Updated June 2026 · 11-minute read · By Matthew Bertram, CEO, ModalPoint
If you are trying to get your organization “AI-compliant,” you quickly hit a confusing market: dozens of vendors all say they do “AI governance,” but they are not the same kind of company. Some sell software that helps you manage AI risk and map controls to regulations. A separate, smaller group are accredited certification bodies — the only firms that can actually audit you and issue an ISO/IEC 42001 certificate. And neither of those tells you which rules apply to you in the first place. This guide maps the whole landscape in plain English, in three categories, so you can tell who does what before you spend a dollar. It is written vendor-neutral; ModalPoint sells no platform and issues no certificates — we help energy and industrial operators figure out what they actually need.
On this page
- AI governance platforms (software)
- ISO 42001 certification bodies (auditors)
- Platform vs. certification body — what’s the difference?
- How do you choose what you need?
- Frequently asked questions
AI governance platforms (software)
These are SaaS tools that inventory your AI systems, run risk assessments, and map your controls to frameworks like the EU AI Act, the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, and ISO/IEC 42001. They help you operate governance — they do not certify you. The market splits into incumbents that extend existing GRC/privacy suites into AI (OneTrust, IBM, ServiceNow, Collibra) and AI-native platforms built around AI risk from the ground up (Credo AI, Holistic AI, Modulos, and others).
| Platform | Type | Framework coverage | Best fit for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Credo AI | AI-native governance | EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, ISO 42001 (policy packs) | Policy-led governance for regulated orgs |
| Holistic AI | AI-native, audit/bias | EU AI Act (deep), bias & algorithmic audit | High-stakes & EU-facing AI systems |
| Modulos | AI-native | EU AI Act, ISO 42001 (product-conformity certified) | EU AI Act conformity + ISO 42001 path |
| Saidot | AI-native (European) | EU AI Act (built-in), templates | Product + legal teams, EU AI Act |
| Trustible | AI-native | 10+ frameworks (EU AI Act, NIST, ISO 42001, CO SB 205) | AI intake + multi-framework mapping |
| FairNow | AI-native (now AuditBoard) | 25+ regs/standards, real-time monitoring | Financial services & HR use cases |
| OneTrust | Incumbent (privacy/GRC) | AI inventory, risk, vendor mgmt | Teams already on OneTrust for privacy |
| IBM watsonx.governance | Incumbent (ML lifecycle) | Model documentation, risk monitoring | IBM-stack / model-heavy enterprises |
Credo AI
A dedicated, AI-native platform focused on policy management, regulatory mapping, and risk documentation — helping legal, risk, and compliance teams define governance policies and map them to the EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, and ISO 42001, with ready-to-deploy policy packs and audit-ready evidence. Credo AI was named a Leader in Forrester’s Q3 2025 AI governance evaluation. Best for: organizations that want governance driven from policy down.
Holistic AI
Specializes in algorithmic auditing and bias detection for high-stakes deployments, with particularly deep EU AI Act risk-classification and discovery capabilities. Best for: teams whose risk is concentrated in consequential, EU-facing, or bias-sensitive AI.
Modulos
Built to operationalize EU AI Act compliance with quantitative risk management. Notably, Modulos reports being the first AI governance platform to receive an ISO/IEC 42001 product-conformity certification (issued by auditor CertX). Best for: organizations on a defined EU AI Act + ISO 42001 path.
Saidot
A European SaaS platform with EU AI Act expertise built into the workflow and step-by-step templates that let product, legal, and compliance teams collaborate without slowing delivery. Best for: EU AI Act programs that need product and legal in the same tool.
Trustible
A purpose-built platform for AI intake, risk assessment, framework mapping, and vendor oversight, with compliance mappings spanning 10+ frameworks (EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, ISO 42001, Colorado SB 205, and more). Best for: enterprises standardizing AI intake across many regulations.
FairNow
An end-to-end platform centralizing AI inventory, automated risk assessments, and regulatory monitoring across 25+ global standards, with a focus on regulated areas like financial services and HR. FairNow was acquired by AuditBoard in 2025. Best for: regulated finance/HR teams, especially AuditBoard users.
OneTrust & IBM watsonx.governance (incumbents)
OneTrust extends its privacy/GRC heritage into AI — system inventories, risk assessments, vendor management — a natural fit if you already run OneTrust for GDPR/CCPA. IBM watsonx.governance focuses on lifecycle governance for AI/ML models in hybrid and multicloud, with strong model documentation and monitoring for regulated industries. Enterprise incumbents typically require six-figure annual commitments; mid-market AI-native tools often price per model or per seat.
ISO 42001 certification bodies (auditors)
If your goal is an actual ISO/IEC 42001 certificate (the international standard for an AI Management System), a platform can’t give you one. You need an accredited certification body to run a Stage 1 and Stage 2 audit. The key thing buyers miss: accreditation matters by geography — US buyers usually want an ANAB-accredited body; UK/EU buyers value UKAS or RvA accreditation.
| Certification body | Accreditation | Best fit | Typical year-1 cost (reported) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schellman | ANAB (first accredited) | US enterprises | ~$20,000–$40,000 |
| A-LIGN | ANAB | US, multi-framework (SOC 2 + ISO) | Quote-based |
| Coalfire | ANAB | US enterprises | Quote-based |
| BSI | UKAS / RvA | UK & EU | ~$25,000–$50,000 |
| DNV | Accredited (EU) | Europe / industrial | Quote-based |
Schellman was the first ANAB-accredited body able to certify against ISO 42001 in the US. A-LIGN brings 2,000+ ISO assessments and is among the early US ANAB-accredited bodies — convenient if you also need SOC 2. BSI carries UKAS plus RvA accreditation, the highest current bar for UK/EU buyers. DNV is accredited in Europe and common in industrial sectors. Costs vary widely with scope, number of AI systems, and your readiness going in — confirm current figures and accreditation scope directly with each body, since this market is moving fast.
Platform vs. certification body — what’s the difference?
Simple rule: a platform helps you do governance day-to-day; a certification body independently verifies it and issues the certificate. They are complementary, not competing — a platform can make the audit faster and cheaper, but it cannot certify you, and the same firm generally cannot both consult on and certify the same management system (that would break auditor independence). Most organizations also need a third thing first: a clear read on which regimes even apply to them.
How do you choose what you need?
Work it in this order:
- Scope first. Before buying anything, confirm which regimes actually apply — TRAIGA (Texas), the EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, ISO 42001 — and where they overlap. Our free AI Compliance Checker maps this in about two minutes and shows how much a single control set can cover.
- Then a platform — if you need one. Match it to your real driver: EU AI Act exposure (Holistic AI, Saidot, Modulos), policy-led governance (Credo AI), multi-framework intake (Trustible), or extending an incumbent suite you already own (OneTrust, IBM).
- Then certification — if customers or buyers require it. Pick a body whose accreditation matches your market (ANAB for the US, UKAS/RvA for UK/EU).
Where ModalPoint fits: we are an independent advisor for energy and industrial operators — not a platform and not a certifier. We help you scope which rules apply, choose the right tools and certification path for your situation, and get audit-ready, so you don’t overbuy software or chase a certificate you don’t need. Start with the free AI Compliance Checker, or talk to us about your AI governance program.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an AI governance platform and an ISO 42001 certification body?
A platform is software that helps you operate AI governance — inventorying systems, assessing risk, and mapping controls to frameworks like the EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, and ISO 42001. A certification body is an accredited, independent auditor that can issue an actual ISO/IEC 42001 certificate after a Stage 1 and Stage 2 audit. A platform cannot certify you, and a certifier generally cannot also consult on the same system.
What are the leading AI governance platforms in 2026?
Frequently cited platforms include the AI-native vendors Credo AI, Holistic AI, Modulos, Saidot, Trustible, and FairNow (now part of AuditBoard), alongside incumbents that extended GRC/privacy suites into AI such as OneTrust, IBM watsonx.governance, ServiceNow, and Collibra. The right one depends on whether your driver is the EU AI Act, policy management, multi-framework intake, or an incumbent suite you already run.
Who can certify my organization to ISO 42001?
Only an accredited certification body. In the US, ANAB-accredited bodies such as Schellman, A-LIGN, and Coalfire are most commonly accepted; for the UK and EU, BSI (UKAS/RvA) and DNV are common. Match the accreditation to the market your customers care about.
How much does ISO 42001 certification cost?
Reported year-one figures generally land around $20,000–$50,000 for Stage 1 and Stage 2 audits, depending on scope, the number of AI systems, and how ready you are going in. Readiness work and any platform tooling are separate costs. Always confirm current pricing directly with the certification body.
Do I need a platform, a certification, or both?
It depends on your driver. If customers or regulators require proof, you’ll want ISO 42001 certification. If you have many AI systems to govern continuously, a platform helps. Many organizations need neither immediately — they first need to know which regimes apply. Scope before you buy.
Which AI governance platforms cover ISO 42001 and the EU AI Act?
Most AI-native platforms map to multiple frameworks. Credo AI offers ISO 42001, EU AI Act, and NIST AI RMF policy packs; Trustible maps 10+ frameworks; Modulos focuses on EU AI Act conformity and reports an ISO 42001 product-conformity certification. Confirm exact coverage with each vendor, as framework support changes quickly.
Is ModalPoint an AI governance platform?
No. ModalPoint is an independent advisory for energy and industrial operators. We don’t sell a platform or issue certificates — we help you scope which rules apply, choose the right vendors and certification path, and get audit-ready. Our free AI Compliance Checker is a self-serve scoping tool, not a governance platform.
How do I start an AI governance program?
Start by scoping which regimes apply to you and where they overlap — that determines everything downstream. From there, decide whether you need a platform to operate governance, a certification body to verify it, or both. The free AI Compliance Checker is a fast first step.
Map your AI compliance in two minutes
Before you evaluate a single vendor, see which AI regulations actually apply to you — TRAIGA, the EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, and ISO 42001 — and how much one control set covers, with our free AI Compliance Checker. Then contact ModalPoint for help choosing the right path.
