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SOC 2Compliance tooling

SOC 2 compliance tooling: Vanta, Drata, Scytale and more compared

Compliance tooling automates the collection of evidence for SOC 2. The platforms connect to your cloud environment, code repositories and HR systems, and collect screenshots and logs of your controls every day. Without tooling, you do this by hand: hundreds of hours over the observation period. The AICPA  does not prescribe a specific platform, but almost every modern SOC 2 audit runs more smoothly with one than without. Also see the step-by-step plan to understand at which point tooling does the heaviest work.

Compliance tooling does not replace the work. It greatly reduces manual evidence collection, but you still write policies, carry out access reviews and train your team. The platform makes all of that demonstrable.

The seven platforms compared

The best-known platforms for SOC 2 are Vanta, Drata, Secureframe, Sprinto, Scytale, Thoropass and Scrut Automation. Below is a comparison on the aspects that matter most to most startups, scale-ups and mid-market companies.

All platforms use dynamic, quote-based pricing. The indications below are based on publicly available information and user experiences on review platforms such as G2 and Capterra (consulted June 2026). Always request a quote based on your current headcount and frameworks.

AspectVantaDrataSecureframeSprintoScytaleThoropassScrut Automation
Main marketStartups and scale-upsMid-marketStartups and mid-marketStartups (also outside the US)Startups and scale-ups (strong in the EU)Mid-market, also with own auditorsStartups and mid-market (strong in APAC and the EU)
Integrations300+200+150+200+100+100+100+
AutomationGoodExcellentGoodGoodGoodGoodGood
Ease of useHighHighMediumHighHighMediumHigh
Multiple frameworksYes (SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA, …)YesYesYesYes (SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR)Yes, with an in-house auditYes, broad framework range
Price indication per year€12,000 - €25,000+€10,000 - €22,000+€8,000 - €18,000+€7,000 - €16,000+€8,000 - €18,000+€10,000 - €20,000+€6,000 - €15,000+
StrengthUser experience and familiarity with auditorsAutomation and audit managementPrice-quality ratioStartups outside the US, multi-frameworkPersonal guidance, strong in EuropeAudit and platform in one (no separate accountant needed)Sharp pricing, extensive continuous monitoring
Watch out forPrice increases as you growComplex setupFewer auditor integrationsSmaller communitySmaller integration offerLess known outside the US and EULess known among traditional auditors

Continuous monitoring: the main difference between platforms

Continuous monitoring is the core function that sets these platforms apart from a spreadsheet. The system checks every day (sometimes every hour) whether controls still meet the requirements, instead of you verifying that once a year by hand. Drata and Scrut Automation are considered the strongest on this point, thanks to their extensive automatic checks and real-time dashboards. Vanta and Drata also send automatic alerts as soon as a control “fails” (for example: MFA is off on a new account), so you can fix the problem before the auditor sees it. For a mid-market company running several frameworks at once (SOC 2 plus ISO 27001), this is where you save the most time compared with manual evidence collection.

What do these platforms actually do?

Automated evidence collection The platform connects via API to AWS, Google Cloud or Azure and checks every day whether MFA is on, which users have which rights, and whether encryption is enabled. These checks are stored as evidence. If your auditor asks, “Show that MFA was active over the last six months,” you open the platform and export the overview.

Gap analysis On day one you connect your accounts. The platform immediately shows which controls you already have and which are missing. That is information that would otherwise take you weeks of work. For startups just beginning, this is the most direct time saving.

Policy templates All platforms provide templates for the minimum set of policies that SOC 2 requires: information security policy, access control, incident response and change management. You adapt them to your situation. Auditors see generic templates, so make sure the content really matches how you work.

Audit management Some platforms, Drata in particular, offer a module in which your auditor works directly in the platform. That shortens the duration of the audit. Auditors who know the platform ask fewer questions, because they can verify evidence directly.

When does compliance tooling pay off?

Tooling does not always pay off. The calculation is simple:

Without tooling, manual evidence collection for Type II is estimated at 200 to 300 hours. With tooling: 30 to 60 hours of review work. You save 150 to 250 hours.

At a fully loaded hourly rate of €75, that is €11,000 to €18,000 saved. A platform at €12,000 per year pays for itself, and you also get real-time insight into your compliance status.

Tooling is almost always worthwhile when:

  • You are doing Type II (a long observation period, lots of evidence to collect)
  • Your team has no dedicated compliance officer
  • You want to achieve several frameworks at once (SOC 2 plus ISO 27001 or GDPR)
  • You want the annual re-audit to run without major effort

Tooling is less urgent when:

  • You are only doing Type I and have enough internal capacity and experience
  • You already have ISO 27001 and a well-organised evidence system
  • You have a small team with one experienced compliance engineer who can handle it by hand

What tooling does not do

A platform gives you a dashboard. It does not give you a well-secured system. Three things the platforms do not solve for you:

Writing policies Templates are a starting point. If your policy says “passwords must be at least 12 characters” but your system enforces eight, the platform has not spotted that. The auditor will.

Organisational controls Access reviews, security training, vendor assessments. You carry these out yourself. The platform records that you did them, but it does not do them.

Fixing technical problems The platform signals that MFA is not set up on one account. You fix it. The platform does not do it for you.

How do you choose a platform?

Three questions help you make the choice:

Which auditor do you use? Some auditors prefer working with Vanta or Drata because they know the environment. Ask your auditor before you buy. An incompatible combination creates extra work.

How many frameworks do you want to achieve in parallel? Only SOC 2? Then all seven platforms are suitable. SOC 2 plus ISO 27001 plus GDPR? Then multi-framework support is a serious selection criterion. Compare the specific frameworks you need.

How big is your team now and in two years? Pricing is per employee tier. With five people, Secureframe, Sprinto or Scrut Automation are cheaper. With fifty people, prices rise at all platforms. Request quotes for both your current size and your expected size.

For the total cost breakdown, including tooling, see costs and timeline.

Compliance tooling for startups

For startups there are two extra considerations.

Many of these platforms offer discounts for early-stage companies through partnerships with accelerators (Y Combinator, Techstars and others) or venture capital portfolio programmes. Ask about this before you pay the standard price.

Also, if you are at pre-seed stage and the costs really cannot be justified, you can also start by hand. Build a structured Google Drive folder structure, note your controls in a spreadsheet, and save screenshots per control. It is more work, but it is possible. Once you grow and the annual re-audit is approaching, you can still move to a platform. You will find more on the startup-specific approach on SOC 2 for startups.

More information

Collecting evidenceBridge letter