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.

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.

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 › Vanta

Platform profile · reviewed July 2026

What is Vanta?

Short answer

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 like SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA and PCI DSS. It is the category's premium baseline: the widest integration library, the deepest cross framework mapping, and the trust page with the most recognition in enterprise security reviews. Onboarding is self serve, which suits teams who already know what they are doing.

At a glance

2018Founded

400+Integrations

HourlyTest cadence

Founded: 2018
Category: Compliance automation
Integrations: 400+
Test cadence: Hourly
Onboarding: Self serve
Auditor access: Portal and exported evidence packages
Device data: Own lightweight agent on endpoints
Ownership: Independent, no audit firm owner
Pricing model: Quote based, no published list price
Best for: Multi framework programmes and enterprise sales

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What Vanta does well

Integration breadth

Over 400 connectors, with the broadest infrastructure coverage in the category. The count matters at the edges, not in the middle: for a standard AWS, GitHub, Google Workspace and Okta stack, every platform here copes. For a long tail, this is where the difference is real.

Cross framework mapping

The most consistently deep mapping when you run more than one framework. If ISO 27001 or HIPAA is coming behind SOC 2, this is the feature that repays the premium, because evidence collected once counts twice.

The Trust Center

The most recognised trust page in the category. If security questionnaires are slowing your sales cycle, this shortens them, which makes it a revenue argument rather than a compliance one.

Control flexibility

More room for custom controls and modified test criteria than the prescriptive platforms. Better once your programme has grown past a standard SOC 2 control set.

Who it suits

A good fit if

More than one framework is on your roadmap
Your infrastructure is non standard with a long integration tail
This is your first SOC 2 and somebody is implementing it with you
Your trust page will do real work in enterprise deals
You want no audit firm implied by your platform choice

A poor fit if

Nobody is setting it up and nobody internally will own it
You want somebody telling you what to do next each week
You are under 25 people with a single framework
Your auditor has built their workflow inside a competitor

How a Vanta implementation goes

01
Connect the integrations
Cloud, source control, identity, HR. A weekend of work if you have admin access to everything, longer if you have to chase permissions.
02
Roll out the device agent
Vanta uses its own lightweight agent on company endpoints for device evidence. Plan for the internal communication, not just the install.
03
Work the red list
The platform shows every failing control at once. This is the honest and demoralising part, and it is where self serve onboarding either works or does not.
04
Chase the human evidence
Policy signatures and training completion. Nothing technical about it and it is usually the longest pole.
05
Open the observation window
For a Type 2 the clock starts once controls are operating. The report comes after the window closes, not after the platform turns green.

Common questions about Vanta

What frameworks does Vanta support?

SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI DSS and GDPR are the ones most customers use, alongside a longer list of less commonly requested standards. The more useful question on a demo is not whether a framework appears on the list but how much evidence carries across two of them for your specific control set.

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 you, not that you are on your 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 for you. That turns on who is doing the setup rather than on whether you have done this before.

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, so no auditor is implied by choosing it. You select your audit firm separately, and their preference should weigh heavily in your platform decision.

How many integrations does Vanta have?

Over 400, the largest library in the category. Check your own top ten systems against the list on the call instead of trusting the headline figure, because the number matters only to the extent it covers what you run.

What are the main alternatives to Vanta?

Drata is the closest direct competitor and the usual head to head. Secureframe typically enters lower on price and is owned by the audit firm Thoropass. Sprinto positions as the aggressive entry point with heavily guided onboarding. Which is right depends far more on your auditor and your team's experience than on feature counts.

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