Drata has rapidly become a household name in the compliance space, marketed heavily as the ultimate solution for “continuous compliance” and automated security. If you are a fast-growing company looking to check the ISO 27001 or SOC 2 box, their slick interface and promise of automation are undeniably attractive.
However, before you commit tens of thousands of dollars to a long-term contract, it is essential to look past the marketing hype and understand exactly what you are purchasing.
The Spreadsheet Comparison
At its core, Drata—like its competitors Vanta and Sprinto—is built on a fundamental list of compliance requirements. You need policies, you need evidence, and you need to track controls. Historically, this was managed in a spreadsheet.
We always advise clients to apply the “Spreadsheet Test.” If you strip away the fancy dashboard and the API integrations, are you essentially paying a premium subscription for a task tracker? While Drata allows you to mark items as complete and upload evidence, for many businesses, a well-structured spreadsheet can achieve the exact same outcome for free.
The Limits of “Continuous Automation”
Drata’s main selling point is its ability to integrate with your tech stack (like AWS, GitHub, or Google Workspace) to “continuously monitor” your compliance.
While this automation is useful for checking specific technical configurations—like whether a database is encrypted or MFA is enabled—it cannot automate the human side of security. A piece of software cannot:
- Perform a high-quality manual penetration test.
- Build a genuine security culture within your team.
- Write policies that are specifically tailored to your unique business operations, rather than generic templates.
You are paying for the monitoring of controls, not the implementation of security. The hard work still falls on your team or external consultants.
Sales Tactics and the “Trust Center”
As you navigate the sales process, be aware of common tactics used to justify the high price tag:
- The “Trust Center” Value Prop: You will likely be told that a public-facing “Trust Center” is essential for closing deals. In reality, enterprise procurement teams rarely look at a vendor’s branded dashboard. They want to see the actual ISO 27001 certificate or SOC 2 report issued by an accredited auditor. The tool you used to get that report is irrelevant to them.
- The “First Year” Hook: Drata often offers significant discounts for the first year to get you onboard. This is a classic strategy to lock you into their ecosystem. Once your team learns to rely on their specific interface, migrating away becomes a headache, making you less price-sensitive when the renewal costs jump significantly in year two.
Don’t Pay Twice for Security
The risk with expensive compliance platforms is that they consume the budget that should be spent on actual risk reduction. If you spend your entire security budget on a platform that tracks compliance, you may have little left for the actions that actually protect you, such as advanced endpoint protection, staff training, or offensive security testing.
Essentially, you might end up paying for a “glorified spreadsheet” with some API plugins, while your actual security posture remains dependent on how much effort you put in outside the tool.
See the Difference for Yourself
Before you sign on the dotted line, we encourage you to compare the platform against a no-cost alternative. You might find that the “old way” is just as effective and saves you a fortune.
Get your free ISO 27001 spreadsheet here
If you are looking for an alternative explore the Vertex Compliance platform (ALKE): Explore the Vertex Compliance Platform (ALKE)