Identity verification and screening
FirstAML offers biometric KYC, fraud checks, PEP and sanctions screening, and source of funds and wealth checks. Briefi’s identity checks are not available yet.1
Sign, head to head
Briefi Sign vs FirstAML for client onboarding
These are different tools that meet at onboarding. FirstAML is an AML, KYC and KYB product: it verifies who a client is, screens them and keeps the audit trail. Briefi Sign collects the paperwork: the fact-find, the engagement letter and the signatures, filed to the client’s record. If you must verify identity and meet AML/CTF obligations, FirstAML is built for that, and Briefi’s identity checks are not available yet. In our view, many practices could use both, with the verified client then signing in Briefi.
ReviewedLast reviewed 15 October 2026. FirstAML facts checked 15 October 2026
Choose FirstAML if
Choose Briefi if
- Your forms are fact-finds and engagement letters, from templates in your own wording
- You want the signed copy on the client’s record, not in a separate archive
- You also meet these clients, and want the meetings, portal and registers alongside
At a glance
Briefi Sign and FirstAML, side by side
What each does today. Every line about FirstAML links to the page it came from. The pages we read do not describe e-signing, so there is no signing row.
| Briefi SignPlans from A$39 a month | FirstAML | |
|---|---|---|
| Identity and screening | ||
| Identity verification | Briefi SignNot yetBuilt, but not switched on | FirstAMLYesBiometric KYC, device and geolocation fraud checks, and in-person verification by staff1 |
| Business ownership checks | Briefi SignNoBriefi does not check business ownership | FirstAMLYesKYB with verification of ultimate beneficial owners and registry integration1 |
| PEP and sanctions screening | Briefi SignNot yetBriefi’s identity checks are not available yet | FirstAMLYesScreening against more than 1,100 lists, plus source of funds and wealth1 |
| Records and hosting | ||
| Record of who did what | Briefi SignYesA certificate page on each signed PDF with names, times, IP address, device, location and a SHA-256 digest | FirstAMLYesCase management with audit trails and view-only auditor access1 |
| Hosting | Briefi SignStored in SydneySome processing uses providers overseas. The Security page lists them. | FirstAMLSydney, with Melbourne for recoveryPrimary region in Asia-Pacific; EU regions also listed3 |
Yes, todayPartly, or on another planNoNot stated
Sign is the paperwork without the meetings. Advisor includes everything in Sign plus the meeting tools, the client record, registers and a client portal. A row appears only where FirstAML’s own pages say something we could check.
Where FirstAML wins
When FirstAML is the better choice
For identity and AML/CTF work it is not a close call. If any of these decides it for you, use FirstAML.
KYB for business clients
FirstAML verifies ultimate beneficial owners and integrates with company registries.1
Audit and board reporting
FirstAML offers one-click view-only access for auditors and board reporting packs.1
ISO 27001:2022 and Australian hosting
FirstAML states ISO 27001:2022, audited every twelve months, and hosts its Asia-Pacific service in Sydney with recovery in Melbourne.3
Where Briefi is different
The signature is one step on the client’s record.
Once a client is verified, the paperwork starts. Briefi Sign handles that part and files it where the rest of the client’s history sits.
- Forms in your wording, not a blank PDFSign
Start from a template or import a Word or PDF document, put in your firm’s wording and send it. Initials carry forward on an amendment, so a signer is not asked to initial a section nobody changed.
- Signers who are not in the same roomSign
Each signer can have their own link, sign together on one device, or be countersigned by your firm. A signer can name an attorney and the power they sign under.
- The evidence is on the documentSign
The signed PDF carries a certificate page with names, times, IP address, device and location, and a SHA-256 digest of the document. Fee schedules sit inside the signed digest.
- Onboarding on the same record as the meetingsAdvisor
Advisor puts meetings, forms and signed copies for a client on one record, with registers for loans, policies, entities and claims, and an optional client portal.
Sign on its own has no meeting capture, no client portal and no review cadences. Advisor adds them on the same workspace.
Pricing
Pricing compared
FirstAML’s pricing page shows no figures: every plan is price on application, and it says prices vary by jurisdiction. Briefi is priced per plan, and its figure comes from our own catalogue.
Briefi Sign
From A$39 a month
- 40 form requests per user each month
- Monthly or annual billing
Figures from Briefi’s live price list
FirstAML
From Price on application
- Launch, Optimise and Transform: every plan is price on application
- No currency or billing basis is stated
- Launch is sized for a minimum of 400 individuals or 100 complex entities a year
Checked on 15 October 2026. Source 2
Briefi prices are in AUD and are read from the same price list as the pricing page, so they change when it does.
Questions
Briefi Sign and FirstAML, asked often
Can Briefi Sign replace FirstAML?
No. FirstAML verifies identity and screens clients for AML/CTF; Briefi’s identity checks are not available yet. Briefi Sign covers the forms and signatures that follow.
Does Briefi do identity checks?
Not yet. Identity checks are built but not switched on, so there is nothing to set up or pay for. If you need them today, FirstAML offers them.
Can we use both?
In our view, yes: verify the client in FirstAML, then send the engagement letter and fact-find from Briefi. Briefi does not connect to FirstAML, so the two run side by side.
Are electronic signatures valid in Australia?
Electronic signatures are widely used here, but some documents have their own signing rules. Check the rules for your document type. Each Briefi signature comes with a certificate page that records who signed, when and from where.
Where is my clients’ data stored?
Stored in Sydney. Some processing uses providers overseas. Sensitive content is encrypted with a key held for your workspace. The Security page lists the providers and where they are.
Try it
Send one form. Watch it come back signed.
Start free trial Briefi Sign from A$39 a month
Sources and review
Last reviewed 15 October 2026. Facts about FirstAML come from its own published pages on the dates shown. Each product named here is a trademark of its owner, and Briefi is not affiliated with them.
Seen something out of date? Write to support@briefi.sh and we will check it.
- 1FirstAML, home. https://www.firstaml.com Checked 15 October 2026.
- 2FirstAML, plans and pricing (Australia). https://www.firstaml.com/au/plans-and-pricing/ Checked 15 October 2026.
- 3FirstAML, security. https://www.firstaml.com/au/about/help/security/ Checked 15 October 2026.
Briefi’s own pages
- B1briefi.sh/sign. https://briefi.sh/sign
- B2briefi.sh/security. https://briefi.sh/security
- B3briefi.sh/advisor. https://briefi.sh/advisor