Ella vs Zevero: Comparison and Zevero Alternatives (2026)
Ella and Zevero are both carbon accounting software with experts behind them. Zevero is strong on product footprints and EPDs for growing businesses. Ella is AI-native ESG software built as an agent: it collects data from colleagues, chases replies and drafts SECR, CDP, VSME and EcoVadis outputs, with a trial on your own data.
Last updated 30 October 2026 · By Tom Wilford, Founder, Ella
Get startedElla vs Zevero at a glance
| Ella | Zevero | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Sustainability teams at large and fast-growing companies | Growing businesses, with a Premium tier for complex groups |
| 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 | Zevero quotes 8 to 12 weeks to a first footprint |
| 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 | ERP connections (NetSuite, Unleashed), templates or invoice uploads in any format |
| Who does the monthly work | Ella's AI agent: it collects, cleans, calculates and drafts. Your team reviews and approves | Your team with Zevero's experts, more hands-on at higher tiers |
| 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, ISO 14064-1, B Corp, CDP, CSRD, SBTi, ISSB, SECR, EcoVadis, GRESB, SSBJ and more |
| Expert support | Included: Ella's sustainability team backs every customer | In-house experts on every tier |
| Pricing and trial | Modular plans by module and company size, with a 14-day trial per module on your own data | Published starting prices from £1,500 a year (Scope 1 and 2) to £7,500 a year, add-ons extra, one-year minimum, no free self-serve trial |
Why teams choose Ella over Zevero
Key differences to weigh
| What to check | With Zevero | With Ella |
|---|---|---|
| Time to a first footprint | 8 to 12 weeks, as Zevero states | Ella builds your checklist on day one and starts collecting straight away |
| Chasing colleagues for data | Templates and uploads your team sends out | Ella sends collect links, tracks gaps and chases |
| Broader ESG reporting | AI ESG report as a paid add-on | CSRD, VSME and EcoVadis modules in the same platform |
| Trying it first | No free self-serve trial | 14-day trial per module on your own data |
What Zevero does well
Should you choose Ella or Zevero?
| If you need | Choose |
|---|---|
| Product carbon footprints and EPDs | Zevero |
| A guided company footprint with the data collection done for you | Ella |
| SECR, CDP, VSME and EcoVadis from one data set | Ella |
| A trial on your own data before you sign | Ella |
Zevero alternatives worth a look
| Platform | Best for |
|---|---|
| Ella | Sustainability teams that want guidance and the data collection done for them |
| Greenly | Companies wanting a carbon footprint with a guided self-serve start |
| Coolset | EU companies with supply chain compliance (EUDR) |
| Persefoni | Financial institutions and a free self-serve start |
How we wrote this comparison
How Ella helps
Carbon accounting software
Scope 1, 2 and 3, SECR, CDP and reduction plans, built from your real bills and invoices.
ESG reporting software
CSRD, VSME and customer ESG requests, with the data collected and cleaned for you.
ESG strategy software
Materiality, targets and a reduction roadmap built from the data you already hold.
Related resources
Best carbon accounting software in 2026: an honest comparison
The best carbon accounting software in 2026 is the one that gets real activity data out of your organisation with the least chasing, then turns it into Scope 1, 2 and 3 figures you can defend to an auditor. For large UK and EU teams, compare Ella, Greenly, Persefoni, Sweep, Watershed, Plan A and Normative on data collection first.
Ella vs Greenly: Comparison and Greenly Alternatives (2026)
Ella and Greenly both measure and report carbon, but Ella does more of the work. Ella is AI-native ESG software built as an agent: it sets your Scope 1 to 3 boundaries, collects data from colleagues and suppliers, chases replies and drafts SECR, CDP, VSME and EcoVadis outputs. Greenly is carbon software with expert help on most plans.
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.
Scope 3 Categories Explained: All 15 GHG Protocol Categories, With Examples
Scope 3 has 15 categories under the GHG Protocol: eight upstream, from purchased goods and services to upstream leased assets, and seven downstream, from downstream transport to investments. You report the categories relevant to your business, and a services firm and a manufacturer will find their emissions in very different places.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Ella and Zevero?
Zevero is carbon management software with experts built in, strong on product footprints and EPDs. Ella is ESG software built as an AI agent that collects data from colleagues, chases missing replies and drafts carbon, SECR, CDP, VSME and EcoVadis outputs from one audit-ready data set.
Is Ella a good Zevero alternative?
Yes, for teams that want to start straight away, want colleagues chased for data automatically and need ESG reporting and EcoVadis alongside carbon. If product footprints or EPDs are your priority, Zevero is worth a close look.
How much does Zevero cost?
Zevero lists starting prices from £1,500 a year for Scope 1 and 2, £3,500 for Essential and £7,500 for Leading, with Premium priced to order and add-ons such as product footprints and ESG reports extra. Contracts run for at least a year.
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 Zevero offer a free trial?
Zevero says it does not currently offer a free self-serve trial. Ella offers a 14-day trial per module on your own data.
How long does it take to get a carbon footprint?
Zevero quotes 8 to 12 weeks to a first footprint. With Ella, the boundary and data checklist are set on day one and collection starts straight away, so timing depends mainly on how quickly colleagues reply, and Ella chases them for you.
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 Zevero 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.