Smartly.io

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

HeyGen

AI video generation platform with realistic avatars, voice cloning, and multilingual dubbing

Smartly.io

Moderate

16/25

HeyGen

Moderate

13/25

Score Breakdown

DimensionSmartly.ioHeyGen

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.

HeyGen: Data hosted on AWS in the US; no publicly documented EU data residency option for standard plans; DPA available for enterprise customers

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.

2/5

Data hosted on AWS in the US; no publicly documented EU data residency option for standard plans; DPA available for enterprise customers

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.

HeyGen: US-incorporated company subject to CLOUD Act; GDPR compliance via DPA and Data Privacy Framework; EU-based customers should assess cross-border transfer mechanisms

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.

2/5

US-incorporated company subject to CLOUD Act; GDPR compliance via DPA and Data Privacy Framework; EU-based customers should assess cross-border transfer mechanisms

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.

HeyGen: HeyGen does not train models on customer avatars or voice clones; retention settings configurable at enterprise tier; daily backups maintained

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

HeyGen does not train models on customer avatars or voice clones; retention settings configurable at enterprise tier; daily backups maintained

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.

HeyGen: SOC 2 Type II certified; GDPR, CCPA, and EU AI Act alignment claimed; no ISO 27001 certification confirmed

3/5

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

3/5

SOC 2 Type II certified; GDPR, CCPA, and EU AI Act alignment claimed; no ISO 27001 certification confirmed

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.

HeyGen: Suitable for enterprise marketing and L&D teams with standard compliance needs; synthetic media governance and consent requirements require careful policy work for regulated sectors

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

Suitable for enterprise marketing and L&D teams with standard compliance needs; synthetic media governance and consent requirements require careful policy work for regulated sectors

Total Score

16/25

13/25

Best For

Smartly.io

Best for teams on a tight budget.

HeyGen

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

Detailed Comparison

HeyGen vs Smartly.io: Trust & Compliance Comparison

HeyGen (HeyGen, US) scores 13/25 overall with a Bronze (Moderate) trust badge. AI video generation platform with realistic avatars, voice cloning, and multilingual dubbing. 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 2/5.

●HeyGen (2/5): Data hosted on AWS in the US; no publicly documented EU data residency option for standard plans; DPA available for enterprise customers

●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

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

●HeyGen (2/5): US-incorporated company subject to CLOUD Act; GDPR compliance via DPA and Data Privacy Framework; EU-based customers should assess cross-border transfer mechanisms

●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.

●HeyGen (3/5): HeyGen does not train models on customer avatars or voice clones; retention settings configurable at enterprise tier; daily backups maintained

●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

Both score equally at 3/5.

●HeyGen (3/5): SOC 2 Type II certified; GDPR, CCPA, and EU AI Act alignment claimed; no ISO 27001 certification confirmed

●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.

●HeyGen (3/5): Suitable for enterprise marketing and L&D teams with standard compliance needs; synthetic media governance and consent requirements require careful policy work for regulated sectors

●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	HeyGen	Smartly.io
ISO 27001	No	Yes
SOC 2 Type II	Yes	No

Overall Verdict

Smartly.io has a clear trust advantage, scoring 16/25 compared to HeyGen's 13/25. Smartly.io particularly excels in data residency, legal jurisdiction.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Smartly.io has a TrustKit score of 16/25 while HeyGen scores 13/25. Smartly.io currently rates higher across data residency, legal jurisdiction, data retention, certifications, and regulatory fit.

How do Smartly.io and HeyGen 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 HeyGen scores 2/5 (Data hosted on AWS in the US; no publicly documented EU data residency option for standard plans; DPA available for enterprise customers).

Are Smartly.io and HeyGen GDPR compliant?

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

Explore Each Tool