Hedgehog Carbon Platform

Hedgehog Carbon Platform is a web-based carbon-accounting workspace for organizations building operational emissions inventories and compliance reports. It suits teams that need to coordinate data across locations and roles, particularly when they want both AI guidance and access to carbon-accounting specialists. The main trade-off is a tightly limited free tier and annual billing for Pro.

Overview

Hedgehog records Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions from operational data using the GHG Protocol. Collection is manual, so the service organizes and analyzes information rather than automatically pulling it from a broad software ecosystem. Users can ask an AI guide about data sources and upload data sheets for AI analysis, which is useful when a team is establishing its first inventory or needs help interpreting incoming spreadsheets.

Reporting is aimed at the GHG Protocol, PPN 006 and the CO2-Prestatieladder. Workspaces can cover multiple business locations and sites, with dashboards that span entities and activities. Invited users can receive data-owner, auditor or manager roles, making the platform suitable for a distributed collection and review process. Hedgehog says it can provide the emission-factor databases a user needs and lists support for industries including construction materials, manufacturing, IT and consumer electronics, plastics and recycling, fashion and textiles, retail, health and funeral services, finance, and professional services.

Key features

• Scope 1–3 accounting: Coverage across all three GHG scopes makes the platform relevant to organizations seeking a complete inventory rather than a narrow direct-emissions tracker.
• AI data guidance: Chat-based questions about data sources and spreadsheet analysis can reduce uncertainty during setup. Because collection remains manual, teams still need disciplined source gathering and entry.
• Multi-site dashboards: Entity- and activity-level views help managers compare locations and consolidate reporting, while additional sites and users on Pro carry a recurring surcharge.
• Role-based collaboration: Data-owner, auditor and manager permissions provide a clear division between collection and review duties, a practical fit for larger reporting teams.
• Human expertise: In-app GHG experts are available for support, and the Expert plan assigns a dedicated Hedgehog expert. That is a meaningful advantage when internal carbon expertise is limited.
• Security controls: Hedgehog says its information-security management system complies with ISO 27001 standards. Traffic uses HTTPS, access uses OAuth2 and role-based access control, and stored data is backed up daily.
• Limited integrations: The company says there are currently few integrations with other software. Organizations expecting automated imports from many operational systems should treat this as a substantial constraint.

Pricing

The pricing model is freemium. The Free plan costs nothing, billed forever, and allows five GHG-emission sources, one user and one entity. It includes an AI-powered onboarding guide for scope and first inventory items. This is a reasonable way to begin a small evaluation, but the one-user, one-entity structure and five-source ceiling quickly limit ongoing multi-site work. There is no free trial separate from the free plan.

Pro starts at €100 per month, billed annually. It removes the emission-source limit and supports additional locations and users at €15 each per month. Expert-guided onboarding is optional and priced according to company size and knowledge level. Pro is the practical tier for organizations that need a continuing, shared inventory, but annual commitment and per-location or per-user charges make expansion costs important to forecast.

Expert starts at €1200 per month and includes Pro features plus a dedicated Hedgehog expert. It is flexible and cancellable monthly, making it the clearest choice for organizations that want sustained specialist involvement without an annual term. The price is substantial, so smaller teams should first establish whether AI guidance and occasional in-app support are sufficient.

Platforms

Hedgehog Carbon Platform runs on the web. Its browser-based delivery fits teams working across sites and roles, while organizations seeking a native desktop or mobile application should look elsewhere.

Who it's for

Choose Hedgehog when your organization needs Scope 1–3 accounting, reporting aligned with the GHG Protocol, PPN 006 or the CO2-Prestatieladder, and a workspace for several entities or data owners. It is especially suited to industries in Hedgehog's stated coverage and to teams that value access to human GHG expertise.

It is a weaker fit for a solo user with many data sources, for organizations that need automated connections to numerous business systems, or for teams unwilling to pay annually for Pro. The Free plan is best treated as a constrained starting point rather than a complete production setup.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Scope 1–3 coverage supports a full operational inventory; reporting targets three recognized frameworks; multi-site dashboards and role-based access support distributed teams; AI spreadsheet analysis accelerates early data work; Expert adds a dedicated specialist; HTTPS, OAuth2, role-based access and daily backups address core data-protection needs.
• Cons: Manual collection leaves teams responsible for gathering and entering data; the free tier permits only five sources, one user and one entity; Pro requires annual billing and charges €15 monthly for each added location or user; integrations are currently few; Expert's €1200 monthly starting price is aimed at organizations with a substantial support budget.

Alternatives

For a broader directory of carbon-accounting choices, see Carbon Accounting Software.

• Carbonfact is the better direction for supplier environmental-data exchange and product LCAs, with a free supplier plan and a paid Product LCA offering.
• CarbonTool suits organizations wanting a 30-day full-access trial and a paid annual Core plan focused on Scope 1 and 2 measurement.
• EcoReko is worth considering if a forever-free plan with one user, one site and a static dashboard meets your needs.
• Greenio may fit teams seeking API access, a free trial, AI recommendations and four PDF reports per year on its free plan.
• CarbonInk is a free, no-account desktop option for macOS and Windows.
• Persefoni offers a free self-service plan for one user with unlimited assets and historical reporting years.
• Vaayu is an alternative for organizations evaluating API and web access with paid pricing available on request.
• 50X Impact is another web-based option to compare.

Verdict

Hedgehog Carbon Platform is a strong choice for organizations coordinating Scope 1–3 data across multiple sites that want structured dashboards and a path from AI-assisted onboarding to dedicated expert help. Choose it for its reporting coverage, collaborative roles and human support; look elsewhere if extensive integrations, low-cost scaling or a fully automated collection workflow matters more than expert guidance.