AML Guard and First AML are both comprehensive AML/CTF compliance platforms serving Australian property professionals under Tranche 2. Both offer strong CDD execution capabilities. The real differences are in operating model, pricing structure, program governance approach, and how each platform fits your specific workflow and commercial preferences.
Methodology and Fairness: This comparison is based on publicly available information from both platforms’ websites, product screenshots, marketing materials, and press releases as of March 2026. Where a capability could not be confirmed from public sources, we say so. If any information is incorrect, contact [email protected] and we will correct it promptly.
Last reviewed: 13 September 2026
Update, September 2026: AML Guard has been in production with Australian reporting entities since Tranche 2 obligations commenced on 1 July 2026. It is offered month-to-month or on a 12-month term, whichever suits the firm. The agent portal now shows each agent the tipping-off-safe status of their own cases, with opt-in SMS updates, without exposing the underlying CDD record.
What Both Platforms Do Well
Both offer identity verification, sanctions/PEP/adverse media screening, beneficial ownership identification, configurable risk assessment, ongoing monitoring, case management, audit trails, and CRM integration with Australian real estate platforms. For most CDD execution tasks, both platforms are capable.
First AML appears well suited to firms that want a highly configurable, broadly integrated platform with established market traction. AML Guard is aimed at firms that want a more operationally focused model for Australian property compliance: published pricing, customer-pays verification, built-in governance workflows, and practical support for cross-role reliance and evidence sharing.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | AML Guard | First AML |
|---|---|---|
| IDENTITY & SCREENING | ||
| Identity verification | Biometric face match via secure link or SMS. Client self-serves on their own device. Results flow back into the compliance case automatically. | SMS/email-triggered on-device verification. No app download required. Client-facing eIDV through First AML’s secure platform or an embedded form. |
| Sanctions & PEP screening | Global sanctions, PEP, and adverse-media datasets including DFAT, UN, EU, and OFAC. | 1,100+ real-time PEP and sanctions lists with daily scans and alias matching. |
| Adverse media | Included in all CDD checks. | Included. |
| Deceased checks | DVS integration for death register checks (Australian Death Check). | Not clearly described in current public materials. |
| Entity types | Individuals, companies, trusts, SMSFs. | Individuals, Australian and foreign companies, SMSFs. |
| CLIENT ONBOARDING | ||
| Client intake portal | Client Intake Portal: agency-branded secure link or supervised tablet mode. Client self-enters personal details, declarations, and source of funds. Payment and biometric identity verification are linked in the same client flow. For entity matters, beneficial owner portal links are generated automatically from the initial submission. The officer receives a substantially complete, audit-ready case without manual re-entry. | First AML publicly describes client-facing onboarding through SMS/email communications, document collection including source of funds and source of wealth, secure web forms, and eIDV through its platform or an embedded form. Guided workflows for complex entity structures. Whether the full intake chain: self-entered personal details, declarations, SOF/SOW, payment, biometric IDV, and beneficial-owner link generation, runs as one linked client flow is not clearly described in current public materials. |
| BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP | ||
| UBO identification | Automated ASIC chain tracing, recursive company + relational extracts up to 5 levels deep. Interactive visual ownership tree with effective ownership percentages. | Manages complex ownership structures in one workflow. Captures beneficial ownership and control structures with risk-based prompts. Guided entity verification workflows for AU/foreign companies and SMSFs. Recursive ASIC tracing depth, interactive ownership-tree visualisation, and direct case creation from traced parties are not clearly described in current public materials. |
| RISK ASSESSMENT & MONITORING | ||
| Risk scoring | 48-factor risk scoring engine across six risk categories. Automated scoring with officer review. | Documented risk assessment with EDD triggers. |
| Ongoing monitoring | Automated re-screening at risk-based intervals with change detection alerts. | Ongoing monitoring with automatic re-verification triggers when risk profiles or beneficial ownership change. |
| CDD & COMPLIANCE WORKFLOW | ||
| CDD workflow | Guided wizard: identity verification, screening, risk assessment, ECDD triggers, officer sign-off. Structured case lifecycle. | Pre-built workflows with configurable rules. Document collection via secure web forms. |
| AML/CTF program | Program document management with version control, approval workflows, and compliance calendar. | AML program builder and board reporting described in public materials. |
| Training | Training register with tracking, evidence, and completion records. | Not clearly described in current public materials. |
| CDD reliance register | Statutory reliance register (s37A/s38 AML/CTF Act) with cross-tenant secure evidence sharing. | Reporting groups and compliance information sharing referenced. A dedicated cross-entity statutory reliance register is not clearly described in current public materials. |
| SMR/TTR reporting | Built-in tipping-off controls, officer approval workflow, and AUSTRAC submission support. | Not clearly described in current public materials. |
| Record keeping | 8-year tamper-evident encrypted vault with presigned URL access and full audit trail. | Record keeping and approvals built in. |
| CRM INTEGRATION | ||
| Rex CRM | Rex CRM integrated (API-based, not native). Tip-off safe compliance status push-back, contact/listing data sync. | Rex integration available. Confirm depth and scope directly with First AML. |
| VaultRE / Box+Dice / Eagle | Not offered. | Native integration via MRI Software partnership. |
| Other integrations | Microsoft 365, Xero, Asana, PipeDrive. | Actionstep, Zenu, GreatForms, and others. Broad integration ecosystem. |
| PRICING | ||
| Pricing model | Published pricing. $170/month for 3-user bundle. Per-check fees: $45 (individual), $90+ (company/trust). Customer-pays model. | Annual platform fee plus per-verification usage. Quote-based; not published. |
| Who pays for checks? | Customer-pays via secure payment link. Credit-back offsets agency subscription. | Public payment model not disclosed. Confirm directly with First AML. |
| MARKET POSITION | ||
| Target market | Australian real estate agents, conveyancers. Purpose-built for property transactions. | Global AML platform, real estate, legal, financial services across AU, NZ, and UK. |
| Industry partnerships | Rex CRM integration. Additional CRM integrations on roadmap. | REIA preferred AML partner. LJ Hooker, First National, Raine & Horne. MRI Software. |
Pricing Model and Procurement Visibility
AML Guard publishes pricing ($170/month, customer-pays CDD) and supports a model where buyers and sellers pay for their own verification. First AML uses a quote-based model with pricing shaped by service scope, volume, and complexity.
The practical pricing difference is not simply subscription versus usage. It is procurement visibility and who carries the cost of verification. For many buyers, this is a commercial-model decision as much as a feature decision.
Program Governance Approach
Both platforms support AML/CTF program management, but they take different approaches. First AML publicly describes an AML program builder with configurable requirements, forms, and compliance rules, and markets itself across five personas.
AML Guard’s governance layer emphasises operational tooling designed around the compliance calendar lifecycle: auto-seeded regulatory dates, training registers with expiry tracking, a multi-category health dashboard, and attestation workflows. The practical question for buyers is whether you need a program builder or a program management system.
CDD Reliance and Evidence Sharing
AML Guard includes a purpose-built reliance register and evidence-sharing workflow. First AML’s public material on reporting groups discusses sharing compliance information, but a dedicated cross-entity reliance register or outward evidence-sharing product feature was not confirmed from current public materials.
CRM Integration Ecosystem
First AML has a broader integration ecosystem including MRI Software (VaultRE, Box+Dice, Eagle), Rex, Zenu, GreatForms, and others. AML Guard offers Rex CRM integration, built and in production.
Market Position and Trust
First AML has significant market momentum including partnerships with LJ Hooker, First National, and Raine & Horne. AML Guard’s strengths are in transparent pricing, operational governance tooling, CDD reliance workflows, and LPP-aware workflows in development.
Which Platform Fits Your Business?
Choose AML Guard if you want: published pricing, customer-pays verification, operational governance tooling, CDD reliance capabilities, earlier-stage workflow support, a right-sized Australian platform for property professionals.
Choose First AML if you want: established scale and broader market proof, wider CRM integration ecosystem, strong configurability and global coverage, support for multi-jurisdiction environments, quote-based pricing with volume flexibility.
Correction Policy: This comparison is maintained in good faith. If any information is inaccurate or has changed, contact [email protected] and we will update this page promptly.
Capabilities and pricing should be confirmed directly with each vendor before purchase decisions are made.
See How AML Guard Works
Tranche 2 obligations commence 1 July 2026.
Book a 20-minute demo to see how AML Guard supports your compliance from the moment your designated service begins.