Semrush

AI-powered SEO and digital marketing platform for visibility, content, and competitive intelligence

SAP Joule

AI copilot embedded across SAP's enterprise application suite

Semrush

Moderate

13/25

SAP Joule

Excellent

25/25

Score Breakdown

DimensionSemrushSAP Joule

Data Residency

Where is your data stored and processed?

Semrush: Infrastructure spans US and EU; no dedicated per-customer data residency selection; standard DPA available for GDPR compliance

SAP Joule: SAP BTP supports global data centre regions across EU, US, Asia Pacific and more. Customers can select their primary data region. SAP holds C5 attestation from Germany's BSI, setting a high standard for cloud data residency.

2/5

Infrastructure spans US and EU; no dedicated per-customer data residency selection; standard DPA available for GDPR compliance

5/5

SAP BTP supports global data centre regions across EU, US, Asia Pacific and more. Customers can select their primary data region. SAP holds C5 attestation from Germany's BSI, setting a high standard for cloud data residency.

Legal Jurisdiction

Which laws govern the company and your data?

Semrush: US-incorporated public company, now a subsidiary of Adobe Inc.; subject to US jurisdiction and CLOUD Act; GDPR DPA available

SAP Joule: Incorporated and headquartered in Germany under stringent EU and German law. As a German company, SAP is subject to some of the world's strongest data protection regulations, including GDPR by default.

2/5

US-incorporated public company, now a subsidiary of Adobe Inc.; subject to US jurisdiction and CLOUD Act; GDPR DPA available

5/5

Incorporated and headquartered in Germany under stringent EU and German law. As a German company, SAP is subject to some of the world's strongest data protection regulations, including GDPR by default.

Data Retention & Training

Is your data used for model training?

Semrush: Primarily processes public web data; customer project and account data retained per privacy policy; no known use of customer data for AI model training

SAP Joule: Enterprise-grade data lifecycle management integrated with SAP's existing records management capabilities. Comprehensive DPAs and data processing controls available for all regulated customers.

3/5

Primarily processes public web data; customer project and account data retained per privacy policy; no known use of customer data for AI model training

5/5

Enterprise-grade data lifecycle management integrated with SAP's existing records management capabilities. Comprehensive DPAs and data processing controls available for all regulated customers.

Certifications

ISO 27001, SOC 2, Cyber Essentials, etc.

Semrush: SOC 2 Type II certified; GDPR and CCPA compliant; no ISO 27001 publicly confirmed

SAP Joule: Exceptional certification portfolio including ISO 27001/27017/27018, SOC 1/2 Type II, German BSI C5, Spanish ENS, and Australian IRAP. Satisfies compliance requirements for most global regulators.

3/5

SOC 2 Type II certified; GDPR and CCPA compliant; no ISO 27001 publicly confirmed

5/5

Exceptional certification portfolio including ISO 27001/27017/27018, SOC 1/2 Type II, German BSI C5, Spanish ENS, and Australian IRAP. Satisfies compliance requirements for most global regulators.

Regulatory Fit

Suitability for regulated industries and professional services

Semrush: Suitable for marketing and SEO teams across regulated industries; primary risk is account data jurisdiction rather than sensitive data processing

SAP Joule: Excellent regulatory fit for global enterprises in regulated sectors. German legal jurisdiction, BSI C5 attestation, and sector-specific certifications make SAP Joule one of the most regulator-friendly AI platforms.

3/5

Suitable for marketing and SEO teams across regulated industries; primary risk is account data jurisdiction rather than sensitive data processing

5/5

Excellent regulatory fit for global enterprises in regulated sectors. German legal jurisdiction, BSI C5 attestation, and sector-specific certifications make SAP Joule one of the most regulator-friendly AI platforms.

Total Score

13/25

25/25

Best For

Semrush

Best for EU-headquartered organisations needing maximum data sovereignty; organisations requiring broad certification coverage (SOC 1 Type II, SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001); regulated industries (BaFin, FCA); privacy-conscious teams who need strong data retention controls.

SAP Joule

Best for teams that prioritise data retention & training (scores 3/5) and need a bronze-tier tool.

Detailed Comparison

SAP Joule vs Semrush: Trust & Compliance Comparison

SAP Joule (SAP, DE) scores 25/25 overall with a Gold (Excellent) trust badge. AI copilot embedded across SAP's enterprise application suite. Semrush (Semrush, US) scores 13/25 with a Bronze (Moderate) trust badge. AI-powered SEO and digital marketing platform for visibility, content, and competitive intelligence.

Dimension-by-Dimension Breakdown

#### Data Residency

SAP Joule leads with 5/5 vs 2/5.

●SAP Joule (5/5): SAP BTP supports global data centre regions across EU, US, Asia Pacific and more. Customers can select their primary data region. SAP holds C5 attestation from Germany's BSI, setting a high standard for cloud data residency.

●Semrush (2/5): Infrastructure spans US and EU; no dedicated per-customer data residency selection; standard DPA available for GDPR compliance

#### Legal Jurisdiction

SAP Joule leads with 5/5 vs 2/5.

●SAP Joule (5/5): Incorporated and headquartered in Germany under stringent EU and German law. As a German company, SAP is subject to some of the world's strongest data protection regulations, including GDPR by default.

●Semrush (2/5): US-incorporated public company, now a subsidiary of Adobe Inc.; subject to US jurisdiction and CLOUD Act; GDPR DPA available

#### Data Retention & Training

SAP Joule leads with 5/5 vs 3/5.

●SAP Joule (5/5): Enterprise-grade data lifecycle management integrated with SAP's existing records management capabilities. Comprehensive DPAs and data processing controls available for all regulated customers.

●Semrush (3/5): Primarily processes public web data; customer project and account data retained per privacy policy; no known use of customer data for AI model training

#### Certifications

SAP Joule leads with 5/5 vs 3/5.

●SAP Joule (5/5): Exceptional certification portfolio including ISO 27001/27017/27018, SOC 1/2 Type II, German BSI C5, Spanish ENS, and Australian IRAP. Satisfies compliance requirements for most global regulators.

●Semrush (3/5): SOC 2 Type II certified; GDPR and CCPA compliant; no ISO 27001 publicly confirmed

#### Regulatory Fit

SAP Joule leads with 5/5 vs 3/5.

●SAP Joule (5/5): Excellent regulatory fit for global enterprises in regulated sectors. German legal jurisdiction, BSI C5 attestation, and sector-specific certifications make SAP Joule one of the most regulator-friendly AI platforms.

●Semrush (3/5): Suitable for marketing and SEO teams across regulated industries; primary risk is account data jurisdiction rather than sensitive data processing

Certifications at a Glance

Certification	SAP Joule	Semrush
C5	Yes	No
ENS	Yes	No
IRAP	Yes	No
ISO 27001	Yes	No
ISO 27017	Yes	No
ISO 27018	Yes	No
SOC 1 Type II	Yes	No
SOC 2 Type II	Yes	Yes

Overall Verdict

SAP Joule has a clear trust advantage, scoring 25/25 compared to Semrush's 13/25. SAP Joule particularly excels in data residency, legal jurisdiction, data retention & training, certifications, regulatory fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for EU compliance, Semrush or SAP Joule?

Semrush has a TrustKit score of 13/25 while SAP Joule scores 25/25. SAP Joule currently rates higher across data residency, legal jurisdiction, data retention, certifications, and regulatory fit.

How do Semrush and SAP Joule compare on data residency?

Semrush scores 2/5 for data residency (Infrastructure spans US and EU; no dedicated per-customer data residency selection; standard DPA available for GDPR compliance), while SAP Joule scores 5/5 (SAP BTP supports global data centre regions across EU, US, Asia Pacific and more. Customers can select their primary data region. SAP holds C5 attestation from Germany's BSI, setting a high standard for cloud data residency.).

Are Semrush and SAP Joule GDPR compliant?

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

Explore Each Tool