EQS Group
German compliance platform (EQS Integrity Line) with 14,000+ customers, formerly Frankfurt-listed
Quick Overview
| Company | EQS Group GmbH |
|---|---|
| Category | Whistleblowing Software |
| Headquarters | Munich, Germany |
| Founded | 2000 (as Equity Story AG; renamed EQS Group in 2013) |
| EU Presence | EU (Germany) |
| Open Source | Not stated; closed-source SaaS |
| Compliance | ISO/IEC 27001, ISAE 3000 Type II (audited by PwC), WCAG Bronze, Cloud Security Alliance STAR registered |
| Pricing | Quote only, tiers named Essential, Professional, Enterprise |
| Free Option | No free tier stated; quote-only |
| Replaces | NAVEX EthicsPoint, Convercent (which EQS itself acquired from OneTrust) |
Detailed Review
EQS Group is the closest thing to an incumbent in this category. The Munich-based company has sold compliance software since 2000, and its product, EQS Integrity Line, now serves more than 14,000 customer organisations across 80 countries. It was listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange from 2006 until 2023, when US private equity firm Thoma Bravo took the company private; EQS Group GmbH itself continues to operate as an independently managed German entity under that ownership.
In December 2024, EQS acquired the Convercent ethics and compliance business from OneTrust, absorbing a large block of enterprise customers, including past Convercent clients such as Airbnb, Under Armour and Kimberly-Clark, in one move. The product includes AI-assisted transcription of voice reports, translation across more than 80 languages, intelligent case routing, and full investigation audit trails, certified to ISO/IEC 27001 and ISAE 3000 Type II by PwC.
Pricing across all three named tiers, Essential, Professional and Enterprise, is quote-only, scaled by employee count with add-ons for phone reporting and extra channels. For a large multinational that wants one vendor with genuine enterprise scale and an established compliance track record, EQS is the obvious shortlist entry; for a small company, its size and quote-only pricing work against it.
What EQS Group does well
- 14,000+ customer organisations across 80 countries — the largest EU-headquartered vendor in this category
- AI-assisted transcription and translation across 80+ languages
- ISO/IEC 27001 and ISAE 3000 Type II (PwC-audited) certification
- December 2024 acquisition of Convercent's ethics and compliance business adds significant enterprise depth
Where EQS Group falls short
- Pricing is quote-only across all three tiers; no published number anywhere
- Majority-owned by Thoma Bravo, a US private equity firm, since a 2023 take-private buyout
- Sized and priced for large organisations, not a good fit for a small single-entity company
Standout feature. The December 2024 acquisition of Convercent's ethics and compliance business from OneTrust, which added hundreds of enterprise customers in a single move.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- 14,000+ customer organisations across 80 countries
- AI-assisted transcription and translation across 80+ languages
- ISO/IEC 27001 and ISAE 3000 Type II audited by PwC
- Convercent acquisition adds enterprise depth
Cons
- Quote-only pricing across all three tiers
- Majority-owned by Thoma Bravo, a US private equity firm, since 2023
- Sized and priced for large organisations
Alternatives to EQS Group
Frequently Asked Questions
What is EQS Group?
EQS Group is german compliance platform (EQS Integrity Line) with 14,000+ customers, formerly Frankfurt-listed.
Where is EQS Group based?
EQS Group is operated by EQS Group GmbH, based in Munich, Germany, which places it under EU (Germany) law.
What does EQS Group cost?
Quote only, tiers named Essential, Professional, Enterprise.
Who is EQS Group best for?
The December 2024 acquisition of Convercent's ethics and compliance business from OneTrust, which added hundreds of enterprise customers in a single move.
Is EQS Group a good alternative to NAVEX EthicsPoint and Case IQ?
EQS Group is built as a European alternative to US-based whistleblowing and compliance-hotline tools like NAVEX EthicsPoint and Case IQ. It will not be a like-for-like feature match in every respect, so check the review above for where it genuinely differs before switching.
How does EQS Group compare to other Whistleblowing Software tools?
EQS Group is one of several European Whistleblowing Software tools covered on this site. See the full Whistleblowing Software category page for how it ranks against its closest European competitors.