AnyInspect vs RiskBase

Quick Verdict

AnyInspect is the better choice for the vast majority of UK building inspection firms — offering 16 inspection types with AI-powered automation, compared to RiskBase's narrow focus on fire safety compliance. RiskBase is a respected platform in its niche — particularly for housing providers managing fire risk across large residential portfolios — but it is exactly that: a niche tool.

The choice comes down to scope and technology. RiskBase handles fire risk assessments, fire door surveys, compartmentation surveys, and external wall inspections — all within the fire safety domain. AnyInspect covers all of that — plus HHSRS, stock condition, damp & mould, asbestos, legionella, EPC, building survey, and ten more inspection types — all powered by an AI video-to-report pipeline that RiskBase does not offer.

If fire safety compliance is your sole business — and you need nothing else — RiskBase is a credible specialist option. But if your firm handles multiple inspection types, or if you want AI automation to dramatically reduce report writing time, AnyInspect is the platform that delivers both breadth and technological advantage.

Feature Comparison

AI-Powered Video-to-Report Pipeline

AnyInspect's AI video-to-report pipeline is the single most significant differentiator in this comparison — and in the wider inspection software market. RiskBase has no equivalent capability.

The AnyInspect workflow transforms how inspectors capture and document findings. Rather than tapping through form fields and typing observations — the traditional approach — inspectors record a video walkthrough of the property on their mobile device. They speak naturally as they inspect — noting fire safety hazards, structural defects, compliance issues, or any other findings relevant to the inspection type.

The AI pipeline then takes over. Deepgram transcribes the spoken observations with professional-grade accuracy. Google Gemini analyses the full transcript against the specific compliance schema — whether PAS 79 for fire risk, HHSRS for housing hazards, or any of AnyInspect's 16 inspection types. The AI identifies individual findings, categorises them into the correct report sections, assigns risk ratings based on the compliance framework, and recommends remedial actions.

The inspector reviews the AI-generated report — accepting items that are accurate, editing items that need refinement, and rejecting any that are incorrect. The final step is approval and PDF generation — producing a professional compliance report that would have taken hours to write manually.

RiskBase generates reports as inspectors work through their assessment — which is a useful feature — but the data entry is entirely manual. Every finding must be typed, every risk rating must be selected, and every recommendation must be written by the inspector. There is no video input, no transcription, and no AI analysis.

For fire risk assessors completing multiple PAS 79 assessments per week — the time difference between AI-assisted and manual reporting is transformative.

Inspection Type Coverage

RiskBase is a fire safety specialist — and within that domain, it offers solid depth. The platform covers:

- Fire Risk Assessment — PAS 79 compliant assessments
- Fire Door Survey — Individual door-level inspection and tracking
- Fire Stopping Survey — Compartmentation assessment
- External Wall Inspection — PAS 9980 and EWS1 reporting
- FRAEW — Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls
- Task Management — Remedial action tracking per building

For housing providers and fire safety consultancies whose entire business revolves around these assessments, RiskBase provides relevant tools — and its per-unit pricing model (from £1/unit/month) is well-suited to portfolio-based fire safety management.

However, RiskBase does not extend beyond fire safety. If you need to conduct an HHSRS assessment, a stock condition survey, a damp & mould inspection, an asbestos survey, or any of the other inspection types that UK building inspectors routinely handle — you will need a separate platform.

AnyInspect covers the full spectrum — all 16 UK building inspection types in a single platform:

- Fire Safety — Fire Risk Assessment, Fire Door Inspection, Fire Safety Common Spaces, Fire Smoke Damper Inspection
- Housing Compliance — HHSRS Assessment, Damp & Mould Inspection, Decent Homes Assessment, Stock Condition Survey
- Building & Property — Building Survey, Home Purchase Survey, Schedule of Condition, EPC
- Safety & Maintenance — Asbestos Survey, Legionella Risk Assessment, Health & Safety Inspection, Planned Maintenance Survey

This breadth matters because most inspection firms — and most housing providers — need more than just fire safety compliance. The Building Safety Act 2022, Awaab's Law, and the Social Housing (Regulation) Act have expanded compliance obligations across housing, damp & mould, and building safety. A platform that covers only fire risk leaves significant gaps.

Mobile Experience & Offline Support

AnyInspect's mobile app is built on React Native with Expo — delivering a modern, responsive experience that matches the quality of leading consumer apps. The interface is designed for inspectors working in the field — large controls, intuitive navigation, integrated video recording, and seamless photo capture. Moving between inspection screens, reviewing previous findings, and managing property details all feel natural and fast.

RiskBase also provides a mobile app with offline capabilities — inspectors can access property data, complete assessments, and sync findings when connectivity is available. RiskBase highlights that multiple users can work on the same survey simultaneously — a useful feature for large assessment teams working across complex properties.

Where AnyInspect distinguishes itself is in how field data is captured. The video walkthrough approach — central to AnyInspect's AI pipeline — is fundamentally different from the traditional form-filling approach used by RiskBase. Instead of stopping at each defect to type an observation, select a dropdown value, and take a photo — the inspector simply walks and talks. The AI handles the rest.

Both platforms support offline functionality — critical for inspections in basements, plant rooms, and buildings with poor mobile reception. AnyInspect's offline-first architecture queues video recordings, photos, and all data locally — with automatic sync and AI processing triggered when connectivity returns.

Pricing

Both platforms publish transparent pricing — which is commendable — but the models are structured quite differently.

RiskBase Pricing:

RiskBase's per-assessment and per-unit pricing can be cost-effective for organisations with predictable, moderate volumes. However, costs scale directly with activity — a housing provider managing 5,000 units would pay at least £5,000/month for FSER compliance alone, plus additional costs per assessment, per door, and per finding.

AnyInspect Pricing:

AnyInspect uses a straightforward per-user subscription model — all 16 inspection types included, with no per-assessment, per-unit, or per-building charges. Whether your inspector completes 5 or 50 inspections in a month, the cost remains the same. This predictability is valuable for budgeting — particularly for growing firms where inspection volumes fluctuate.

For high-volume operations — firms conducting hundreds of fire risk assessments annually — AnyInspect's flat subscription model becomes increasingly cost-effective compared to RiskBase's per-assessment charges.

For smaller portfolios — say, a housing provider with 100 units needing only basic fire safety compliance — RiskBase's entry-level pricing (£100/month at £1/unit) may appear competitive. But the moment that organisation also needs HHSRS, stock condition, or damp & mould assessments, a second platform is required — and the cost advantage disappears.

Who Should Choose AnyInspect?

AnyInspect is the right choice for:

- Multi-discipline inspection firms — If your team handles fire risk alongside HHSRS, stock condition, damp & mould, asbestos, or any other UK inspection type — AnyInspect is the only platform that covers everything. RiskBase requires supplementary tools for anything outside fire safety.
- Firms that want AI-powered efficiency — The video-to-report pipeline eliminates hours of manual report writing per inspection. For firms completing high volumes of assessments, the time savings translate directly to increased capacity and revenue.
- Growing inspection businesses — AnyInspect includes proposals, scheduling, invoicing, and a client portal — essential business tools that RiskBase does not offer. It is a complete business platform, not just an assessment data capture tool.
- Housing providers with broad compliance obligations — Post-Building Safety Act, post-Awaab's Law — housing providers need to manage fire risk, damp & mould, HHSRS, decent homes, and stock condition compliance simultaneously. AnyInspect handles all of this in one platform.

RiskBase may be the better choice for:

- Pure fire safety consultancies — If fire risk assessment, fire door surveys, and compartmentation surveys represent 100% of your work — and you have no plans to diversify — RiskBase's specialist focus and per-assessment pricing may suit your business model.
- Housing providers needing FSER compliance tools — RiskBase's resident engagement portal and mandatory occurrence reporting features — built specifically for the Fire Safety (England) Regulations — are a genuine strength for housing providers managing regulatory compliance across large residential portfolios.
- Organisations needing PAS 9980 FRAEW reports — RiskBase's dedicated module for external wall fire risk appraisals is a specific capability that AnyInspect does not currently offer as a standalone inspection type.

For most UK building inspection firms — those handling multiple inspection types and seeking modern technology — AnyInspect is the superior platform.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does AnyInspect cover fire risk assessments as well as RiskBase?

Yes. AnyInspect's fire risk assessment module is fully PAS 79 compliant — covering all required sections, risk rating methodologies, and remedial action frameworks. The key advantage is AI automation — inspectors record a video walkthrough and the AI auto-populates the assessment, dramatically reducing completion time. RiskBase offers solid PAS 79 assessments but requires entirely manual data entry.

Is RiskBase cheaper than AnyInspect for fire safety compliance?

It depends on volume and scope. For a small housing provider with 100 units needing only basic fire safety compliance, RiskBase's £1/unit/month pricing is competitive. However, each fire risk assessment costs £12.50, door surveys cost 50p–£1 per door, and findings carry additional charges. For high-volume operations — or organisations that also need HHSRS, stock condition, or damp & mould capabilities — AnyInspect's all-inclusive subscription delivers better value.

Can AnyInspect replace RiskBase for housing providers?

For most housing providers — yes. AnyInspect covers fire risk assessment, fire door inspection, fire safety common spaces, and fire smoke damper inspection — the core fire safety capabilities — plus HHSRS, stock condition, damp & mould, decent homes, and other inspection types that housing providers increasingly need. The AI pipeline adds significant productivity benefits. However, if your organisation specifically requires RiskBase's FSER resident portal or PAS 9980 FRAEW modules, evaluate whether these are critical to your workflow before switching.

Does RiskBase have any AI features?

No. At the time of writing, RiskBase does not offer any AI-powered capabilities — no video processing, no audio transcription, and no automated report generation. All assessment data is entered manually by the inspector. RiskBase does auto-generate reports from entered data — but the initial data capture is entirely manual.

How does pricing compare for a firm doing 200 fire risk assessments per year?

With RiskBase, 200 fire risk assessments at £12.50 each would cost £2,500 per year — plus any per-unit FSER charges if applicable. With AnyInspect, all fire risk assessments — and all other inspection types — are included in the per-user subscription with no per-assessment fees. For firms with moderate to high assessment volumes, AnyInspect's flat pricing is typically more cost-effective — and includes AI automation that further increases value.

Can I use both platforms during a transition period?

Yes — many firms transition gradually, running both platforms in parallel while migrating property records and team workflows. AnyInspect's team can assist with migration planning — helping you move property data, historical assessments, and team configurations. The AI pipeline is available from day one, so inspectors can start experiencing the time savings immediately.

Does AnyInspect support the Building Safety Act requirements?

Yes — AnyInspect is built with the Building Safety Act 2022 at its core. The platform supports safety case reporting, golden thread documentation, and compliance workflows aligned with the Act's requirements. For higher-risk buildings — where the Act mandates comprehensive ongoing assessment — AnyInspect's 16 inspection types ensure that fire safety, structural integrity, and housing compliance are all managed in a single platform.