Ella vs Novata: Comparison and Novata Alternatives (2026)
Ella and Novata both manage ESG and carbon data, but they start from different buyers. Novata is built first for private market investors and their portfolio companies. Ella is AI-native ESG software built as an agent for company sustainability teams: it collects the data, chases colleagues and drafts CDP, SECR, VSME and EcoVadis outputs.
Last updated 30 October 2026 · By Tom Wilford, Founder, Ella
Get startedElla vs Novata at a glance
| Ella | Novata | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Sustainability teams at large and fast-growing companies | Private market investors, deal teams, banks and companies, with deep portfolio and LP reporting |
| Getting started | Ella sets your boundaries from how you operate and builds your Scope 1 to 3 data checklist instantly, then walks you through each step | Onboarding with customer success; Advisory available as a paid add-on |
| How data gets in | Ella sends collect links to data owners, tracks who has not replied and chases them, reads dragged-in bills, receipts and spend exports, and pulls from integrations | APIs, bulk import, supplier questionnaires and AI-assisted document parsing |
| Who does the monthly work | Ella's AI agent: it collects, cleans, calculates and drafts. Your team reviews and approves | Your team, with AI help on classification, factor mapping and report drafts |
| Frameworks | GHG Protocol Scopes 1 to 3, SECR, CDP, carbon reduction and net zero plans, product carbon data, CSRD, VSME, EcoVadis, B Corp | GHG Protocol, ISSB, CSRD/ESRS, VSME, SFDR, PCAF, EDCI, SBTi, CDP, TCFD, GRI, SASB and more |
| Expert support | Included: Ella's sustainability team backs every customer | Customer success, plus Novata Advisory as a paid add-on |
| Pricing and trial | Modular plans by module and company size, with a 14-day trial per module on your own data | Published company plans from 20K a year (Manage) to 100K a year (Lead); investor pricing by quote; 5-day Carbon Navigator trial |
Why teams choose Ella over Novata
Where Novata may fall short
| What to check | With Novata | With Ella |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is designed around | Investors and portfolio reporting | The company sustainability team |
| Chasing colleagues for data | Your team manages requests | Ella sends collect links, tracks gaps and chases |
| SECR for UK annual reports | Not mentioned on its website | Built in, with the SECR summary drafted |
| EcoVadis | Offered through advisory and a partnership, not as a platform output | A dedicated module that reads your scorecard and drafts the fixes |
| Trying it first | 5-day Carbon Navigator trial | 14-day trial per module on your own data |
What Novata does well
Should you choose Ella or Novata?
| If you need | Choose |
|---|---|
| Portfolio-wide ESG collection, EDCI and LP reporting for a fund | Novata |
| A guided carbon footprint and SECR for your own company | Ella |
| Data chased from colleagues and read from bills without your team doing it | Ella |
| EcoVadis, CDP and VSME outputs from one data set | Ella |
| A two-week trial on your own data | Ella |
Novata alternatives worth a look
| Platform | Best for |
|---|---|
| Ella | Company sustainability teams that want the data collection done for them |
| Persefoni | Financial institutions and a free self-serve start |
| Watershed | Very large enterprises with complex footprints |
| Sweep | Enterprise multi-framework disclosure |
How we wrote this comparison
How Ella helps
ESG reporting software
CSRD, VSME and customer ESG requests, with the data collected and cleaned for you.
Carbon accounting software
Scope 1, 2 and 3, SECR, CDP and reduction plans, built from your real bills and invoices.
ESG strategy software
Materiality, targets and a reduction roadmap built from the data you already hold.
Related resources
Best ESG Software in 2026: 11 Platforms Compared
The best ESG software depends on who is asking you for data. Workiva and Sweep suit enterprises filing CSRD or ISSB reports. Watershed and Persefoni suit carbon-heavy enterprises. Ella suits sustainability teams handling EcoVadis, CDP, SECR and customer requests: AI-native ESG software that collects, cleans and reports your data for you.
Ella vs Persefoni: Comparison and Persefoni Alternatives (2026)
Ella and Persefoni both do carbon accounting, but they are built for different teams. Ella is AI-native ESG software built as an agent for corporate sustainability teams: it sets your boundaries, collects and chases data, and drafts SECR, CDP, VSME and EcoVadis outputs. Persefoni is strongest for financial institutions and financed emissions.
ESG data collection software: how to collect ESG data without chasing spreadsheets
ESG data collection software gathers the energy, emissions, workforce and governance data a sustainability report needs from the people and systems that hold it. Good tools request data from named owners, chase them, read invoices and bills, pull from integrations, and keep a source on every number so the final report is audit-ready.
Ella vs Sweep: Comparison and Sweep Alternatives (2026)
Ella and Sweep both manage ESG and carbon data, but Ella does more of the work for you. Ella is AI-native ESG software built as an agent: it collects data from colleagues, documents and systems, chases replies, cleans it and drafts CDP, SECR, VSME, CSRD and EcoVadis outputs. Sweep is an enterprise data platform often rolled out through consultancies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Ella and Novata?
Novata is a sustainability data platform built for private market investors, deal teams, banks and companies, with strong portfolio and LP reporting. Ella is ESG software built as an AI agent for company sustainability teams, and it does the data collection, cleaning and drafting for carbon, SECR, CDP, VSME and EcoVadis.
Is Ella a good Novata alternative?
For a company sustainability team, yes. Ella suits teams that want the data gathered for them and need SECR, CDP, VSME and EcoVadis outputs. If you are a fund reporting across a portfolio to LPs, Novata is built for that job.
How much does Novata cost?
Novata publishes company plans of 20K a year (Manage), 50K a year (Grow) and 100K a year (Lead). Investor pricing is quoted by number of portfolio companies. It offers a free 5-day trial of Carbon Navigator.
How much does Ella cost?
Ella is priced by module (Carbon, ESG reporting, EcoVadis, B Corp) and by company size, and every module has a 14-day trial so you can test it on your own data before procurement.
Does Novata do EcoVadis?
Novata mentions EcoVadis support through its Advisory service and a Scope 3 data partnership with EcoVadis. Ella has a dedicated EcoVadis module that reads your scorecard, finds where you lose points and drafts the fixes.
Which is better for private equity, Ella or Novata?
For fund-level portfolio collection and LP reporting, Novata is purpose-built. Portfolio companies that need their own carbon footprint, SECR or EcoVadis work done for them often use Ella alongside.
Can Ella collect ESG data from colleagues and suppliers?
Yes. Ella sends collect links and data requests, tracks missing responses and chases until people reply, accepts bills, receipts and spreadsheets in any format, and runs surveys for suppliers and colleagues. Every figure keeps a link to the document or reply it came from.
Can I switch from Novata to Ella?
Yes. Export your existing activity data and reports, drop them into Ella and it maps them to your reporting periods. Most teams run both side by side for one reporting cycle to check the numbers match.