EU AI Act compliance for micro-SaaS
Article 50 transparency obligations hit August 2, 2026. No size exemption. Every SaaS with an AI chatbot, AI-generated content, or AI features must comply — or face penalties.
34\u2013136\u00d7 cheaper than Vanta for the same result
Vanta has 16,000 customers and charges $20K\u2013$80K/year. They just added a new“Agentic Trust Platform” for AI agent governance \u2014 but still at enterprise prices. Every single one of those 16,000 customers had to talk to a salesperson before they could see a price. There is no \u201cSign up and start\u201d button \u2014 there is a \u201cGet a demo\u201d form.
We do the opposite. $588/year ($49/mo, or $9/mo in Founders Beta). Self-serve \u2014 sign up, no sales call. EU AI Act included, no hidden module fees.
| Platform | Annual Price | How to Buy | EU AI Act Module | Built for | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compliance Copilot | $588/yr | Self-serve No sales call | Micro-SaaS & solo founders | 15 minutes | |
| Vanta | $20K–$80K/yr | Sales-led “Get a demo” | Enterprise | 1–2 weeks | |
| LowerPlane | ~$1K–$2K/yr | Sales-led “Contact us” | Limited | Mid-market | 2–4 weeks |
| Comp AI | Enterprise call | Sales-led “Book a demo” | In development | Enterprise | Custom |
| systemprompt.io | $1.50/report | Freemium MCP x402 USDC or card | MCP users | Instant (API) | |
| Probo | Open source + service | OSS + done-for-you ISO 42001 + SOC2 + HIPAA | — | Mid-market | 30+ min setup |
| Article50Ready | Free (scanner ponctuel) | Self-serve 24 langues, PDF proof | SMB & solo founders | 5 minutes (scanner) |
Pricing as of July 2026. Vanta EU AI Act pricing based on publicly available sources. LowerPlane pricing is estimated for equivalent scope.
The 4 obligations you must meet by Aug 2
Article 50 of the EU AI Act applies to every business using AI in the EU. Here is what it requires — and how Compliance Copilot helps.
Chatbot & AI Interaction Disclosure
Every AI system that interacts with people — chatbots, virtual assistants, AI phone systems — must disclose it is AI at first interaction.
How we help: We document your AI interactions, generate disclosure notices, and provide audit-proof records.
AI Content Marking & Provenance
AI-generated content (text, images, audio, video) must be marked in machine-readable format. New systems must comply immediately from Aug 2.
How we help: We help you implement content provenance tracking and generate compliance reports for every AI output.
Deepfake & Synthetic Content Labeling
AI-generated content about real people, places, or events must be labeled. Applies to marketing ads, social posts, and public content.
How we help: Our checklist tracks every AI-generated piece. We document the editorial workflow that qualifies for the human-review exception.
Risk Classification & Documentation
All AI systems must be classified by risk level (unacceptable, high, limited, minimal). Documentation must be maintained for each system.
How we help: Our AI risk assessment questionnaire classifies your systems and generates a complete compliance dossier.
Everything you need to be EU AI Act ready
No consultants. No enterprise software. Just the compliance tools you actually need — built for micro-SaaS teams.
AI Risk Assessment
Answer a simple questionnaire about your AI systems. We classify them by risk level (unacceptable/high/limited/minimal) and tell you exactly what you need to do for each.
Compliance Checklist
15+ checklist items mapped to specific EU AI Act articles. Track progress, assign owners, set deadlines. Covers transparency, data governance, human oversight, and robustness.
Transparency Reports
Generate audit-ready transparency reports with one click. Export as HTML or print-to-PDF. Share with customers, auditors, or regulators.
Gap Analysis
Identify exactly where you are non-compliant. Our tool maps your current practices to each Article 50 obligation and shows the steps to close each gap.
Policy Templates
AI-generated policies for each compliance area. Human oversight policy, data governance framework, AI transparency statement — generated in seconds.
Compliance Dashboard
Real-time view of your EU AI Act compliance status across all AI systems. Export the dashboard as proof-of-compliance for procurement teams.
EU AI Act compliance without the enterprise price tag
Vanta and Drata start at $20K/year. We do it at $49/mo because we built it for micro-SaaS, not Fortune 500.
| Feature | Compliance Copilot | Vanta | Article50Ready | ActReady | iFixAi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $49/mo | $20K–$80K/yr | Free (scanner) | Unknown | Free OSS |
| AI Risk Classification | |||||
| Compliance Checklist | |||||
| Transparency Reports | Limited | Coming soon | — | ||
| SOC2 checkpoint integration | SOC2 only | — | — | — | |
| Built for micro-SaaS | Enterprise | SMB | SMB | Dev/CLI | |
| Setup time | 15 minutes | 1-2 weeks | 5 min (scanner) | 30 minutes | 120 sec (CLI) |
| EU Code of Practice Ready | Coming soon | Coming soon | |||
| Workflow continu (vs ponctuel) | — (scanner one-shot) | — | — |
Pricing as of July 2026. Competitor data based on publicly available sources.
The clock is ticking
The Digital Omnibus delayed high-risk obligations to 2027, but Article 50 transparency was NOT delayed. Here is what happens when.
Code of Practice deadline
Last day to sign the initial EU AI Act Code of Practice. Early adopters get listed.
ARTICLE 50 ENFORCEMENT
Transparency obligations become enforceable. Penalties up to €15M or 3% turnover.
Legacy AI marking deadline
Pre-existing AI systems must comply with machine-readable content marking.
High-risk AI compliance
Full compliance for high-risk AI systems under Annex III (post-Omnibus).
EU AI Act — Frequently asked questions
Do I need to comply if I'm a solo founder outside the EU?
If your SaaS sells to EU customers, your AI systems are in scope. Article 50 has no size exemption and no geographical exemption for deployers. If an EU citizen interacts with your chatbot or sees your AI-generated content, the transparency obligations apply.
What's the difference between Article 50 and the rest of the EU AI Act?
The EU AI Act has multiple compliance deadlines. Article 50 (transparency obligations) hits August 2, 2026 — this is the nearest deadline. High-risk AI obligations were delayed to December 2027 by the Digital Omnibus. But Article 50 was NOT delayed. Most micro-SaaS fall under 'limited risk' (transparency only).
What exactly did the Digital Omnibus change in June 2026?
The Digital Omnibus (provisional agreement May 2026) pushed back two deadlines: (1) Annex III high-risk AI compliance moved from August 2, 2026 to December 2, 2027, and (2) the watermarking deadline for AI systems already on the market before August 2 was extended to December 2, 2026. Everything else - Article 50 transparency, AI Office enforcement powers, and penalty provisions - stays on the original timeline. If you hear someone say 'the AI Act was delayed,' ask them which part. Article 50 was not.
What happens if I don't comply by August 2?
Penalties for Article 50 violations are up to €15M or 3% of global annual turnover — whichever is higher. Additionally, your EU customers may demand proof of compliance in procurement reviews. Non-compliant vendors risk losing EU market access.
Is Compliance Copilot itself EU AI Act compliant?
Yes. We comply with Article 50(1) by disclosing our AI features. Our chatbot tells users it is AI. Our content generation is tracked and labeled. We practice what we preach — our own compliance dashboard is public on request.
Does the 'human review' exception (Art. 50(4)) apply to my marketing content?
Yes — this is an important nuance. AI-generated content that undergoes human review and editorial responsibility does not need a separate label. But you need to document that editorial workflow. Compliance Copilot helps you track which pieces were AI-generated and which were human-reviewed.
How is this different from Vanta or Drata?
Vanta charges $20K–$80K/year. Drata is $35K+/year. They target enterprises with dedicated compliance teams. Compliance Copilot is built for solo founders and micro-SaaS teams who need the same outcomes at a fraction of the price. We also offer SOC2 compliance — so you get both in one platform.
What's included in the $49/mo EU AI Act module?
Everything: AI risk classification questionnaire, 15+ compliance checklist items mapped to specific articles, transparency report generator, gap analysis, compliance dashboard, and export capabilities. It is a standalone module you can use without the SOC2 features.
Start your EU AI Act compliance today
Join the first founders getting compliant before the August 2 deadline. Lock in the Founders Beta rate and save 82% forever.
EU AI Act + SOC2
Everything in one platform
Normally $49 — save 82% forever
- AI risk classification (limited/minimal/high)
- Article-mapped compliance checklist (15+ items)
- Transparency report generation (audit-ready)
- Gap analysis & remediation tracking
- SOC2 policy generator & evidence collection
- Audit-ready PDF export
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