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.

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 an audit firm works alongside the customer.

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 › RSA Archer

Platform profile · reviewed July 2026

Is RSA Archer end of life?

Short answer

No. Archer is not discontinued, not end of life and not winding down. It operates as a standalone company, still ships updates and is actively sold into regulated industries. It has changed hands repeatedly, most recently to the private equity firm Cinven in 2023, and changing owners is a different thing from going away. What has changed is the commercial posture, which is what most people are really asking about when they search this.

At a glance

2023Cinven acquired it

4Owners since 2010

NotEnd of life

Category: Enterprise GRC platform
Owner: Cinven, private equity, since 2023
Ownership chain: EMC 2010, Dell 2016, STG 2020, Cinven 2023
Status: Actively developed and sold
Positioned for: Large enterprise and regulated industries
Renewal posture: Firmer pricing and less discounting under PE ownership
Migration off: 8 to 12 weeks simple, 4 to 6 months standard, 6 to 12 months heavily customised

What it is for

It is still a real product

Updates ship, the customer base across regulated industries is intact, and it is actively sold. If somebody told you it was being discontinued, that is not what the record shows.

Private equity ownership changes the renewal, not the roadmap

PE ownership across this category usually means firmer renewal pricing, less discounting flexibility and more structured escalation. Go into the renewal with a cap on escalation in writing, plus support SLAs and data export rights stated in the contract.

What you can export, and what you cannot

Data comes out through the reporting engine as CSV and through the REST API, which paginates at 1,000 records, so large exports need looping. The document repository exports separately. Workflow logic, calculated field formulas and cross reference relationships are configuration rather than data, and they do not come with you.

Custom applications have no equivalent

The custom applications that make every Archer instance unique have no counterpart in Vanta, Drata, AuditBoard or LogicGate, which are all opinionated platforms with fixed data models. You are not migrating them. You are deciding what their function should become.

Who it suits

A good fit if

Your programme genuinely needs configurable enterprise GRC
You are in a heavily regulated industry with bespoke risk workflows
You have an Archer administrator and institutional knowledge to match
The renewal terms can still be negotiated into something sensible

A poor fit if

Your programme has consolidated around a few frameworks
You want compliance automation rather than a configurable platform
You have lost the internal knowledge that keeps the instance running
The administrative weight now exceeds what the programme needs

If you are planning to leave

Budget the control mapping exercise honestly. For a mature programme it alone runs twenty to sixty hours of analysis. And tell your audit firm at least sixty days before your next audit, because some have built their workflow around Archer report structures.

Common questions

Is RSA Archer being discontinued?

No. It is not discontinued, not end of life and not in wind down. It operates as a standalone company, continues to release updates and is actively sold. It has changed owners several times, most recently to Cinven in 2023, which is what usually prompts the question.

Who owns RSA Archer now?

Cinven, a private equity firm, which acquired it from Symphony Technology Group in 2023. Before that it was EMC from 2010, Dell from 2016 and STG from 2020.

How long does it take to migrate off Archer?

Much longer than moving between modern compliance platforms. A focused programme with little customisation and an available administrator runs 8 to 12 weeks. A standard enterprise instance runs 4 to 6 months. A heavily customised instance with ten or more custom applications runs 6 to 12 months and is best done in phases.

Will our auditor accept Vanta or Drata after Archer?

Generally yes. Most major audit firms work with both regularly. Give them at least sixty days notice before your next audit, share the migration timeline, and get them access early so they can get familiar before fieldwork.

Rather just talk it through

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