Why Comparing Compliance Platforms by Feature Count Can Lead to the Wrong Choice

Let’s say the cost of a compliance program is $12,000 per annum. Does that sound like a lot?

It depends on what you’re replacing.

If automation eliminates hundreds of hours repetitive evidence gathering in a complex technology environment, $12,000 could be a wise investment. If a company of seven could have the same proof manually in a few hours each month, the figure looks considerably different.

That’s a useful way to approach the search for a Vanta alternative. Identifying the platform with the most features isn’t the first step. Find out how much time and effort those features could save your business.

The Break-Even Level for Automation

Automation of compliance isn’t always good or bad. The importance of automation for compliance is dependent on the size of the business. Imagine a tech company that is growing, with numerous cloud environments, many applications and frequent changes to access. Gathering evidence manually can cause a significant operational burden. Integrations that automatically monitor systems and collect evidence could easily justify the cost.

Now consider a 10-person startup preparing for its first SOC 2. It could have a smaller infrastructure, and the evidence collection could be handled with minimal automation.

That difference matters when evaluating Vanta pricing. Although a sophisticated platform may offer many capabilities but they only have value only when an organization is required by the company.

Compare Architecture and not just Brands

Vanta vs Drata is a debate that can easily become a feature-by feature exercise. It is important to compare the features, services as well as the quotes and contracts of both platforms. Both are reputable compliance platforms that concentrate on integrations and automation.

It’s important to choose the other thing first. Do you have a company that is interested in an integration-driven platform for compliance? Certain companies want automated evidence collection and constant monitoring. Others would rather provide evidence by themselves, especially when the work load is not too heavy.

Vanta Competitors Do Not All Use the same model

Many well-known Vanta rivals compete in a category with a similar focus on automation. There are also lighter platforms that focus on organization over large system connectivity.

CertAssist is a member of the second category. CertAssist was developed by internal auditors as well as compliance consultants. It combines framework controls into a central workspace and allows for editing of guidelines for policy and evidence. Auditors are able to review the evidence through a restricted interface.

It is deliberately not connected to operational systems or create infrastructure agents. Customers can upload evidence that they’ve chosen.

The consideration of access to the System in the Making

The removal of integrations is not without its disadvantages: someone must be able to manually collect evidence.

This is a way to eliminate the need for integration and the application of compliance does not require any connection to the operational environment.

Both of these architectures are equally great. The important question is which best choice is appropriate to your business.

CertAssist is targeted at groups comprising between five and 200 people and publishes its pricing rather than requiring for a sales meeting to get the beginning price. The launch price is $225 monthly, which is comparable to the usual price of $375 a month.

Let Complexity Earn Its Place

The requirements for a start-up with 10 employees are not necessarily identical to those of the company that has 100 or 500 workers.

While compliance is straightforward but a lighter platform might make sense. As employees, systems, frameworks, and evidence requirements multiply, the economics can eventually favor greater automation. Better to let the complexity of compliance technology take its rightful place.

Do not purchase fifty different integrations just because they look impressive on the chart of comparison. It is best to pay for them only when you realize that the cost of the work manually is greater.

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