tracking
Cons
- Works best for teams ready to use APIs or structured onboarding flows
2. Trulioo
Trulioo bundles KYC, KYB, and AML into one global verification platform—across 195 countries and counting—which can be very useful for you if you’re operating across markets. Its Business Verification automates KYB using live data from hundreds of government registries, credit bureaus, and proprietary sources covering businesses and owners.
Key Features
- Access to international business registries and global watchlists
- Ability to run business checks alongside individual identity verification
Pros
- Strong option for cross-border onboarding and global risk reviews
- Broad geographic coverage
Cons
- Setup can seem complex for smaller or less technical teams
- Specialized tax ID checks may require additional vendors
3. Middesk
Middesk is U.S.-focused and verifies businesses using direct links to government departments and regulatory agencies. Its Business Verification, Signal, and TIN Match products depend on all 52 state registries along with IRS tax ID records to confirm legitimacy and status.
Key Features
- State-level business registration and standing checks
- Officer and entity data delivered through APIs
Pros
- Good fit for U.S.-only onboarding programs
- Straightforward integration for domestic use cases
Cons
- Limited international coverage
- Sanctions screening and tax ID validation require configuration
4. Dun & Bradstreet
D&B’s Data Cloud is a global business data and analytics layer built around the D-U-N-S® Number to help identify and match companies reliably. Teams use it for supplier and customer risk evaluations, third-party monitoring, and master data enhancement.
Key Features
- Global company records with corporate hierarchies
- Credit and risk indicators for deeper assessments
Pros
- Useful for organizations working with multinational companies
- Strong coverage of corporate structures
Cons
- Higher cost than most KYB tools
- Complex integration for basic onboarding
5. OpenCorporates
OpenCorporates aggregates company information from official registries and makes it searchable through an open database. It normalizes names, incorporation dates, addresses, and director information for easier cross-jurisdiction comparisons.
Key Features
- Searchable database of companies and officers from public registries
- APIs supporting Secretary of State search integration
Pros
- Useful for early-stage entity discovery and cross-checking
- Extensive jurisdictional coverage
Cons
- Data freshness varies by registry
- No built-in tax ID validation or sanctions screening
How to Evaluate Business Entity Search Tools
Fit with Real Workflows
Start by confirming that the tool supports your verification process (vendor onboarding, contractor setup, lending, or grant distribution) and aligns with regulatory requirements.
Volume and Speed
Consider how many searches are run daily and during peaks. The right platform should return results quickly without manual follow-ups.
Overall Cost and Complexity
Pricing is only part of the picture. A unified platform reduces integration work, maintenance, and data mismatches across compliance, tax, and finance systems.
Accuracy and Real-World Performance
Test the tool with real entities to assess match accuracy, false positives, and decision speed—especially where registry, tax ID, and sanctions data intersect.
Compliancely’s Role in Modern Business Entity Verification
Compliancely serves as a KYB and business entity verification platform, acting as a single verification layer for onboarding. Instead of running separate checks, it brings together entity search, KYB checks, EIN/TIN validation, sanctions screening, and address verification into one API-first setup. This is especially useful for regulated payments or account approvals.
When these checks run together, onboarding gets cleaner and more consistent. Teams spend less time fixing duplicate vendors and mismatched records. And when an audit happens, your verification steps are traceable across customers, vendors, partners, and grantees.
FAQs
1. What is a business entity search tool?
It’s a tool that lets you look up a company in official registries to confirm it’s real, active, and registered under the claimed details.
2. How is an entity search tool different from full KYB software?
Entity search answers “Does this business exist?” KYB adds EIN/TIN validation, sanctions screening, and workflow controls for streamlined approval.
3. Can these tools support global entities?
Often yes—but “global coverage” varies. One tool may excel in the U.S. and U.K., while another offers only basic data in some countries.
4. Do organizations still need to check tax IDs and sanctions separately?
With point solutions, yes. Unified platforms combine entity search with sanctions screening and EIN/TIN validation where permitted.
5. How are business entity search tools typically priced?
Pricing is usually usage-based or tiered by search volume, data depth, and add-ons like monitoring or case management.
To Sum Up
Using a good business entity search tool is one of the simplest ways to reduce onboarding risk, especially if you set up vendors, send payments, or handle 1099 work. In 2026, a registry lookup alone isn’t enough—stronger setups pair it with KYB checks, tax ID validation, and sanctions screening. The main idea is to spend less time fixing bad records and focus more time on moving onboarding forward instead.
See how Compliancely brings entity search, TIN validation, and screening into one controlled workflow and makes onboarding seamless!
