AWS SNS

Managed pub/sub messaging and mobile push at AWS scale

AWS SNS vs Onfido: Full Comparison (2026)

Pricing, features, scores, and a clear verdict on which one is right for you.

The bottom line

AWS SNS positions itself as "managed pub/sub messaging and mobile push at aws scale" while Onfido goes after "real identity at global scale" — so the right pick depends on which problem you're actually solving. They take different commercial approaches — AWS SNS uses a usage-based-based model and Onfido a enterprise-based model, which affects how costs scale as your team grows. AWS SNS lets you start for free, which means you can validate the fit before committing budget. Onfido requires a paid commitment upfront, so make sure it matches your workflow before signing.

At a glance

	AWS SNS	Onfido
Our score	72/100	79/100
Starting price	Free	Free
Free tier	Yes	No
Best for	Managed pub/sub messaging and mobile push at AWS scale	Real identity at global scale

Pricing comparison

AWS SNS

Free tier available

Free TierFree

Pay-as-you-go$null/mo

Pricing verified 2026-04-16

Onfido

No free tier

Growth$null/mo

Enterprise$null/mo

Pricing verified 2026-04-16

Calculate your cost

How many developers?10

1500

AWS SNSUnknown

Contact sales

OnfidoUnknown

Contact sales

Try AWS SNS free →Visit Onfido →

Feature comparison

core

Feature	AWS SNS	Onfido
Pub/sub topics	Yes	No
Mobile push	Yes	No
SMS delivery	Yes	No
Email notifications	Yes	No
SQS fan-out	Yes	No
ID document verification	No	Yes
Biometric verification	No	Yes
Liveness detection	No	Yes
160+ countries	No	Yes
KYC workflows	No	Yes

advanced

Feature	AWS SNS	Onfido
FIFO topics	Yes	No
Message filtering	Yes	No
Dead-letter queues	Yes	No
Encryption at rest	Yes	No
Cross-region delivery	Yes	No
Atlas AI	No	Yes
AML screening	No	Yes
Fraud signals	No	Yes
Studio (no-code)	No	Yes
Real Identity Platform	No	Yes

integrations

Feature	AWS SNS	Onfido
AWS Lambda	Yes	No
AWS SQS	Yes	No
AWS EventBridge	Yes	No
CloudWatch	Yes	No
All AWS services	Yes	No
Salesforce	No	Yes
Zendesk	No	Yes
Plaid	No	Yes
Stripe Identity	No	Yes
REST API	No	Yes

Ratings breakdown

AWS SNS

Ease of use

5/10

Value for money

9/10

Features

8/10

Support

7/10

Onfido

Ease of use

7/10

Value for money

6/10

Features

9/10

Support

8/10

What the data tells us

Key capabilities you'd miss

Choosing AWS SNS means going without ID document verification, Biometric verification, Liveness detection (which Onfido offers). Choosing Onfido means losing Pub/sub topics, Mobile push, SMS delivery. These are the features that typically drive the final decision — check whether your workflow depends on any of them before committing.

What company size tells you

Onfido (501-1000 employees) has the engineering bench to ship features across many fronts but may iterate slower on individual requests. AWS SNS (100,000+ employees) typically ships faster on its core product but may lag on peripheral features. Consider which matters more for your roadmap.

Choose AWS SNS if...

You want a free tier to get started
You value powerful features over simplicity
Getting strong value for money is a priority

Try AWS SNS free →

Choose Onfido if...

You're ready to invest from $null/mo
You value powerful features over simplicity
You need enterprise-grade capabilities

Visit Onfido →

Frequently asked questions

Is AWS SNS or Onfido better?

Onfido scores 79/100 compared to AWS SNS's 72/100 on VendorVS. However, the best choice depends on your needs — AWS SNS excels at ease of use (5/10) while Onfido scores 7/10.

How much does AWS SNS cost compared to Onfido?

AWS SNS starts at free (free tier available). Onfido starts at free. AWS SNS is the more affordable option.

Does AWS SNS or Onfido have a free plan?

AWS SNS offers a free tier. Onfido does not — its cheapest plan starts at $null/mo.

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