NordVPN

Fast, privacy-first VPN with AI-powered Threat Protection Pro

Holistic AI

End-to-end AI governance platform for the EU AI Act, NIST and ISO 42001

NordVPN

Strong

20/25

Holistic AI

Strong

17/25

Score Breakdown

DimensionNordVPNHolistic AI

Data Residency

Where is your data stored and processed?

NordVPN: Panamanian incorporation places the company outside Five/Nine/Fourteen Eyes jurisdictions. Server infrastructure spans 111 countries. Users can select server location for data egress.

Holistic AI: UK-headquartered vendor; specific data-hosting region not publicly disclosed. UK holds an EU adequacy decision, enabling EU data transfers. A US office exists, so EU/UK data residency should be confirmed contractually during procurement.

4/5

Panamanian incorporation places the company outside Five/Nine/Fourteen Eyes jurisdictions. Server infrastructure spans 111 countries. Users can select server location for data egress.

4/5

UK-headquartered vendor; specific data-hosting region not publicly disclosed. UK holds an EU adequacy decision, enabling EU data transfers. A US office exists, so EU/UK data residency should be confirmed contractually during procurement.

Legal Jurisdiction

Which laws govern the company and your data?

NordVPN: Incorporated in Panama, which has no mandatory data retention laws and is not party to major intelligence-sharing agreements. One of the most favourable VPN jurisdictions for user privacy.

Holistic AI: UK-incorporated (Holistic AI Ltd) and headquartered in London, operating under UK GDPR. A US office in San Jose exists but the company is UK-domiciled; no US CLOUD Act exposure was identified.

5/5

Incorporated in Panama, which has no mandatory data retention laws and is not party to major intelligence-sharing agreements. One of the most favourable VPN jurisdictions for user privacy.

4/5

UK-incorporated (Holistic AI Ltd) and headquartered in London, operating under UK GDPR. A US office in San Jose exists but the company is UK-domiciled; no US CLOUD Act exposure was identified.

Data Retention & Training

Is your data used for model training?

NordVPN: Audited no-logs policy independently verified by PwC (2019, 2020, 2022) and Deloitte (2023). No connection timestamps, IP addresses, traffic data, or session duration retained.

Holistic AI: As a governance platform it processes AI-system metadata and assessment evidence rather than training on customer data. Detailed retention and DPA terms were not publicly documented; enterprise controls assumed but should be verified.

5/5

Audited no-logs policy independently verified by PwC (2019, 2020, 2022) and Deloitte (2023). No connection timestamps, IP addresses, traffic data, or session duration retained.

4/5

As a governance platform it processes AI-system metadata and assessment evidence rather than training on customer data. Detailed retention and DPA terms were not publicly documented; enterprise controls assumed but should be verified.

Certifications

ISO 27001, SOC 2, Cyber Essentials, etc.

NordVPN: ISO 27001 certified. No-logs policy independently audited. Lacks SOC 2 Type II, which would provide additional assurance for enterprise procurement teams.

Holistic AI: No independent security certifications (SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001) were publicly confirmed for Holistic AI itself at time of research. The platform helps customers achieve ISO 42001, but that is not the same as the vendor holding it. Verify directly with the vendor.

3/5

ISO 27001 certified. No-logs policy independently audited. Lacks SOC 2 Type II, which would provide additional assurance for enterprise procurement teams.

1/5

No independent security certifications (SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001) were publicly confirmed for Holistic AI itself at time of research. The platform helps customers achieve ISO 42001, but that is not the same as the vendor holding it. Verify directly with the vendor.

Regulatory Fit

Suitability for regulated industries and professional services

NordVPN: Strong fit for privacy-conscious individuals and organisations. GDPR-compliant for EU customers. Not certified for regulated industry verticals (healthcare, finance) beyond general network privacy.

Holistic AI: Purpose-built for AI governance and compliance across regulated EU/UK industries, with control mapping to the EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, and ISO 42001. Strong fit for regulated sectors; UK jurisdiction is a minor consideration for EEA buyers.

3/5

Strong fit for privacy-conscious individuals and organisations. GDPR-compliant for EU customers. Not certified for regulated industry verticals (healthcare, finance) beyond general network privacy.

4/5

Purpose-built for AI governance and compliance across regulated EU/UK industries, with control mapping to the EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, and ISO 42001. Strong fit for regulated sectors; UK jurisdiction is a minor consideration for EEA buyers.

Total Score

20/25

17/25

Best For

NordVPN

Best for EU-headquartered organisations needing maximum data sovereignty; regulated industries (ICO, FCA); privacy-conscious teams who need strong data retention controls.

Holistic AI

Best for privacy-conscious teams who need strong data retention controls.

Detailed Comparison

Holistic AI vs NordVPN: Trust & Compliance Comparison

Holistic AI (Holistic AI, GB) scores 17/25 overall with a Silver (Strong) trust badge. End-to-end AI governance platform for the EU AI Act, NIST and ISO 42001. NordVPN (Nord Security, PA) scores 20/25 with a Silver (Strong) trust badge. Fast, privacy-first VPN with AI-powered Threat Protection Pro.

Dimension-by-Dimension Breakdown

#### Data Residency

Both score equally at 4/5.

●Holistic AI (4/5): UK-headquartered vendor; specific data-hosting region not publicly disclosed. UK holds an EU adequacy decision, enabling EU data transfers. A US office exists, so EU/UK data residency should be confirmed contractually during procurement.

●NordVPN (4/5): Panamanian incorporation places the company outside Five/Nine/Fourteen Eyes jurisdictions. Server infrastructure spans 111 countries. Users can select server location for data egress.

#### Legal Jurisdiction

NordVPN leads with 5/5 vs 4/5.

●Holistic AI (4/5): UK-incorporated (Holistic AI Ltd) and headquartered in London, operating under UK GDPR. A US office in San Jose exists but the company is UK-domiciled; no US CLOUD Act exposure was identified.

●NordVPN (5/5): Incorporated in Panama, which has no mandatory data retention laws and is not party to major intelligence-sharing agreements. One of the most favourable VPN jurisdictions for user privacy.

#### Data Retention & Training

NordVPN leads with 5/5 vs 4/5.

●Holistic AI (4/5): As a governance platform it processes AI-system metadata and assessment evidence rather than training on customer data. Detailed retention and DPA terms were not publicly documented; enterprise controls assumed but should be verified.

●NordVPN (5/5): Audited no-logs policy independently verified by PwC (2019, 2020, 2022) and Deloitte (2023). No connection timestamps, IP addresses, traffic data, or session duration retained.

#### Certifications

NordVPN leads with 3/5 vs 1/5.

●Holistic AI (1/5): No independent security certifications (SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001) were publicly confirmed for Holistic AI itself at time of research. The platform helps customers achieve ISO 42001, but that is not the same as the vendor holding it. Verify directly with the vendor.

●NordVPN (3/5): ISO 27001 certified. No-logs policy independently audited. Lacks SOC 2 Type II, which would provide additional assurance for enterprise procurement teams.

#### Regulatory Fit

Holistic AI leads with 4/5 vs 3/5.

●Holistic AI (4/5): Purpose-built for AI governance and compliance across regulated EU/UK industries, with control mapping to the EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, and ISO 42001. Strong fit for regulated sectors; UK jurisdiction is a minor consideration for EEA buyers.

●NordVPN (3/5): Strong fit for privacy-conscious individuals and organisations. GDPR-compliant for EU customers. Not certified for regulated industry verticals (healthcare, finance) beyond general network privacy.

Certifications at a Glance

Certification	Holistic AI	NordVPN
ISO 27001	No	Yes

Overall Verdict

NordVPN has a clear trust advantage, scoring 20/25 compared to Holistic AI's 17/25. NordVPN particularly excels in legal jurisdiction, data retention & training, certifications.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for EU compliance, NordVPN or Holistic AI?

NordVPN has a TrustKit score of 20/25 while Holistic AI scores 17/25. NordVPN currently rates higher across data residency, legal jurisdiction, data retention, certifications, and regulatory fit.

How do NordVPN and Holistic AI compare on data residency?

NordVPN scores 4/5 for data residency (Panamanian incorporation places the company outside Five/Nine/Fourteen Eyes jurisdictions. Server infrastructure spans 111 countries. Users can select server location for data egress.), while Holistic AI scores 4/5 (UK-headquartered vendor; specific data-hosting region not publicly disclosed. UK holds an EU adequacy decision, enabling EU data transfers. A US office exists, so EU/UK data residency should be confirmed contractually during procurement.).

Are NordVPN and Holistic AI GDPR compliant?

Both tools are assessed across five compliance dimensions. NordVPN has a regulatory fit score of 3/5 and Holistic AI scores 4/5. Check the full comparison above for a detailed breakdown.

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