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.
Last updated 28 October 2026 · By Tom Wilford, Founder, Ella
Get startedElla vs Persefoni at a glance
| Ella | Persefoni | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Sustainability teams at large and fast-growing companies | Companies of all sizes, with a strong focus on financial institutions and their portfolio companies |
| 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 | Self-serve on the free Pro tier; guided onboarding on the paid Advanced plan |
| 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 | Smart forms and bulk upload; APIs and an integration hub on Advanced; AI spend-file parsing listed as coming soon |
| Who does the monthly work | Ella's AI agent: it collects, cleans, calculates and drafts. Your team reviews and approves | Your team, self-serve, with paid expert and professional services |
| 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 Scopes 1 to 3, PCAF, CSRD, ISSB, CDP, SECR, California SB 253 |
| Expert support | Included: Ella's sustainability team backs every customer | Concierge support and professional services are paid extras |
| Pricing and trial | Modular plans by module and company size, with a 14-day trial per module on your own data | Pro free for a single user; Advanced quote only; CDP and SECR reports are paid add-ons |
Why teams choose Ella over Persefoni
Where Persefoni may fall short
| What to check | With Persefoni | With Ella |
|---|---|---|
| Who gathers the data | Your team fills forms and uploads files | Ella requests, chases and collects it for you |
| CDP and SECR outputs | Listed as paid add-ons | Included in the Carbon module |
| Team access on the free tier | Single user | Your whole team, plus data owners via collect links |
| Expert help | Concierge support is a paid extra | Included for every customer |
| EcoVadis | Not mentioned on its website | Dedicated EcoVadis module |
What Persefoni does well
Should you choose Ella or Persefoni?
| If you need | Choose |
|---|---|
| A guided carbon footprint with data chased for you | Ella |
| SECR, CDP, VSME and EcoVadis from one data set | Ella |
| A whole team working together, with expert help included | Ella |
| A trial on your own data before procurement | Ella |
| Financed emissions for a bank or fund | Persefoni |
Persefoni alternatives worth a look
| Platform | Best for |
|---|---|
| Ella | Corporate sustainability teams that want guidance and the data collection done for them |
| Watershed | Very large enterprises with complex footprints |
| Sweep | Large European groups reporting under CSRD |
| Greenly | Carbon programmes with an assigned expert |
How we wrote this comparison
How Ella helps
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.
CDP reporting explained: how scoring works and why the data is the hard part
CDP reporting means answering CDP's annual environmental questionnaire, usually because an investor or a large customer asked you to. Responses are scored from D- to A across four levels. In the 2026 cycle the scoring deadline was 16 September, and final responses close in the week commencing 26 October.
SECR Reporting Explained: Who Must Report and What to Include
SECR (Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting) requires UK quoted companies, and large unquoted companies and LLPs, to report their energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in their annual report. A company is large if it meets two of three tests: turnover of £36m or more, balance sheet of £18m or more, or 250 or more employees. Scope 3 is optional.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Ella and Persefoni?
Persefoni is carbon accounting software with a strong financial services focus, including PCAF financed emissions. Ella is ESG software built as an AI agent that guides corporate sustainability teams and does the collection, cleaning and drafting across carbon, CDP, SECR, CSRD, VSME and EcoVadis.
Is Ella a good Persefoni alternative?
Yes. Ella is a strong Persefoni alternative for corporate sustainability teams whose bottleneck is gathering data from across the business, and who want CDP and SECR included rather than bought as add-ons.
Which is easier to use, Ella or Persefoni?
Ella is built to be the more guided option. It sets your boundaries, builds your data checklist, collects the data from colleagues and suppliers and drafts the outputs, so your team reviews rather than assembles. Persefoni's free tier is self-serve for a single user, and its done-for-you services are paid extras.
How much does Persefoni cost?
Persefoni Pro is free for a single user. Persefoni Advanced is priced on request, and some outputs such as CDP and SECR reports are listed as paid add-ons.
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 Persefoni help with EcoVadis?
Persefoni's website does not mention EcoVadis. Ella has a dedicated EcoVadis module that reads your scorecard, finds the gaps and drafts the evidence and policies to close them.
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 Persefoni 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.