July 2026 – a practical comparison of VSME reporting tools for SMEs on setup, features, and pricing, including against spreadsheets and the free EFRAG template.

More and more SMEs are being asked for sustainability data they don’t have ready to hand over. The Voluntary Sustainability Reporting Standard for SMEs (VSME) is the EU’s simplified, EFRAG-built answer – a two-tier framework (a Basic Module plus an optional Comprehensive Module) that lets smaller companies disclose ESG information without the full weight of CSRD.

The real question is how to produce one. This guide compares the leading VSME tools on how you get started, what they deliver, and what they cost – and weighs them against the manual routes most SMEs try first.

Why this matters now

Sustainability reporting has moved down the value chain:

• Banks increasingly use ESG data to approve and price loans, including for smaller borrowers.
• Large clients report on their value chains and push ESG requests onto SME suppliers, often at short notice.
• VSME is the recognised SME standard – a simplified way to respond, and a defence against being asked for more than it requires.
• Most SMEs are unprepared, with limited expertise and data scattered across spreadsheets and inboxes.

Manual and Excel methods vs dedicated VSME reporting tool

Most SMEs start with one of two manual routes.

Spreadsheets from scratch give full control and zero licence cost, but you carry the whole burden – knowing which data points apply, building KPI formulas, keeping methodology consistent, and formatting an output banks will accept. Slow, error-prone, and hard to repeat.

The free EFRAG Digital Template is a genuinely good starting point: an Excel template with auto-calculations, consistency checks, and links to VSME guidance, plus an XBRL Taxonomy and an open-source (MIT-licensed) converter that turns the completed template into a tagged Inline XBRL report. EFRAG itself is explicit about the limits: single-period reporting only (no year-to-year comparisons), no built-in GHG calculator, and no multi-entity consolidation – the template is educational guidance, with software providers expected to build fuller tools on top.

Dedicated software goes a step further: the low effort of a guided template, the expertise an SME lacks, both XBRL and a readable document, and saved data so next year is a quick update.

How we compared

Every tool is assessed on the same criteria, using each vendor’s own product pages, brochures, and published pricing, cross-checked against independent VSME tool directories: self-serve setup (can you start instantly, with no implementation project or sales call?), free trial, VSME coverage (Basic and Comprehensive), export formats (XBRL and/or a readable document), year-over-year reuse, multi-company support, and pricing model.

VSME software at a glance

Legend: ✓ = supported · ○ = partial · – = not offered / not the model · ? = not publicly confirmed.

Quick picks

• Genuinely self-serve, free to start: Yodiwo and ExecutESG are the only tools you can actually sign up for and use without a demo, sales call, or upfront payment
• XBRL + Word in one run, and scales to a full platform: Yodiwo
• Cheapest fixed price: GoClimate (from SEK 7,000 per report, though ordering routes through a contact form)
• Strategic extension beyond VSME: Yodiwo (EnGage upgrade: CSRD/ESRS, GRI, CDP, ISSB) or Greenomy (VSME plus)
• Modules of Largest enterprise/advisory platforms: Envoria, Position Green, Daato

The best VSME reporting tool in 2026

VSME-first tools for SMEs

1. Yodiwo VSME ESG Reporting Tool

What it is – A self-serve VSME reporting tool that turns the operational data you already have into a compliant VSME report in hours, not months, with no ESG background needed. Part of Yodiwo’s DIY Sustainability Marketplace.

Key features

• Instant access – cloud-hosted, no IT, setup, or implementation project; start in minutes
• Guided VSME questionnaire with a built-in EFRAG Knowledge Hub explaining every data point
• Automatic calculation of all required KPIs across all six VSME topic areas – no manual formulas
• Exports both XBRL (EFRAG-aligned) and Word (presentation-ready for banks and clients)
• Year-over-year data carryover and multi-company support, in the tool, for consultants and groups

What sets it apart – Yodiwo is the strongest fit for an SME that wants to move fast and stay independent. It’s genuinely self-serve and plug-and-play: start for free, build and refine your report yourself, and unlock VSME Premium when you’re ready to complete every section and export. It’s the only tool here that exports both XBRL and Word in a single run, supports multiple companies inside the tool, and – when you outgrow self-serve – scales straight into Yodiwo’s EnGage platform (automated data from ERP, IoT and sensors; CSRD, GRI and ISSB), with your data carried over.

Pricing – Start for free; unlock VSME Premium to complete all sections and export your report with t €1,500/ per annual report for 1 company and €3,750 1 report per company / 5 companies

For an SME, consider – At the DIY level, data entry is manual and support is documentation and chat within one working day – automated data collection (ERP, IoT, sensors) and a dedicated account team come with the EnGage upgrade. If you need full CSRD, GRI, or ISSB reporting today rather than VSME, EnGage is the right entry point, not the DIY tool.

Best for – SMEs answering bank and client requests, finance and supplier teams without ESG expertise, and consultants running reports for several clients. You can try it free at yodiwo.com – start at no cost, then unlock premium to finish and export.

Explore Yodiwo’s DIY Sustainability Marketplace and start for free here.

2. Karomia (via Kube)

What it is – A Belgian AI VSME reporting tool delivered through Kube, the national ESG data exchange, that turns your documents into a VSME PDF.

Key features

• The main Karomia flow is lead-gen: the “Get your free ESG report” form asks you to upload a public document (e.g. your annual report) and pick a focus area, then promises a free draft by email
• The SME VSME product is delivered via Kube, the Belgian national ESG data exchange, already used by Belgium’s four major banks and public investors
• Sign up with your company number or itsme®; AI auto-fills up to 80% from existing documents (annual reports, energy bills, policies)
• Editable until finalised; outputs a VSME-aligned PDF to share with banks, customers, and partners

Pricing – Kube basic is free; full AI support is included for SMEs as a launch offer through end of 2026.

For an SME, consider – Output is PDF (no machine-readable XBRL confirmed), and the product is anchored in the Belgian ecosystem (itsme®, Belgian banks) and the free AI support is a launch offer – worth asking what it costs from 2027.

Best for – SMEs (especially in Belgium) wanting a fast, AI-led PDF.

3. Eevery

What it is – A Netherlands-based tool built specifically for VSME, aimed at SMEs with no in-house ESG team. Access is pay-first: you subscribe at checkout, then get into the platform – there’s no free trial or free tier to explore before paying.

Key features

• Smart filtering shows only the questions relevant to your business
• Pre-fill (mostly for existing Goclimate’s customers) speeds up future cycles; invite teammates with their own accounts
• Help icons on each question, plus a support team to complete the report with you
• One-click report download as PDF, with CSV export for your own systems; a partner programme lets advisors and accountants manage multiple clients from one dashboard

Pricing – £1,950/year excluding VAT (confirmed at checkout, plus VAT and any card-conversion fee if paying in a different currency – about €2,845/year including 20% VAT for a non-UK card). No free trial or free tier only demo-led;

For an SME, consider – Exports are PDF and CSV – no machine-readable XBRL.

Best for – SMEs wanting an intuitive, VSME-only tool with built-in collaboration.

4. GoClimate

What it is – A Swedish VSME reporting tool where you order a VSME report (or book a demo) and receive a PDF in about 30 minutes.

Key features

• A guided form translates the standard into plain questions, much of it pre-filled
• The platform validates your answers against VSME and delivers a complete PDF
• Existing GoClimate customers get climate and energy figures pulled in automatically

Pricing – Per report by company size, from SEK 7,000 (≈ €600) up to SEK 24,000+. No lock-in; no free self-serve trial.

For an SME, consider – Despite the “Order your VSME report” button, the next step is a contact form (name, company, phone, email) – not a checkout or the tool itself, so getting started means a sales conversation. Every report is then a new purchase priced by headcount, output is PDF only (no XBRL).

Best for – SMEs wanting an order-and-receive PDF, especially existing GoClimate customers.

5. Leadity

What it is – A German, web-based VSME platform covering all 140 data points, with a modular “VSME plus” approach that extends the standard.

Key features

• All 140 VSME data points pre-structured with help texts and AI-assisted report compilation
• Interfaces to pull in existing data (e.g. carbon accounting) for automatic emissions
• VSME plus (no extra cost): simplified materiality, supply-chain ESG, measurable KPIs, optional critical review; plus modular LkSG and EU Taxonomy add-ons
• Report export as PDF, Word, and Excel (per independent directory listings; XBRL isn’t among the listed formats)

Pricing – From €199/month. There is no self-serve sign-up: the only entry point is “Order your free demo” – their experts set the tool up during a live session, and only afterwards can you use it free for a trial period.

For an SME, consider – At €199/month you’re carrying roughly €2,400 a year for what is, for most SMEs, an annual exercise – and the trial comes after a consultation and demo, not on sign-up.

Best for – SMEs wanting a guided VSME tool with a strategic extension path toward CSRD.

6. ExecutESG

What it is – A self-serve VSME reporting tool with a genuinely open free tier: you sign up and immediately work through the VSME questionnaire, with KPI dashboard, GHG calculator, and double-materiality modules visible but locked in the product.

Key features

• Free plan lets you complete the VSME questionnaire and see the full module set (Understand → Act → Report) before paying – no demo gate
• Clean, modern interface; guided data entry with validation and skip/next flow
• Paid tiers unlock exports (PDF, Word, XBRL), KPI dashboard, GHG calculator, and Double Materiality.

Pricing – Free plan to build your report; paid plans unlock exports and advanced modules: Comprehensive €49/mo, Pro €99/mo (adds DMA), Manage €250/mo, Lead €750/mo, Enterprise €2,500/mo, each with a 14-day trial. Effectively a “pay to export/unlock” model.

For an SME, consider – Word export arrives at the €49/mo Comprehensive tier, but machine-readable XBRL export is reserved for the “Lead” tier – a Contact-Sales, enterprise-priced plan built around the ESRS engine, not the €49–99 self-serve tiers. An SME that needs the XBRL banks increasingly ask for would have to move well up the ladder to get it.

Best for – SMEs wanting an open, self-serve tool they can explore free before committing, with room to grow into GHG and DMA.

Broader ESG platforms with a VSME module

A note on fit. The platforms below are excellent at what they’re built for – multi-entity groups with departments, internal controls, and a CSRD trajectory. That’s also the point: approval workflows, role management, and audit machinery are capabilities a 30-person company pays for but rarely uses, and the demo-and-deployment route in takes calendar time an SME answering a bank’s request may not have. They’re listed because they’re credible options – for the right size of organisation.

7. Daato

What it is – A platform whose VSME module collects all VSME data points (basic and extended) without CSRD complexity, plus a shareable public profile. Demo-led.

Key features

• All VSME data points, pre-structured for later ESRS/CSRD migration
• AI-assisted drafting that pre-fills sections from your data (editable, revertible)
• Customisable public Sustainability Profile with per-stakeholder visibility

Pricing – Quote; access via “request a demo.” No free self-serve trial.

For an SME, consider – Access is demo-gated with no published price, and the module’s value assumes you’ll grow into the wider ESRS/CSRD platform – most SMEs are out of CSRD scope.

Best for – Companies wanting AI-assisted drafting and a shareable profile with a CSRD path.

8. Envoria

What it is – An enterprise platform delivering VSME via its KPI Management and Disclosure Management modules – guided capture, validation, approvals, and report creation. Demo-led, with guided deployment.

Key features

• Both Basic (B1–B11) and Comprehensive (C1–C9) modules, with guidance for each disclosure
• Multi-entity consolidation, approval workflows, and a full audit trail; manual/Excel/ERP-API import
• Template-based report via the Report Editor (from Q2/2026); transferable to Envoria’s CSRD software

Pricing – Custom; sales-led. Enterprise security (EU/Germany hosting, ISO 27001, ISAE 3402).

For an SME, consider – Deployment is guided rather than instant, much of the feature set (4-eyes approvals, multi-entity consolidation, role management) is built for organisations with departments, and the VSME report template arrives in Q2/2026 – worth checking against your deadline.

Best for – Mid-sized companies and groups needing audit-grade VSME with a CSRD path.

9. Position Green – and Greenomy

What it is – An enterprise, “investor-grade” ESG platform (60,000+ users) where VSME sits beside ESRS, EU Taxonomy, GRI, and SFDR. In 2025 it acquired Greenomy, the Brussels-based CSRD/EU Taxonomy/VSME reporting specialist, which continues to offer its VSME solution under the Position Green group. Demo-led.

Key features

• Real-time collaboration with API integrations, task delegation, and data-quality thresholds
• AI-powered analytics and visualisations; fast exports and data sharing
• Upgrade from Basic to Comprehensive, with data reusable across ESRS, GRI, and ISSB
• Greenomy adds a dedicated VSME reporting solution covering the Basic and Comprehensive modules, oriented toward green financing
• Independent tool directories list the VSME module with XBRL support

Pricing – Position Green: quote, demo-led (with a self-guided product tour). Greenomy: pricing on request, with a 14-day free trial available.

For an SME, consider – This is an enterprise platform priced and built for enterprise needs; “investor-grade” depth and advisory teams are paid for in the quote, whether or not a small company uses them.

Best for – Organisations wanting investor-grade VSME inside a scalable enterprise platform with advisory depth.

How to choose a VSME reporting tool

Four questions filter the list quickly:

• Would you actually use the enterprise machinery? Approval workflows, role management, and multi-entity consolidation are valuable in organisations with departments. If your “team” is two people and a shared spreadsheet, you’d be paying for capability you’ll never switch on.
• Do you know your budget before a sales call? Self-serve tools let you see the model up front; quote-priced platforms are, by design, priced for enterprise budgets.
• When is your deadline? A demo → onboarding → deployment cycle takes calendar time. If a bank or client is waiting, a tool you can start today is the difference between answering this week and next quarter.
• Who needs the output? Banks and clients read a document; data exchange and EFRAG alignment need XBRL. VSME reporting Tools that produce both cover the most ground – several here are PDF-only.

For an SME that just needs to answer bank and client requests quickly, keep ownership in-house, and avoid heavy ongoing cost, a self-serve VSME reporting tool you can start for free – with no setup – and that exports both XBRL and Word is the most efficient fit.