iProov vs Onfido

Why Switch from Onfido to iProov?

Onfido was a UK-based identity verification company that was acquired by Entrust, a US-headquartered digital security firm, in 2024. This acquisition shifted Onfido’s corporate control to the United States, meaning that the biometric face scans and identity document images processed by Onfido are now ultimately governed by a US parent company subject to the CLOUD Act. For European organizations that rely on Onfido for sensitive identity verification, this change in ownership introduces jurisdictional risk that did not exist when Onfido was independently UK-based.

iProov, founded in 2011 and headquartered in London, remains an independent UK-based company with a focused mission: delivering the world’s most secure biometric face verification. iProov’s patented Genuine Presence Assurance technology goes far beyond standard liveness detection, using controlled illumination sequences to defeat deepfakes, face masks, video replays, and digital injection attacks. This technology is trusted by national governments — including the UK Home Office, Australia, and Singapore — for border control and national identity programs.

While iProov is UK-based rather than EU-headquartered, the UK’s GDPR adequacy decision ensures data protection alignment, and iProov offers EU data processing for clients who need it. For organizations that prioritize the highest level of biometric security over a bundled identity platform, iProov’s focused expertise in face verification is unmatched by any competitor, including Onfido under its new US ownership.

Feature Comparison

Feature	iProov	Onfido (Entrust)
Biometric face verification	Patented Genuine Presence Assurance	Standard biometric matching
Liveness detection	ISO 30107-3 Level 2 certified	Basic liveness detection
Deepfake detection	Advanced — defeats injection attacks	Standard detection
Document verification	Partner integrations	Built-in document verification
Passive user experience	Users simply look at device	Requires head movements or actions
Government deployments	UK, Australia, Singapore, EU programs	Limited government use
eIDAS compliance	Full eIDAS compliance	eIDAS support
GDPR compliance	UK GDPR + EU processing options	US parent company (Entrust)
Re-authentication	Biometric re-auth for returning users	Limited re-auth capabilities
Presentation attack detection	ISO 30107-3 Level 2 (iBeta)	ISO 30107-3 (basic)
SDK platforms	iOS, Android, Web	iOS, Android, Web
Corporate ownership	Independent UK company	US-owned (Entrust)

Key Advantages

Unmatched Biometric Security: iProov’s Genuine Presence Assurance is the gold standard in biometric face verification. The patented illumination sequence creates a one-time biometric that cannot be replayed, injected, or spoofed — even by the most sophisticated deepfake technology. This is why governments trust iProov for national identity programs where the consequences of a spoofing attack are severe.

Passive User Experience: Unlike competitors that require users to blink, turn their head, or perform specific actions, iProov’s verification is entirely passive. Users simply look at their device screen while the illumination sequence runs. This passive approach delivers higher completion rates, better accessibility for users with disabilities, and a smoother onboarding experience.

Government-Grade Trust: iProov is one of very few biometric providers trusted by national governments for citizen-facing identity programs. The UK Home Office used iProov for the EU Settlement Scheme, processing millions of verifications. This level of trust is earned through rigorous security testing, independent certification, and years of proven reliability at national scale.

Independent European Company: Unlike Onfido, which is now owned by US-based Entrust, iProov remains independently owned and operated from the UK. While the UK is no longer an EU member, its data protection framework maintains adequacy with GDPR, and iProov offers EU-based data processing for organizations that require data residency within EU member states.

Flexible Integration Model: iProov focuses on biometric face verification and does it exceptionally well. This means it can be integrated alongside any document verification provider, giving organizations the freedom to choose best-of-breed components rather than being locked into a single vendor’s bundled platform. The SDKs for iOS, Android, and Web are lightweight and well-documented, with typical integration taking 1-2 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is iProov's Genuine Presence Assurance technology?

Genuine Presence Assurance (GPA) is iProov's patented biometric verification technology that confirms a user is the right person, a real person, and is authenticating right now. Unlike basic liveness detection that checks for a pulse or blink, GPA uses a controlled illumination sequence — a unique pattern of colored light projected onto the user's face — to verify genuine physical presence. This defeats sophisticated attacks including deepfakes, face masks, video replays, and digital injection attacks that can fool standard liveness detection. GPA is certified to ISO 30107-3 Level 2 by iBeta, the most rigorous presentation attack detection standard.

Is iProov GDPR-compliant given the UK is no longer in the EU?

Yes. While the UK left the EU, the UK has adopted its own UK GDPR that closely mirrors the EU GDPR. The European Commission granted the UK an adequacy decision, recognizing that UK data protection provides an essentially equivalent level of protection to the EU GDPR. iProov also offers EU-based data processing for clients who require data to remain within EU member states. Additionally, iProov is eIDAS-compliant and works with EU trust service providers for identity verification workflows that require full EU regulatory compliance.

Which governments and institutions use iProov?

iProov's technology is trusted by some of the world's most security-conscious organizations. Government clients include the UK Home Office (for the EU Settlement Scheme and Right to Work checks), the Australian Taxation Office, the Singapore Government Technology Agency (GovTech), the US Department of Homeland Security, and several European national identity programs. In the financial sector, iProov is used by major banks including ING, Rabobank, and Knab for customer onboarding and transaction authentication.

How does iProov compare to Onfido technically?

iProov and Onfido take different approaches to identity verification. Onfido is a full-stack identity platform that combines document verification with biometric face matching. iProov focuses specifically on biometric face verification with the most advanced liveness detection in the market. iProov's Genuine Presence Assurance technology is considered superior to Onfido's biometric checks for defeating sophisticated spoofing attacks, particularly deepfakes and digital injection attacks. Many enterprises use iProov's biometric verification alongside a document verification provider for the strongest possible identity assurance.