Smartly.io

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

Ahrefs

AI-enhanced SEO toolset with industry-leading backlink index and keyword research capabilities

Smartly.io

Moderate

16/25

Ahrefs

Moderate

14/25

Score Breakdown

DimensionSmartly.ioAhrefs

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.

Ahrefs: Singapore-incorporated and bootstrapped; data processed across global infrastructure; no formal per-customer data residency selection but alternative jurisdiction to US CLOUD Act-covered vendors

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.

3/5

Singapore-incorporated and bootstrapped; data processed across global infrastructure; no formal per-customer data residency selection but alternative jurisdiction to US CLOUD Act-covered vendors

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.

Ahrefs: Singapore incorporation provides a favourable alternative to US-based alternatives; Singapore has PDPA data protection legislation and is not subject to US CLOUD Act; GDPR DPA available

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.

3/5

Singapore incorporation provides a favourable alternative to US-based alternatives; Singapore has PDPA data protection legislation and is not subject to US CLOUD Act; GDPR DPA available

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.

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

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.

3/5

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

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.

Ahrefs: No publicly confirmed SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certifications; GDPR DPA available; cookie-free Web Analytics reduces personal data exposure

3/5

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

2/5

No publicly confirmed SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certifications; GDPR DPA available; cookie-free Web Analytics reduces personal data exposure

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.

Ahrefs: Bootstrap model and Singapore jurisdiction are notable differentiators; absence of formal security certifications limits suitability for highly regulated sectors requiring SOC 2 evidence

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.

3/5

Bootstrap model and Singapore jurisdiction are notable differentiators; absence of formal security certifications limits suitability for highly regulated sectors requiring SOC 2 evidence

Total Score

16/25

14/25

Best For

Smartly.io

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

Ahrefs

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

Detailed Comparison

Ahrefs vs Smartly.io: Trust & Compliance Comparison

Ahrefs (Ahrefs, SG) scores 14/25 overall with a Bronze (Moderate) trust badge. AI-enhanced SEO toolset with industry-leading backlink index and keyword research capabilities. Smartly.io (Smartly.io, FI) scores 16/25 with a Bronze (Moderate) trust badge. AI-powered advertising platform for automating creative production and media buying at scale.

Dimension-by-Dimension Breakdown

#### Data Residency

Smartly.io leads with 4/5 vs 3/5.

●Ahrefs (3/5): Singapore-incorporated and bootstrapped; data processed across global infrastructure; no formal per-customer data residency selection but alternative jurisdiction to US CLOUD Act-covered vendors

●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.

#### Legal Jurisdiction

Both score equally at 3/5.

●Ahrefs (3/5): Singapore incorporation provides a favourable alternative to US-based alternatives; Singapore has PDPA data protection legislation and is not subject to US CLOUD Act; GDPR DPA available

●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.

#### Data Retention & Training

Both score equally at 3/5.

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

●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.

#### Certifications

Smartly.io leads with 3/5 vs 2/5.

●Ahrefs (2/5): No publicly confirmed SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certifications; GDPR DPA available; cookie-free Web Analytics reduces personal data exposure

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

#### Regulatory Fit

Both score equally at 3/5.

●Ahrefs (3/5): Bootstrap model and Singapore jurisdiction are notable differentiators; absence of formal security certifications limits suitability for highly regulated sectors requiring SOC 2 evidence

●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.

Certifications at a Glance

Certification	Ahrefs	Smartly.io
ISO 27001	No	Yes

Overall Verdict

Smartly.io has a clear trust advantage, scoring 16/25 compared to Ahrefs's 14/25. Smartly.io particularly excels in data residency, certifications.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Smartly.io has a TrustKit score of 16/25 while Ahrefs scores 14/25. Smartly.io currently rates higher across data residency, legal jurisdiction, data retention, certifications, and regulatory fit.

How do Smartly.io and Ahrefs 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 Ahrefs scores 3/5 (Singapore-incorporated and bootstrapped; data processed across global infrastructure; no formal per-customer data residency selection but alternative jurisdiction to US CLOUD Act-covered vendors).

Are Smartly.io and Ahrefs GDPR compliant?

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

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