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.

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.

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.

Home › Platforms › Secureframe

Platform profile · reviewed July 2026

What is Secureframe?

Short answer

Secureframe is a compliance automation platform that typically enters below Vanta on price and has been owned by the audit firm Thoropass since 2024. It connects to around 200 systems and supports the same core framework list as its competitors. The ownership is the thing that makes it different: platform and audit practice under one roof, which is a genuine workflow advantage if Thoropass is your firm and a fair question if it is not.

At a glance

2024Thoropass acquired it

~200Integrations

AssistedOnboarding

Category: Compliance automation
Integrations: ~200
Onboarding: Assisted
Ownership: Thoropass, an audit firm, since 2024
Frameworks: SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI DSS and others
Positioning: The cost conscious entry into the category
Pricing model: Quote based, no published list price
Open question: Roadmap independence from its auditor owner
Best for: Single framework programmes where budget binds

Free check

What to ask about the Thoropass question

A short brief on what auditor ownership changes, and the four questions to put to Secureframe before signing.

Run the check →Free · whole year pricing

The platform is the cheap part. What does the year cost?

Secureframe enters low on the platform line and its owner is an audit firm. Send your scope and we come back with the platform and the audit priced separately.

Price my whole year →

The ownership question

Secureframe was acquired in 2024 by Thoropass, a compliance audit firm. The platform is now owned and directed by an auditor. It is a structural fact that changes the decision, and it cuts both ways.

An advantage if

Thoropass is already your audit firm
You want platform and audit in one commercial relationship
You would rather have one vendor than two to manage
Tight platform to auditor workflow matters more than choice

A question if

You want to choose your audit firm freely later
You are signing a multi year contract
Your existing auditor is a competitor of Thoropass
Roadmap independence matters to your risk team

The question to ask on the call

If you do not want Thoropass as your auditor, ask directly how the platform supports a third party audit, and get the answer in writing before you sign. It is a reasonable question and a good vendor will answer it. Ask your own audit firm which platform they would rather work inside, before you ask any vendor anything.

Who it suits

A good fit if

One framework, and budget is the binding constraint
Thoropass as auditor is fine, or already decided
Somebody internally has done this before
Your stack is the common SaaS set

A poor fit if

Auditor independence is a stated requirement
Several frameworks are coming and cross mapping depth matters
Your integration list runs past the common stack
You need the strongest brand recognition on a trust page

Common questions about Secureframe

Who owns Secureframe?

Thoropass, a compliance audit firm, which acquired it in 2024. That makes Secureframe the only platform among the four major names that is owned and directed by an auditor, and it is the first fact to weigh when shortlisting it.

Is Secureframe cheaper than Vanta?

It generally enters below Vanta, and that positioning is why it appears on most cost conscious shortlists. Both are quote based with no published list price, so the gap on your specific quote depends on your headcount, framework count and how the negotiation goes.

Can I use Secureframe with a different auditor?

This is the right question to ask the vendor directly, and to get answered in writing. The platform is not restricted to a single audit firm, but since your platform vendor is now owned by an auditor, confirm how a third party audit is supported before committing to a multi year term.

What are the main alternatives to Secureframe?

Drata competes hardest for the same buyer, a first SOC 2 under about a hundred people, and wins on structure. Vanta sits above on integration breadth and multi framework depth. Sprinto competes below on entry positioning. Which fits depends on whether budget, structure, or auditor relationship is your binding constraint.

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