Compare · Complipath vs IBM watsonx.governance · Last checked 9 October 2026

Complipath vs IBM watsonx.governance: how do they compare on the EU AI Act?

Each IBM watsonx.governance cell is a sentence from their own site, in their words and not ours, with the page it stood on; each Complipath cell is our own page or our status table. Complipath (complipath.io) is EU AI Act compliance software that classifies each AI system with the article behind the answer.

Written by Yobel TzegaiLast checked 9 October 2026

Choose Complipath if

Rule engine
  • You use AI from other vendors and need each system classified, with the article it rests on.
  • You need the same answer every time. Rules decide. AI only drafts. A person confirms.
  • You want proof linked to each duty: the file and the page it stands on.

Choose IBM watsonx.governance if

In their words
  • What they put first is what you need:
    “IBM watsonx.governance helps enterprises govern any AI, anywhere with real-time visibility, enterprise controls, and continuous accountability, powered by AI-native governance and enterprise-grade GRC.” In their words and not ours.
    [69]
Price fromComplipath€499 a month[52]IBM watsonx.governanceStarting at $3,500 (monthly pricing)[53]
What the price is based onComplipathUp to 20 AI systems[57]IBM watsonx.governance Stated[58]
How it classifiesComplipathRule engine[8]IBM watsonx.governanceNot stated
Free startComplipathFirst system[54]IBM watsonx.governanceNot stated
HostingComplipath Yes[46]IBM watsonx.governanceNot stated
Free trialComplipath Yes[55]IBM watsonx.governance Yes[56]

Prices exclude VAT. Our price is the one on the pricing page.

50 requirements, by area

Same list on every comparison page. Open an area to see each line.
AreaComplipathIBM watsonx.governance
Inventory4.5/52/5
A register of AI systems Yes[1] Yes[2]
Systems you build and systems you buy Yes[3] Not stated
A named owner per system Yes[4] Not stated
Automatic discovery of AI in use Partly[5] Yes[6]
AI used by your suppliers Yes[7] Not stated
Classification and roles4/50/5
EU AI Act risk classification Yes[8] Not stated
Prohibited practices (Article 5) Partly[9] Not stated
High-risk check against Annex III Yes[10] Not stated
The Article 6(3) exemption Yes[11] Not stated
Provider or deployer role Partly[12] Not stated
Duties, deadlines and follow-up6.5/104/10
Obligations listed per system Yes[13] Yes[14]
The article behind each obligation Yes[15] Not stated
Deadlines per obligation Yes[16] Not stated
AI literacy (Article 4) Yes[17] Not stated
Transparency duties (Article 50) Yes[18] Not stated
Monitoring of changes in the law Yes[19] Yes[20]
Post-market monitoring (Article 72) No[21] Not stated
Serious incident reporting (Article 73) No[22] Not stated
Monitoring of models in operation No[23] Yes[24]
Tasks, reminders and workflows Partly[25] Yes[26]
Documents and evidence8/103.5/10
Annex IV technical documentation Yes[27] Not stated
AI-assisted drafting of documents Yes[28] Partly[29]
Fundamental rights impact assessment (Article 27) No[30] Not stated
EU declaration of conformity (Article 47) No[31] Not stated
Export (PDF or other formats) Yes[32] Not stated
Evidence linked to each requirement Yes[33] Yes[34]
An audit log or audit trail Yes[35] Yes[36]
Sign-off and approvals Yes[37] Not stated
The version of the law each answer used Yes[38] Not stated
Audit-ready reports Yes[39] Yes[40]
Security, hosting and integrations2/101/10
An API No[41] Not stated
Integrations with ML and engineering tools No[42] Not stated
Integrations with work tools No[43] Not stated
Single sign-on Not stated publicly[44] Not stated
Import from a spreadsheet Not stated publicly[45] Not stated
Hosting in the EU Yes[46] Not stated
Encryption Not stated publicly[47] Not stated
ISO 27001 or SOC 2 No[48] Not stated
Two-factor sign-in Yes[49] Not stated
Self-hosted or on-premise option No[50] Yes[51]
Price and getting started8/106/10
A public price€499 a month[52] Prices exclude VAT.Starting at $3,500 (monthly pricing)[53]
A free tier or free tool Yes[54] Not stated
A free trial Yes[55] Yes[56]
What the price is based onUp to 20 AI systems[57] Yes[58]
A plan for small companies Yes[59] Not stated
Sign-up without talking to sales Yes[60] Yes[61]
A stated time to first result Not stated publicly[62] Not stated
A demo or sales call to start Yes[63] Yes[64]
Onboarding help Yes[65] Partly[66]
Other frameworks (ISO/IEC 42001, NIST AI RMF) No[67] Partly[68]

Counts = requirements met in full. Partly counts as half. “Not stated” counts as zero and is never guessed. IBM watsonx.governance: 18 of 50 stated on the 20 pages we read. Complipath: 46 of 50 answered by our own pages.

Where IBM watsonx.governance is better

  • Monitoring of models in operation: their site says so[24]. Complipath: no.
  • Self-hosted or on-premise option: their site says so[51]. Complipath: no.
  • Other frameworks (ISO/IEC 42001, NIST AI RMF): their site says so in part[68]. Complipath: no.

Where Complipath is better

  • Systems you build and systems you buy: Complipath yes[3]; not stated on the 20 pages of IBM watsonx.governance's site we read.
  • A named owner per system: Complipath yes[4]; not stated on the 20 pages of IBM watsonx.governance's site we read.
  • AI used by your suppliers: Complipath yes[7]; not stated on the 20 pages of IBM watsonx.governance's site we read.
  • EU AI Act risk classification: Complipath yes[8]; not stated on the 20 pages of IBM watsonx.governance's site we read.
  • High-risk check against Annex III: Complipath yes[10]; not stated on the 20 pages of IBM watsonx.governance's site we read.
  • The Article 6(3) exemption: Complipath yes[11]; not stated on the 20 pages of IBM watsonx.governance's site we read.
  • And 12 more in the areas above.
Sources · 20 pages on IBM watsonx.governance's website, read 9 October 2026Show sources
[1]
A register of AI systems · Complipath

Live. Every AI system you build or use, with its owner and risk class. The status table: what Complipath is.

[2]
A register of AI systems · IBM watsonx.governance
“Model inventory and documentation”IBM watsonx.governance, in their words and not ours. It was read on 9 October 2026 from ibm.com.
[3]
Systems you build and systems you buy · Complipath

Live. Every AI system you build or use, with its owner and risk class. The status table: what Complipath is.

[4]
A named owner per system · Complipath

Live. A person behind every system and every duty. The status table: what Complipath is.

[5]
Automatic discovery of AI in use · Complipath

Partly. The free readiness review suggests AI systems from your public web pages; a system your website does not describe is in it only if you name it. Source.

[6]
Automatic discovery of AI in use · IBM watsonx.governance
“Discover unmanaged and unapproved AI usage across your organization to strengthen governance, reduce risk, and improve visibility.”IBM watsonx.governance, in their words and not ours. It was read on 9 October 2026 from ibm.com.
[7]
AI used by your suppliers · Complipath

Live. Groups your systems by vendor and shows which papers you hold from each, which are missing and which have expired. The status table: what Complipath is.

[8]
EU AI Act risk classification · Complipath

Live. Answers go through rules in code, never a language model, so the same answers always give the same result. Rules decide. AI only drafts. A person confirms. The status table: what Complipath is.

[9]
Prohibited practices (Article 5) · Complipath

Partly. Article 5(1), points (d), (e), (f), (g) and (h) are decided. Points (a), (b) and (c) turn on judgement and are flagged for legal review instead of being decided. Source.

[10]
High-risk check against Annex III · Complipath

Yes. A use case that appears in Annex III is high-risk under Article 6(2) unless the Article 6(3) exemption applies. Source.

[11]
The Article 6(3) exemption · Complipath

Yes. If the use case appears in Annex III, Article 6(2) classifies it high-risk unless the Article 6(3) exemption applies, and profiling of natural persons blocks the exemption entirely. Source.

[12]
Provider or deployer role · Complipath

Partly. Which obligations follow from the role you stated is decided. Whether you are the provider or the deployer is asked, never inferred. Source.

[13]
Obligations listed per system · Complipath

Live. Confirming a classification creates the obligations that follow from it, each with an owner, a status and a place for evidence. The status table: what Complipath is.

[14]
Obligations listed per system · IBM watsonx.governance
“Automate policy enforcement, obligation mapping, and compliance evidence capture process—continuously.”IBM watsonx.governance, in their words and not ours. It was read on 9 October 2026 from ibm.com.
[15]
The article behind each obligation · Complipath

Live. Each reason behind a verdict names the provision it rests on, so a reader can check it herself. The status table: what Complipath is.

[16]
Deadlines per obligation · Complipath

Live. Each obligation carries the date it applies from, derived from where the provision sits rather than written onto the row. The status table: what Complipath is.

[17]
AI literacy (Article 4) · Complipath

Live. Records who was trained on what and when, against the Article 4 duty to support AI literacy, which applies whatever your risk level. The status table: what Complipath is.

[18]
Transparency duties (Article 50) · Complipath

Yes. Article 50 makes some systems tell people they are dealing with AI, and a system can carry that duty and be high-risk at the same time. Source.

[19]
Monitoring of changes in the law · Complipath

Live. Checks the provisions your confirmed records cite against amending acts, and emails you per affected system. The status table: what Complipath is.

[20]
Monitoring of changes in the law · IBM watsonx.governance
“Regulatory horizon scanning helps identify emerging requirements and map them to the AI initiatives, requirements and controls they might impact.”IBM watsonx.governance, in their words and not ours. It was read on 9 October 2026 from ibm.com.
[21]
Post-market monitoring (Article 72) · Complipath

Not supported. We found no support for this in what we have built. MVP searched 245 shipped source files, 44 migrations, 14 obligation templates, 15 export columns and 12 Annex IV limbs, on the article number and on the provision's own words: nothing on any of the five. The status table: what Complipath is.

[22]
Serious incident reporting (Article 73) · Complipath

Not supported. We found no support for this in what we have built. Same search, same five places: nothing. The status table: what Complipath is.

[23]
Monitoring of models in operation · Complipath

No. Complipath does not monitor AI models while they run.

[24]
Monitoring of models in operation · IBM watsonx.governance
“Continuously monitor AI systems for compliance, operational issues, and emerging risks to maintain ongoing oversight.”IBM watsonx.governance, in their words and not ours. It was read on 9 October 2026 from ibm.com.
[25]
Tasks, reminders and workflows · Complipath

Partly. Each obligation has an owner, a status and a date it applies from. When an amending act touches a provision your records cite, you get an email per affected system. Source.

[26]
Tasks, reminders and workflows · IBM watsonx.governance
“Create, manage, and enforce governance policies consistently across teams, models, and AI workflows.”IBM watsonx.governance, in their words and not ours. It was read on 9 October 2026 from ibm.com.
[27]
Annex IV technical documentation · Complipath

Live. A workspace for the technical documentation, section by section, saying which Annex IV points each one answers. The status table: what Complipath is.

[28]
AI-assisted drafting of documents · Complipath

Live. Drafts a documentation section from the facts in your register, and says which limbs it could not answer. The status table: what Complipath is.

[29]
AI-assisted drafting of documents · IBM watsonx.governance
“Use embedded AI assistants to onboard AI use cases, capture governance information and automate governance workflows directly within enterprise tools and conversational interfaces.”IBM watsonx.governance, in their words and not ours. It was read on 9 October 2026 from ibm.com.
[30]
Fundamental rights impact assessment (Article 27) · Complipath

Not supported. The step-by-step plan lists Article 27 as a step only for systems classified under points 5(b) and 5(c) of Annex III. Article 27(1) also binds deployers that are bodies governed by public law or private entities providing public services, and the product does not ask whether you are one. Nothing carries the assessment itself. The status table: what Complipath is.

[31]
EU declaration of conformity (Article 47) · Complipath

Not supported. The Annex IV documentation asks for a copy of the declaration and you upload it; the plan says to issue it when the system is ready. The declaration itself is not drafted. The status table: what Complipath is.

[32]
Export (PDF or other formats) · Complipath

Live. The whole register as a spreadsheet, as JSON or as a PDF, with the exact law texts it was assessed against. The status table: what Complipath is.

[33]
Evidence linked to each requirement · Complipath

Live. Upload a file once. We read it and use it everywhere it helps: proof for requirements, text for the documentation, and a flag when it disagrees with an earlier answer. The status table: what Complipath is.

[34]
Evidence linked to each requirement · IBM watsonx.governance
“Automate policy enforcement, obligation mapping, and compliance evidence capture process—continuously.”IBM watsonx.governance, in their words and not ours. It was read on 9 October 2026 from ibm.com.
[35]
An audit log or audit trail · Complipath

Live. Shows who did what in the workspace, and when, as a list you can read and export. The status table: what Complipath is.

[36]
An audit log or audit trail · IBM watsonx.governance
“Track governance activities, decisions, and model changes with end-to-end traceability for reporting and accountability.”IBM watsonx.governance, in their words and not ours. It was read on 9 October 2026 from ibm.com.
[37]
Sign-off and approvals · Complipath

Yes. Confirming a classification stamps it with the person who confirmed it and when; a documentation section is marked reviewed by a named person on a date. Source.

[38]
The version of the law each answer used · Complipath

Yes. Each assessment records which version of the legal text it was made against, and which provisions have been amended since. Source.

[39]
Audit-ready reports · Complipath

Live. One file with every classification, citation and confirmation — the one you hand to someone outside your company. The status table: what Complipath is.

[40]
Audit-ready reports · IBM watsonx.governance
“Track governance activities, decisions, and model changes with end-to-end traceability for reporting and accountability.”IBM watsonx.governance, in their words and not ours. It was read on 9 October 2026 from ibm.com.
[41]
An API · Complipath

No. Complipath has no API for customers.

[42]
Integrations with ML and engineering tools · Complipath

No. Complipath does not connect to ML or engineering tools.

[43]
Integrations with work tools · Complipath

No. Complipath does not connect to work tools.

[44]
Single sign-on · Complipath

Not stated publicly.

[45]
Import from a spreadsheet · Complipath

Not stated publicly.

[46]
Hosting in the EU · Complipath

Yes. Your workspace is stored in Frankfurt: the database in Supabase's eu-central-1 region and the app's functions in Vercel's fra1 region, read on 8 October 2026. Source.

[47]
Encryption · Complipath

Not stated publicly.

[48]
ISO 27001 or SOC 2 · Complipath

No. Complipath is not SOC 2 certified and not ISO 27001 certified. Source.

[49]
Two-factor sign-in · Complipath

Live. A code from your phone after the email link. The owner can require it for everyone. The status table: what Complipath is.

[50]
Self-hosted or on-premise option · Complipath

No. Complipath runs only as the hosted service.

[51]
Self-hosted or on-premise option · IBM watsonx.governance
“Govern generative AI models from anywhere and deploy on the cloud or on premises with IBM watsonx.governance.”IBM watsonx.governance, in their words and not ours. It was read on 9 October 2026 from ibm.com.
[52]
A public price · Complipath

Starter is €499 a month. Prices exclude VAT. Pricing.

[53]
A public price · IBM watsonx.governance
“Starting at $3,500 (monthly pricing)”IBM watsonx.governance, in their words and not ours. It was read on 9 October 2026 from ibm.com.
[54]
A free tier or free tool · Complipath

Yes. Your first system is free with no end date. The check needs no account. Source.

[55]
A free trial · Complipath

No card. Full access for 30 days, then it drops to the free plan — nothing is deleted and your export keeps working. Pricing.

[56]
A free trial · IBM watsonx.governance
“Free 14-day trial with included credits to get started quickly.”IBM watsonx.governance, in their words and not ours. It was read on 9 October 2026 from ibm.com.
[57]
What the price is based on · Complipath

Starter includes 20 AI systems. Archived systems don’t count toward your limit. Pricing.

[58]
What the price is based on · IBM watsonx.governance
“Pricing for watsonx.governance software is based on the number of virtual processor cores (VPC).”IBM watsonx.governance, in their words and not ours. It was read on 9 October 2026 from ibm.com.
[59]
A plan for small companies · Complipath

Yes. Your first system is free with no end date. You pay for your AI portfolio, not your number of employees. Source.

[60]
Sign-up without talking to sales · Complipath

Yes. The check needs no account, and the trial needs no card. Source.

[61]
Sign-up without talking to sales · IBM watsonx.governance
“Start your free trial”IBM watsonx.governance, in their words and not ours. It was read on 9 October 2026 from ibm.com.
[62]
A stated time to first result · Complipath

Not stated publicly.

[63]
A demo or sales call to start · Complipath

Not required. The check needs no account, and a walkthrough can be booked if you want one. Source.

[64]
A demo or sales call to start · IBM watsonx.governance
“Book a live demo”IBM watsonx.governance, in their words and not ours. It was read on 9 October 2026 from ibm.com.
[65]
Onboarding help · Complipath

Book 30 minutes and we set up your first AI systems with you. Pricing.

[66]
Onboarding help · IBM watsonx.governance
“Our AI governance experts can help.”IBM watsonx.governance, in their words and not ours. It was read on 9 October 2026 from ibm.com.
[67]
Other frameworks (ISO/IEC 42001, NIST AI RMF) · Complipath

Not supported. The assistant answers questions about ISO/IEC 42001 next to the AI Act. There is no mapping of its controls to the Act, and Complipath certifies nothing. The status table: what Complipath is.

[68]
Other frameworks (ISO/IEC 42001, NIST AI RMF) · IBM watsonx.governance
“Align AI initiatives with leading regulations and governance frameworks to simplify compliance process and reduce operational complexity.”IBM watsonx.governance, in their words and not ours. It was read on 9 October 2026 from ibm.com.
[69]
What they put first · IBM watsonx.governance
“IBM watsonx.governance helps enterprises govern any AI, anywhere with real-time visibility, enterprise controls, and continuous accountability, powered by AI-native governance and enterprise-grade GRC.”IBM watsonx.governance, in their words and not ours. It was read on 9 October 2026 from ibm.com.

The 20 pages of IBM watsonx.governance's site we read, on 9 October 2026:

Try both on the same system.Complipath's first system is free. Compare the answer you get with IBM watsonx.governance's.
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Questions

Is this comparison neutral?

It is written by Complipath, so read it as ours. What keeps it checkable is the rule on both sides: each IBM watsonx.governance cell is their own sentence with the page it stood on, and each Complipath cell is what our own pages say. Where a side's pages say nothing, the cell says so.

What does "Not stated on the pages we read" mean?

That none of the 20 pages of IBM watsonx.governance's site we read on 9 October 2026 said it. It is a statement about those pages, listed below, not about the product: ask IBM watsonx.governance before you rule anything out.

Which one should we choose?

Start from the rows you need. Where IBM watsonx.governance's own site states a requirement our pages mark as not supported, they are the closer fit on that row by what each side says publicly. For a European company that wants each classification with its article and the version of the law it used, at a public price, start with Complipath's free check.