Basenorm vs ISMS.online
Basenorm vs ISMS.online Living platform or template-rich ISMS?
ISMS.online is the most template-rich ISMS platform, with a Virtual Coach and the Assured Results Method for first-time ISO 27001 certification. Basenorm is AI-native and governance-first, a living platform where controls, risks and evidence are connected entities, with automatic cross-framework mapping for organisations whose scope extends beyond ISO 27001 into NIS2 and DORA.
Hosted in the Netherlands. Your data stays in the EU.Basenorm in brief
- Vendor
- Dutch companyEuropean by origin
- Hosting
- The NetherlandsMicrosoft Azure, West Europe
- Lead frameworks
- ISO 42001 and ISO 27001With NIS2, DORA, GDPR and the AI Act
- Pricing
- Public, from €250 per monthFoundation layer
01 / Why Basenorm
What stays the same, whoever we are compared with.
ISO 42001 and ISO 27001 on one library
Your AI management system builds on your ISMS. Define a control once and see which standards it counts for, and which not.
EU-native by default
A Dutch vendor, hosted in the Netherlands, with a database per organisation. No opt-in needed for EU hosting.
AI that assists, people who decide
AskNorman explains, drafts and searches, in Basenorm or in your own assistant through MCP. Your team assesses and decides.
02 / When to choose which
An honest choice.
Choose ISMS.online if
- You want the richest set of pre-built ISO 27001 templates and policy documents in the category.
- Virtual Coach guidance for first-time certification is a major value driver for your team.
- Document-first ISMS operations (policies, procedures, records) fit how your team prefers to work.
- The ARM (Assured Results Method) structured roadmap matches your programme preferences.
- ISO 27001 is your primary focus with ISO 27002, 27701 and 22301 as adjacencies.
Choose Basenorm if
- ISO 27001 plus NIS2, DORA, EU AI Act, AVG or BIO is your real compliance scope.
- You want AI-first workflow (AskNorman) with semantic evidence analysis, not only template-driven document management.
- A Governance Graph with linked entities (controls, risks, assets, policies, evidence) matters for your programme.
- Continuous assurance between audits is the operating model you want, not a roadmap-first approach.
- You prefer EU-native infrastructure (post-Brexit, ISMS.online is UK-based) and deeper Dutch/BIO coverage.
03 / Feature by feature
Side by side.
| Topic | Basenorm | ISMS.online |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 27001 support | Supported | Supported |
| SOC 2 support | Supported | Supported |
| NIS2 native coverage | Supported | Supported |
| DORA native coverage | Supported | Supported |
| GDPR / AVG support | Supported | Supported |
| EU AI Act supportISMS.online covers ISO 42001 (AI management) rather than the EU AI Act directly. | Supported | Partial |
| BIO (Dutch public-sector baseline) | Supported | Not available |
| Rich ISO 27001 template libraryISMS.online's template depth is its known strength. | Partial | Supported |
| AI-first assistant as primary surfaceISMS.online has Virtual Coach; AskNorman is Basenorm's primary interaction surface. | Supported | Partial |
| Governance Graph (linked entities) | Supported | Not available |
| Unified Control Library (define once, map many)ISMS.online maps between frameworks; Basenorm centralises in one semantic library. | Supported | Partial |
| EU-headquartered vendor (post-Brexit)ISMS.online is UK-based; post-Brexit the UK is outside the EU for GDPR and DORA supplier considerations. | Supported | Not available |
| EU data residency by default | Supported | Partial |
| Continuous audit-readiness model | Supported | Supported |
| Statement of Applicability management | Supported | Supported |
| Evidence collection automation | Supported | Supported |
| Multi-framework control mapping | Supported | Supported |
| Custom frameworks | Supported | Supported |
| Publicly listed pricingISMS.online pricing is quote-based; not publicly listed. | Supported | Not available |
| Free trial availableBasenorm: a trial is available on request through a demo. ISMS.online offers demos; public self-serve trial varies. | Partial | Partial |
Comparison information is based on publicly available sources as of April 2026. Vendor features and pricing change frequently; please verify with each vendor before making a decision.
04 / In detail
Template-rich vs AI-first
ISMS.online's strength is its pre-built template and policy library plus the Virtual Coach guided path, especially valuable for first-time ISO 27001 certification with a claimed 25,000+ users on the platform. Basenorm takes an AI-first approach via AskNorman, which drafts controls, reads uploaded policies, interprets evidence and closes gaps continuously. Both reduce time-to-certification; the difference is whether your team prefers working through templates or working through an AI assistant.
- ISMS.online: extensive pre-built templates and the Assured Results Method roadmap.
- Basenorm: AskNorman AI handles drafting, evidence interpretation, and gap analysis throughout the cycle.
- For first-time ISO 27001 certification with a template-driven team, ISMS.online's depth is a strong fit.
EU-native infrastructure and post-Brexit positioning
ISMS.online is headquartered in the United Kingdom. Since Brexit, the UK sits outside the EU for GDPR adequacy, DORA third-party oversight and NIS2 supply-chain reviews, meaning EU buyers must treat ISMS.online's data flows the same way they treat any non-EU vendor. Basenorm is headquartered in the Netherlands with EU data residency by default, which simplifies the supplier assessment for EU compliance programmes.
- Basenorm: Netherlands-based, EU data residency default, inside GDPR's primary jurisdiction.
- ISMS.online: UK-based, post-Brexit, outside the EU for regulatory purposes.
- For BIO (Dutch public-sector) and Dutch-language programmes, Basenorm provides native depth.
Framework breadth and EU regulatory depth
ISMS.online covers ISO standards broadly, ISO 27001, ISO 27002, ISO 27701, ISO 42001, ISO 22301, ISO 9001, plus NIS2, DORA, SOC 2, PCI DSS and GDPR. Basenorm covers the same core plus native modelling for EU-specific regulations (EU AI Act, BIO, CRA) and deeper audit-readiness flows for Dutch and EU public-sector organisations.
- ISMS.online: excellent ISO standards breadth including AI management (ISO 42001) and business continuity (ISO 22301).
- Basenorm: EU regulations as first-class frameworks with 24 to 48h regulatory updates.
- If your focus is purely ISO standards breadth, ISMS.online's catalogue is impressive.
Pricing transparency and model
ISMS.online uses a quote-based model with pricing disclosed after an evaluation call. Basenorm publishes pricing publicly, with tiers designed around compliance scope rather than seat count.
- Basenorm: publicly listed pricing on basenorm.com/pricing.
- ISMS.online: subscription SaaS; pricing is quote-based.
- Compare total ownership cost including consultant time saved: often the largest line.
Switching to Basenorm
Switching from ISMS.online to Basenorm
Organisations move from ISMS.online to Basenorm when the document-first model starts to slow them down, typically when compliance scope grows to include NIS2, DORA, the EU AI Act or BIO and they want an AI-first living-platform approach rather than a template-driven one. The migration path leverages ISMS.online's exportable documents: policies, procedures, risk assessments and SoA are exported, then uploaded to Basenorm where AskNorman performs semantic analysis and maps each document to the Unified Control Library. Your existing template-heavy investment is not lost, it becomes the starting library for your new control model. Typical migrations complete inside one quarter; the bigger change is cultural: moving from a document-centric ISMS to a governance-graph where evidence, controls, risks and assets are linked entities.
05 / Questions
Frequently asked
questions.
Is Basenorm an alternative to ISMS.online?
Yes. Basenorm is an alternative to ISMS.online for organisations whose scope extends beyond ISO 27001 into NIS2, DORA, EU AI Act, AVG or BIO, and who prefer an AI-first living-platform to a template-driven document ISMS. For first-time ISO 27001 certification with strong template needs, ISMS.online remains a strong fit.
Is ISMS.online EU-based?
No. ISMS.online is headquartered in the United Kingdom. Post-Brexit, the UK sits outside the EU for GDPR adequacy and DORA third-party oversight purposes.
What is the ISMS.online Virtual Coach?
The Virtual Coach is ISMS.online's AI-powered guided tour through the Assured Results Method (ARM). Basenorm's AskNorman plays a similar role but is the primary interaction surface for the whole compliance cycle rather than only guided setup.
How does template depth compare?
ISMS.online has a deeper pre-built template library, this is a known strength. Basenorm provides templates but emphasises AI-generated controls, policies and evidence linkage through AskNorman rather than pre-built document depth.
How do the pricing models compare?
ISMS.online uses quote-based pricing disclosed after an evaluation call. Basenorm publishes pricing publicly on basenorm.com/pricing, tiered by compliance scope.
Can I migrate from ISMS.online to Basenorm?
Yes. Export your policies, procedures, risk register, Statement of Applicability and audit records from ISMS.online. Upload them to Basenorm, where AskNorman analyses and maps each document to the Unified Control Library. Your template investment becomes the starting point for your new governance graph, not a write-off.
Book a demo
Compare it in your own context.
In a demo we look at your frameworks and how Basenorm fits next to what you use today.
- Which frameworks you run now and next.
- How ISO 42001 builds on your ISO 27001.
- What moving your controls and evidence involves.
Hosted in the Netherlands. Your data stays in the EU.
Disclosure: Basenorm is the platform we build. We aim for accuracy and fairness, cite public sources where possible, and encourage you to verify every claim with the respective vendor.