AML Shield vs FreeAML

Data last checked 7 November 2026 · how we compare

The verdict

AML Shield is the training-first choice for a firm that wants staff compliance handled by an expert and predictable monthly billing; FreeAML is the zero-commitment choice for a firm that wants to see its real verification volume before subscribing to anything. AML Shield runs a subscription from $88–89 a month (amlshield.com.au, July 2026) across three tiers — Starter Kit is annual-only, Micro and Standard are monthly or annual — with a 'no per-check surprises' pitch and training led by financial-crime author Nathan Lynch. FreeAML has no subscription at all: $20 per individual (KYC) check and $40 per entity (KYB) as at November 2026 (up from $15 and $35 in July), with a client-pays option that can take a firm's own outlay to zero, plus a free program generator, risk assessment, training and ongoing monitoring bundled with checks.

Both cover the same five sectors — real estate, legal, accounting, conveyancing and TCSPs — so the choice usually comes down to volume and the training obligation, not fit. On price alone: a firm doing three checks a month pays $60 on FreeAML against AML Shield's $88–89 flat fee, so very low-volume firms save with FreeAML; from about four or five checks a month the comparison tilts towards AML Shield's fixed cost, assuming checks are genuinely uncapped under 'no per-check surprises' — a detail AML Shield's public pages don't spell out tier-by-tier, so confirm it before relying on the exact crossover. Training is now a difference of depth rather than presence: FreeAML added four short modules with certificates and a free Academy in late 2026, while AML Shield's Nathan Lynch-led training remains the strongest in our database. Decision rule: sole traders and micro-firms doing three or four checks a month → FreeAML. Firms that want the training obligation solved by an expert alongside predictable monthly billing, and are comfortable with an annual commitment on the entry tier → AML Shield.

Side by side

	AML Shield	FreeAML
Pricing	From A$88 · subscription	pay-per-use
Sectors	Real estate, Legal practitioners, Accountants, Conveyancers, Trust & company service providers	Real estate, Legal practitioners, Accountants, Conveyancers, Trust & company service providers
AUSTRAC enrolment	Unverified	Partial
ML/TF risk assessment	Yes	Yes
AML/CTF program & policies	Yes	Yes
Initial customer due diligence	Yes	Yes
Ongoing CDD & monitoring	Unverified	Yes
Suspicious matter reports	Partial	Yes
Threshold transaction reports	Unverified	Yes
Record keeping	Yes	Yes
Staff training	Yes	Yes
Compliance officer & governance	Unverified	Yes
Independent evaluation	Unverified	Unverified

What actually separates them

Cost model: AML Shield is a flat subscription from $88–89/month with a 'no per-check surprises' pitch; FreeAML is pure pay-per-use ($20 KYC/$40 KYB as at November 2026, $0 fixed, no signup).
Training: AML Shield includes staff training led by financial-crime author Nathan Lynch; FreeAML now publishes four short modules with quizzes and certificates plus a free 19-lesson Academy (late 2026) — present, but lighter.
Commitment: AML Shield's entry Starter Kit tier is annual-only, though Micro and Standard are monthly or annual; FreeAML has no contract or signup at all.
Client-pays: FreeAML can shift the verification fee to the customer, or mark it up; AML Shield has no documented equivalent — it bills the firm directly.
What's bundled: FreeAML bundles a free AML/CTF program generator and ongoing monitoring with checks; AML Shield's program builder works from AUSTRAC's own starter kits with a guided, video-led workflow.
Published detail: AML Shield's full per-tier inclusions and GST treatment aren't published in detail; FreeAML's per-check price is published and labelled GST inclusive.

Common questions

Which is cheaper, AML Shield or FreeAML?

It depends on volume. At three checks a month, FreeAML costs $60 against AML Shield's flat $88–89; at five it is $100, already above it. Figures are from the vendors' own pages — AML Shield July 2026, FreeAML November 2026 (its checks were $15 in July). The crossover sits around four or five checks a month, but that assumes AML Shield's checks are genuinely uncapped under its 'no per-check surprises' pricing, which its public pages don't spell out tier-by-tier — confirm inclusions before relying on the exact number.

Does either platform include staff training?

Both do now, at different depths. Training led by Nathan Lynch, one of Australia's best-known financial crime experts, is AML Shield's signature feature. FreeAML, which had no training module when we first reviewed it in July 2026, now publishes four short modules with quizzes and certificates and a free 19-lesson Academy. See our FreeAML review and AML Shield review.

Can I pass verification costs on to my clients with either platform?

Only FreeAML documents this — its client-pays option shifts the $20 or $40 check fee to your customer, or lets you mark it up. AML Shield's subscription model bills the firm directly, with no documented client-pays equivalent. Whether to pass fees on to clients is a commercial decision as much as a compliance one; disclose clearly either way. General information, not legal advice.