Vanta vs Drata: Enterprise Compliance Platforms Compared — And Why Neither May Be Right for You

VantaDrata

Vanta and Drata are the two most frequently compared compliance automation platforms on the market. Both target mid-market and enterprise companies with automated evidence collection, continuous monitoring, and multi-framework support. If you have been evaluating compliance tools, you have almost certainly encountered both — and you have probably noticed that neither publishes transparent pricing, making an informed comparison frustratingly difficult. Vanta launched in 2018 and has grown into the largest compliance automation platform by market share, raising over $203 million in funding and achieving a valuation north of $2.45 billion. Drata entered the market in 2020 and gained rapid traction by emphasizing a cleaner user interface and a developer-friendly onboarding experience, raising $328 million with a $2 billion valuation. Both platforms now support 20+ compliance frameworks and maintain extensive integration libraries. Despite their similarities, meaningful differences exist in pricing structure, automation approach, user experience, and ideal customer profile. This comparison examines those differences honestly, without marketing spin. We also address the elephant in the room: both platforms require annual contracts typically ranging from $10,000 to $80,000 per year, which puts them firmly in enterprise territory. If you are a startup or SMB looking for compliance readiness without enterprise pricing, we will point you to a more accessible alternative at the end.

Pricing & Contract Model

Neither Vanta nor Drata publishes pricing on their website. Both require you to book a demo, speak with a sales representative, and negotiate a contract before you learn what you will pay. This opacity is a deliberate sales strategy, not an oversight. Based on publicly available data from G2 reviews, Reddit discussions, and industry reports, Vanta's annual contracts typically range from $10,000 for a single framework (e.g., SOC 2 only) for smaller companies to $50,000-$80,000+ for multi-framework enterprise deployments. Drata's pricing follows a similar range, generally starting around $10,000-$15,000/year for SOC 2, with multi-framework packages reaching $40,000-$70,000 annually. Both platforms charge more for additional frameworks, additional integrations beyond standard tiers, vendor risk management modules, and trust center features. Multi-year contracts with 2-3 year commitments are common with both vendors, often offered at modest discounts (10-15%) in exchange for lock-in. Drata has historically been positioned as slightly more affordable than Vanta, particularly for companies only needing SOC 2, but the gap has narrowed as both platforms have moved upmarket. For companies with limited budgets, AuditFront offers transparent pricing starting from a free tier — no sales calls, no hidden fees, and no multi-year commitments required.

Framework Coverage

Both Vanta and Drata have aggressively expanded their framework coverage. Vanta supports over 35 frameworks including SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI DSS, GDPR, NIST 800-53, NIST CSF, FedRAMP, CMMC, and various industry-specific standards. Drata supports 20+ frameworks covering the same core set: SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI DSS, GDPR, NIST 800-53, CCPA, and NIST CSF. Vanta has a lead in total framework count, particularly in niche and emerging frameworks. If you need less common standards like NIST 800-171, ISO 42001 (AI management), or specific financial services regulations, Vanta is more likely to have them available. For the frameworks that matter most — SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and GDPR — both platforms are functionally equivalent. Both allow you to run multiple frameworks simultaneously with shared controls, meaning evidence collected for SOC 2 automatically maps to overlapping ISO 27001 requirements. The practical difference in framework coverage only matters if you need a specific niche framework that one platform supports and the other does not. For the vast majority of companies pursuing SOC 2 and ISO 27001, either platform will serve you adequately.

Automation Depth

Automation is the core value proposition of both platforms, but they approach it differently. Vanta pioneered the connect-and-automate model: you link your AWS/GCP/Azure accounts, HR systems (BambooHR, Gusto, Rippling), identity providers (Okta, Google Workspace), and development tools (GitHub, Jira), and Vanta continuously monitors your infrastructure for compliance gaps. Vanta's automation engine is mature and covers over 300+ integrations. It can detect unencrypted S3 buckets, employees without MFA enabled, missing background checks, and dozens of other common compliance failures automatically. Drata's automation takes a similar approach with 100+ native integrations and an emphasis on real-time evidence collection. Drata's Autopilot feature continuously tests controls and collects evidence across connected systems. Where Drata differentiates is in its API-first approach — Drata offers a more developer-friendly API for building custom integrations and automating evidence collection for proprietary systems. In practice, both platforms automate roughly 70-80% of evidence collection for companies using standard SaaS tools. The remaining 20-30% — policies, vendor assessments, physical security controls, custom processes — still requires manual input regardless of which platform you choose. Neither platform eliminates the need for human judgment in compliance.

User Experience & Onboarding

User experience is where Drata has consistently received higher marks. Drata's interface is modern, clean, and intuitive. The dashboard presents compliance status in a straightforward visual format, control mapping is easy to navigate, and the overall design feels purpose-built rather than bolted together. Multiple G2 and Gartner Peer Insights reviews cite Drata's UI as a key differentiator, with users describing it as the 'best-looking compliance platform' on the market. Vanta's interface is functional but has been criticized as cluttered and less intuitive, particularly for users new to compliance. Navigation can feel overwhelming with the sheer number of features, settings, and configuration options. That said, Vanta has invested heavily in UX improvements throughout 2024 and 2025, significantly closing the gap. Onboarding with Vanta typically takes 4-8 weeks and includes a dedicated customer success manager for enterprise contracts. Drata's onboarding is generally faster — many users report being operational within 2-4 weeks — partly because the interface is more self-explanatory. Both platforms offer implementation guides, knowledge bases, and dedicated support channels. However, the quality of onboarding support often depends on your contract size: larger deals get more white-glove attention.

Integration Ecosystem

Vanta's integration library is the largest in the compliance automation space with 300+ native integrations spanning cloud providers, identity management, HR systems, endpoint management, vulnerability scanners, ticketing systems, and more. If you use a mainstream SaaS tool, Vanta almost certainly has an integration for it. This breadth means less custom development and faster evidence collection automation. Drata offers 100+ integrations covering all major categories. While the total count is lower than Vanta's, Drata covers the most commonly used tools comprehensively — AWS, Azure, GCP, Okta, Google Workspace, GitHub, Jira, BambooHR, Gusto, CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, and others. For most companies using a standard tech stack, Drata's integration library is sufficient. Where the integration gap matters is in edge cases: niche HR tools, region-specific cloud providers, specialized endpoint management solutions, or custom-built internal tools. Vanta's larger ecosystem means fewer gaps. Drata compensates with a more robust API that allows developers to build custom integrations more easily. Both platforms support webhook-based integrations and provide APIs for custom evidence collection, but Drata's API documentation and developer experience are generally regarded as superior.

Best For (Target Audience)

Vanta is best suited for mid-market and enterprise companies (100-5,000+ employees) with established security teams, mature cloud infrastructure, and budgets that can absorb $15,000-$80,000 annual commitments. Its strength lies in breadth: more frameworks, more integrations, and a longer track record. Companies that need to manage 3+ frameworks simultaneously and have complex multi-cloud environments will find Vanta's depth valuable. Drata is ideal for growth-stage companies (50-1,000 employees) that value clean UX, faster onboarding, and a developer-friendly platform. Companies whose engineering teams will be directly involved in compliance work often prefer Drata because the interface requires less training and the API enables custom automation. Drata is also a strong choice for companies pursuing their first SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certification. Both platforms assume you have the internal resources to configure integrations, review automated evidence, manage remediation workflows, and interact with auditors. If you are a startup or SMB without a dedicated security team — or if spending $10,000+ per year on compliance tools is not feasible — neither Vanta nor Drata is the right fit. AuditFront is designed specifically for this underserved segment: transparent pricing from free, guided self-assessments that do not require a compliance expert to use, and coverage for ISO 27001, SOC 2, GDPR, NIS2, and Technology Due Diligence.

The verdict

Vanta and Drata are both excellent compliance automation platforms — for companies that can afford them and have the internal resources to use them effectively. Vanta wins on breadth: more frameworks, more integrations, and a longer market presence. Drata wins on experience: a cleaner interface, faster onboarding, and a more developer-friendly approach. In terms of core functionality — automated evidence collection, continuous monitoring, multi-framework support — the two platforms are remarkably similar. The honest truth is that for most companies evaluating Vanta vs Drata, the deciding factor will come down to pricing (get quotes from both — they are negotiable), integration coverage for your specific tech stack, and which UI your team prefers. Both require annual contracts in the $10K-$80K range, both require sales calls before you see pricing, and both assume you have dedicated compliance resources. If neither platform fits your budget or team size, AuditFront offers a genuinely different approach. Instead of continuous automation at enterprise prices, AuditFront provides structured self-assessments with transparent pricing starting from free. You can evaluate your ISO 27001, SOC 2, GDPR, or NIS2 readiness today — without a sales call, without a contract, and without spending a dollar until you are ready to scale.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Vanta or Drata cheaper?

Neither publishes pricing, so direct comparison requires getting quotes from both. Historically, Drata has been positioned as slightly more affordable, particularly for single-framework deployments like SOC 2 only. However, the pricing gap has narrowed as both platforms have moved upmarket. Expect to pay $10,000-$15,000/year minimum for either platform with a single framework, scaling to $40,000-$80,000+ for multi-framework enterprise deployments. Always negotiate — both vendors offer discounts for multi-year commitments and competitive situations.

Can I use Vanta or Drata without a dedicated compliance team?

Technically yes, but practically it is challenging. Both platforms automate evidence collection, but someone still needs to configure integrations, review findings, write and maintain policies, manage remediation tasks, and coordinate with auditors. Companies without compliance experience often find themselves underutilizing these platforms while still paying full price. If you do not have a dedicated compliance person, consider starting with a self-assessment tool like AuditFront to understand your gaps before investing in enterprise automation.

Which platform has better customer support?

Both Vanta and Drata offer dedicated customer success managers for enterprise contracts, knowledge bases, and support channels. Drata consistently receives higher customer satisfaction scores on G2 and Gartner Peer Insights, particularly for responsiveness and onboarding support. Vanta's support quality tends to vary more based on contract size — larger customers report excellent support, while smaller accounts sometimes experience slower response times. Both platforms have active community forums and extensive documentation.

Do Vanta and Drata work with the same auditors?

Both platforms maintain partnerships with major audit firms and are designed to streamline the audit process regardless of which firm you choose. Vanta has a larger auditor network and offers an in-house audit coordination service. Drata also partners with multiple audit firms and provides auditor-facing dashboards for evidence review. In most cases, your choice of auditor is independent of your choice of platform — both tools export evidence in formats that auditors can review efficiently.

Try AuditFront free

All 5 frameworks included. No credit card required. No sales calls.

Start free assessment