GDPRWise vs heyData: Affordable SME Compliance vs Multi-Framework Platform

Quick summary

heyData and GDPRWise both help SMEs with GDPR compliance, but they take very different approaches. heyData is a German digital compliance platform that covers GDPR alongside ISO 27001, NIS2, and the EU AI Act. It includes expert consultation and certified training, and it prices its packages at approximately EUR 89 to 249 per month. GDPRWise focuses specifically on core GDPR compliance, using AI-powered website scanning and a three-layer dossier model to deliver a complete GDPR dossier in hours rather than weeks, at a significantly lower price point.

Neither platform is objectively “better.” The right choice depends on what your business actually needs.

What heyData does

heyData is a reputable German compliance platform built for digital GDPR management. It has earned its position in the market by offering a genuinely comprehensive approach to regulatory compliance.

Its core strengths include:

• Multi-framework compliance - heyData covers not just GDPR, but also ISO 27001, NIS2, and the EU AI Act. For businesses that face multiple regulatory requirements, this consolidation into a single platform is a real advantage.
• Digital GDPR audit and assessment - the platform walks you through a structured audit process to identify gaps in your compliance posture.
• Compliance documentation vault - a centralised place to store and manage all your compliance documents.
• Certified GDPR training programmes - heyData offers training for your team, which can satisfy the GDPR requirement to educate staff about data protection.
• Expert consultation - depending on your package, you get access to compliance professionals who can answer specific questions about your situation.

This is a solid offering. If your business operates in a sector where ISO 27001 certification or NIS2 compliance is expected, having all of these frameworks under one roof simplifies vendor management considerably.

What heyData does not cover

Despite its breadth, there are specific capabilities heyData does not provide:

• Automated website scanning - heyData does not scan your website to detect cookies, trackers, third-party scripts, or data collection forms. You provide information about your data processing activities manually through their audit process.
• Three-layer dossier model - there is no automated sector-specific foundation. Your dossier starts from a general template rather than a pre-built sector baseline.
• Sector-specific pre-built templates - heyData uses a general compliance framework rather than sector-tailored starting points for industries like hospitality, retail, or professional services.
• Scan-based compliance scoring - without automated scanning, there is no live compliance score based on what your website is actually doing right now.

These are not flaws in heyData’s approach. They reflect a different philosophy: heyData prioritises breadth across frameworks, while GDPRWise prioritises depth and automation within GDPR specifically.

What GDPRWise does differently

AI-powered scanning vs audit-based approach

The most fundamental difference is how each platform gathers information about your business.

heyData uses a structured audit. You work through assessment questions, and the platform (or an expert) helps you identify your processing activities, legal bases, and compliance gaps. This is thorough, but it depends heavily on your ability to accurately describe your own data processing landscape, and it takes time.

GDPRWise starts with an automated website scan. Within two minutes, the AI scanner detects your cookies, trackers, third-party scripts, forms, and data collection points. It also identifies your business sector automatically. This scan data feeds into a three-layer dossier: a pre-built sector foundation, the scan findings layered on top, and then guided refinement questions to fill in what the scan cannot detect (employees, CCTV, internal processes).

The practical result is that GDPRWise begins with verified facts about your website rather than relying on your self-assessment. For many SME owners who are not sure exactly which tools their developer installed or which cookies their website places, this matters.

Pricing - focused GDPR vs multi-framework

heyData packages run at approximately EUR 89 to 249 per month. That pricing reflects the multi-framework coverage, expert access, and certified training included in the plans.

GDPRWise offers two options: a Free Scan that delivers a complete GDPR dossier at no cost, and a Peace of Mind subscription (EUR 29/month, yearly billing) that adds continuous monitoring, automatic rescans, and change alerts. Both are significantly more affordable than heyData’s monthly pricing.

The pricing difference is not a reflection of quality. It reflects scope. heyData charges for ISO 27001, NIS2, and EU AI Act coverage alongside GDPR. If you only need core GDPR compliance, you are paying for capabilities you may not use.

Speed - hours vs weeks

heyData’s audit-based process typically takes days to weeks, depending on your responsiveness to the assessment questions and how quickly you schedule expert consultations.

GDPRWise condenses the process into hours. The scan takes two minutes. Reviewing the results takes ten to fifteen minutes. The guided refinement takes thirty to ninety minutes depending on your business complexity. Most SME owners have a complete dossier the same day they start.

This speed difference comes from automation. The scan eliminates manual discovery, the sector foundation eliminates building from scratch, and the guided refinement asks plain business questions rather than legal ones.

Side-by-side comparison

Feature	GDPRWise	heyData
Automated website scanning	Yes - AI-powered, 2-minute scan	No
Sector-specific dossier foundation	Yes - pre-built for dozens of industries	No - general templates
Three-layer dossier model	Yes	No
Staff privacy policy	Included as standard	Varies by package
GDPR compliance	Yes - core focus	Yes
ISO 27001	No	Yes
NIS2	No	Yes
EU AI Act	No	Yes
Certified training	No	Yes
Expert consultation	No - guided self-service	Yes - included in packages
Scan-based compliance score	Yes	No
Continuous monitoring	Yes (Peace of Mind plan)	Varies by package
Setup time	Hours	Days to weeks
Pricing	Free Scan or EUR 29/month subscription	Approx. EUR 89-249/month

When heyData might be the right choice

heyData is worth its price if your business needs more than core GDPR compliance. Specifically:

• You need ISO 27001 certification - if your clients or sector require ISO 27001, heyData covers this alongside GDPR in one platform. Getting both from a single vendor reduces complexity.
• NIS2 applies to your organisation - companies in critical infrastructure, digital services, or other NIS2 sectors need a platform that addresses these specific requirements.
• You want certified training for your team - heyData’s training programmes can satisfy the GDPR requirement to educate employees, with formal certification.
• You prefer expert-led consultation - some businesses want a human expert to walk them through compliance decisions rather than a guided self-service approach. heyData provides this.
• The EU AI Act is relevant to you - if your business develops or deploys AI systems, heyData’s coverage of the EU AI Act is a genuine differentiator.

For businesses facing multiple regulatory frameworks, paying EUR 89 to 249 per month for consolidated compliance management can be more efficient than using separate tools for each framework.

When GDPRWise is the better fit

GDPRWise makes more sense when your primary need is core GDPR compliance without the overhead of multi-framework coverage:

• You are an SME that needs a GDPR dossier - if GDPR is your main regulatory concern, GDPRWise delivers a complete dossier faster and at a lower cost.
• You want to know what your website actually does - the AI scan gives you a factual picture of your cookies, trackers, and third-party scripts. No guesswork.
• You want to be compliant today, not next month - the hours-vs-weeks difference matters when you have a deadline, a client request, or an upcoming audit.
• Budget matters - for businesses where EUR 89 to 249 per month is difficult to justify for compliance alone, GDPRWise’s pricing structure is substantially more accessible.
• You need a staff privacy policy - GDPRWise includes this as standard in every dossier, covering employee data processing from payroll to CCTV.
• You want continuous website monitoring - the Peace of Mind plan rescans your website automatically and alerts you when something changes. This catches compliance gaps that appear when plugins update or new scripts are added.