CBAM compliance options for exporters, compared
Four ways to get your CBAM emissions figures ready for your EU buyers and their verifier. We make one of them, the CBAM Evidence Pack; the comparison says what each option does and what it costs, as checked on 10 October 2026.
Spreadsheets and free tools
- Who does the work
- You, in your own spreadsheets
- Cost to you
- Nothing
- Calculation
- Free calculators give the EU method's figures for one product at a time
- Evidence for the verifier
- You assemble it
- What you keep
- Your files
- Fits best
- One or two products, simple plant, no deadline pressure
CBAM Evidence Pack (ours)
- Who does the work
- You, in an app that does the calculation and keeps the evidence
- Cost to you
- Free during the beta; from launch ₹14,999 per plant and reporting year (early-bird price until 31 March 2027, then ₹21,999)
- Calculation
- EU method for every good, fuel and precursor; independently re-checked against the Commission's own files on every release
- Evidence for the verifier
- Every figure linked to its document and page, SHA-256 of each file, change log, one zip
- What you keep
- Your data in your own account; with the pack you download it as Excel, Word, the Commission template and PDF statements
- Fits best
- Exporters who want to do it themselves, properly, and keep the work year after year
Consultant or done-for-you service
- Who does the work
- The consultant, with data you collect for them
- Cost to you
- Quoted per project; none of the Indian consultancies we checked publishes a price. Some offer free done-for-you reporting as an entry offer
- Calculation
- Depends on the consultant
- Evidence for the verifier
- Usually part of the service
- What you keep
- The deliverables you are given
- Fits best
- Complex plants or teams without time to learn the method
Your buyer's importer software
- Who does the work
- Your EU buyer, with data you send them
- Cost to you
- Usually nothing: the EU importer pays. The cheapest published importer subscription we found starts at about €79 a month; most vendors quote on request
- Calculation
- Takes your final figure; checks it against the EU default
- Evidence for the verifier
- Not the importer's job: the verifier checks your installation
- What you keep
- Nothing of your own: the data sits in your buyer's system
- Fits best
- Buyers collecting data from many suppliers
| Spreadsheets and free tools | CBAM Evidence Pack (ours) | Consultant or done-for-you service | Your buyer's importer software | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who does the work | You, in your own spreadsheets | You, in an app that does the calculation and keeps the evidence | The consultant, with data you collect for them | Your EU buyer, with data you send them |
| Cost to you | Nothing | Free during the beta; from launch ₹14,999 per plant and reporting year (early-bird price until 31 March 2027, then ₹21,999) | Quoted per project; none of the Indian consultancies we checked publishes a price. Some offer free done-for-you reporting as an entry offer | Usually nothing: the EU importer pays. The cheapest published importer subscription we found starts at about €79 a month; most vendors quote on request |
| Calculation | Free calculators give the EU method's figures for one product at a time | EU method for every good, fuel and precursor; independently re-checked against the Commission's own files on every release | Depends on the consultant | Takes your final figure; checks it against the EU default |
| Evidence for the verifier | You assemble it | Every figure linked to its document and page, SHA-256 of each file, change log, one zip | Usually part of the service | Not the importer's job: the verifier checks your installation |
| What you keep | Your files | Your data in your own account; with the pack you download it as Excel, Word, the Commission template and PDF statements | The deliverables you are given | Nothing of your own: the data sits in your buyer's system |
| Fits best | One or two products, simple plant, no deadline pressure | Exporters who want to do it themselves, properly, and keep the work year after year | Complex plants or teams without time to learn the method | Buyers collecting data from many suppliers |
What none of them replaces
Your figures count as actual emissions for EU buyers only once an accredited CBAM verifier has checked them. No spreadsheet, app, consultant or importer platform can do that part; each of them prepares the data the verifier checks.
How to choose
Start with the free cost calculator to see what the EU default value costs your buyers. If verified figures would lower that cost a lot, it is worth preparing them; the readiness check shows how far your records already go.
To see what the Evidence Pack hands your verifier before you sign up: Download a sample pack (zip, fictional plant).
Market facts checked on 10 October 2026 from the providers' own websites; prices change, so check with each provider. We have no commercial relationship with the providers described.