Holistic AI

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

Proton VPN

Swiss privacy-first VPN with open-source apps and NetShield ad blocking

Holistic AI

Strong

17/25

Proton VPN

Excellent

22/25

Score Breakdown

DimensionHolistic AIProton VPN

Data Residency

Where is your data stored and processed?

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.

Proton VPN: Incorporated and headquartered in Switzerland, outside EU and Five/Nine/Fourteen Eyes. Proton-owned infrastructure in Switzerland and EU. Strongest possible jurisdictional privacy posture for a VPN provider.

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.

5/5

Incorporated and headquartered in Switzerland, outside EU and Five/Nine/Fourteen Eyes. Proton-owned infrastructure in Switzerland and EU. Strongest possible jurisdictional privacy posture for a VPN provider.

Legal Jurisdiction

Which laws govern the company and your data?

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.

Proton VPN: Swiss jurisdiction under the Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP). Swiss courts have a strong track record of protecting user privacy from foreign data requests. Publishes annual Transparency Report.

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.

5/5

Swiss jurisdiction under the Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP). Swiss courts have a strong track record of protecting user privacy from foreign data requests. Publishes annual Transparency Report.

Data Retention & Training

Is your data used for model training?

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.

Proton VPN: Strict no-logs policy: no IP addresses, connection timestamps, session duration, or traffic content retained. RAM-only servers in Secure Core configuration. Independently audited open-source client code.

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.

5/5

Strict no-logs policy: no IP addresses, connection timestamps, session duration, or traffic content retained. RAM-only servers in Secure Core configuration. Independently audited open-source client code.

Certifications

ISO 27001, SOC 2, Cyber Essentials, etc.

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.

Proton VPN: ISO 27001 certified. All client applications open source and independently audited. Lacks SOC 2 Type II; however, open-source audit transparency partially compensates for formal certification gaps.

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.

3/5

ISO 27001 certified. All client applications open source and independently audited. Lacks SOC 2 Type II; however, open-source audit transparency partially compensates for formal certification gaps.

Regulatory Fit

Suitability for regulated industries and professional services

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.

Proton VPN: Excellent fit for privacy-sensitive organisations and journalists. Swiss jurisdiction makes it particularly suitable for legal, financial, and human rights organisations requiring protection from government data requests.

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.

4/5

Excellent fit for privacy-sensitive organisations and journalists. Swiss jurisdiction makes it particularly suitable for legal, financial, and human rights organisations requiring protection from government data requests.

Total Score

17/25

22/25

Best For

Holistic AI

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

Proton VPN

Best for EU-headquartered organisations needing maximum data sovereignty; privacy-conscious teams who need strong data retention controls; organisations that need self-hosted or on-premise deployment; teams on a tight budget.

Detailed Comparison

Holistic AI vs Proton VPN: 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. Proton VPN (Proton AG, CH) scores 22/25 with a Gold (Excellent) trust badge. Swiss privacy-first VPN with open-source apps and NetShield ad blocking.

Dimension-by-Dimension Breakdown

#### Data Residency

Proton VPN leads with 5/5 vs 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.

●Proton VPN (5/5): Incorporated and headquartered in Switzerland, outside EU and Five/Nine/Fourteen Eyes. Proton-owned infrastructure in Switzerland and EU. Strongest possible jurisdictional privacy posture for a VPN provider.

#### Legal Jurisdiction

Proton VPN 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.

●Proton VPN (5/5): Swiss jurisdiction under the Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP). Swiss courts have a strong track record of protecting user privacy from foreign data requests. Publishes annual Transparency Report.

#### Data Retention & Training

Proton VPN 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.

●Proton VPN (5/5): Strict no-logs policy: no IP addresses, connection timestamps, session duration, or traffic content retained. RAM-only servers in Secure Core configuration. Independently audited open-source client code.

#### Certifications

Proton VPN 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.

●Proton VPN (3/5): ISO 27001 certified. All client applications open source and independently audited. Lacks SOC 2 Type II; however, open-source audit transparency partially compensates for formal certification gaps.

#### Regulatory Fit

Both score equally at 4/5.

●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.

●Proton VPN (4/5): Excellent fit for privacy-sensitive organisations and journalists. Swiss jurisdiction makes it particularly suitable for legal, financial, and human rights organisations requiring protection from government data requests.

Certifications at a Glance

Certification	Holistic AI	Proton VPN
ISO 27001	No	Yes

Overall Verdict

Proton VPN has a clear trust advantage, scoring 22/25 compared to Holistic AI's 17/25. Proton VPN particularly excels in data residency, legal jurisdiction, data retention & training, certifications.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for EU compliance, Holistic AI or Proton VPN?

Holistic AI has a TrustKit score of 17/25 while Proton VPN scores 22/25. Proton VPN currently rates higher across data residency, legal jurisdiction, data retention, certifications, and regulatory fit.

How do Holistic AI and Proton VPN compare on data residency?

Holistic AI scores 4/5 for data residency (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.), while Proton VPN scores 5/5 (Incorporated and headquartered in Switzerland, outside EU and Five/Nine/Fourteen Eyes. Proton-owned infrastructure in Switzerland and EU. Strongest possible jurisdictional privacy posture for a VPN provider.).

Are Holistic AI and Proton VPN GDPR compliant?

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

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