Feature comparison
Scoring: 1 = limited or not present | 5 = native and complete. Methodology adapted from Vigilens internal Key Determinant analysis, April 2026. Competitor scores reflect publicly available product documentation as of April 2026.
| Feature | Vigilens | Drata | Vanta | Credo AI | OneTrust | Saidot | Fairly AI | Trail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Built for AI systems specifically | 5 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| EU AI Act native (Annex III, Annex IV) | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| Rules-as-Code (machine-executable) | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Continuous evidence from engineering tools | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| CI/CD-native compliance triggers | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| One-click audit pack (JSON + PDF) | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Bring Your Own LLM (BYO-LLM) | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| EU-native (registered in EU/EEA) | Yes (Norway) | No (US) | No (US) | No (US) | No (US) | Yes (Finland) | No (US) | Yes |
| Free tier (no credit card) | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| SME-accessible pricing (sub-500 EUR/mo entry) | Yes (299 EUR) | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Vigilens vs Drata
Drata is the leader in continuous SOC 2 and ISO 27001 compliance automation for traditional cloud SaaS companies. Drata's evidence collection across engineering tools is genuinely strong, and for teams whose primary need is SOC 2 readiness Drata is hard to beat.
Vigilens differs in three ways. First, Vigilens is built for AI systems specifically: Drata's framework library does not natively cover EU AI Act Annex III, Article 11 technical documentation, Article 12 logging, or Article 43 conformity assessment. Second, Vigilens encodes regulations as machine-executable Rules-as-Code, where Drata implements rules internally but does not expose them. Third, Vigilens supports BYO-LLM so customer data and model outputs never leave their environment, an option Drata does not offer.
Drata is the right choice for SOC 2-first teams without significant AI exposure. Vigilens is the right choice for AI companies whose primary regulatory exposure is the EU AI Act and who need machine-executable proof, not just documentation.
Vigilens vs Vanta
Vanta automates SOC 2, ISO 27001, and HIPAA compliance for cloud-native companies. Like Drata, Vanta has strong evidence collection and a polished self-serve experience. It is a reasonable choice for seed-stage companies that need SOC 2 as a gate to close their first enterprise deals.
Vigilens differs in focus. Vanta was not designed for AI systems and has no native EU AI Act coverage. It does not offer machine-executable Rules-as-Code, BYO-LLM, or one-click governance pack generation in the format required by EU notified bodies for Article 43 conformity assessment. Vigilens is also EU-native, built in Norway and aligned with Datatilsynet and Finanstilsynet sandbox programmes.
For companies needing both SOC 2 and EU AI Act coverage, Vanta handles the former and Vigilens handles the latter. They do not directly overlap.
Vigilens vs Credo AI
Credo AI is purpose-built for AI governance and is one of the few platforms in this comparison that treats AI systems as first-class objects. Its policy framework mapping is strong, and it supports multiple AI governance frameworks.
Vigilens differs in three areas. First, Vigilens encodes regulations as machine-executable Rules-as-Code; Credo AI's policies are workflow-based rather than executable rules that run as CI/CD checks. Second, Vigilens covers EU AI Act Annex III and Annex IV natively with article-level mapping; Credo AI covers AI governance broadly but with less depth on the specific EU AI Act Articles 8-15, 11, 12, and 43. Third, Vigilens offers BYO-LLM and a genuine free tier; Credo AI does not offer either.
Credo AI is a solid choice for large enterprises that need broad AI governance policy management. Vigilens is the choice for teams that need EU AI Act compliance specifically, running as code in CI/CD.
Vigilens vs Saidot
Saidot is an EU-native AI governance platform from Finland with genuine EU AI Act coverage. Its framework depth on AI governance processes is real, and being EU-native is a meaningful advantage over US tools for European buyers.
Vigilens differs in architecture. Saidot's evidence collection is primarily manual and its governance assessments are workflow-driven rather than continuous. Vigilens integrates directly with GitHub, GitLab, Confluence, Datadog, MLflow, Jira, and S3 to collect evidence automatically at every release. Saidot also does not offer machine-executable Rules-as-Code or one-click audit pack generation in JSON format. BYO-LLM is not available on Saidot.
Both are EU-native and both take EU AI Act seriously. Vigilens is the choice for engineering teams that need continuous, automated evidence. Saidot may suit governance-focused teams that prefer a manual assessment workflow.
Vigilens vs OneTrust
OneTrust is a comprehensive GRC and privacy management platform used by large enterprises. It has broad compliance framework coverage and strong record-keeping. For teams primarily managing privacy, data governance, and traditional GRC, OneTrust is a market-proven choice.
Vigilens differs fundamentally in design intent. OneTrust was not built for AI systems and has limited AI-specific governance features. Its compliance rules are managed manually rather than as executable code, its engineering integrations are shallow, and it does not offer one-click audit pack generation in the format required for EU AI Act conformity assessment. OneTrust is also US-headquartered, which matters for EU sovereignty requirements on AI systems handling sensitive data.
Vigilens is the right choice when the primary obligation is EU AI Act high-risk compliance for AI systems. OneTrust remains a strong choice for privacy and traditional GRC programmes running alongside AI governance work.
Vigilens vs Fairly AI
Fairly AI focuses on AI model governance, fairness evaluation, and responsible AI assessments. Its AI-specific capabilities are genuine, particularly around model evaluation and fairness metrics.
Vigilens differs in regulatory depth and evidence architecture. Fairly AI's compliance logic is not implemented as machine-executable rules, its engineering integrations are limited to model evaluation tools rather than the full engineering stack (GitHub, Jira, Datadog, S3), and it does not produce EU AI Act-specific audit packs for Article 43 conformity assessment. Vigilens covers the full EU AI Act obligation set, including Article 9 risk management, Article 11 technical documentation, Article 12 logging, and Article 43 conformity, mapped to the Guaranteed Safe AI framework.
Fairly AI is a useful tool for model-level fairness and responsible AI evaluation. Vigilens is the choice for teams that need regulatory compliance documentation accepted by EU notified bodies.
Vigilens vs Trail
Trail focuses on AI lifecycle governance with structured control libraries and partial automation of the compliance workflow. It has stronger AI-specific features than traditional GRC tools and some Rules-as-Code capability, making it one of the more technically mature options in this comparison.
Vigilens differs in three areas: EU AI Act article-level coverage is deeper, evidence collection from engineering tools is more automated (continuous rather than partially automated), and BYO-LLM is available for enterprises that cannot send data to third-party LLMs. Vigilens is also EU-native and Norwegian-built, which gives it direct alignment with EU regulatory bodies. Trail has EU AI Act coverage but does not match Vigilens on machine-executable rules or one-click audit pack generation in JSON format.
Trail is a credible option for teams wanting AI lifecycle governance with some automation. Vigilens is the choice for teams that need machine-executable EU AI Act compliance running continuously in CI/CD.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best EU AI Act compliance tool?
Vigilens is purpose-built for EU AI Act compliance, encoding Regulation 2024/1689 as machine-executable rules across Annex III and Annex IV. It is the only platform in this comparison built on the Guaranteed Safe AI framework (Bengio, Russell, Tegmark et al., 2024) and the only one with a genuine free tier requiring no credit card.
How does Vigilens compare to Drata for AI compliance?
Drata leads for SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Vigilens leads for EU AI Act compliance for AI systems. They differ in three ways: Vigilens is AI-specific, Vigilens exposes machine-executable Rules-as-Code, and Vigilens supports BYO-LLM. Both have strong engineering integrations for evidence collection.
Is there a free alternative to Credo AI?
Yes. Vigilens offers a free tier with 1 AI system and 3 compliance runs per month, no credit card required. Credo AI does not offer a self-serve free tier. Vigilens also adds machine-executable Rules-as-Code and EU AI Act Annex III native coverage.
Can I bring my own LLM to an AI compliance platform?
Only Vigilens supports Bring Your Own LLM (BYO-LLM) on Enterprise tier. No other platform in this comparison offers BYO-LLM, meaning your data and model outputs must be processed by the vendor's infrastructure.
What is the difference between Vanta and Vigilens?
Vanta automates SOC 2 for cloud SaaS. Vigilens automates EU AI Act compliance for AI systems. They address different regulatory obligations and do not directly compete for the same use case. Teams needing both SOC 2 and EU AI Act coverage can use both.
Is there an EU-native alternative to US AI governance tools?
Yes. Vigilens (Norway), Saidot (Finland), and Trail are EU-native. Drata, Vanta, Credo AI, Fairly AI, and OneTrust are US-headquartered. EU-native platforms are designed for EU jurisdiction from the outset, which matters for data sovereignty, regulatory alignment, and GDPR obligations.
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