Veritome vs a free compliance checker
The European Commission’s AI Act Service Desk publishes a free compliance checker, and several excellent free tools exist alongside it. Use them. They answer “does this apply to me?” — they just can’t answer “can I prove it?”
Free checkers are genuinely good and you should start with them, especially the Commission’s own. They classify one system, once, and tell you which obligations attach. They hold no state: no register, no evidence, no documents, no reminders, and no way to show a third party what you did. Veritome begins exactly where they stop.
| Veritome | Free checker | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free, then €49/mo | Free |
| Classifies a system | Yes — branching logic to the article | Yes — that is what they’re for |
| Authoritative source | Follows the Regulation; not an EU body | The Commission’s checker is official (beta) |
| Keeps a register of your systems | Yes | No — one system at a time, no memory |
| Stores evidence | Hash-sealed, versioned | No |
| Generates Annex IV / FRIA / DoC | Yes | No |
| Tells you when something changes | Reminders and re-assessment prompts | No — you must re-run it manually |
| Reflects the Digital Omnibus (2026) | Yes — reviewed and dated | Varies — some widely used free tools have not been updated since mid-2025 |
| Proves compliance to a third party | Public verify URL | No |
Where Veritome wins
- A living register instead of a one-shot answer
- Evidence that is stored, versioned and sealed
- Documents assembled from your live data
- Re-assessment when a system, vendor or the law changes
- Something you can show a customer, auditor or authority
Where a free compliance checker wins
- Free, with no account and no commitment
- The Commission’s Service Desk is official, and its expert Q&A channel is genuinely useful and costs nothing
- Perfectly sufficient for a company with one or two clearly low-risk systems
- National authorities publish strong free guidance too — Spain’s AESIA guides in particular
Who should choose which
Choose Veritome if…
You have more than a couple of AI systems, obligations that continue over time, or a customer, auditor or investor who will ask you to demonstrate — not assert — that you handled it.
Use the free checkers if…
You have one or two AI systems, you’re a deployer, and nothing looks high-risk. Start with the Commission’s AI Act Service Desk and your national authority’s guidance. That path is free, official and often complete. We’d rather tell you that than sell you something you don’t need.
FAQ
Is the European Commission’s checker better than a paid tool?
For classification it is authoritative and free, and everyone should use it. It is not built to hold your register, your evidence or your documents over time — that’s a different job, not a better or worse one.
Why do free checkers go out of date?
Because the law moves. The Digital Omnibus — Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 — changed the high-risk timetable in 2026, and several widely used free tools still reflect the 2024 text. Always check when a tool was last updated before relying on its dates.
Last reviewed: 5 August 2026. ← All comparisons
Descriptions of third-party free tools reflect publicly available information at the last-reviewed date. Veritome is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the European Commission or any national authority. Completion in Veritome is a working method, not a guarantee of legal compliance — confirm with counsel.