PA Consulting vs Slalom: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
PA Consulting (4.0/5) edges ahead of Slalom (3.8/5) overall. PA Consulting is the better choice for UK public bodies wanting advice plus delivery. Slalom is the stronger option for north American firms wanting local consultants. The right choice depends on how independent you need the advice to be, your regulatory exposure, and your budget.
PA Consulting vs Slalom: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | PA Consulting | Slalom |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1943 | 2001 |
| HQ | London, UK | Seattle, USA |
| Team size | ~3,900 | 10,000+ |
| Rating | 4.0 / 5 | 3.8 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | Advice from teams that also design and build, strong in UK government | Local-office consultants for AI governance and operating models |
| Pricing model | Consulting fees; rates not published | Consulting fees; rates not published |
| Min. engagement | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Primary tech stack | Azure, AWS, GDPR | AWS, Azure, Google Cloud |
| Industries served | Public sector, Defense, Healthcare, Energy & utilities, Consumer | Financial services, Healthcare, Retail, Public sector |
PA Consulting vs Slalom: overview
PA Consulting
PA Consulting started in 1943 as Personnel Administration and is now a London-based firm with about 3,900 employees and £753 million in 2024 revenue. Jacobs has owned 65% since 2021, with staff holding the rest. Its AI advice tends to come from teams that also design and build products, especially for government, defense, and health clients in the UK and Nordics. That makes the advice practical, though rarely independent of a build.
Slalom
Slalom has more than 10,000 employees in over 50 offices and was founded in Seattle in 2001. Its AI and data strategists work on governance and operating models, and a new chief AI officer arrived in August 2026. Close ties with the major cloud and data vendors mean its advice usually points toward those platforms.
Services and capabilities: PA Consulting vs Slalom
| Capability | PA Consulting | Slalom |
|---|---|---|
| Readiness assessment | ✗ | ✗ |
| Use-case prioritization | ✓ | ✗ |
| TCO / ROI modeling | ✗ | ✗ |
| AI governance & EU AI Act | ✗ | ✓ |
| Build vs. buy advice | ✗ | ✗ |
| Independent audit or assurance | ✗ | ✗ |
| Roadmap any vendor can implement | ✗ | ✗ |
| Delivery capability after advice | ✓ | ✓ |
Frameworks and platforms: PA Consulting vs Slalom
| Framework / platform | PA Consulting | Slalom |
|---|---|---|
| EU AI Act | ✓ | N/A |
| GDPR | ✓ | N/A |
| DORA | N/A | N/A |
| NIST AI RMF | N/A | N/A |
| ISO/IEC 42001 | N/A | N/A |
| Azure | ✓ | ✓ |
| AWS | ✓ | ✓ |
| Google Cloud | N/A | ✓ |
Pricing comparison: PA Consulting vs Slalom
| Criterion | PA Consulting | Slalom |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum engagement | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Engagement models | Multi-use-case advisory, Delivery team | Multi-use-case advisory, Delivery team |
| Rate transparency | Not public | Not public |
| Price tier | Mid-market | Mid-market |
Target audience comparison: PA Consulting vs Slalom
| Dimension | PA Consulting | Slalom |
|---|---|---|
| Best company size | Mid-market to enterprise | Enterprise |
| Best industries | Public sector, Defense, Healthcare | Financial services, Healthcare, Retail |
| Best use cases | AI planning for UK government departments., Health service AI adoption. | AI governance for a North American company., Operating-model changes for AI. |
| Typical project type | Multi-use-case advisory | Multi-use-case advisory |
PA Consulting vs Slalom: pros and cons
| PA Consulting | |
|---|---|
| + | Long record with UK government and health clients |
| + | Design and engineering behind the advice |
| + | Partly owned by staff |
| - | Jacobs holds 65%, and one database reports a full acquisition in 2026 that we couldn't confirm |
| - | Advice usually comes packaged with delivery |
| - | Rates not published |
| Slalom | |
|---|---|
| + | Local teams for on-site work |
| + | Governance and operating-model experience |
| + | Can build afterward |
| - | Advice leans toward its partner platforms |
| - | Limited EU regulatory depth |
| - | New AI leadership still settling in |
Who should choose PA Consulting?
A typical fit: AI planning for UK government departments.
Advice from teams that also design and build, strong in UK government. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Public sector, Defense, Healthcare, Energy & utilities, Consumer.
Who should choose Slalom?
A typical fit: AI governance for a North American company.
Local-office consultants for AI governance and operating models. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Financial services, Healthcare, Retail, Public sector.
Decision matrix: PA Consulting vs Slalom
| Your situation | Recommended choice |
|---|---|
| You want advice with no build contract attached | Neither; write the build as a separate decision |
| Finance needs run costs before approving anything | Neither lists cost modeling; ask for a sample |
| Some of your use cases may be high-risk under the EU AI Act | Slalom |
| You need an outside check on a system already built | Neither; use a dedicated auditor |
| You want the same firm to build what it recommends | Both can deliver |
| Your budget is at the lower end | Compare: PA Consulting (Not disclosed) vs Slalom (Not disclosed) |
| You need advisers in many countries at once | Slalom |
Use case fit: PA Consulting vs Slalom
| Use case | PA Consulting fit | Slalom fit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI planning for UK government departments. | Strong | Limited | PA Consulting |
| Health service AI adoption. | Strong | Limited | PA Consulting |
| AI governance for a North American company. | Limited | Strong | Slalom |
| Operating-model changes for AI. | Limited | Strong | Slalom |
Verdict: PA Consulting vs Slalom
PA Consulting (4.0/5) is the stronger overall choice for most AI Advisory projects. Advice from teams that also design and build, strong in UK government.
Slalom (3.8/5) is worth a look if you need operating-model changes for AI. If your situation matches that, Slalom is a competitive option.
Related comparisons
PA Consulting vs Slalom FAQ
Is PA Consulting better than Slalom?
PA Consulting (4.0/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. PA Consulting's strongest advantage: long record with UK government and health clients. Slalom's strongest advantage: local teams for on-site work.
How do PA Consulting and Slalom differ in pricing?
PA Consulting's pricing: consulting fees; rates not published. Slalom's pricing: consulting fees; rates not published. Any hourly bands shown come from Clutch, not a published rate card, so a scoping call is still needed for a project quote.
Which is better for enterprise: PA Consulting or Slalom?
Slalom is the larger team and typically the better enterprise-scale choice. For very large programmes, verify team size and compliance coverage directly with each firm before shortlisting.
What are the main differences between PA Consulting and Slalom?
PA Consulting's primary differentiator is: advice from teams that also design and build, strong in UK government. Slalom's primary differentiator is: local-office consultants for AI governance and operating models. They also differ in team size (~3,900 vs 10,000+), minimum engagement (Not disclosed vs Not disclosed), and primary industries served (Public sector, Defense vs Financial services, Healthcare).
Verify all details directly with each firm before making a decision.