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VSME reporting tools compared: software, templates and free options

Preparing VSME disclosures, now the Voluntary Standard, can mean EFRAG’s free template, a dedicated tool or a broader ESG platform. This page sets them side by side on what each vendor publishes, and says where we could not tell.

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Who is writing this

EcoDiligence is one of the products included in this comparison. We therefore do not rank ourselves first, and we do not claim to be a neutral reviewer. Instead we compare publicly verifiable capabilities, published pricing where available, and the type of user each option appears best suited to.

Every cell carries one of three labels. Primary source: a fact on EFRAG's page or on the vendor's own page, such as a price or a plan limit. Vendor-reported: a capability the vendor claims, which we read but did not test. Our assessment: our own inference, used for every “best suited to” cell.Not confirmed: not stated on a page we could read, which is not the same as “no”. Details were read on 8 October 2026; vendors change their pages.

Which products are here, and which are not

We limited the table to products whose own pages we could read on the check date and that describe a way to prepare the Voluntary Standard disclosures. The market is wider than the products in this table, and leaving a tool out is not a judgement about it. Where a brand is known but we could not find a page of its own to read, we left it out rather than guess.

Quick comparison

Scroll sideways on a small screen; the criterion column stays in place. Checked 8 October 2026.

VSME reporting tools compared on pricing, outputs and limits, with an evidence label on each cell.
CriterionEFRAG Digital TemplateOfficial Excel templateCSR Tools templateWord template (paid)Daato (EQS)ESG software, demo-ledEcoDiligenceSelf-serve software (this site)ExecutESGESG softwareGoClimateCarbon + VSME software
Free or self-service startPublished by EFRAG for download; no fee is stated on its pagePrimary sourceOne-off purchase with a 30-day money-back guarantee stated; no free tier mentionedPrimary sourceNo free tier or trial mentioned on the pages we read. The only call to action is “Request a demo”Not confirmedFree Passport, self-servePrimary source14-day trial on Core and Pro. The pricing page also offers a free readiness assessment, which is a diagnostic, not a plan. The homepage mentions a “free forever” tier without describing itPrimary sourceNo free tier or trial mentioned on the page we read. Order buttons lead to booking a demoNot confirmed
Public pricingNo price statedNot applicable€699 + VAT template; €1,599 + VAT with workshopPrimary sourceNot published on the two pages we readNot confirmedPro $299/year or $39/month; Free tierPrimary sourceCore €49/month, Pro €129/month in the plan table. The plan cards showed no price when we read themPrimary sourceBy headcount: SEK 7,000 (1–10 employees) up to SEK 24,000 (151–250). Billing period and VAT not statedPrimary source
Sales call requiredNoNot applicableNo. Invoice or online checkoutPrimary sourceNot stated. Every call to action is “Request a demo”Not confirmedNoPrimary sourceNot for Core or Pro. “Contact Sales” on the top tierPrimary sourceNot stated. Every order button leads to a demo booking pageNot confirmed
EFRAG Digital Template supportIt is the template (v1.3.0, 11 June 2026)Primary sourceIncludes a German translation of EFRAG’s Excel template, blankVendor-reportedNot confirmed. Reports are “based on VSME templates”; Excel is not mentionedNot confirmedPro pre-fills the existing template; pre-filled, not completePrimary sourceNot confirmed. Excel is not mentioned; CSV export isNot confirmedNot confirmed. Excel is not mentionedNot confirmed
Basic module disclosuresEFRAG’s existing VSME workbook (v1.3.0), built for the 2025 Recommendation. An updated one is plannedPrimary sourceData point list and Word template covering BasicVendor-reportedAbout 65 Basic data points; claims full coverage of all VSME datapointsVendor-reportedWizard collects most of Basic; some data points only partly, at least one not at allPrimary sourceBasic (B1–B11) listed as a full moduleVendor-reported“Core ESG metrics” described; mapping to modules not statedVendor-reported
Comprehensive module disclosuresSame existing VSME workbook (v1.3.0)Primary sourceData point list covers Comprehensive; the Word template is a documentVendor-reportedAbout 35 further data points in an extended moduleVendor-reportedPartial. Pro’s optional Advanced Disclosures add selected topics, not the whole modulePrimary sourceComprehensive (C1–C9) listed as a full module. The Core plan card reads narrowerVendor-reported“Optional comprehensive module”; scope not statedVendor-reported
GHG calculationNot stated on EFRAG’s pageNot confirmedNot mentioned on the template pageNot confirmedNot confirmed. Emissions are named as a data area; calculation is not describedNot confirmedScope 1 and 2 from energy inputs. Dedicated grid factors for 11 countries, labelled average elsewhere. No Scope 3 by categoryPrimary sourceScope 1 and 2 on Core; Scope 3 accounting integration on ProVendor-reportedClimate and energy figures are calculated automatically for existing GoClimate customers. What a new customer gets is not statedVendor-reported
PDF outputNot stated on EFRAG’s pageNot confirmedWord template; the PDF is the instructionsPrimary sourceNot confirmed. AI-assisted report generation is describedNot confirmedYesPrimary sourcePrint-ready PDF on CoreVendor-reportedPDF reportVendor-reported
Excel Digital Template outputIt is the Excel filePrimary sourceBlank translated template, filled in by youVendor-reportedNot confirmedNot confirmedPro: pre-filled from your PassportPrimary sourceNot confirmedNot confirmedNot confirmedNot confirmed
XBRLOfficial converter turns the Template into Inline XBRL (open source; online or command line)Primary sourceNot mentionedNot confirmedNot mentionedNot confirmedVia EFRAG’s official converter, not generated by EcoDiligencePrimary source“XBRL/Word exports” listed on ProVendor-reportedNot mentionedNot confirmed
Reusable underlying recordOne file you maintain yourselfNot applicableA document you maintain yourselfNot applicableCollects the datapoints in one place and offers a public sustainability profileVendor-reportedYes. One self-reported record feeds the Passport, PDF and templatePrimary sourceKPI tracking with year-over-year ratios and a raw CSV export are described. Which plan includes them, and data retention, are not statedVendor-reportedNot confirmedNot confirmed
Buyer questionnaire reuseNot applicableNot applicableAdds questions meant to help with an EcoVadis assessmentVendor-reportedNot confirmed. A shareable profile for stakeholders is describedNot confirmedPartial. Share the same Passport link or PDF; Coverage Check estimates what a questionnaire would draw on. It does not fill one inPrimary sourceNot confirmedNot confirmedNot confirmedNot confirmed
Evidence attachedNot applicableNot applicableNot applicableNot applicableNot confirmed. ISO 27001 and TISAX badges concern security, not evidenceNot confirmedLimited. A utility-bill evidence badge and one supporting document per Passport; not evidence per datapointPrimary sourceNot confirmed. The page says “audit-ready” without explaining how evidence is keptNot confirmedNot confirmedNot confirmed
Multi-client or adviser useOne file per entityNot applicableNames consultants and auditors supporting clients as intended users. Licence terms for several clients are not statedVendor-reportedNot confirmedNot confirmedPartial. Up to 10 Passports of your own on one Pro account. Clients get no seats or access; you hold the Passports yourselfPrimary sourceIts Consultant Partners page advertises managing all clients from one dashboard. Which plan includes it and how client data is separated are not stated. Plan seats: 1 on Core, up to 5 on ProVendor-reportedNot confirmedNot confirmed
Appears best suited toA first report, or anyone happy to work in ExcelOur assessmentTeams who want a Word report with guidance and no softwareOur assessmentCompanies wanting AI-assisted drafting from collected data and a demo-led purchaseOur assessmentSMEs that need to maintain sustainability data once and reuse it across VSME preparation and recurring customer ESG requestsOur assessmentCompanies wanting a subscription tool with VSME modulesOur assessmentExisting GoClimate customers, going by the vendor’s pageOur assessment
Last checked8 October 20268 October 20268 October 20268 October 20268 October 20268 October 2026

How to choose a VSME reporting tool

I only need the free official template

Use EFRAG’s Digital Template. It is EFRAG’s own format, and software only earns its price if it saves you something beyond the file itself.

I want guidance while completing the disclosures

A paid Word template (CSR Tools) or a guided tool (Daato, EcoDiligence, ExecutESG, GoClimate) gives you more than the sheet does. Check each against the Basic and Comprehensive rows above before choosing.

I want to reuse the data beyond one report

Look at the “Reusable underlying record” row. A workbook or a Word document is a new file each year; a tool that holds the record lets you export it again. On the pages we read, EcoDiligence and Daato both describe holding the data as a record (Daato’s is a vendor claim); ExecutESG describes KPI tracking with year-over-year ratios and a CSV export (plan and retention not stated). We could not confirm it for GoClimate.

I advise several SME clients

Ask each vendor directly: client separation, who owns the data, and what happens if a client leaves. On EcoDiligence you can hold up to 10 Passports of your own on one Pro account, but clients get no seats or access of their own.

My main problem is buyer questionnaires, not VSME itself

A reporting tool may not be the answer. See how to answer a supplier ESG questionnaire, and try Coverage Check on the one you received.

For the questionnaire case, read how to answer a supplier ESG questionnaire. For what the standard itself asks of a company, see the VSME standard explained.

Each option in turn

EFRAG Digital Template

EFRAG’s own Excel workbook for the standard, plus an open-source converter that turns a completed workbook into Inline XBRL. EFRAG’s page still names its tools “VSME”.

Appears best suited to:
Anyone who is comfortable in Excel, wants EFRAG’s own format, or is preparing a first report.
Pricing:
No price is stated on EFRAG’s page.

Strengths

  • It is EFRAG’s own existing VSME workbook. Of the products here, EcoDiligence pre-fills it on Pro and CSR Tools includes a translated copy. EFRAG says an updated one for the Voluntary Standard is planned for November 2026.
  • The converter validates the result and can run online or from the command line.

Limits and unknowns

  • It is a workbook, with an EFRAG explanatory note alongside. No emissions calculator is described, and each year starts from a file you maintain.
  • EFRAG has announced an updated Digital Template for the Voluntary Standard, with added converter features, planned for November 2026. At the check date its template page still listed v1.3.0 and had not been updated.

Sources, checked 8 October 2026: EFRAG: Digital Template and XBRL Taxonomy · EFRAG news, 22 September 2026

CSR Tools template

A Word template for a Voluntary Standard sustainability report, with filling instructions, a data point list and a German translation of EFRAG’s Excel template. The vendor describes it as templates, not software.

Appears best suited to:
A team that wants to write the report in Word, in German or English, without buying a platform. The vendor also names consultants and auditors supporting clients as intended users.
Pricing:
€699 + VAT; €1,599 + VAT bundled with a workshop. Both as listed on the vendor’s page.

Strengths

  • A fixed, published price with no subscription.
  • Guidance on what each disclosure asks for.

Limits and unknowns

  • No calculation, no stored record and no XBRL is mentioned on the page. You maintain the document.
  • The vendor’s page says the template was aligned with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/1560 and was originally based on the VSME version of 17 December 2024. We have not checked that alignment.

Source, checked 8 October 2026: CSR Tools: sustainability report template

Daato (EQS)

A sustainability software vendor, now part of EQS Group, with a VSME module that collects the datapoints, offers AI-assisted report drafting and a public sustainability profile.

Appears best suited to:
Companies that want AI-assisted drafting from collected data and are content to buy through a demo.
Pricing:
Not published on the two pages we read.

Strengths

  • Vendor-reported: Basic and extended modules, about 65 and 35 data points.
  • Vendor-reported: gap identification and pre-filling of sections from collected data.

Limits and unknowns

  • Pricing, trial, output formats (PDF, Excel, XBRL), evidence handling and adviser use are not stated on those pages.
  • Every call to action is a demo request; whether one is required is not stated.

Sources, checked 8 October 2026: Daato: VSME · Daato: VSME overview

EcoDiligence

A self-serve wizard that builds one structured, self-reported record: a public Passport, a PDF and, on Pro, the EFRAG VSME Digital Template pre-filled in Excel. This is our product.

Appears best suited to:
SMEs that need to maintain sustainability data once and reuse it across VSME preparation and recurring customer ESG requests.
Pricing:
Free Passport. Pro is $299/year or $39/month.

Strengths

  • Self-serve from the first step; no sales call.
  • The same record is reused as a link, a PDF and the template.
  • Scope 1 and 2 are calculated from the energy figures you enter.

Limits and unknowns

  • The Excel template is pre-filled, not complete. You review it and fill the rest.
  • The wizard covers most, not all, of the Basic module, and only selected Comprehensive topics.
  • EcoDiligence pre-fills EFRAG’s VSME Digital Template v1.3.0. Compatibility with the next EFRAG Digital Template release will be reviewed after publication.
  • Self-reported and not independently audited. Advisers hold the Passports themselves; clients get no seats or access.

Sources, checked 8 October 2026: What EcoDiligence does for VSME reporting · What EcoDiligence does not do

ExecutESG

A subscription ESG platform with plans named for the Voluntary Standard (Core and Pro) and a higher tier for double materiality assessment.

Appears best suited to:
Companies that want a subscription tool with the Basic and Comprehensive modules and are happy to trial it.
Pricing:
Core €49/month and Pro €129/month in the plan table; 14-day trial on both.

Strengths

  • Published prices and a trial.
  • Vendor-reported: PDF on Core, XBRL and Word exports on Pro, Scope 3 accounting integration on Pro.

Limits and unknowns

  • The page does not say whether it produces EFRAG’s Excel template, how evidence is stored, or which plan includes the multi-client dashboard its Consultant Partners page advertises.
  • The plan cards and the comparison table described the modules differently when we read them; confirm with the vendor which plan includes what.

Sources, checked 8 October 2026: ExecutESG: pricing · ExecutESG: Consultant Partners · ExecutESG: homepage

GoClimate

A carbon-accounting service that offers a Voluntary Standard report alongside its emissions data, priced by headcount.

Appears best suited to:
Existing GoClimate customers: the vendor says their climate and energy figures are calculated automatically. It is not stated what a new customer gets.
Pricing:
SEK 7,000 (1–10 employees) up to SEK 24,000 (151–250 employees). Billing period and VAT not stated.

Strengths

  • Published headcount-based pricing and “no lock-in period” as stated by the vendor.
  • Vendor-reported: for existing customers, automatic climate and energy figures, and much of the form filled in from accounting data and systems.

Limits and unknowns

  • Whether a self-service sign-up exists without a demo is not stated, and neither is whether automatic calculation applies to a new customer.
  • Excel template and XBRL output, evidence handling and adviser use are not mentioned on the page.

Source, checked 8 October 2026: GoClimate: VSME

EFRAG template or paid software

If you are preparing a first report, are comfortable in Excel, and have one set of figures to enter, the EFRAG template may be all you need. Nothing on this page suggests otherwise. Paying starts to make sense when something other than the file is the cost: working out the calculations, keeping the numbers current from year to year, or sending the same information to several customers in different formats.

EFRAG has announced an updated Digital Template for the Voluntary Standard, with added Excel-to-XBRL converter features, planned for November 2026. The 2026 standard is based on the standard adopted under the 2025 VSME Recommendation, but we have not compared them datapoint by datapoint and they are not necessarily identical. Whatever you choose, check which version of the template it works to. The Voluntary Standard can be used voluntarily now. For what applies from 1 January 2027 and to whom, see the value-chain cap explained.

Related supplier-assessment platforms

Platforms such as IntegrityNext sit next to this category, not inside it. IntegrityNext describes itself as a supply chain sustainability platform that automates supplier data collection, compliance checks and risk detection, aimed at the buyer's procurement, sustainability and compliance teams; its homepage does not mention VSME. A buyer chooses and pays for a platform like that. A VSME reporting tool is chosen by the company preparing its own disclosures. If a customer has already told you which platform to use, that is a separate decision from anything in the table above.

Where EcoDiligence is different

EcoDiligence is built around a reusable sustainability record rather than a single reporting output. The same self-reported information can support VSME preparation and be reused when customers send ESG questionnaires or other sustainability requests. That is the case where it may fit better than a template or a pure VSME tool. If VSME is the only request you expect, a template or a VSME-only tool may be enough.

  • One structured record. Your answers are kept as a Passport: a shareable link, a PDF and, on Pro, a pre-filled Digital Template come from the same data, and you edit it in one place when a figure changes.
  • Questionnaire coverage. Upload or paste a customer's questionnaire into Coverage Check for an estimate of how much of it a Passport would draw on. It is an estimate: it does not fill the questionnaire in, and your customer decides what it accepts.
  • Evidence at Passport level. A utility-bill evidence badge and one supporting document per Passport.
  • Template pre-fill. EcoDiligence pre-fills EFRAG's VSME Digital Template v1.3.0 in Excel on Pro.
  • More than one request. Send the same link or PDF to each customer, bank or procurement team that asks.

Against that: the template is pre-filled, not complete; evidence is one supporting document per Passport rather than per datapoint; and clients get no access of their own. What the product does for VSME is set out on the EcoDiligence VSME page.

Frequently asked questions

The template is EFRAG’s Excel workbook: currently built for the 2025 VSME Recommendation. Software adds something around it, such as guided entry, calculation, a stored record or an export. Whether that is worth paying for depends on what you would otherwise do by hand.

No. Using the Voluntary Standard (Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/1560) is voluntary, and EFRAG publishes a template you can work in directly. Software is a convenience, not a step the standard asks for.

EFRAG publishes the Digital Template for download and its page states no fee. We did not find a licence statement for the workbook itself, so check EFRAG’s terms if the question matters to you.

Not necessarily. EFRAG publishes an official converter that turns a completed Digital Template into Inline XBRL. EcoDiligence relies on that converter rather than generating XBRL itself. One vendor in this comparison lists XBRL export on its Pro plan, which is a vendor claim we did not test.

Prefer something that keeps your answers as a record you can reuse, because questionnaires differ in format but overlap in content. On the pages we read, none of these products claims to complete a customer’s own questionnaire, and ours does not. EcoDiligence’s Coverage Check estimates how much of one a Passport would draw on.

ExecutESG’s Consultant Partners page advertises managing all clients from one dashboard (a vendor claim; the plan and how client data is separated are not stated), and CSR Tools names advisers as intended users without stating multi-client licence terms. We found no client-management features described for the others. EcoDiligence Pro allows up to 10 Passports of your own, with clients getting no seats or access of their own. Ask any vendor how clients are separated and who can see what.

Supplier assessment platforms are bought by the customer, to collect and assess data from many suppliers. VSME reporting tools are used by the company preparing its own disclosures. IntegrityNext describes itself as a supply chain sustainability platform for procurement and compliance teams, and its homepage does not mention VSME.

Everything in a Passport is self-reported and not independently audited, including certifications. Competitor details are a snapshot of their public pages on 8 October 2026, are not endorsed by or checked with those vendors, and may have changed. Product and company names belong to their owners; EcoDiligence is not affiliated with any of them. This page is orientation, not legal advice.

Try it with your own figures

If you need to reuse the same sustainability data beyond one VSME disclosure, you can start a free EcoDiligence Passport. Start without a sales call — pay by card or request an invoice.

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