Overview

Carbonfact brings together apparel-focused emissions accounting, product LCAs, compliance reporting and reduction planning. Its strongest case is for fashion and footwear teams that need to connect product impacts with company-wide emissions; its narrower industry focus and custom pricing make it a less natural fit for organizations seeking a general-purpose, low-cost starting point.

Key features

Product and company emissions

Product LCA assesses a full catalogue from cradle to grave across all 16 PEFCR impact indicators. Carbon Accounting automates a GHG Protocol inventory for Scopes 1, 2 and 3, including activity-based Scope 3.1. That breadth is valuable to teams that need product and corporate views in one platform, rather than separate tools. Carbonfact’s accounting plan also includes unlimited representative products.

The data engine draws on more than 150,000 fashion-specific emission factors and fills gaps with automated heuristics and verified supplier data. Supplier engagement, data collection from both internal and supplier sources, emissions factors from both sources, and an audit trail support a more traceable inventory. The methodology is aligned, Carbonfact says, with the GHG Protocol, ISO 14040/14044 and EU PEFCR, and is peer-reviewed annually by PwC.

Reporting and reduction planning

The Reporting add-on covers Digital Product Passports, CSRD ESRS E1, CDP, Textile Exchange Materials Benchmark and Better Cotton Initiative reports. The Decarbonization add-on models product and company-wide reduction scenarios using real data, including eco-design and PEF simulations, and tracks targets. These are meaningful extensions for teams linking compliance work to product decisions, but they are add-ons rather than part of every listed plan.

An integrations directory includes more than 58 options, among them Centric, Retraced, Microsoft Dynamics, Oracle NetSuite, SAP, Snowflake, Tableau and Power BI. That range can help connect existing product, enterprise and analytics systems. Security controls include SOC 2 Type II, GDPR-aligned security, TLS 1.2 or higher in transit, AES-256 encryption at rest and EU-distributed backups.

Pricing

Carbonfact is paid software with custom pricing on request, alongside a free supplier plan. The supplier offer is deliberately narrow: it provides environmental-data exchange, free LCA verification and supplier-controlled data visibility. It suits suppliers participating in customer data requests, not companies looking to run their own full emissions program.

The paid offerings are split by job. Product LCA covers full-catalogue LCAs, all 16 PEFCR indicators, French Eco-Score, and PLM, ERP and traceability integrations. Carbon Accounting covers the full Scope 1, 2 and 3 inventory, activity-based Scope 3.1, unlimited representative products and fashion-specific factors. The Decarbonization and Reporting add-ons add scenario modeling and named reporting frameworks, respectively. Expert Services offers decarbonization strategy, SBTi support, white-glove onboarding, and data verification and cleaning. With custom pricing across these options, buyers should match the modules and services to their needs before assessing the commitment.

All plans include onboarding, a dedicated Customer Success Manager, Carbonfact Academy and access to the Carbonfact Collective peer network. Implementation is not instant: Carbonfact says an initial audit-ready GHG Protocol report takes six weeks, while a full Product LCA data-granularity implementation takes about four months. That timeline matters for teams working toward near-term reporting deadlines.

Platforms

Carbonfact runs on the web and offers API access. The combination suits teams that need a central interface as well as a way to connect data flows to other systems.

Who it's for

Carbonfact is best suited to apparel and footwear businesses that need product-level LCAs alongside Scope 1–3 accounting, supplier data exchange or fashion-specific reporting. Its depth is most compelling for teams managing large catalogues and reduction plans; a supplier that only needs to share environmental data can use the free plan. Organizations outside fashion, or those needing a quick, inexpensive inventory without product LCA implementation, have less reason to choose it.

Pros and cons

Pros: Full-catalogue, cradle-to-grave LCAs and company-wide Scope 1–3 accounting address product and operational emissions together.
Pros: Fashion-specific factors, supplier data and an audit trail support industry-relevant, traceable calculations.
Pros: Reporting frameworks and scenario modeling connect compliance needs with reduction planning.
Cons: Paid pricing is custom, so buyers cannot compare module costs from a published rate.
Cons: The full Product LCA implementation takes about four months, a substantial lead time for teams that need granular catalogue coverage.
Cons: The free supplier plan is for data exchange and LCA verification, not a free company accounting tier.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison, browse Carbon Accounting Software.

CarbonTool is worth considering if a 30-day full-access free trial and a listed annual Core plan make it easier to evaluate a paid option; Carbonfact is more specifically built around apparel product LCAs and fashion data.
Greenio is a stronger candidate for teams seeking a freemium general emissions tool, with a free plan covering Scope 1, 2 and 3 tracking and four PDF reports per year.
CO2 AI may suit buyers who want an enterprise platform with a 30-day free trial; Carbonfact’s distinguishing emphasis is fashion-specific product and supplier data.
EcoReko offers a forever-free web plan for one user and one site with Scope 1–3 tracking, making it a more direct starting point for a small team with limited needs.
CarbonInk is a simpler choice for someone seeking free desktop software on macOS or Windows, with no account, cloud or subscription.
GreenStitch is another apparel-focused option, with annual starting prices for supplier data collection and scorecards and ESG reporting.
Hedgehog Carbon Platform may fit a small organization that can work within a free web tier capped at one user, one entity and five emissions sources.
NetNada is a potential alternative for teams seeking a professional plan with API access, supplier data collection and multiple reporting frameworks; its professional pricing is custom.

Verdict

Choose Carbonfact if apparel or footwear emissions work requires catalogue-wide LCAs, fashion-specific data and company accounting in one place. Its supplier and reporting capabilities strengthen that case, but custom pricing and a months-long path to full LCA granularity are real trade-offs. Look elsewhere if a general-purpose free tier or a fast, low-commitment inventory matters more than fashion-specific depth.

	Carbonfact	Watershed
Free plan	Yes
Paid from	Free
Platforms	api, Web	api, Web
Free plan	No
Scope coverage	scope 1-3	scope 1-3
Data collection	both	both
Emissions factors	both	both
Supplier engagement	Yes	Yes
Audit trail	Yes	Yes
API access	Yes	Yes

Carbonfact vs Watershed

Carbonfact

Watershed