How We Evaluate Biometric Software Vendors
This page documents how PrimeBiometry scores biometric authentication and identity verification vendors. All vendors are evaluated against the same five weighted criteria. Featured placements do not affect scores.
This is a shortlisting tool, not a professional audit. Use it to narrow your vendor list – then test the API yourself and consult a compliance specialist for binding regulatory decisions.
Evaluation Process
Candidate Screening
Vendor must have publicly accessible product documentation, a minimum of 10 user reviews across G2, Gartner Peer Insights, or Capterra, and an active website. Vendors are identified through category research and user submissions.
Data Collection
We check: vendor API reference and documentation, pricing page (or direct email outreach for unlisted pricing), public compliance certificates, review aggregation from G2, Gartner, and Capterra, and sandbox or trial availability.
Scoring
Each vendor is scored against five weighted criteria using sub-criteria. Scores are numeric. Sub-criteria within each criterion are summed to produce the criterion total. No rounding until the final score.
Publication and Monitoring
Assessment is published with a lastUpdated date. Re-review is triggered by quarterly pricing checks, semi-annual compliance certificate checks, major product releases, or user-submitted corrections.
How I cross-check vendor claims
- Before scoring Integration Depth, I open the vendor's API reference and verify each claim against actual endpoint documentation. Marketing copy saying "webhook support" without a documented payload schema scores 0.
- Compliance sub-criteria require a publicly accessible document or DPA template. Vendor self-attestation on marketing pages does not count.
- I cross-check rating scores against at least 2 of the 3 sources (G2, Gartner Peer Insights, Capterra) before assigning User Sentiment points. A vendor with reviews on only one platform does not meet the 10-review minimum if the other platforms show none.
Scoring Criteria
Five criteria, each with a defined weight. Sub-criteria within each criterion are scored individually and summed. Total possible score: 100 points.
Compliance Coverage
20 ptsVerified against public compliance documents, not vendor self-attestation.
Integration Depth
25 ptsAssessed from public API documentation and developer resources only.
Market Coverage
25 ptsGeographic reach, document types, liveness detection capability, and biometric PAD certification.
Pricing Transparency
15 ptsPublished or directly quoted pricing only. No confidential enterprise figures.
User Sentiment
15 ptsAggregated from G2, Gartner Peer Insights, and Capterra. Minimum 10 reviews required.
Data Sources
Vendor documentation
API references, pricing pages, feature lists.
Limitation: Vendor-controlled. May be incomplete or outdated.
Vendor pricing pages
Direct outreach used when pricing is not published.
Limitation: Custom quotes may not reflect typical pricing.
Public compliance certificates
SOC 2 reports, ISO certificates, GDPR DPA templates.
Limitation: We verify existence, not scope depth.
G2, Gartner Peer Insights, Capterra
Aggregated rating only. Minimum 10 reviews threshold. Vendor-curated testimonials excluded.
Limitation: Review populations vary by platform.
Sandbox or trial environments
Checked for availability only.
Limitation: We do not perform hands-on API testing or evaluate accuracy benchmarks.
What We Don't Cover
Accuracy benchmarks
We do not run liveness detection or facial recognition accuracy tests. We do not have access to proprietary benchmark data. If accuracy matters for your decision, request vendor test reports directly.
Pricing negotiation outcomes
Listed pricing is what is publicly available or directly quoted. Actual enterprise pricing often differs after negotiation.
Live product demos
We do not request or conduct vendor demos. Assessments are based on public documentation only.
Post-integration support quality
We assess documentation and SDK availability, not real-world support responsiveness or SLA fulfillment.
Update Cadence
Quarterly
Pricing tiers and plan changes
Semi-annual
Compliance certification expiry checks
Annual
Full methodology review and weight recalibration
Ad-hoc
Major product releases, acquisitions, user-reported corrections
The lastUpdated date on each vendor assessment reflects when that specific assessment was reviewed, not this methodology page.
Independence Policy
PrimeBiometry is currently self-funded. In the future, the site may earn revenue through affiliate links and featured vendor placements. Affiliate relationships will not influence assessment scores.
Featured placements are labeled "Featured" and positioned above organic results in category pages. They do not affect scoring criteria or editorial conclusions. Featured status is assigned after scoring is complete.
Disputes: Vendors may submit factual corrections to support@primebiometry.com. Editorial conclusions are not adjusted based on vendor preference.
Found something wrong?
Work in compliance and see an error? Know that a vendor's pricing or certification changed? Email support@primebiometry.com with the vendor name, the field, and a source link. I investigate and update within 5 business days. Corrections are noted in the vendor's assessment changelog.
Reader corrections have already improved scores for 3 vendors. If you spot something, I want to know.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do featured vendors get higher scores?
No. Featured placement is a separate commercial arrangement. All vendors are scored against the same five criteria regardless of featured status. Scores are calculated before featured status is assigned.
How often are scores updated?
Pricing is reviewed quarterly. Compliance certifications are checked semi-annually. Full re-evaluations happen annually or when a major product change is announced.
Can vendors request a re-evaluation?
Yes. Vendors can submit documentation updates to support@primebiometry.com. We review submissions and update assessments if the data changes a sub-criterion score. Editorial conclusions are not adjusted on request.
How is the 20% compliance weight calculated?
Compliance Coverage is scored out of 20 points using five sub-criteria (GDPR, SOC 2, ISO 27001, CCPA, HIPAA) worth 4 points each. The final percentage score is then weighted at 20% of the overall vendor score.
Does PrimeBiometry accept payment for assessments?
No. Featured placements are paid, but they affect only positioning in category listings. Assessment scores and editorial copy are not available for purchase.
How do I report incorrect vendor information?
Email support@primebiometry.com with the vendor name, the incorrect field, and a source link. We investigate and update within 5 business days.
Why did weights change in 2026?
We updated methodology to v2.0 in June 2026 to add iBeta PAD certification as a Market Coverage sub-criterion, introduce a graduated Liveness detection scale (basic active through iBeta L2), expand the User Sentiment scale to differentiate vendors between 4.0 and 4.9 ratings, and reduce Pricing Transparency weight from 20% to 15% so that enterprise vendors who quote custom pricing on request are not penalized. See changelog at the bottom of this page.
Methodology Changelog
- Compliance Coverage weight: 25% to 20%. Each sub-criterion 5 pts to 4 pts.
- Market Coverage weight: 20% to 25%. Added iBeta PAD certification as a fifth sub-criterion.
- Pricing Transparency weight: 20% to 15%. Removed "Minimum commitment" sub-criterion. Reduces penalty on enterprise vendors with custom pricing.
- User Sentiment weight: 10% to 15%. Replaced 4-tier rating scale with a graduated 5-tier scale (4.7+ / 4.4 to 4.6 / 4.0 to 4.3 / 3.5 to 3.9 / below 3.5) so vendors with 4.0 and 4.8 ratings are no longer scored identically.
- Liveness detection: replaced binary "documented" check with a graduated scale (basic active / passive / iBeta PAD L1 / iBeta PAD L2 or ISO/IEC 30107-3).
Initial publication. Five-criterion weighted scoring system (Compliance 25 / Integration 25 / Pricing 20 / Market Coverage 20 / User Sentiment 10).
About the Researcher
James Whitfield
Independent Researcher · PrimeBiometry
James Whitfield is an independent researcher and the creator of PrimeBiometry – a developer's take on evaluating KYC and identity verification vendors based on public documentation, API references, pricing pages, and aggregated review data. As a developer evaluating KYC APIs for a production project, he weighted Integration Depth and Market Coverage highest (25% each) – the criteria that surface most in technical due diligence before a procurement decision.
Full profile