Smartly.io

AI-powered advertising platform for automating creative production and media buying at scale

Typeform

Conversational forms and surveys with AI-powered features

Smartly.io

Moderate

16/25

Typeform

Strong

20/25

Score Breakdown

DimensionSmartly.ioTypeform

Data Residency

Where is your data stored and processed?

Smartly.io: Primary hosting in Germany (Hetzner + AWS EU regions). Cross-border transfers to US/APAC offices covered by EU SCCs. Strong EU data residency posture for core platform operations.

Typeform: Customer data is hosted on AWS EU infrastructure by default, providing a clear EU data residency story.

4/5

Primary hosting in Germany (Hetzner + AWS EU regions). Cross-border transfers to US/APAC offices covered by EU SCCs. Strong EU data residency posture for core platform operations.

4/5

Customer data is hosted on AWS EU infrastructure by default, providing a clear EU data residency story.

Legal Jurisdiction

Which laws govern the company and your data?

Smartly.io: Finnish Oy (EU company), but majority owned by Providence Equity Partners (US PE firm). Finnish/EU law governs the entity, though US parent introduces CLOUD Act considerations.

Typeform: Incorporated as a Spanish SL under EU law with no US parent company, meaning no CLOUD Act exposure.

3/5

Finnish Oy (EU company), but majority owned by Providence Equity Partners (US PE firm). Finnish/EU law governs the entity, though US parent introduces CLOUD Act considerations.

5/5

Incorporated as a Spanish SL under EU law with no US parent company, meaning no CLOUD Act exposure.

Data Retention & Training

Is your data used for model training?

Smartly.io: Privacy policy mentions retention of training data but lacks clarity on what 'training data' encompasses. Internal AI uses on-prem Llama models. No explicit 'we don't train on your data' commitment found publicly.

Typeform: No AI training on user data; configurable data retention and deletion available to customers.

3/5

Privacy policy mentions retention of training data but lacks clarity on what 'training data' encompasses. Internal AI uses on-prem Llama models. No explicit 'we don't train on your data' commitment found publicly.

4/5

No AI training on user data; configurable data retention and deletion available to customers.

Certifications

ISO 27001, SOC 2, Cyber Essentials, etc.

Smartly.io: ISO 27001 certified. SOC 2 appears to be in progress. Infrastructure providers (Hetzner, AWS, Cloudflare) carry their own certifications.

Typeform: Holds SOC 2 Type II certification; ISO 27001 is not currently listed on their trust page.

3/5

ISO 27001 certified. SOC 2 appears to be in progress. Infrastructure providers (Hetzner, AWS, Cloudflare) carry their own certifications.

3/5

Holds SOC 2 Type II certification; ISO 27001 is not currently listed on their trust page.

Regulatory Fit

Suitability for regulated industries and professional services

Smartly.io: GDPR DPA available. EU data hosting. Finnish legal entity. Suitable for European marketing teams. The US PE ownership is a consideration for the most sovereignty-sensitive buyers.

Typeform: Strong fit for EU regulated businesses due to EU incorporation, EU data residency, and DPA availability.

3/5

GDPR DPA available. EU data hosting. Finnish legal entity. Suitable for European marketing teams. The US PE ownership is a consideration for the most sovereignty-sensitive buyers.

4/5

Strong fit for EU regulated businesses due to EU incorporation, EU data residency, and DPA availability.

Total Score

16/25

20/25

Best For

Smartly.io

Best for teams that prioritise data residency (scores 4/5) and need a bronze-tier tool.

Typeform

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

Detailed Comparison

Smartly.io vs Typeform: Trust & Compliance Comparison

Smartly.io (Smartly.io, FI) scores 16/25 overall with a Bronze (Moderate) trust badge. AI-powered advertising platform for automating creative production and media buying at scale. Typeform (Typeform, ES) scores 20/25 with a Silver (Strong) trust badge. Conversational forms and surveys with AI-powered features.

Dimension-by-Dimension Breakdown

#### Data Residency

Both score equally at 4/5.

●Smartly.io (4/5): Primary hosting in Germany (Hetzner + AWS EU regions). Cross-border transfers to US/APAC offices covered by EU SCCs. Strong EU data residency posture for core platform operations.

●Typeform (4/5): Customer data is hosted on AWS EU infrastructure by default, providing a clear EU data residency story.

#### Legal Jurisdiction

Typeform leads with 5/5 vs 3/5.

●Smartly.io (3/5): Finnish Oy (EU company), but majority owned by Providence Equity Partners (US PE firm). Finnish/EU law governs the entity, though US parent introduces CLOUD Act considerations.

●Typeform (5/5): Incorporated as a Spanish SL under EU law with no US parent company, meaning no CLOUD Act exposure.

#### Data Retention & Training

Typeform leads with 4/5 vs 3/5.

●Smartly.io (3/5): Privacy policy mentions retention of training data but lacks clarity on what 'training data' encompasses. Internal AI uses on-prem Llama models. No explicit 'we don't train on your data' commitment found publicly.

●Typeform (4/5): No AI training on user data; configurable data retention and deletion available to customers.

#### Certifications

Both score equally at 3/5.

●Smartly.io (3/5): ISO 27001 certified. SOC 2 appears to be in progress. Infrastructure providers (Hetzner, AWS, Cloudflare) carry their own certifications.

●Typeform (3/5): Holds SOC 2 Type II certification; ISO 27001 is not currently listed on their trust page.

#### Regulatory Fit

Typeform leads with 4/5 vs 3/5.

●Smartly.io (3/5): GDPR DPA available. EU data hosting. Finnish legal entity. Suitable for European marketing teams. The US PE ownership is a consideration for the most sovereignty-sensitive buyers.

●Typeform (4/5): Strong fit for EU regulated businesses due to EU incorporation, EU data residency, and DPA availability.

Certifications at a Glance

Certification	Smartly.io	Typeform
GDPR	No	Yes
ISO 27001	Yes	No
SOC 2 Type II	No	Yes

Overall Verdict

Typeform has a clear trust advantage, scoring 20/25 compared to Smartly.io's 16/25. Typeform particularly excels in legal jurisdiction, data retention & training, regulatory fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for EU compliance, Smartly.io or Typeform?

Smartly.io has a TrustKit score of 16/25 while Typeform scores 20/25. Typeform currently rates higher across data residency, legal jurisdiction, data retention, certifications, and regulatory fit.

How do Smartly.io and Typeform compare on data residency?

Smartly.io scores 4/5 for data residency (Primary hosting in Germany (Hetzner + AWS EU regions). Cross-border transfers to US/APAC offices covered by EU SCCs. Strong EU data residency posture for core platform operations.), while Typeform scores 4/5 (Customer data is hosted on AWS EU infrastructure by default, providing a clear EU data residency story.).

Are Smartly.io and Typeform GDPR compliant?

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

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