Compare · OilFlow vs. Refinitiv
OilFlow vs. Refinitiv.
Side-by-side feature comparison for compliance teams evaluating both platforms. Refinitiv (LSEG) bundles World-Check, market data, and screening tooling into the largest compliance platform sold to global banks. We've called out at least one row where we lose. Comparisons that only flatter the author tend to.
Where Refinitiv wins
Refinitiv's platform is the broadest in the market. If you already pay for the LSEG terminal and want screening on the same desk, the bundle is hard to beat ergonomically. OilFlow's pitch is targeted: lower price, faster integration, and surfaces (LC, regulatory matrix, scam clusters) the platform doesn't bundle.
Refinitiv's screening product is World-Check; the matrix column below cites World-Check's published claims.
Incumbent comparison · published claims only
2 vendors · 10 dimensions
| Dimension | OilFlow | World-Check |
|---|---|---|
| Whose data is it? | First-party investigated clusters + 8 public sanctions lists | Aggregated lists + PEP research database1 |
| Can the originator check before structuring? | Shipped: /predeal verdict in under 30s | Not publicly offered1 |
| Can I buy one screen without a contract? | Yes: we invoice the $95 Counterparty Screen against an email order, no account, no annual contract, no monthly minimum4 | Not published |
| Will the record survive a regulator? | SHA-256 sign-off hash + public verify endpoint | Not published |
| Does it know if the cargo can even move? | 235 jurisdictions; 79 deep country-KYC profiles | Sanctions only; no per-product trade rules1 |
| What does one screen cost? | $95 per screen, back within the hour; $500 for the same steps with a named human's written judgement and signature4 | Quoted privately1 |
| How fast to a first screen? | Public /check, no key; sandbox key in 60s | Sales cycle (weeks)1 |
| Sanctions list breadth | 8 lists | 20+ global lists + comprehensive PEP1 |
| Which lists, exactly? | Named: OFAC SDN, OFAC Consolidated, UN, EU, UK HMT, CA SEMA, AU DFAT, CH SECO | Quantity stated (20+); individual list names not enumerated on public product page1 |
| Does it catch broker-fraud clusters? | First-party investigated clusters (LOI/ICPO/DLC typologies); step 7 of 7-step verification pipeline | Not offered1 |
Why the trade layer matters: in its 2026 review of firms' sanctions systems and controls, the FCA found that some firms “didn't have a complete understanding of beneficial ownership” and struggled to identify entities owned or controlled by sanctioned people. Pure list-matching covers name screening; OilFlow adds the trade-rule layer (sanctions-aware tradability and routing across 235 jurisdictions) plus first-party counterparty-cluster intelligence beyond the lists.
Where we lose: the incumbents carry deeper sanctions breadth. We cover the 8 lists the corridors we sell into require; World-Check covers 20+.
Competitor cells reuse claims from our published /compare pages; sources checked 2026-06-10. “Not published” means the vendor's public pages state nothing for that dimension.
Order on one named counterparty
Counterparty Screen$95
One name, delivered within the hour, marked DRAFT for review by independent legal counsel, no human read. PEP is not screened; adverse media is not swept.
Email hello@oilflow.us with the product and the counterparty name in the subject. An invoice comes back by reply. Both are prepaid by invoice or marketplace order; the Screen can also be paid by card where oilflow.us/pricing offers it.
Refinitiv-specific dimensions · beyond the shared matrix
| Dimension | OilFlow | Refinitiv | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-deal front-office clearance | Shipped: /predeal verdict in <30s for RMs and deal originators (SKU #5) | Not publicly offered | OilFlow Incumbents sell screening to compliance after structuring; OilFlow gives the deal originator a go/no-go before the work starts. |
| Tamper-evident decision packs | SHA-256 sign-off hash + public verify endpoint (Defense Ledger) | Not published | OilFlow |
| Platform breadth | Compliance-tech only (5 products) | Compliance + market data + analytics + terminal | Rival Refinitiv wins as a one-stop bundle; we don't pretend to sell market data. |
| Brand + global account presence | Startup | LSEG-backed; standard at every G-SIB | Rival |
| LC discrepancy detection | Bundled, UCP 600 | Not offered | OilFlow |
| Scam cluster intelligence | Native product | Not offered | OilFlow |
| Time to first integration | Same day with OpenAPI + Postman | 8 to 12 weeks (typical) | OilFlow |
| Annual cost (mid-market bank) | No list price; a rollout is scoped on a call. Per-name orders are $95 (Screen) and $500 (File) | $500K+ | Tie |
| Existing LSEG terminal users | Standalone | Native bundle | Rival If you already pay for the terminal, the ergonomics tie. |
Where OilFlow leads
- ▸Trade-finance LC discrepancy engine: UCP 600 + cross-doc consistency, bundled with our Workflow Suite.
- ▸Regulatory Matrix API: 79 emerging-market jurisdictions with per-product trade rules, the data Refinitiv doesn't publish as an API.
- ▸Scam Cluster Intelligence Feed for commodity trade, a primary-source product class neither Refinitiv nor World-Check builds.
- ▸Self-serve sandbox + production tiers; Refinitiv is an enterprise sales motion every time.
- ▸Pre-Deal Compliance Copilot: a sub-30-second front-office clearance verdict before structuring, a surface Refinitiv doesn't bundle.
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Side-by-side: our verdict vs. Refinitiv's, including the cluster + regulatory + adverse-media layers most vendors don't cover.