Shield SafetyvsPaddl
Shield Safety provides RiskProof software for centralised safety management, backed by the UK's largest team of Environmental Health Practitioners. Based in Manchester since 2003.
44 features compared · 24 Paddl only · prices verified 11 September 2026
Paddl is food safety, compliance and operations software for UK hospitality: digital SFBB, HACCP plans, allergens and Natasha's Law labels, temperature, cleaning and training records, and an EHO-ready audit pack. £69 per location per month with every feature included, a 30-day free trial and no contract. Shield Safety: Quote-led consultancy packages with the RiskProof platform; no published price.
Used Daily & Trusted By:
Used Daily & Trusted By: Edgie Eats, Frothed, Good Chemistry Brewing, Paper Tiger Food Services, Restore, Royal Marine Hotel, The Staff of Life, The Tower Inn, World Famous Dive Bars.
Shield Safety pricing
Shield Safety does not publish its prices. What is known, checked 11 September 2026, comes from shieldsafety.co.uk.
Consultancy-led: EHP audits, advice and training with the RiskProof platform for records.
Every feature. 5 owner and manager users per location, £2.99 a month for each extra; staff do not take a seat. 30-day free trial, card required, no contract.
- One site, 12 staff: £89.93 a month
- One site, 40 staff: £173.65 a month
- Five sites, 100 staff: £569.25 a month
Shield Safety reviews: what customers say
3.3 out of 5 from 167 reviews on Trustpilot, read 11 September 2026.
Shield Safety vs Paddl: what matters most
Last reviewed: 11 September 2026
Consultancy with a platform, or a platform with support
Shield Safety sells EHP-led audits, advice and training with RiskProof to hold the records. Paddl is the records system itself: the AI builds the HACCP plan, SFBB pack and risk assessments and staff complete the checks on the app. If you want a consultant to visit, Shield Safety; if you want the system to run day to day, Paddl.
Fire, food and health and safety in one
Shield Safety covers fire and general health and safety alongside food safety, which is genuinely broad. Paddl covers the same areas as records (fire risk assessment, COSHH, risk assessments, incidents) without the consultant, and adds the operations side: routines, rota, equipment, licences, insurance.
What the reviews say about the model
Shield Safety holds 3.3 stars from 167 Trustpilot reviews, with recurring comments about contract terms and responsiveness. Paddl has no contract and a 30-day trial, so the commitment is a month at a time.
Where Shield Safety and Paddl differ
From the 44-row grid below, checked against Shield Safety's published feature list on 11 September 2026.
Food Safety & Compliance
Paddl has, Shield Safety does not: AI HACCP Generation, One-Click Audit Packs.
Shield Safety covers in part: COSHH Management.
Operations & Equipment
Paddl has, Shield Safety does not: AI Equipment Anomaly Detection, Maintenance Swimlanes, Supplier Management, Delivery Checks.
Shield Safety covers in part: Equipment Tracking, Temperature Monitoring.
Team & Training
Paddl has, Shield Safety does not: Rota Building & Publishing, Shift Swaps & Open Shifts, Holiday & Leave, Timesheets & Payroll Export, GPS Check-in, Shift Handovers / EOD Reports, Team Chat & Direct Messages.
Shield Safety covers in part: Staff Inductions, Staff Notifications.
Documents & Knowledge
Paddl has, Shield Safety does not: Knowledge Hub, Insurance Gap Detection, Lease & Property Management.
Shield Safety covers in part: Digital Signatures, Licence Management.
Reporting & Incidents
Paddl has, Shield Safety does not: Complaint Monitoring, Incident & Accident Reporting, EHO Visit Dashboard, AI Legal Guidance & Evidence Packs.
Platform & AI
Paddl has, Shield Safety does not: Mobile Manager View, AI Assistant, AI That Carries Out Tasks, AI Document Extraction.
Shield Safety covers in part: Offline Mode, Compliance Dashboard.
Where Shield Safety is stronger
- UK's largest EHP team for consultancy
- Comprehensive fire, food and H&S coverage
- RiskProof platform for multi-location management
- Established reputation since 2003
Side-by-side feature comparison
Food Safety & Compliance
| Feature | Paddl | Shield Safety |
|---|---|---|
| Digital SFBB Packs | ||
| HACCP Plans | ||
| AI HACCP GenerationPaddl only | ||
| Allergen Management | ||
| Risk Assessments | ||
| EHO Report Generation | ||
| One-Click Audit PacksPaddl only | ||
| Fire Safety - Drills, Certificates & Expiry Alerts | ||
| COSHH Management |
Operations & Equipment
| Feature | Paddl | Shield Safety |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment Tracking | ||
| AI Equipment Anomaly DetectionPaddl only | ||
| Temperature Monitoring | ||
| Maintenance SwimlanesPaddl only | ||
| Supplier ManagementPaddl only | ||
| Delivery ChecksPaddl only |
Team & Training
| Feature | Paddl | Shield Safety |
|---|---|---|
| Team Management | ||
| Rota Building & PublishingPaddl only | ||
| Shift Swaps & Open ShiftsPaddl only | ||
| Holiday & LeavePaddl only | ||
| Timesheets & Payroll ExportPaddl only | ||
| Training Tracking | ||
| Staff Inductions | ||
| GPS Check-inPaddl only | ||
| Shift Handovers / EOD ReportsPaddl only | ||
| Staff Notifications | ||
| Team Chat & Direct MessagesPaddl only |
Documents & Knowledge
| Feature | Paddl | Shield Safety |
|---|---|---|
| Document Management | ||
| Knowledge HubPaddl only | ||
| Digital Signatures | ||
| Licence Management | ||
| Insurance Gap DetectionPaddl only | ||
| Lease & Property ManagementPaddl only |
Reporting & Incidents
| Feature | Paddl | Shield Safety |
|---|---|---|
| Complaint MonitoringPaddl only | ||
| Incident & Accident ReportingPaddl only | ||
| EHO Visit DashboardPaddl only | ||
| AI Legal Guidance & Evidence PacksPaddl only |
Platform & AI
| Feature | Paddl | Shield Safety |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile App | ||
| Mobile Manager ViewPaddl only | ||
| Offline Mode | ||
| AI AssistantPaddl only | ||
| AI That Carries Out TasksPaddl only | ||
| AI Document ExtractionPaddl only | ||
| Compliance Dashboard | ||
| Multi-Location |
What Shield Safety does not do, shown in Paddl
Screenshots of the Paddl features the grid marks as missing or partial in Shield Safety.
Shift handovers and end-of-day reports
Paddl AdvantageStaff submit an end-of-day report with urgent actions, stock shortages and equipment problems. The incoming shift acknowledges the handover before starting.
Push notifications to staff on shift
Paddl AdvantageTemperature alerts, handover submissions and maintenance updates go to the people checked in that day, not the whole team.
Equipment records with AI health checks
Paddl AdvantageEvery fridge, oven and extractor with its service history and temperature logs. The AI flags a unit whose readings are drifting before it fails.
Report a fault from the app
Paddl AdvantageStaff log a breakdown or a safety concern with a photo and a priority, and the manager sees it the moment it is raised.
AI HACCP plan generation
Paddl AdvantageThe AI reads your business, routines, equipment and menu, then drafts a complete HACCP plan with process steps and critical control points for you to review.
Ask Paddy: AI that does the admin
Paddl AdvantageAsk Paddy books the contractor visit, builds the routine, drafts the risk assessment and gathers the inspection pack. You confirm every action, and it never fills in or signs a compliance record.
Manager view in the mobile app
Paddl AdvantageManagers switch to an admin view on their phone: team progress, compliance status, recent activity and SFBB state across every site.
AI insurance gap detection
Paddl AdvantageUpload the policy documents and the AI reads the cover, lists the gaps and says what to ask the broker.
Who should choose Shield Safety, and who should choose Paddl
Choose Shield Safety if
- You want hands-on consultancy from EH practitioners
- You need comprehensive fire and H&S alongside food safety
- You have budget for premium consultancy services
Choose Paddl if
- You want self-serve without consultancy costs
- You prefer transparent, predictable pricing (£69/month)
- AI automation is more valuable than manual consulting
- You need equipment management, maintenance scheduling, and complaints tracking
- Shift handovers and real-time compliance dashboards matter
Switching from Shield Safety to Paddl
- The same record set (HACCP, SFBB, allergens, COSHH, fire and general risk assessments, incidents) produced by the system rather than a consultant
- A published price and no contract, against a quoted package on a term
- The operations half as well: routines, rota, equipment, licences, insurance, complaints
- An EHO-ready audit pack on demand
A day for a single site, once your Shield Safety term allows it.
How the switch works
- Check your contract end date and notice period
- Export RiskProof records and audit reports; keep them two years
- Set up locations and staff in Paddl
- Upload menu, chemicals and premises details; review the AI-drafted plan and assessments
- Switch the team to the app on the next shift
What you keep
- Historic audit reports, in Paddl documents
- An external audit when you choose to buy one
What you give up
- Scheduled EHP visits
- The Shield Safety advice line
Alternatives to Shield Safety for UK hospitality
| Product | Category | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Paddl | Food safety, compliance and operations | £69 per location per month, every feature included, 30-day free trial. No tiers and no volume discount. |
| Food Alert | Food safety and compliance | Quote-led consultancy packages; the Alert65 software is bundled, not sold separately |
| Citation | Health and safety consultancy | Quote-led per employee per month on a three to seven year term |
| Trail (by Access) | Food safety and compliance | From £38 per site per month on a 12-month term (Team); £75 Standard, £82.50 Trail Evo; unlimited users |
Shield Safety comparison questions
How much does Shield Safety cost?
Shield Safety does not publish prices; RiskProof is quoted as part of a consultancy package sized to your estate. Paddl is £69 a location a month, published, with every feature and no contract.
What do Shield Safety reviews say?
Shield Safety has a 3.3 rating from 167 reviews on Trustpilot. Positive reviews mention the auditors and the advice line; negative ones cite contract length and difficulty leaving. Read the recent ones before signing a term.
Is Shield Safety good for a small hospitality business?
It suits businesses that want an external audit programme and a phone line to a practitioner. For a single site the consultancy element is often more than you use; self-serve software with an audit pack covers the same records for a fraction of the cost.
What is the best alternative to Shield Safety for UK hospitality?
Paddl if you want the records system without the consultancy; Food Alert or Citation if you want another consultancy-led model. Paddl covers food safety, fire, COSHH and risk assessments at £69 a location a month.
Can I move from RiskProof to Paddl?
Yes. Export your RiskProof records for the due diligence period, upload them to Paddl documents, and let the AI build the HACCP plan, SFBB pack and risk assessments from your menu, chemicals and premises. Check your Shield Safety contract end date first.
Try Paddl alongside Shield Safety for 30 days
£69 per location per month, every feature included, 30-day free trial. No tiers and no volume discount. Card required to start, nothing charged until the trial ends.
Every feature during the trial · Setup from your own paperwork · Cancel any time