Vendors.ie Report, GDPR Anniversary Edition
Irish SaaS Sovereignty Report 2026
Eight years on from GDPR, where does the business software Irish SMEs use actually store its data? This report audits 176 verified vendors in the Vendors.ie dataset against the one field that decides whether a transfer to the United States needs supplementary safeguards under Article 44 and the Schrems II ruling: declared GDPR data residency.
The headline finding sits in the AI category. 5 of the 6 AI tools we track for Irish SMEs do not guarantee EU-only data residency (83%). Only Microsoft Copilot offers EU-region processing as the default. Across the full dataset, 57 of 176 vendors (32%) either route data through the US or do not commit to EU-only storage.
Why residency status matters under GDPR
Article 44 of the GDPR requires that any transfer of personal data to a third country - the United States, in practice, for most SaaS vendors - rests on an adequacy decision, appropriate safeguards, or a derogation. The Court of Justice of the European Union struck down the EU-US Privacy Shield in the 2020 Schrems II ruling and required data exporters to verify that supplementary measures cover US surveillance powers. The EU-US Data Privacy Framework, adopted in July 2023, currently provides that adequacy basis for vendors that self-certify. The Framework remains under live legal challenge.
For an Irish SME selecting software, the practical question is simpler. Does the vendor commit to EU-only processing, or does customer data move to US data centres under that adequacy decision? The table below answers that for every vendor we track.
Residency by category
Counts per category across 176 verified vendors. A vendor that serves two categories is counted in each.
| Category | EU only | US only | Both regions | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting Software | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Accounts Payable Automation Software | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| AI Tools | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| Bid Writing Software | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Business Banking | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| CRM Software | 8 | 1 | 2 | 11 |
| Customer Support Software | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
| dental-practice-management | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Ecommerce Platforms | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 |
| Email Marketing Software | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7 |
| ERP Software | 5 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| eSignature Software | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Expense Management Software | 5 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Field Service and Trades Software | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| Fintech | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| HR Software | 8 | 0 | 2 | 10 |
| Inventory Management Software | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Invoicing Software | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| legal-practice-management | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Payroll Software | 8 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| Point of Sale Software | 4 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| Project Management Software | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 |
| Social Media Scheduling Software | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
Adjacent finding
Bid-writing software: zero EU-only options
The five AI-assisted bid-writing tools used by Irish suppliers responding to eTenders notices all process data outside the EU as default behaviour or as an unavoidable routing step. None of the five offers EU-only residency at the time of this verification. The underlying data is at /bid-writing-software-ireland.
Full vendor residency table
Every verified vendor with a declared GDPR data residency value. Filter by category, click a column header to sort, or use the residency chips to narrow the view.
Residency
No vendors match these filters. .
| Irish hosting | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 3Tek | EU only | No | |
| ActiveCampaign | Email Marketing Software | Both regions | No |
| Adobe Acrobat Sign | eSignature Software | Both regions | No |
| AIB Business | Business Banking | EU only | No |
| AIB Business Current Account | Business Banking | EU only | No |
| Airwallex | Fintech | EU only | No |
| Albany Office Supplies | EU only | No | |
| Alkimii | HR Software | EU only | No |
| Amgen Technology (Ireland) | EU only | No | |
| Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority | EU only | No | |
| Arphie | Bid Writing Software | US only | Not stated |
| Asana | Project Management Software | Both regions | No |
| Atlantic Audio | EU only | No | |
| AutogenAI | Bid Writing Software | Both regions | Not stated |
| BambooHR | HR Software | Both regions | No |
| Bank of Ireland Business | Business Banking | EU only | No |
| Barretstown Camp | EU only | No | |
| Basecamp | Project Management Software | Both regions | No |
| Beacon Hospital | EU only | No | |
| Big Red Book Payroll | Payroll Software | EU only | No |
| Big Red Cloud | Accounting Software | EU only | No |
| BigCommerce | Ecommerce Platforms | Both regions | No |
| Bizimply | HR Software | EU only | No |
| Blackrock Health Blackrock Clinic | EU only | No | |
| Blackrock Health Galway Clinic | EU only | No | |
| Blackrock Health Hermitage Clinic | EU only | No | |
| Blackrock Health Limerick Clinic | EU only | No | |
| Brennan & Co. | EU only | No | |
| Brennan & Co. NI | EU only | No | |
| Brennan & Company SVS | EU only | No | |
| Brevo | Email Marketing Software | EU only | No |
| BrightBooks | Accounting Software | EU only | No |
| BrightPay | Payroll Software | EU only | No |
| Buffer | Social Media Scheduling Software | US only | No |
| Bunq Business | Business Banking | EU only | No |
| Capsule CRM | CRM Software | EU only | No |
| ChatGPT Enterprise | AI Tools | Both regions | Not stated |
| Chevron College | EU only | No | |
| Cin7 | Inventory Management Software | Both regions | No |
| Claude for Business | AI Tools | US only | No |
| ClickUp | Project Management Software | Both regions | No |
| Clio | CRM Software, Legal Practice Management | EU only | No |
| Collsoft Payroll | Payroll Software | EU only | No |
| Commusoft | Field Service and Trades Software | EU only | No |
| Conference Organisers | EU only | No | |
| Coral Leisure Arklow | EU only | No | |
| Coral Leisure Ballinasloe | EU only | No | |
| Coral Leisure Cobh | EU only | No | |
| Coral Leisure Killarney | EU only | No | |
| Coral Leisure Longford | EU only | No | |
| Coral Leisure Monaghan | EU only | No | |
| Coral Leisure Tuam | EU only | No | |
| Coral Leisure Wicklow | EU only | No | |
| Cork Chamber Of Commerce | EU only | No | |
| Coupa | ERP Software | EU only | No |
| DEAR Systems (Cin7 Core) | Inventory Management Software | Both regions | No |
| Dentally | CRM Software, Dental Practice Management | EU only | No |
| Dext | Expense Management Software, Accounts Payable Automation Software | EU only | No |
| DLR Properties Building 1 | EU only | No | |
| DLR Properties Building 11 | EU only | No | |
| DocuSign | eSignature Software | Both regions | No |
| Donegal Airport | EU only | No | |
| Douglas Carroll Consulting Engineers | EU only | No | |
| Dropbox Sign | eSignature Software | Both regions | No |
| Dunamaise Arts Centre | EU only | No | |
| Dundrum Town Centre | EU only | No | |
| Employment Hero | HR Software | Both regions | No |
| Eventus Ltd | EU only | No | |
| Expensify | Expense Management Software | US only | No |
| Fexco Unlimited | EU only | No | |
| Fire Business Account | Business Banking | EU only | No |
| Fire Products Direct | EU only | No | |
| Freshdesk | Customer Support Software | Both regions | No |
| Freshsales | CRM Software | EU only | No |
| Gemini Business | AI Tools | Both regions | Not stated |
| Go West | EU only | No | |
| Green Sod Ireland | EU only | No | |
| Guardian Fire & Safety | EU only | No | |
| Helena McElmeel Architects | EU only | No | |
| Help Scout | Customer Support Software | US only | No |
| HiBob | HR Software | EU only | No |
| Hootsuite | Social Media Scheduling Software | Both regions | No |
| HRLocker | HR Software | EU only | No |
| HubSpot CRM | CRM Software | Both regions | No |
| HubSpot Marketing Hub | Email Marketing Software | Both regions | No |
| HubSpot Service Hub | Customer Support Software | Both regions | No |
| Indigo Real Estate Management | EU only | No | |
| Intercom | Customer Support Software | Both regions | No |
| Invoice Ninja | Invoicing Software | Both regions | No |
| Irish Fencing Services | EU only | No | |
| Irish Village Markets | EU only | No | |
| Jasper AI | AI Tools | US only | No |
| Jobber | Field Service and Trades Software | US only | No |
| Joblogic | Field Service and Trades Software | EU only | No |
| Kit | Email Marketing Software | US only | No |
| Klaviyo | Email Marketing Software | US only | No |
| Later | Social Media Scheduling Software | US only | No |
| Less Annoying CRM | CRM Software | US only | No |
| Lightspeed POS | Point of Sale Software | EU only | No |
| Loopio | Bid Writing Software | US only | Not stated |
| Mailchimp | Email Marketing Software | US only | No |
| MailerLite | Email Marketing Software | EU only | No |
| Metricool | Social Media Scheduling Software | EU only | No |
| Microsoft Copilot | AI Tools | EU only | Yes |
| Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central | ERP Software | EU only | No |
| Monday.com | Project Management Software | EU only | No |
| N26 Business | Business Banking | EU only | No |
| Notion AI | AI Tools | US only | No |
| O'Connor Roofing Supplies | EU only | No | |
| Odoo | ERP Software | EU only | No |
| Oiliuna Training | EU only | No | |
| Oracle NetSuite | ERP Software | Both regions | No |
| PandaDoc | eSignature Software | US only | No |
| Payhawk | Expense Management Software, Accounts Payable Automation Software | EU only | No |
| Payroller | Payroll Software | EU only | No |
| Pelko | EU only | No | |
| Personio | HR Software | EU only | No |
| Phorest | Point of Sale Software | EU only | No |
| Pipedrive | CRM Software | EU only | No |
| Pleo | Fintech, Accounts Payable Automation Software | EU only | No |
| Port of Waterford | EU only | No | |
| Priority Software | ERP Software | EU only | No |
| Quantum Payroll | Payroll Software | EU only | No |
| QuickBooks Online | Accounting Software | Both regions | No |
| QuickBooks Payroll | Payroll Software | Both regions | No |
| Qvidian | Bid Writing Software | US only | Not stated |
| Recycle IT | EU only | No | |
| Rent a Recruiter | EU only | No | |
| ResDiary | CRM Software, Point of Sale Software | EU only | No |
| Responsive | Bid Writing Software | Both regions | Not stated |
| Revolut Business | Fintech, Invoicing Software | EU only | No |
| Revolut Business Expenses | Expense Management Software | EU only | No |
| Sage | Accounting Software, Invoicing Software | EU only | No |
| Sage AutoEntry | Expense Management Software, Accounts Payable Automation Software | EU only | No |
| Sage HR | HR Software | EU only | No |
| Sage Payroll (Ireland) | Payroll Software | EU only | No |
| Salesflare | CRM Software | EU only | No |
| Salesforce | CRM Software | Both regions | No |
| SAP Business One | ERP Software | EU only | No |
| SAP Concur | Expense Management Software | Both regions | No |
| ServiceM8 | Field Service and Trades Software | US only | No |
| Shopify | Ecommerce Platforms | Both regions | No |
| Shopify POS | Point of Sale Software | Both regions | No |
| SignWell | eSignature Software | US only | No |
| Simpro | Field Service and Trades Software | Both regions | No |
| Soldo | Fintech, Accounts Payable Automation Software | EU only | No |
| Sound to Light | EU only | No | |
| Spendesk | Expense Management Software | EU only | No |
| Sprout Social | Social Media Scheduling Software | US only | No |
| Square POS | Point of Sale Software | Both regions | No |
| Squarespace | Ecommerce Platforms | Both regions | No |
| Stripe | Business Banking, Ecommerce Platforms | EU only | No |
| Stripe Invoicing | Invoicing Software, Ecommerce Platforms | EU only | No |
| SumUp POS | Point of Sale Software | EU only | No |
| Surf Payroll (now BrightPay) | Payroll Software | EU only | No |
| The Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency | EU only | No | |
| The Irish National Heritage Park | EU only | No | |
| Thesaurus Payroll Manager | Payroll Software | EU only | No |
| Threesixty | EU only | No | |
| Tico Mail Works | EU only | No | |
| Tidio | Customer Support Software | EU only | No |
| Total Splicing Solutions | EU only | No | |
| Tradify | Field Service and Trades Software | Both regions | No |
| Trello | Project Management Software | Both regions | No |
| Unleashed | Inventory Management Software | Both regions | No |
| Wise Business | Fintech | EU only | No |
| WooCommerce | Ecommerce Platforms | Both regions | No |
| Workforce Management Software | HR Software | EU only | No |
| Workvivo | HR Software | EU only | No |
| Xero | Accounting Software | EU only | No |
| XLVets Ireland | EU only | No | |
| XLVets Skillnet | EU only | No | |
| Zendesk | Customer Support Software | Both regions | No |
| Zoho CRM | CRM Software | EU only | No |
| Zoho Inventory | Inventory Management Software | EU only | No |
| Zoho Invoice | Invoicing Software | EU only | No |
Residency values are pulled from the vendor's public Data Processing Addendum, sub-processor list, or trust centre. Last verified 25 May 2026. Verify your specific configuration with the vendor before signing a Data Processing Agreement.
Methodology
Each vendor we track is classified as EU residency (data stored in EU data centres), US residency (data stored in US data centres), or Both (the vendor offers a regional choice, defaults vary by plan). We source the classification from each vendor's published Data Processing Addendum, sub-processor list, or trust centre, then verify it manually each month. Vendors that have not declared a residency position are excluded; 176 vendors qualified for this report.
The AI-tools headline covers only the 6 vendors in our AI tools category. Bid-writing software is reported separately. A vendor that fits two categories is counted in each, so per-category totals add up to more than 176. The headline percentage covers AI tools only.
"Do not guarantee EU-only data residency" covers the US and Both groups together. A vendor in the Both group may route EU customer data to EU data centres by default, but the routing is not contractually exclusive to the EU. Under Schrems II, you still need to run a supplementary-measures analysis before relying on it for personal data.
Sources
- General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679, Article 44 General principle for transfers of personal data to third countries.
- CJEU Schrems II ruling, Case C-311/18, 16 July 2020 Struck down EU-US Privacy Shield. Established the supplementary-measures requirement for US transfers.
- EU-US Data Privacy Framework adequacy decision, July 2023 Current adequacy basis for US transfers under GDPR Chapter V. Under live legal challenge.
- Data Protection Commission, "Data transfers" Irish supervisory authority guidance on third-country transfers.
- Vendors.ie machine-readable dataset: /dataset.json (CC BY 4.0).