Vanta Alternatives for Startups (2025): Honest Comparison

Let's be honest: Vanta is a great product. If you're a Series A startup with $10K+ to spend on compliance tooling and a dedicated person to manage it, Vanta is probably the right choice.

But you're probably not here because you have $10K and a compliance team. You're here because you just lost a deal—or almost lost one—because a prospect asked "Do you have SOC 2?" and you didn't have a good answer.

You Googled "Vanta pricing" and saw numbers that made your seed-stage budget cry. Now you're looking for alternatives.

This guide is for you. We'll compare the major SOC 2 compliance platforms honestly—including where each one shines and where it's overkill for early-stage founders.

Quick Comparison: Vanta vs Alternatives

| Tool | Starting Price | Best For | Verdict | |------|---------------|----------|---------| | Vanta | ~$10,000/year | Series A+ with budget | Overkill for seed stage | | Drata | ~$7,500/year | Mid-market companies | Still expensive for early stage | | Secureframe | ~$7,500/year | SMB to mid-market | Enterprise-focused onboarding | | Sprinto | ~$5,000/year | Cloud-native startups | Complex setup process | | Compliance Copilot | $99/month | Seed-stage founders | Built for founders, not teams |

Pricing based on publicly available information and may vary. Always confirm current pricing directly.

Vanta: The Market Leader

Vanta pioneered the automated compliance space and remains the default choice for well-funded startups. They've earned that position—their platform is comprehensive, their integrations are deep, and their brand carries weight with enterprise buyers.

What Vanta Does Well

• Deep integrations: Connects to 100+ tools (AWS, GCP, GitHub, Okta, etc.) for automated evidence collection
• Trusted brand: Enterprise buyers recognize and trust Vanta certifications
• Comprehensive platform: Handles SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR, and more
• Auditor network: Streamlined path from readiness to certification

Why Vanta Might Not Be Right for You

• Price: Starting at ~$10K/year, it's a significant commitment for a pre-seed or seed startup
• Complexity: The platform assumes you have someone dedicated to compliance—or at least significant time to invest
• Onboarding: Expect calls, demos, and a sales process designed for larger companies
• Overkill factor: If you just need basic policies and evidence tracking, you're paying for features you won't use

Bottom line: Vanta is excellent if you're Series A+ with budget and bandwidth. For seed-stage founders who ARE the compliance team? It's probably too much, too soon.

Drata: Vanta's Main Competitor

Drata has grown rapidly as the primary alternative to Vanta in the mid-market. They offer similar functionality with a slightly different approach to user experience.

What Drata Does Well

• User interface: Generally considered more intuitive than Vanta by some users
• Automation: Strong automated evidence collection and monitoring
• Multi-framework: Supports SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI DSS, and more
• Growth stage: Well-suited for Series A/B companies scaling their compliance

Why Drata Might Not Be Right for You

• Similar pricing: At ~$7,500/year starting, it's not meaningfully cheaper than Vanta for early-stage
• Same target market: Built for companies with compliance resources, not solo founders
• Sales process: Still requires demos and calls—no self-serve option for small startups

Bottom line: Drata vs Vanta is a real decision if you're Series A+. For seed-stage? Both are likely more than you need.

Secureframe: Enterprise-Focused Alternative

Secureframe positions itself as a compliance automation platform for growing companies. They've carved out a niche with strong customer support and a focus on the SMB-to-enterprise journey.

What Secureframe Does Well

• Customer support: Known for responsive, hands-on support during implementation
• Compliance expertise: In-house compliance team provides guidance
• Audit preparation: Strong focus on getting companies through their first audit

Why Secureframe Might Not Be Right for You

• Price point: Similar to Drata at ~$7,500/year starting
• Enterprise focus: The platform and onboarding assume larger teams
• Complexity: More features than a seed-stage startup typically needs

Bottom line: Good option for SMBs ready to scale compliance. For seed-stage founders looking to get started quickly? Still too heavy.

Sprinto: The Budget Option (Sort Of)

Sprinto has gained traction as a more affordable alternative, particularly popular with cloud-native startups. They offer a lower entry point than the big three.

What Sprinto Does Well

• Lower price point: Starting around $5,000/year, it's more accessible than Vanta/Drata
• Cloud-native focus: Good integrations for modern tech stacks
• Automation: Solid automated evidence collection

Why Sprinto Might Not Be Right for You

• Still significant investment: $5K/year is real money for a seed-stage startup
• Setup complexity: Requires technical implementation and configuration
• Annual commitment: Most plans require yearly contracts

Bottom line: Sprinto is a solid middle-ground option if you have ~$5K budget and technical resources for setup.

Compliance Copilot: Built for Founders, Not Compliance Teams

Full disclosure: this is us. We built Compliance Copilot specifically for the gap we saw in the market—founders who need SOC 2 readiness but can't justify enterprise pricing or complexity.

What We Built For

• Speed to first value: Your first policy generated in 10 minutes, not 10 days
• Founder-friendly pricing: Starting at $99/month, monthly billing, cancel anytime
• No onboarding calls: Self-serve from day one—no sales process required
• Readiness focus: We help you prepare for audits and answer the "Do you have SOC 2?" question credibly

What We Don't Do (Honest Limitations)

• We're not an auditor: We help you prepare, but you'll still need an auditor for actual certification
• Fewer integrations: We don't have 100+ integrations—we focus on what seed-stage companies actually use
• Not for enterprises: If you have a compliance team, Vanta or Drata will serve you better

Bottom line: If you're a seed-stage founder who IS the compliance team and need to get ready quickly without breaking the bank, that's exactly who we built this for.

Which Alternative Is Right for You?

Here's a simple decision framework:

Choose Vanta or Drata if:

• You're Series A+ with $10K+ compliance budget
• You have someone dedicated to compliance (even part-time)
• You need deep integrations with enterprise tools
• Brand recognition matters for your sales process

Choose Sprinto if:

• You have ~$5K budget but not $10K
• You're cloud-native with a modern tech stack
• You have technical resources for setup
• You're comfortable with annual contracts

Choose Compliance Copilot if:

• You're pre-seed to seed stage
• You ARE the compliance team (founder doing everything)
• You need something credible in days, not months
• You can't justify $5K-10K/year yet
• You want readiness now, certification later

The Real Question: What Do You Actually Need Right Now?

Most seed-stage founders searching for "Vanta alternatives" don't actually need a full compliance platform. They need to:

1. Answer the "Do you have SOC 2?" question without lying or losing the deal
2. Have basic security policies they can share with prospects
3. Start building a compliance foundation without enterprise overhead

If that's you, start simple. Get your policies in order. Build your evidence trail. When you're ready for full certification and have the budget, you can always upgrade to Vanta or Drata.

The worst decision is doing nothing because the "right" solution is too expensive. The best decision is starting somewhere—today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Vanta worth it for a seed-stage startup?

For most seed-stage startups, Vanta's $10K+ annual cost is difficult to justify. The platform is designed for companies with dedicated compliance resources. If you're a solo founder or small team, consider starting with a lighter-weight solution and upgrading when you have the budget and bandwidth.

What's the cheapest SOC 2 compliance tool?

Compliance Copilot starts at $99/month ($1,188/year), making it one of the most affordable options for SOC 2 readiness. Sprinto starts around $5,000/year, while Vanta, Drata, and Secureframe typically start at $7,500-10,000/year.

Can I get SOC 2 certified without Vanta?

Yes. Vanta (and similar platforms) help you prepare for and automate SOC 2 compliance, but the actual certification comes from an independent auditor. You can prepare for SOC 2 with any tool—or even manually—and then engage an auditor for certification.

How long does SOC 2 readiness take?

With the right tool, you can have basic policies and evidence collection started in days. Full SOC 2 Type 1 readiness typically takes 1-3 months depending on your starting point. Type 2 requires an additional observation period of 3-12 months.