Shieldra offers a free chatbot-disclosure verdict and a HIPAA and SOC 2 readiness platform with an optional EU AI Act module. Article50.io scans one public page in a real browser for chat, voice and avatar widgets, image markers and disclosure presentation, free or as a €499 report. Choose Shieldra for a chatbot verdict or healthcare readiness; choose Article50.io when voice, avatars or AI images are on the page.
This is a product comparison, not legal advice. For what Article50.io checks, see product facts, pricing and a sample report.
For a side-by-side of more Article 50 website scanners, see Article 50 scanners compared.
At a glance
Shieldra's Article 50 tool is a free chatbot-disclosure verdict and its paid plans are healthcare readiness; Article50.io is an Article 50 page scan and report.
| Shieldra | Article50.io | |
|---|---|---|
| Article 50 scan, as their scan page describes it | Free, instant chatbot-disclosure verdict; no account required | Free scan of one public page in a real browser, under a minute, capped at 45 seconds |
| What that scan is said to check | Whether there is a visible disclosure that the chatbot or assistant is AI, at or before the first interaction | Undisclosed chat, voice or avatar widgets, how clear a disclosure is, and AI-marked images without a visible label |
| Other Article 50 duties | The scan page notes marking, deep-fake disclosure and emotion-recognition duties exist, and says "the EU AI Act check maps all of them to your role." It does not say the free scanner itself performs those checks | Image markers without a visible label; presentation of a disclosure. Provider marking of a generator is not checked as a pass or fail |
| Main paid product, as of 12 November 2026 | HIPAA and SOC 2 readiness platform for health-tech teams: Starter $299/month, Premium $599/month, Enterprise custom; 14-day trial, no card required | €499 one-off Article 50 report, plus one free recheck within 30 days |
| EU AI Act on paid plans | An "EU AI Act module" is listed as an optional framework on every paid plan, alongside other frameworks. The pricing page does not describe it as a website scan | The product is an Article 50 website scan and report |
| Opens the chat? | Not stated on the scan page | No. First view only |
Facts in the Shieldra column are taken only from that product's public pages, checked 12 November 2026. The $299 and $599 figures are the published HIPAA and SOC 2 readiness prices, not a separately listed Article 50 scan price.
When to choose Shieldra
Choose Shieldra if you want a free, instant yes-or-no on chatbot disclosure, and you are not looking for a wider Article 50 page audit.
That fits a team that only needs to know whether a visible AI notice is present at or before the first interaction, with no account required. It also fits a health-tech or SaaS team whose main problem is HIPAA and SOC 2 readiness for hospital, clinic or payer reviews, and who may want the EU AI Act listed as an optional framework on that same platform. Paid plans start at $299 a month and include a 14-day trial, as their pricing page states.
It is a weaker fit if you need a scan that also covers voice or avatar widgets, image markers, or how clearly a disclosure is presented, or if you want a one-off Article 50 report with paste-ready wording. Their public Article 50 scan page does not claim those checks, and their published monthly prices are for the healthcare readiness product.
When to choose Article50.io
Choose Article50.io if Article 50 on a public web page is the job, not healthcare security reviews.
Where a chatbot verdict stops at chat, the scan loads one URL in a real browser and also looks for undisclosed voice and avatar widgets. It reads IPTC and C2PA AI markers on up to eight images and flags any that carry no visible label. That is partial Article 50(2) coverage: it doesn't detect watermarks or check a provider's marking. The free scan shows the most severe finding and is capped at 45 seconds. The €499 report is a dated PDF listing every finding, with remediation steps, paste-ready wording and one free recheck within 30 days. See product facts, pricing and a sample report.
It is not a HIPAA or SOC 2 platform, and it does not open the chat or hear a voice agent on a call. A clean result is not a clearance that you meet Article 50.
Frequently asked questions
These answers compare both products as their public pages described them on 12 November 2026.
What is the difference between Article50.io and Shieldra for Article 50?
Shieldra's Article 50 product, as its scan page describes it, is a free, instant verdict on whether a site's chatbot has a visible AI disclosure at or before the first interaction. Article50.io scans one public page in a real browser for chat, voice and avatar widgets, image markers and disclosure presentation, with a free look or a €499 report.
Is Shieldra only an Article 50 scanner?
No. Its homepage and pricing present a monthly HIPAA and SOC 2 readiness platform for health-tech teams selling to hospitals, clinics and payers, starting at $299 a month, with a 14-day trial. An EU AI Act module is listed as an optional framework on every paid plan. Those pages do not describe that module as a website scan.
Does Shieldra's free scanner cover every Article 50 duty?
Its scan page says a disclosure verdict is one piece of Article 50, and that the article also covers machine-readable marking, deep-fake disclosure and emotion-recognition notification. It does not say the free scanner itself checks those other duties, or voice agents, avatars or image markers. Treat the free result as a chatbot-disclosure verdict.
When is a free chatbot-disclosure verdict enough?
It can be a first look if you only need to know whether a visible AI notice is on the page at or before the first interaction. It is not a full Article 50 check. If you also use voice or avatar widgets, publish AI images, or want paste-ready wording from a dated report, a broader page scan fits better.
Does Article50.io also check voice agents and avatars?
Yes, on the public page you enter. The scan loads that page in a real browser and looks for undisclosed chat, voice and avatar widgets, plus how clear any disclosure is and for AI-marked images without a visible label. It cannot hear what a voice agent says on a call, and it does not open the chat. See product facts.
Sources
Sources: each tool's public website and pricing pages, checked 12 Nov 2026.
This is general information, not legal advice. The Commission's Article 50 guidelines are C(2026) 7702 final, adopted 5 Nov 2026, non-binding (paragraph 5).