Vanta vs Drata: Which SOC 2 Platform Is Better?

AutomateWisely Editorial Team · Last reviewed October 31, 2026 · How we research

Put Vanta and Drata side by side on a demo call and you will struggle to tell them apart. Both connect to your cloud, collect evidence, run tests on your controls and hand a tidy package to your auditor. The real differences are narrower than the marketing suggests, and they are mostly about your stack, your team and your contract.

VantaDrata

Prebuilt integrations

Vanta lists 400+; Drata publishes no single count

Frameworks out of the box

35+ vs roughly 26 to 30+, plus custom

Custom tests for your own tools

Both offer them; how you build them differs

Median price paid

$20,000 vs $24,934 a year (Vendr)

Entry price in the data

Lowest deal $7,500 vs $9,415

Lean toward a side = that platform has the edge on the evidence we could check. Grey in the middle = no meaningful difference. Bars are editorial judgment, not a score.

Our take: for a first SOC 2 on a mainstream cloud and SaaS stack, Vanta is the slightly safer default: more prebuilt integrations, more frameworks listed and a lower median price in purchase data. Drata is a strong choice when an engineering team wants to model custom connections and tests in detail, or when its quote comes in lower for your scope. Neither includes the audit. Get both quotes on the same written scope; that comparison is worth more than any review.

What you get from either one

Cloud, identity, HR and code integrations
Automated evidence collection
Continuous control tests
Policy templates
Security training tracking
Access reviews
Vendor risk tools
Trust Center pages
Multi framework mapping
Auditor access to evidence
AI help with questionnaires

Some of these are add-ons or higher tiers on one platform or the other, so check what your quote includes. Neither platform issues your SOC 2 report; a licensed CPA firm does. And neither removes the people work: vendor reviews, incident response drills and policy sign off still need someone to own them. If SOC 2 itself is new to you, read what SOC 2 compliance is first.

Where they actually differ

Integration coverage

Vanta states it has more than 400 prebuilt integrations. Drata does not publish one headline number; its AWS Marketplace listing cites more than 200 applications and over 45 AWS services. If your stack is made of popular tools, both will likely cover it. The gap matters when one of your systems is on one list and not the other.

Evidence: vendor claims, summarized by an independent comparison published June 19, 2026. Check your exact tools on each vendor’s integrations page.

Custom tests and connections

Older reviews call this Drata’s big advantage. In 2026 both offer it: Vanta through custom tests and private integrations via its API, Drata through custom connections and tests configured in a JSON editor. The useful question is not “can it” but “who on your team will build and maintain it”.

Evidence: product documentation as summarized in the same June 2026 comparison.

Framework catalogue

Vanta lists more than 35 frameworks with cross mapped evidence, including ISO 42001 and the NIST AI RMF. Drata lists roughly 26 to 30 out of the box plus custom frameworks. For SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA and GDPR there is no practical difference; for niche frameworks, check before you sign.

Evidence: vendor pages, 2026. If AI governance is on your roadmap, see ISO 42001 explained.

What buyers actually pay

Vendr’s purchase data shows overlapping ranges with a lower median for Vanta. Some reviews say Drata can start cheaper; the purchase data does not show that at the bottom of the range. Your quote will depend on headcount, frameworks, modules and how hard you negotiate.

Evidence: Vendr marketplace pages, updated February 2026.

Purchase data, per year	Vanta	Drata
Median contract	$20,000	$24,934
Lowest observed	$7,500	$9,415
Highest observed	$57,163	$68,250
Audit included	No	No

Source: Vendr, February 2026 (Vanta based on 377 purchases). Audit fees come on top; see SOC 2 compliance cost for the full budget.

Two companies, two sensible choices

Case file A

25 person SaaS startup. Mainstream cloud, popular identity, HR and code tools. The COO owns compliance and needs a Type 2 report within months for an enterprise deal.

Leans Vanta: broad prebuilt coverage and a simple path for a non engineer owner.

Case file B

120 person fintech. Hybrid setup, several internal tools, a security engineering team, SOC 2 and ISO 27001 together.

Either can work: run a pilot on your two hardest internal systems and let the result decide.

Both cases are illustrative. In both, the company should still collect competing quotes, including from alternatives covered in best SOC 2 compliance software.

Write the email that gets you comparable quotes

Sales demos show the best path. A written scope forces both vendors to quote the same thing. Fill this in and copy the email to each sales rep.

Line items to compare in both quotes

Extra frameworks: price now and at renewal
Trust Center: included or add-on
Vendor risk: included, add-on or higher tier
Questionnaires: unlimited, capped or extra
Headcount: what happens when you grow
Support: named success manager or shared queue
Auditor partners: any bundle discount
Renewal: written cap on increases

Switching later: the safe order

Step 1Wait until a report has just been issued

Step 2Export policies, evidence and vendor records

Step 3Reconnect integrations and get tests passing

Step 4Tell your auditor before the new period starts

Step 5Overlap both tools briefly if the contract allows

Straight answers

Is Drata cheaper than Vanta?

Not on Vendr’s purchase data, where Drata’s median is higher and its lowest deal is above Vanta’s. Individual quotes vary, so ask both.

Do either include the SOC 2 audit?

No. Both partner with audit firms, but the audit is a separate contract with a licensed CPA firm.

Which is better for ISO 27001?

Both support it well and reuse SOC 2 evidence. Choose on integrations and price rather than on ISO 27001 alone.

Can we switch later?

Yes, with work: integrations, policies and evidence move over and staff need retraining. Do it right after a report, before a new observation period.

Are there alternatives worth quoting?

Yes. Secureframe’s purchase data shows a $20,000 median, and Sprinto and Thoropass compete for smaller teams. Compare them in best SOC 2 compliance software.

Does the platform choice affect Type 1 vs Type 2?

No. Both prepare you for either report. The difference between the two is covered in SOC 2 Type 1 vs Type 2.

Pick Vanta if

your tools are mainstream, a non engineer owns the project and you want the widest prebuilt coverage at a lower median price.

Pick Drata if

your engineers want to model custom connections and tests, a pilot on your hardest systems goes better, or its quote wins for your scope.

We are not affiliated with Vanta or Drata and receive nothing from either. This comparison is based on public documentation and purchase data, not a paid trial of both platforms.

Sources

Vendr, Vanta pricing and Drata pricing (February 2026)
Vanta, Vanta vs Drata comparison page (vendor claims, 2026)
TechnologyMatch, Vanta vs Drata vs Secureframe vs Sprinto technical comparison (June 19, 2026)
AICPA, SOC 2 overview

Prices and features change often. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

Vanta vs Drata: Real Differences and Prices