FaceVault vs Stripe Identity
Stripe Identity is convenient if you're already in the Stripe ecosystem. But it covers only 33 countries, has no anti-deepfake pipeline, and locks you into Stripe's infrastructure. Here's the full breakdown.
The short version
Choose FaceVault if
- ✓ You need anti-deepfake detection (rPPG, depth estimation, GAN fingerprinting)
- ✓ You verify users outside the 33 countries Stripe supports
- ✓ You want biometric data on your own infrastructure
- ✓ You don't want to be locked into the Stripe ecosystem
- ✓ You want lower per-check costs ($0.35-$0.99 vs $1.50+)
Choose Stripe Identity if
- ✓ You're already using Stripe for payments and want a single vendor
- ✓ You want a drop-in hosted verification modal (zero frontend work)
- ✓ You only verify users in Stripe's 33 supported countries
- ✓ You prefer managed SaaS over self-hosting
Feature-by-feature
| Feature | FaceVault | Stripe Identity |
|---|---|---|
| Face matching | ArcFace ResNet100 (ONNX, INT8 quantized) | Proprietary model |
| Liveness detection | Client-side head turn + 11-signal server fusion | Selfie-based (no active liveness) |
| Anti-deepfake | 11 signals: rPPG, depth, GAN texture, noise print, blendshapes, eye specular | Basic checks (no depth/rPPG) |
| Document OCR | OnnxTR + RapidOCR PP-OCRv4 + PassportEye MRZ | Built-in OCR |
| Document fraud | 15 signals: Moire FFT, ELA, EXIF, tilt challenge, screen capture, flash analysis | Not publicly documented |
| Document capture | CamScanner-style auto-scan with edge detection | Basic camera capture |
| NFC passport chip | Built-in NFC reader with trust score boost | Not available |
| Proof of address | Built-in PoA with OCR name cross-check | Not available |
| Trust scoring | 0-100 trust score with Accept/Review/Reject engine | Binary pass/fail |
| Reusable credentials | Verify once, prove forever (selective disclosure) | Not available |
| Encryption | AES-256-GCM + BYOK client-managed keys | Stripe-managed encryption |
| Deployment | Self-hosted (Docker, your infra) | Cloud-only (Stripe infrastructure) |
| Supported countries | Any document with MRZ or OCR text | 33 countries (US, EU, UK, CA, AU, etc.) |
| Exchange plugins | HollaEx plugin, white-label ready | Not available |
| SDKs | Python + Node.js (v1.0.0) | Stripe SDKs (7+ languages) |
| Tor / .onion support | Built-in hidden service | Not supported |
| Pricing | $0.35-$0.99/check (tiered) | $1.50/verification + $0.50/lookup |
| Free tier | 50 checks/month | No free tier |
| Ecosystem lock-in | Standalone REST API, works with any stack | Requires Stripe account + Stripe.js |
| Stripe integration | Stripe billing (payments only) | Native (identity + payments unified) |
| Hosted verification UI | Self-hosted webapp (customizable) | Stripe-hosted modal (drop-in) |
| Compliance | GDPR by design (self-hosted) | SOC 2, privacy commitments via Stripe |
The deepfake gap
Stripe Identity uses a basic selfie comparison — upload your ID, take a selfie, match the faces. There is no documented active liveness detection, no depth estimation, no rPPG pulse check, no GAN texture analysis.
In 2024, deepfake-related identity fraud increased by over 300%. A $20 app can generate a face swap in real time. Without multi-signal anti-spoofing, a verification provider is relying on face matching alone — which deepfakes are specifically designed to defeat.
FaceVault anti-spoofing signals
rPPG
Blood flow pulse
Depth
3D face geometry
GAN texture
Spectral fingerprints
Blendshapes
Micro-expressions
Eye specular
Corneal reflections
Doc fraud
Moire + ELA + EXIF
Country coverage
Stripe Identity supports 33 countries. If your users are in South Africa, India, Brazil, Nigeria, or most of Southeast Asia — Stripe Identity won't work.
FaceVault verifies any document that has machine-readable text. The OCR pipeline extracts data from any Latin-script ID document, and the MRZ parser handles ICAO 9303 passports and travel documents globally. No country whitelist, no geographic restrictions.
Pricing comparison
FaceVault
Free: 50 checks/month, $0
Starter: $49/mo + $0.99 overage
Pro: $199/mo + $0.69 overage
Enterprise: $0.20/check
No annual contracts. No minimums.
Stripe Identity
$1.50 per verification
+ $0.50 per additional lookup
No free tier
Volume discounts: contact sales
Requires Stripe account. Billed alongside payments.
Try FaceVault free
50 checks/month, no credit card, no Stripe account needed.