CyberSmart may win when...
If CyberSmart is already installed, accepted by the customer, and working as the monitoring layer, staying put may avoid unnecessary change.
Read the CyberSmart comparisonBest Cyber Essentials body · UK 2026
The best Cyber Essentials certification body, decided by axis.
"Best" is not a single number. We publish how Fig compares on the four axes UK buyers actually weigh - speed, price, MSP scale, and governance-first fit - plus a nine-article comparison library to back it up. IASME-licensed. From £299.99 + VAT. 6-hour turnaround guarantee.
6 hours or your money back.Cyber Essentials returned in 6 working hours of compliant submission, or a full refund. Terms and evidence
Best for: four axes UK buyers actually use
UK ASA guidance requires qualified superlatives. Here are the four comparable claims Fig publishes and defends.
Axis 01
Best for sub-day certification
Fig Group publishes a 6-hour turnaround guarantee for compliant submissions. For tender deadlines and PPN 014/21 bids, that gives buyers a clear service level to compare against other providers.
Read the 6-hour guaranteeAxis 02
Best for below-IASME pricing
Fig Cyber Essentials starts at £299.99 + VAT for micro organisations - £20.01 below the standard IASME certification body fee. Every Fig tier undercuts the standard IASME rate. Pricing is published, not gated behind a call.
See the published comparisonAxis 03
Best for UK MSPs
Fig combines IASME-licensed Cyber Essentials delivery with a multi-tenant MSP platform and white-label workflow. MSPs can resell CE to their client base at scale without leaving the governance-first platform.
Explore Fig for MSPsAxis 04
Best for governance-first buyers
Fig sits on top of the platform that already manages your policies, evidence, and framework obligations. CE is not a bolt-on - it flows from the same control register used for ISO 27001, NIS2, SOC 2, and the UK CS&R.
Why governance-first mattersHow to choose a Cyber Essentials certification body
A seven-point checklist from IASME-licensed assessors
- Confirm the body is IASME-licensed (all Cyber Essentials bodies in the UK must be).
- Ask for a published price, not a call-to-action. If every tier is gated, expect consultancy upsell.
- Require a turnaround SLA or guarantee - 24–72 hours is industry standard; 6 hours is Fig.
- Check the re-submission policy. Many bodies charge £100–£200 per re-submission; Fig includes three.
- Verify the scheme version: Cyber Essentials v3.3 on or after 28 April 2026 includes mandatory MFA.
- Ask whether CE Plus is available from the same body. Switching bodies between CE and Plus is painful.
- Confirm the body will list your certificate on the NCSC register within 24 hours of issue.
Side-by-side comparison table
Verified April 2026 from provider pages, IASME directory listings, and our compare pages.
| Criterion | Fig Group | IASME Direct | CyberSmart | GRC Solutions | Indelible Data | Bulletproof | CE Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Listed price (Micro, ex VAT) | £299.99 | £320 | £320 | £320 | £768 / year (£64/mo) | £500 | £320 |
| Below standard IASME fee | Yes (-£20.01) | Standard fee | Same as IASME | Same as IASME | Annualised higher than IASME | Higher than IASME | Same as IASME |
| Turnaround SLA published | 6 hours | None published | None published | None published | None published | None published | None published |
| Re-submissions included | 3 included | 1 included (typical) | Policy differs by package | Policy differs by package | Policy differs by package | Policy differs by package | Policy differs by package |
| Submission support | Up to three included re-submissions; certificate issue still depends on a compliant submission | Check provider terms | Check provider terms | Check provider terms | Check provider terms | Check provider terms | Check provider terms |
| IASME-licensed | Yes | Scheme administrator | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| CE Plus available | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Money-back guarantee | Yes (6-hour SLA) | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| MSP white-label | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| £25k cyber liability insurance | Yes (included) | Yes (included) | Yes (included) | Yes (included) | Yes (included) | Yes (included) | Yes (included) |
| Continuous monitoring platform | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| UK-resident assessor team | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Defence Cyber Certification (DCC) | Yes (L0 + L1) | Yes (administrator) | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| 5.0/5 customer reviews (April 2026) | Yes | Rating varies by platform | Rating varies by platform | Rating varies by platform | Rating varies by platform | Rating varies by platform | Rating varies by platform |
Pricing verified April 2026 against provider websites. CyberSmart, GRC Solutions, and Cyber Essentials Online publish £320 + VAT for Micro - matching the standard IASME baseline. Indelible Data publishes £64/month, annualised here for like-for-like comparison. Bulletproof publishes £500 + VAT. All providers in this comparison include the £25k cyber liability insurance that ships with the IASME Cyber Essentials scheme. For source-linked detail, see our individual comparison pages: CyberSmart, GRC Solutions, Indelible Data, Bulletproof, Cyber Essentials Online.
The Fig comparison library
Nine long-form comparisons across speed, price, and body-by-body analysis
Best Cyber Essentials certification bodies in the UK (2026)
Cyber Essentials certification pricing compared (2026)
IASME-licensed Cyber Essentials bodies: what to look for
Fastest Cyber Essentials certification body in the UK
Cyber Essentials turnaround times: every major body
Cyber Essentials bodies compared: speed, service, cost
UK organisations - choosing the right Cyber Essentials body
Cyber Essentials cost 2026: complete UK pricing guide
Cyber Essentials vs Cyber Essentials Plus
When another certification body may be the better fit
Best-fit advice is stronger when it is honest. Fig leads on speed, published price and governance-first workflow, but not every buyer has the same priority.
Indelible Data may win when...
Indelible Data may be a better fit for buyers who specifically want a long-established assessor relationship and a consultancy-led engagement.
Read the Indelible Data comparisonBulletproof may win when...
Bulletproof may be a better fit where CE is part of a broader testing or cyber consultancy package.
Read the Bulletproof comparisonIT Governance may win when...
IT Governance may be better when CE is a small part of a larger ISO 27001, GDPR, training, or policy programme already sourced from them.
Read the IT Governance comparisonCyber Essentials Online may win when...
Cyber Essentials Online may fit better if the buyer wants the simplest possible CE-only path and does not need platform workflow or broader governance.
Read the Cyber Essentials Online comparisonCyber Essentials trust evidence
The buyer evidence to check before you purchase
This block keeps the commercial claims close to the final decision point: licence, speed, pricing, reviews, and the important difference between Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus.
Licence
IASME-licensed certification body
Fig Group publishes its IASME licence evidence, operating entity, and external verification route so buyers can check the certification body before purchase.
Verify IASME licenceSpeed
6-hour CE guarantee
The 6-hour assessor turnaround applies to eligible Cyber Essentials submissions received before midday on a UK business day. It does not apply to Cyber Essentials Plus.
Review speed evidencePricing
Below standard IASME fee
Cyber Essentials pricing is published by tier and mapped against the standard IASME certification body fee, with no mandatory consultancy add-on.
Review price evidenceReviews
Public review evidence
Google review signals and Fig claim evidence are separated from sales copy so procurement teams can verify trust claims independently.
Review rating evidencePractical rule: buy Cyber Essentials when the requirement asks for baseline certification. Buy Cyber Essentials Plus only when the buyer, insurer, or framework specifically asks for the audited technical verification layer.
Ready to certify with the best-fit body?
Fig Group: 6-hour guarantee, below-IASME pricing, MSP-ready, governance-first. Start the readiness checker or jump straight to pricing.