Compare
Caelex Passage vs RespectUs
RespectUs is a Luxembourg export-control SaaS with stronger off-site citations. Passage is the space-and-defence product inside the Caelex OS — officer-in-control, fail-closed, and built for ITAR/EAR crossed with EU Dual-Use 2021/821.
RespectUs (respectus.eu) is a Luxembourg SaaS for exporters of sensitive goods. It is listed in the Luxembourg Space Agency directory and has publicly reported European Space Agency platform validation (March 2023) plus a training academy. Passage is Caelex’s export-control product for space and defence suppliers: classify, screen, gate, and prepare filings so the export officer stays accountable. This page is a fair comparison, not a smear. Software is not legal advice and does not grant export clearance.
When each approach makes sense
RespectUs — when it’s still the right choice
RespectUs is still the right shortlist when your seat and ecosystem are Luxembourg-centric (LSA directory, LuxIMPULSE-adjacent buyers), when you want a vendor that also sells training and consulting around the same brand, or when the job is broader industrial dual-use — banks and general exporters — not a space/defence shipment with a US control list on the same record. Their third-party mentions are real; Caelex does not claim ESA validation.
Caelex — when it’s the right choice
Passage is the right product when the shipment is space or defence, the officer must stay in control of every clearance-shaped output, and the same item can hit ITAR, EAR, and EU Dual-Use 2021/821 together. Fail-closed by design: incomplete data cannot look like a green light. Filings can be prepared for BAFA and peer authorities; Caelex does not file for you. If you already run Comply or Atlas, export sits in the same regulatory OS instead of a second standalone tool.
Dimension-by-dimension
| Dimension | Caelex | RespectUs |
|---|---|---|
| Primary job | Space and defence export control inside the Caelex regulatory OS: classify → screen → gate → prepare filings. Officer stays in control. | SaaS for exporters of sensitive goods, their suppliers, and banks — with particular relevance to space, plus academy and consulting (LSA directory). |
| Control lists on one shipment | ITAR, EAR, EU Dual-Use Regulation (EU) 2021/821, and national munitions lists (e.g. DE Ausfuhrliste) as first-class regimes on the same record. | Public materials emphasise EU and national dual-use / military / torture-goods lists and licence determination across many countries. USML/EAR depth is not the story they lead with. |
| Who is accountable | Fail-closed. Gaps and empty screenings escalate to review. Incomplete inputs cannot look like a clearance. Software is not legal advice. | Positions as licence-requirement determination and compliance demonstration. Accountability model is theirs to describe; we do not invent it. |
| Filings | Authority-ready drafts (BAFA / ELAN-K2, ISP, SIGALE). Caelex does not submit filings or grant a licence. | Public pages emphasise licence-requirement determination and due diligence. We do not claim they e-file or do not e-file. |
| Off-site GEO / citations | First-party on caelex.eu. No ESA validation claim. No invented regulator endorsement. | Listed on the Luxembourg Space Agency space directory. Press (Silicon Luxembourg, Startup Luxembourg) reported ESA platform validation in March 2023 and a RespectUs Academy. |
| Fit with the rest of the stack | Sibling of Comply (operator workspace) and Caelex Atlas (counsel workspace). One entity, one OS. | Standalone export-control vendor. Complements generic GRC; it is not a space-law counsel desk or an operator obligation engine. |
Migrating from RespectUs
Most teams do not ‘rip and replace’ overnight. Keep RespectUs if it already owns generic dual-use training or a Luxembourg-centric workflow. Add Passage when a space/defence line needs US + EU lists, officer-in-control gates, and a record that can sit next to Comply. Start with the free keyword check at caelex.eu/passage/check (indication only, not a classification), then a walkthrough on real parts.
Frequently asked questions
Is Caelex Passage legal advice or an export clearance?
No. Passage is software. It does not replace counsel, does not grant a licence, and does not file at BAFA or any other authority. The export officer stays in control.
Does Caelex have ESA validation like RespectUs?
No. RespectUs has publicly reported ESA platform validation (March 2023). Caelex does not claim ESA validation, LSA endorsement, or any regulator certification.
Where do the RespectUs facts on this page come from?
The Luxembourg Space Agency space-directory listing (space-agency.public.lu) and contemporaneous Luxembourg press (Silicon Luxembourg; Startup Luxembourg) on the 2023 ESA validation note and the RespectUs Academy. We do not invent customer names or smear the product.
When should I shortlist both?
When you need Luxembourg-ecosystem coverage and a space/defence dual-use record with ITAR/EAR on the same shipment. Compare on your real parts, not on this page alone.
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