Vanta vs Drata
Both Vanta and Drata are top-tier compliance automation platforms used by SaaS companies to achieve frameworks like SOC 2, ISO 27001, and GDPR. While they share common goals, their approach, automation depth, and ideal customer profiles differ significantly.
Integrations and Automation
- Vanta supports over 300 native integrations across cloud services, HR tools, ticketing systems, and more. It covers a wide variety of SaaS tools, making it easy to plug in systems already in use.
- Drata offers fewer integrations (around 170), but leans into deeper compliance automation—such as continuous monitoring, GitHub workflows, and customizable evidence collection.
Summary: Vanta provides broader plug-and-play integrations; Drata offers more technical depth for teams who want to operationalize compliance across engineering.
Onboarding and Ease of Use
- Vanta emphasizes a fast, self-serve setup with a clean user interface and simple policy workflows. It is often preferred by teams who want to move quickly with minimal external guidance.
- Drata provides structured onboarding with dedicated customer success managers. It includes policy reviews, framework mapping, and hands-on support throughout the audit process.
Summary: Vanta is well-suited for startups looking for speed. Drata works better for teams who value expert assistance and want fewer surprises during audits.
Customer Support and Experience
- Vanta provides templated support resources and standard customer service. While responsive, it’s more scalable than personalized.
- Drata earns praise for its highly responsive team, proactive support, and detailed audit readiness guidance. Customers often highlight the value of having named support contacts.
Summary: Drata stands out for high-touch support. Vanta is more hands-off but efficient.
Pricing and Contracts
- Vanta pricing typically starts around $7,500–$10,000 per year, depending on the number of frameworks and employees. It’s more accessible for early-stage startups.
- Drata starts at a higher price point (around $15,000–$20,000) but includes more implementation help and customizable controls out of the box.
Summary: Vanta is more affordable up front. Drata offers better value if your team needs structured support or handles multiple frameworks.
Market Feedback and Reputation
- Vanta has a strong market presence and high adoption among early-stage companies, but recently faced criticism over a data exposure incident, which affected about 4% of customers.
- Drata is frequently recommended on Reddit and G2 for mature automation, strong integrations with engineering tools, and better scalability for compliance beyond SOC 2.
Summary: Both are widely used, but Drata is favored by teams scaling compliance programs across multiple standards.
When to Choose Which
| Situation | Vanta | Drata |
|---|---|---|
| Early-stage startup | ✅ | Possible, but less cost-effective |
| Need lots of integrations | ✅ | Partial |
| Want audit automation beyond basics | Partial | ✅ |
| Prefer structured onboarding | ❌ | ✅ |
| Security-critical enterprise customers | ✅ (with caveats) | ✅ |
Final Verdict
Vanta is best for startups that want to get compliant quickly using a wide range of integrations at a lower cost.
Drata is a better fit for growth-stage SaaS companies that want deeper automation, tighter engineering integration, and more support through the compliance journey.
Up next: Vanta vs Secfix – exploring how Secfix supports fast-growing startups with automation and more hands-on support, especially for those new to compliance.