If you are currently evaluating compliance platforms for ISO 27001 or SOC 2, your search history likely includes: Vanta, Drata, Sprinto, and Scrut Automation. They are the heavyweights of the “compliance automation” world, each promising to replace manual work with “autopilot” security and seamless integrations.
We frequently speak to businesses that are stuck in “analysis paralysis,” trying to create complex comparison tables to decide which of these tools is the “best.” They scrutinise feature lists, compare API counts, and haggle over multi-year contracts.
However, the industry’s best-kept secret is that when you strip away the branding and the colour schemes, these platforms are functionally very similar.
The “Sea of Sameness”
Whether you choose the market leaders (Vanta, Drata) or the aggressive challengers (Sprinto, Scrut), you are buying into the exact same methodology:
- The Core Mechanism: All four platforms operate as a database of controls and policies. You are essentially paying for a sophisticated interface to manage a list of tasks a function that, for decades, was handled effectively by a spreadsheet.
- The “Automation” Hook: They all use API connectors to link to your cloud services (AWS, Google Workspace, HR systems). They then “continuously monitor” these services to check if configurations match their standards (e.g., “Is MFA turned on?”).
- The Evidence Gap: While they automate technical checks, none of them can automate the human, cultural, or physical aspects of security. They cannot automate a penetration test, they cannot force your staff to care about security, and they cannot write bespoke policies that actually match your unique workflow.
Feature Parity: The Trust Center Myth
Then there is the “Trust Center”—a public-facing webpage where you can display your compliance status to customers. Vanta, Drata, Sprinto, and Scrut all offer their own version of this, often telling you that it is essential for closing enterprise deals.
This is a marketing fabrication. Your enterprise customers do not care if you have a Vanta Trust Report or a Drata Trust Center. They care about the ISO 27001 certificate or the SOC 2 report issued by an independent, accredited auditor. The software you used to prepare for that audit is irrelevant to your customers’ procurement teams.
The Pricing Trap
Because the products are so similar, the competition often comes down to aggressive sales tactics rather than feature differentiation.
- Vanta and Drata often command a premium due to their brand recognition, but they are also known for steep renewal price hikes once the initial “first-year discount” expires.
- Sprinto and Scrut often undercut the leaders on price to gain market share, promising the same “autopilot” features for a fraction of the cost.
However, in all cases, you must be wary of the “First Year Trap.” Vendors will offer massive discounts (50% or more) to get you integrated into their ecosystem. Once your compliance program is built entirely inside their proprietary dashboard, the cost of switching becomes high, giving them significant leverage to raise prices in year two.
The Spreadsheet Test: The Ultimate Benchmark
Before you spend weeks sitting through demos for all four platforms, we recommend a simpler approach: The Spreadsheet Test.
Ask yourself: If I didn’t have this dashboard, could I track this in Excel?
For 90% of the governance and risk management tasks required for ISO 27001, the answer is yes. You are paying tens of thousands of dollars primarily for a nicer user interface and some automated configuration checks.
If you are a Startup, that budget might be far better spent on:
- High-quality penetration testing (which finds real vulnerabilities, not just checklist items).
- External Expert Cyber Experts (humans who can help implement and explain why you need a control, not just that it is missing).
- Staff training (building a human firewall).
Conclusion: Don’t Buy the Hype, Buy the Security
If you are forced to choose between Vanta, Drata, Sprinto, and Scrut, our advice is simple: treat them as a commodity. They are administrative tools, not security solutions. Do not let them convince you that their specific “AI” or “automation” is the silver bullet for compliance.
But before you buy any of them, try doing it the “old fashioned” way first. You might find that a high-quality spreadsheet gives you the same control without the five-figure annual fee.
Get your free ISO 27001 spreadsheet here
If you want an alternative platform that is budget friendly take a look at the Vertex Compliance platform (ALKE): Explore the Vertex Compliance Platform (ALKE)