> Compare EthicsPortal and Whistleblower Software (Formalize) for EU whistleblower compliance. Pricing, hosting, languages, and who each tool fits.

Source: https://ethicsportal.eu/compare/whistleblower-software-formalize/
Updated: 2026-09-30

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# EthicsPortal vs. Whistleblower Software (Formalize)

Whistleblower Software, marketed at whistleblowersoftware.com and now operating under the Formalize brand, is a Danish platform (Copenhagen) that raised a €15M Series A in 2024 and distributes through 500+ consultancy partners, including PwC, Bird & Bird, and Baker McKenzie. It has expanded from whistleblowing into broader compliance --- NIS2, DORA, ISO 27001, and SOC 2 management --- and is one of the most widely reviewed tools in the category. Its whistleblowing product now has public employee-band pricing (Core and Advanced tiers) and a self-service free trial.

## Quick comparison

| Feature | EthicsPortal | Whistleblower Software (Formalize) |
|---|---|---|
| **Pricing** | €41.67/mo billed annually (€500/year), flat | Employee-band: Core €99-349/mo, Advanced €149-529/mo; 1,000+ employees contact sales; billed annually |
| **Portal activation** | Self-service, minutes | Self-service free trial or demo |
| **Free trial** | No (30-day money-back) | Yes (length not published) |
| **EU hosting** | Yes (Hetzner, Germany) | Yes (AWS, Frankfurt, Germany) |
| **Languages** | 14 (13 EU official + Luxembourgish) | 80+ |
| **Anonymous reporting** | Yes (case reference + passcode) | Yes |
| **Two-way messaging** | Yes | Yes |
| **Deadline tracking** | Yes (7-day and 3-month with alerts) | Not publicly documented |
| **Oral / voice reporting** | Yes (in-portal, auto voice-anonymized) | Hotline (add-on) |
| **Encryption** | Sensitive fields at rest + TLS in transit | End-to-end (customer-held key) |
| **Audit trail** | Yes, append-only | Yes (append-only not publicly verified) |
| **Certifications** | ISO 27001 covers hosting infrastructure; app not separately certified | ISO 27001:2022, ISAE 3000 Type 2, ENS, WCAG 2.1 AA (application-level) |
| **Product scope** | Focused whistleblowing channel | Whistleblowing + NIS2 / DORA / ISO 27001 / SOC 2 suite |

## Where Whistleblower Software (Formalize) is strong

- **Language breadth.** 80+ reporting languages is among the widest in the market, valuable for organizations that receive reports in many languages.
- **Application-level certification.** ISO 27001:2022, ISAE 3000 Type 2, ENS, and WCAG 2.1 AA are certified at the application level, which some procurement processes require. This is a genuine advantage over EthicsPortal, whose certification currently covers the hosting infrastructure only.
- **End-to-end encryption.** Case data is encrypted with the customer's own key before it reaches the vendor's infrastructure, so the vendor cannot read case content.
- **Partner ecosystem.** A large network of consultancy and law-firm partners, useful for organizations that buy compliance tooling through an advisor.
- **Broader compliance suite.** If you need NIS2, DORA, ISO 27001, or SOC 2 management alongside whistleblowing, having them under one vendor can simplify procurement.

## Where EthicsPortal is different

- **Flat pricing that does not scale with headcount.** EthicsPortal is €41.67/month billed annually --- €500/year --- regardless of company size. Whistleblower Software prices by employee band: Core runs €99-349/month and Advanced €149-529/month, so a larger organization pays more, and reaching some features means moving to the higher tier. Both vendors publish their prices; the difference is flat versus per-employee.
- **Focused scope.** EthicsPortal does one thing --- an EU Directive 2019/1937 whistleblowing channel --- and keeps the operating surface to reporting, case handling, deadlines, and exports. If you do not need a broader compliance suite, you are not paying for one.
- **Privacy features as standard.** EU hosting, encryption of sensitive fields at rest, no storage of reporter IP addresses, automatic metadata stripping from uploads, and automatic voice anonymization for oral reports ship in the single plan.
- **Same-day setup.** Configure your whistleblowing channel and publish the reporting link the same day. Whistleblower Software also offers a self-service trial; EthicsPortal keeps the whole configuration surface to a focused channel.
- **Honest certification posture.** EthicsPortal's hosting infrastructure is ISO 27001 certified; the application is not separately certified, and we state that plainly. If your policy requires a certified *application*, that is a genuine point in Formalize's favor, and worth weighing directly rather than against a logo.

## Who should choose Whistleblower Software (Formalize)

Formalize fits mid-sized EU companies that want a polished, widely-reviewed product with 80+ languages, application-level ISO 27001 / ISAE 3000 certification, and end-to-end encryption, that are comfortable with per-employee-band pricing, and that may want to add NIS2, DORA, ISO 27001, or SOC 2 management under the same vendor over time.

## Who should choose EthicsPortal

EthicsPortal fits SMEs and mid-sized organizations that need EU Directive 2019/1937 compliance with flat pricing that does not scale with headcount and same-day self-service setup, that want core Directive features in a single plan rather than across tiers, and that do not need a broader GRC suite. If the requirement is a secure, EU-hosted whistleblowing channel at a predictable price, EthicsPortal is the practical choice.

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