What is GRC software?

GRC software connects to the systems a company already runs, collects evidence that its security controls are working, and keeps that evidence in one place an auditor can read. GRC stands for governance, risk and compliance.

Is GRC software the same as compliance automation software?

In everyday use, yes. GRC is the older and wider term. Compliance automation is the narrower modern category that Vanta, Drata, Secureframe and Sprinto sell into.

Do I need GRC software to get SOC 2?

No. Companies still pass SOC 2 audits on spreadsheets. The platform reduces manual evidence gathering. Under about 25 people with one framework, doing it manually is a defensible choice.

Which GRC platform is best for a startup?

Your auditor's preference matters more than any feature comparison, and whether anyone on your team has done this before matters more than that. Drata and Sprinto lean structured and guided; Vanta leans self serve.

Vanta is a compliance automation platform, launched in 2018, that connects to over 400 systems and runs hourly automated checks to collect evidence for frameworks including SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA and PCI DSS.

Is Vanta good for a first SOC 2?

Yes, and it is the common case. Self-serve onboarding means no customer success manager is imposed on the buyer, not that they are on their own. Most first SOC 2 programmes on Vanta are set up by an implementation partner, which is what the model is built around. Doing it entirely alone, with nobody owning the work, is the one situation where a guided platform does more, and that turns on who does the setup rather than on prior experience.

Does Vanta do the audit?

No. Vanta prepares and organises evidence; an independent CPA firm performs the audit and issues the report. Vanta is not owned by an audit firm.

How do you get a better price on Vanta than I would on my own?

By running the same scope past several firms that implement Vanta at once and handing back the best number that comes in. A buyer could do that alone over a week of discovery calls; GRC Migrate does it in one business day with no call.

How much does Vanta cost?

Vanta publishes no list price, so any specific figure quoted in the abstract describes somebody else's deal rather than a rate card. The number is built for your headcount, your frameworks, your term length and which add-ons are included. The useful question is not what Vanta costs in general but whether the quote in front of you is a good one, which can only be answered by seeing what the alternatives return for the same scope.

Vanta is a compliance automation platform, launched in 2018, that connects to over 400 systems and runs automated control checks to collect the evidence frameworks such as SOC 2, ISO 27001 and HIPAA require. It does not perform the audit. An independent CPA firm performs the audit and issues the report.

How long does SOC 2 take with Vanta?

A SOC 2 Type 1 attests that controls are designed appropriately at a single point in time and can be turned around comparatively quickly. A Type 2 attests that they operated effectively across an observation period, commonly a few months to a year, and that window cannot be compressed by spending more. When a deal is blocked, what unblocks it is an auditor's comfort or engagement letter plus a committed dated timeline, not a faster platform.

Is Vanta a good fit for a startup?

Yes, and it is the common case. Self-serve onboarding means no customer success manager is imposed, not that the team is on its own. Most first SOC 2 programmes on Vanta are set up by an implementation partner, which is what the model is built around. The one situation where a guided platform does more is doing it entirely alone with nobody owning the work.

What does it cost to use GRC Migrate?

Nothing. It stays free whether or not the buyer acts on what comes back.

How much does Drata cost?

Drata publishes no list price, and a figure quoted in isolation is missing half the answer. Drata sells in tiers and bills implementation separately, so the real cost is the tier plus the setup work. That is why reported numbers vary so widely: people are comparing different tiers, with and without implementation included.

Which Drata tier do I need?

It depends on what the platform has to do rather than on headcount. The requirement that most often catches buyers is API access, which sits on the Advanced tier only, so a team planning to pull data out programmatically can be quoted a tier that will not do it. List the requirements before the quote is written.

Is implementation included in a Drata quote?

Usually not, and that is the biggest reason two Drata quotes are hard to compare. Ask for the licence and the implementation as separate lines on every quote collected; once both are broken into the same parts the comparison is straightforward.

Does Drata change how fast you get SOC 2?

Barely. A Type 2 report depends on an observation period, commonly a few months to a year, which cannot be compressed by spending more. Where Drata can genuinely save time is the handover: if the audit firm works in Audit Hub, the evidence exchange that usually eats weeks at the end happens continuously instead.

How much does Secureframe cost?

Secureframe publishes no list price. It is quote based and positions as the cost-conscious entry into the category, so its platform line is usually the lowest of the four major products. That line is only half of what a compliance year costs, because the audit is quoted separately and is frequently the larger number.

Is Secureframe cheaper than Vanta?

On the platform line, usually yes. On the year, it depends on what the audit costs, and a platform saving can be smaller than the difference between two audit quotes. Both numbers need comparing before either platform is treated as the cheaper one.

Does Thoropass owning Secureframe affect the price?

It means one company can sell both the platform and the audit, which is a genuine convenience and can be good value. It also means a single quote can cover both with the margin sitting wherever the seller prefers. Asking for the two numbers separately answers the question.

Can I use Secureframe with a different auditor?

The platform is not restricted to a single audit firm. Because the vendor is owned by one, it is worth getting in writing how a third-party audit is supported before committing to a multi-year term, and asking what changes in the workflow.

A compliance automation platform that typically enters below Vanta on price, connects to around 200 systems, and supports SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI DSS and others. It has been owned by the audit firm Thoropass since 2024, which is what distinguishes it from the rest of the category.

How much does Sprinto cost?

Sprinto is quote based and no independently verifiable figures exist, so any specific number found online is unsourced. What is established is its position: the most price-aggressive entry point in the category. The useful question is what the whole term costs rather than what the first year does.

Is Sprinto cheaper than Vanta or Drata?

On entry, yes, that is its position in the market. Across three years it depends on whether the company is still using it in year three. Teams that outgrow it and migrate pay for two platforms and the move between them, which usually erases the saving.

Will we outgrow Sprinto?

The usual triggers are growth in headcount and adding a second framework. If either is likely inside the term being signed, the migration belongs in the cost of the decision. For a company genuinely staying still on one framework, the concern does not apply.

Can my auditor work in Sprinto?

Ask the audit firm directly, before signing. Sprinto has no dedicated auditor portal and familiarity among US firms is more variable than for the other three platforms. This question can rule the platform out regardless of price.

A compliance automation platform positioned as the most price-aggressive entry point in the category, built around step-by-step guided onboarding for teams with no prior compliance experience. It can carry a standard first SOC 2 Type 2 on a common stack.

Who owns Secureframe?

Thoropass, a compliance audit firm, which acquired Secureframe in 2024. It is the only platform among the four major names owned and directed by an auditor.

Can I use Secureframe with a different auditor?

The platform is not restricted to a single audit firm, but since the vendor is owned by an auditor, confirm in writing how a third party audit is supported before committing to a multi year term.

Home › Platforms › Drata

Platform profile · reviewed July 2026

What is Drata?

Short answer

Drata is a compliance automation platform, launched in 2020, built around a prescriptive control framework and a high touch customer success model. It connects to around 200 systems, runs daily automated checks, and offers Audit Hub, a structured space where your audit firm works alongside you. It is the strongest structure in the category for a first SOC 2 at a company where nobody owns compliance yet.

At a glance

2020Founded

~200Integrations

DailyTest cadence

Founded: 2020
Category: Compliance automation
Integrations: ~200
Test cadence: Daily
Onboarding: Guided, CSM led
Auditor access: Audit Hub, a dedicated collaboration space
Control model: Drata Control Framework, prescriptive
Trust page: Trust Center Pro, built on SafeBase, acquired 2023
Ownership: Independent, no audit firm owner
Pricing model: Tiered, quote based; implementation billed separately
Notable limit: API access sits on the Advanced tier only
Best for: First audits and teams without a compliance owner

Free check

Does your audit firm work in Audit Hub?

It is the strongest reason to pick Drata and worth nothing if your firm does not use it. Tell us the firm and we will check.

Run the check →Free · quote comparison

What does your Drata quote actually cover?

Drata is priced in tiers with implementation billed separately, so two quotes are rarely the same thing. Send your scope and we come back with competing quotes, tier and implementation broken out.

Compare my Drata quote →

What Drata does well

Audit Hub

A structured space where your auditor works alongside you instead of receiving exports. A set of audit firms have built their process around it, and if yours is one of them this single fact decides your platform choice.

The high touch CSM

Someone whose job is knowing where you are stuck. The most underrated line in the category, and the main reason Drata implementations stall less often than self serve ones.

A prescriptive control framework

The Drata Control Framework tells you what a standard programme looks like instead of asking you to design one. For a first audit that is exactly right.

Trust Center Pro

Built on SafeBase, acquired in 2023 and since integrated. A credible answer if you need a trust page alongside the compliance work.

Who it suits

A good fit if

This is your first SOC 2
Nobody internally has run a compliance programme
Your audit firm uses Audit Hub
You would rather pay for structure than work it out
Your stack is the common SaaS set

A poor fit if

Your programme has grown past a standard control set
You need API access and Advanced tier pricing does not work
Your integration list runs well past the common stack
You find prescriptive tooling constraining instead of helpful

Check before you compare quotes

Drata bills implementation separately from the subscription. A Drata quote and a competitor quote are rarely comparable as written, and this is the single most common surprise in a side by side.

How a Drata implementation goes

01
Kickoff with your CSM
The structured part starts immediately. You get a sequence instead of a dashboard of red items. That is the point.
02
Connect the integrations
Around 200 connectors covering the common stack. Check your own ten before signing.
03
Adopt the control framework
You take Drata's opinion on what the control set should be. Fast when you have no opinion of your own, friction when you do.
04
Bring the auditor into Audit Hub
If your firm already works this way, evidence review gets materially easier. If they do not, you are back to exports.
05
Open the observation window
Same as anywhere. The Type 2 clock is set by the window, not by the platform turning green.

Common questions about Drata

Is Drata better than Vanta?

Neither is categorically better. Drata is the stronger choice for a first audit at a company with no internal compliance owner, because of the CSM model and the prescriptive framework. Vanta is stronger for multi framework programmes, long integration tails and enterprise sales support. Your auditor's preference outweighs both.

What is Drata's Audit Hub?

A dedicated space inside Drata where your audit firm reviews evidence and collaborates with your team, instead of receiving exported packages. Its value depends entirely on whether your chosen audit firm has adopted it. Ask your auditor before you ask Drata.

What is the Drata Control Framework?

Drata's own opinionated set of controls mapped across the frameworks it supports. It is prescriptive by design: it tells you what good looks like instead of asking you to define it. That is a strength for a standard first programme and a source of friction once you need significant customisation.

Does Drata include implementation?

No. Implementation and onboarding are billed separately from the subscription. Confirm what is inside the number you are quoted, because this is where side by side comparisons most often go wrong.

Does Drata have an API?

Yes, but it sits on the Advanced tier, not the entry tier. If programmatic access matters to you, that requirement moves you up a tier, and the jump is significant enough to change the comparison.

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