Head to head

Holistic AI vs IBM OpenPages

Same facts, side by side: starting price, free tier, MCP, API and what each one is actually built for.

Holistic AI

Sales-quoted

Holistic AI is an enterprise AI governance platform for inventory, testing, monitoring, and regulatory mapping. Pricing is custom. There is no self-serve plan. Gartner has named it a Magic Quadrant Challenger in AI governance.

Where Holistic AI fits

  • Enterprises that must inventory and monitor HR and other AI systems under the EU AI Act
  • Risk teams that want red teaming and runtime monitoring in one vendor
  • Buyers who already talk Gartner MQ language for AI governance
  • Organizations mapping ISO 42001 or NIST AI RMF rather than a one-off NYC LL144 PDF

IBM OpenPages

Sales-quoted

IBM OpenPages is an enterprise GRC platform that still sells AI governance, risk, and compliance modules. SaaS Essentials is listed from USD 3,300 as an indicative figure with no billing unit. IBM tells buyers to contact sales for an accurate quote.

Where IBM OpenPages fits

  • Enterprises already standardized on IBM GRC that need an AI-governance module
  • Risk teams that want OpenPages on AWS SaaS or IBM Cloud rather than a startup AI-gov vendor
  • Programs that will pay extra for watsonx add-ons on top of core OpenPages
  • Regulated industries that need workflow GRC plus REST APIs

At a glance

DetailHolistic AIIBM OpenPages
Starting priceSales-quotedSales-quoted
Free tier–No–No
MCP server–No–No
Public API–No–No
Listed underHR complianceHR compliance

Where they pull apart

Holistic AI

Stands out: The pitch is runtime agentic monitoring, red teaming, and 100-plus automated tests covering bias, hallucinations, and adversarial probes, mapped to the EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, and ISO/IEC 42001.

Watch out: You will not see a price until a demo. The platform is built for organizations with a real AI inventory, not a first HR-AI audit spreadsheet. HR is one use case inside a broader GRC product.

Not the right fit for

  • HR teams that only need a one-time NYC LL144 bias audit PDF
  • SMBs that need a published price and a credit-card signup

IBM OpenPages

Stands out: REST APIs and IBM App Connect are in the core bundle. watsonx.ai, watsonx Assistant, Watson Discovery, and Watson NLU are called out as extra-cost add-ons. Deployments include AWS SaaS, IBM Cloud, and on-premises.

Watch out: The USD 3,300 and USD 6,050 SaaS figures are labelled indicative and may vary by country. They are not a self-serve checkout. On-premises is quote-only. This is a GRC platform, not an HR-only bias-audit tool.

Not the right fit for

  • HR teams that only need a NYC LL144 PDF from a specialist auditor
  • SMBs that need a published per-user price they can buy online

Pros and cons

Holistic AI

  • EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, and ISO 42001 mapping in one governance platform
  • Runtime monitoring and red teaming, not only a static model card
  • Positioned for enterprise AI inventories rather than a single HR tool
  • The vendor does not publish a price
  • Overkill if you only need an HR bias audit
  • No Capterra rating at 10-plus matching reviews

IBM OpenPages

  • Indicative USD list on the vendor pricing page, unusual for heavy GRC
  • REST APIs included, watsonx add-ons sold separately
  • AWS SaaS, IBM Cloud, and on-premises deployment choices
  • Figures are indicative with no billing unit, so finance still needs a quote
  • watsonx AI features are extra cost on top of OpenPages
  • Far more platform than an HR team buying a single bias audit

What each one costs

Holistic AI

Sales-quoted

Holistic AI is quoted from deployment size, the number of AI systems under management, and the frameworks you need (EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, ISO 42001). There is no public seat table and no advertised free plan. A demo is the path to a quote. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 19 Sep 2026

IBM OpenPages

Sales-quoted

IBM lists SaaS Essentials from USD 3,300 and Standard from USD 6,050, and IBM Cloud Single Solution from USD 6,250 and Enterprise from USD 9,000. Those figures are marked indicative, may vary by country, and IBM asks for a sales quote. On-premises is quote-only. watsonx add-ons are extra. REST APIs are included. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 19 Sep 2026

Common questions

Can you try Holistic AI or IBM OpenPages for free?
Neither carries a free tier on our listing.

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All Holistic AI alternatives All IBM OpenPages alternatives Every HR compliance tool

Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 19 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?