Seedling Alternatives & Competitors for UK SMEs

Seedling is a UK carbon management platform for small and mid-sized businesses. It pairs software with expert support, offers a free starting tier and is designed for organisations with up to 2,000 employees. Seedling says it works with more than 500 businesses.

That makes it a reasonable name on many UK shortlists. The right platform still depends on what is driving the work: a customer request, SECR, a public tender, B Corp or product footprints. This guide compares Seedling with five alternatives so you can check the fit before you commit.

Is Seedling right for your business? Seedling is built for UK businesses with up to 2,000 staff. It offers a free Starter tier, and its paid tiers are quoted. It suits lean teams that want a compliant footprint with expert review. If you sell physical products, need EPDs or operate in Asia-Pacific, compare a few options first.

What Seedling does

Seedling describes itself as carbon management software with expert support. Its site lists:

• Measurement of Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, aligned with the GHG Protocol and ISO 14064.
• Reporting for SECR, PPN 006 Carbon Reduction Plans, B Corp climate action, CDP and ISO 14064 verification.
• Product carbon footprints, SBTi-aligned targets and net zero roadmap modelling.
• Engagement tools, including supplier and employee surveys.
• Expert support from a carbon specialist who reviews data, checks assumptions and helps build a decarbonisation plan.

Seedling has three tiers. Starter is free and gives a basic footprint with hotspot analysis for one site. Core adds 1:1 onboarding, expert data review, reduction modelling and up to 10 sites. Advanced adds unlimited sites, full data processing and a single dedicated carbon expert. Core and Advanced are priced on a demo call.

Why companies look for a Seedling alternative

This is a question of fit rather than quality. Seedling is open about where it is not the right choice, and buyers often compare platforms for one of these reasons:

• You sell physical products. Retailers and distributors increasingly ask for product carbon footprints or EPDs, and you may need them across a whole range.
• You want a published price. Some teams need a number for a budget before they book a call.
• You need integrations or live data. Seedling says it isn't the right fit for bespoke API integrations, live data monitoring or reporting broken down by cost centre.
• You want sustainability fully outsourced. Seedling says it doesn't run ESG end to end as an outsourced team.
• You operate beyond the UK. Groups with sites, suppliers or customers in Europe, Japan or wider Asia-Pacific may want a team on the ground there.
• You have several brands, sites or business divisions. Larger groups often need to report and set targets by division, with group-level roll-ups.
• You need a certification for tenders. Some buyers want a recognised mark as well as a footprint.

What to look for in a Seedling alternative

• Scope 1, 2 and 3 coverage aligned with the GHG Protocol, so the footprint holds up when a customer or auditor checks it.
• Expert support and which plan includes it: methodology review, data handling or a dedicated person.
• UK reporting outputs for SECR, CDP, B Corp, Carbon Reduction Plans and customer questionnaires.
• Product footprints and EPDs if you sell physical goods, with a clear price per product.
• Clear pricing, or at least a quick written quote that includes add-ons.
• A realistic onboarding timeline based on customers of your size.

Seedling alternatives compared

The best Seedling alternatives for UK SMEs

Zevero

Zevero is a carbon accounting platform that pairs software with in-house sustainability experts. Expert involvement rises with each plan: on Essential an expert reviews your methodology at setup and key milestones, on Leading the expert stays close to your data, and on Premium the expert co-owns your data and builds your net zero strategy.

Best for: growing companies and multi-division groups, particularly in food and drink, manufacturing and consumer goods, that want one partner for software, product-level data and expert advice as they scale in the UK and abroad.

• Built to scale: start with Scope 1 and 2, add Scope 3, more sites and new entities as you grow, and report by site, brand or business division with group roll-ups
• Scope 1, 2 and 3 footprints aligned with the GHG Protocol and ISO 14064
• ISO 27001-certified information security, with policies and controls set out in our Trust Centre
• More than software: product carbon footprints from £500 per product, EPDs from £10,000 per product, ESG reporting, B Corp support and decarbonisation strategy consultancy from the same team
• A global team in London, Singapore and Tokyo, working with organisations in more than 20 countries
• Reporting for SECR, CDP, B Corp and customer supplier requests, with setup and onboarding included in the subscription

Pricing: Zevero Lite covers Scope 1 and 2 from £1,500 a year. Essential, Leading and Premium plans are quoted. See all plans.

Things to know: Zevero is rated 4.7 on G2 and received G2's Best Estimated ROI and High Performer badges in Fall 2026. Customers typically get a footprint within 8 to 12 weeks, depending on how quickly data can be collected. All plans have a one-year minimum term, and there is no free tier.

Planet Mark

Planet Mark is a UK sustainability certification business offering independently validated, people-supported carbon measurement and reduction. Members can work towards annual certification and net zero certification.

Best for: UK businesses that want a recognised certification to show in tenders and to customers.

Things to know: it is a certification-led membership more than a software-first platform. Pricing isn't published, and a free carbon clinic is the usual starting point.

Greenly

Greenly is a French carbon accounting platform that says it serves around 4,000 clients in more than 30 countries, from SMBs to enterprises. It combines automated carbon accounting with AI agents (EcoPilot), life cycle assessment and supplier engagement.

Best for: organisations that want a broad, automated suite with a long list of supported frameworks, including UK SRS, SECR, CSRD, SBTi and EcoVadis.

Things to know: Greenly doesn't publish prices on its site. In September 2026 it announced it is joining forces with Normative, in a deal reported as an acquisition, so ask how the combination affects plans and contracts. For more detail, read our guide to Greenly alternatives.

Persefoni

Persefoni offers a free tier, Persefoni Pro, for a single user at companies with low to medium complexity. It covers a Scope 1 to 3 footprint, including all 15 Scope 3 categories.

Best for: companies with someone who has time to do the work themselves and wants to start without a budget.

Things to know: the free tier is self-serve. Concierge support and the SECR report are paid add-ons, and the Advanced tier, aimed at enterprise-scale programmes, is quoted.

Compare Your Footprint

Compare Your Footprint is a UK benchmarking and reporting platform built for SMEs and sustainability consultants. It offers guided Scope 1, 2 and 3 data entry aligned with the GHG Protocol, SECR-ready reports and a white-label option for partners.

Best for: small firms that want to run their own footprint on a fixed budget, and consultants who report for several clients.

Things to know: self-serve plans are published, starting from £769 a year (excluding VAT) for the Measure plan, with a 14-day free trial. Hands-on setup from its methodology team is a separately priced add-on, so budget for it if no one in-house has carbon experience.

How to choose: a quick checklist

• Why do you need a footprint now? A customer request, SECR, B Corp and a public tender each need different outputs. Start there.
• Who will do the work? If no one has the time, check which plan includes expert review or a dedicated person, not only whether experts exist.
• Do you sell products? Check whether product footprints and EPDs are in scope, and what they cost per product.
• What will it cost in years one and two? Ask for a written quote that includes onboarding, add-ons and minimum terms.
• How long until you have numbers? Ask for timelines from customers of a similar size and sector.
• Will the platform grow with you? Check you can add Scope 3, targets, more sites and reduction planning later without switching again.

For a wider view of the market, see our comparison of the best carbon accounting software.

Finding the right fit

Seedling is a solid option for UK SMEs that want a free starting point and expert review of their footprint. If you expect to grow into Scope 3, more sites or several divisions, need product footprints and EPDs, or work across the UK, Europe and Asia-Pacific, compare a platform built to scale with you.

If that sounds like your business, book a demo to see how Zevero's software and in-house experts work with your data, or check our pricing first.