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Underwriting

The best open source models for KYC and KYB checks

For KYC and KYB checks, our top pick is Qwen3.8 27B from Qwen (Alibaba). A compact vision-language model under Apache 2.0, easy to host next to your KYC data. GLM-5.3 Flash is a close second, and DeepSeek V4.1 Flash rounds out the list.

KYC and KYB agents check identity documents, business filings, and beneficial owners, then flag mismatches for review. The inputs are images and PII, so vision and the ability to self-host matter most.

Updated

What matters for KYC and KYB checks

  • Image input for IDs and filings
  • Self-hostable, so PII stays in your environment
  • Permissive license

Our picks

1Qwen (Alibaba) logo

Qwen3.8 27B

Qwen (Alibaba) · Apache 2.0

A compact vision-language model under Apache 2.0, easy to host next to your KYC data.

A compact dense vision-language model under Apache 2.0.

Context256K tokens
Parameters27B

Input: text, image, video

Harnesses in Runtime

OpenCodeCline
2Z.ai logo

GLM-5.3 Flash

Z.ai · MIT

Image input, MIT license, and low cost for high onboarding volume.

A natively multimodal GLM that Z.ai says beats GLM-5.2 at one-tenth the price.

Context1M tokens
Parameters320B
Active18B

Input: text, image

Harnesses in Runtime

Claude CodeOpenCodeCline
3DeepSeek logo

DeepSeek V4.1 Flash

DeepSeek · MIT

Fast multimodal checks with an MIT license when you need throughput.

A multimodal MoE that activates only 8B parameters per token and shrinks the KV cache about 4x.

Context1M tokens
Parameters552B
Active8B

Input: text, image

Harnesses in Runtime

Claude CodeOpenCodeCline

Put a KYC and KYB checks agent to work

01

Write the SOP as a skill

Turn the steps your team already follows into a skill the agent reads before every run.

02

Pick and test the model

Run two or three of these models against past cases. Evals show which one passes at the lowest cost.

03

Run it in your cloud

The agent works on its own computer in your VPC, with role-based access and an approval before sensitive actions.

Questions about models for KYC and KYB checks

What is the best open source model for KYC and KYB checks?

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For KYC and KYB checks, our top pick is Qwen3.8 27B from Qwen (Alibaba). A compact vision-language model under Apache 2.0, easy to host next to your KYC data. GLM-5.3 Flash is a close second, and DeepSeek V4.1 Flash rounds out the list.

What matters when choosing a model for KYC and KYB checks?

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Image input for IDs and filings. Self-hostable, so PII stays in your environment. Permissive license. Test two or three candidates against your own past cases before you commit, and keep a human approval on any step that moves money or changes a customer's status.

Can I run an open source model for KYC and KYB checks without sending data to a third party?

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Yes. Download the weights and serve them with vLLM or SGLang in your own cloud, or use Amazon Bedrock or Google Vertex AI in your account. With Runtime, the agent's computer also runs in your VPC, so card data and PII stay in your environment.

Which of these models can I use commercially?

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Qwen3.8 27B (Apache 2.0), GLM-5.3 Flash (MIT), DeepSeek V4.1 Flash (MIT) are permissive and fine for commercial use.