What is Drata used for?
Drata is a compliance automation platform. It connects to the systems a company already runs, gathers evidence that security controls are working, tests that evidence continuously, and organizes it for an auditor. Drata says it supports more than 30 frameworks, including SOC 2, ISO 27001 and HIPAA, and serves more than 8,500 customers.
It doesn't perform audits. Drata works with an alliance of more than 175 audit firms, and the audit fee is paid to whichever firm you choose.
Why teams look for Drata alternatives
- Price. Drata doesn't publish pricing. Vendr's contract data shows a median of about $25,000 a year, higher than the medians it reports for Vanta, Secureframe or Sprinto.
- Extra frameworks add cost. Vendr notes that each additional framework adds to the price. That is true of most platforms, Vanta included.
- Integration limits. Limited integrations and integration issues are the most-mentioned criticisms in Drata's G2 reviews, though integrations are praised more often than they're criticized. Systems it can't connect to fall back to manual evidence.
- Unclear failures. Some reviewers say it isn't always obvious why a control is marked "not ready". That's hard on a team with no compliance experience.
Support is a strength. Customer support is the most-mentioned positive in Drata's G2 reviews.
What Drata does better than most alternatives, us included
- Automation depth. Continuous testing across a wide range of systems.
- Auditor alliance. More than 175 firms, by Drata's count.
- Trust center. Drata acquired SafeBase in 2025, one of the best-known trust center products.
- Support. The most-mentioned positive in its G2 reviews.
For a company with a compliance owner and three frameworks on the roadmap, that's a strong package.
What is the Drata agent, and do you need it?
The Drata Agent is a small program installed on each employee's computer. According to Drata's documentation, it checks five things: hard drive encryption, screensaver lock, antivirus software, a password manager and automatic updates. It reads settings and doesn't modify files on the machine.
You don't have to use it. Drata can take device compliance data from a supported MDM, such as Jamf, instead. If both are present, Drata's documentation says it prioritizes the agent's data.
The thing to understand, with any vendor's agent, is the difference between reporting and enforcing. An agent that reports tells you a laptop is unencrypted. Getting it encrypted is still a job for a person or an MDM.
Who are Drata's competitors? Seven alternatives
| Alternative | Why teams pick it | Pricing signal |
|---|---|---|
| AccuSights | Named engineer, endpoint agent and remediation included | Fixed fee from $6,000 a year |
| Vanta | Largest integration library and customer base | Vendr median $20,000 |
| Secureframe | Published starting price, in-house experts | From $7,500 a year |
| Sprinto | Lower Vendr median, aimed at cloud-native teams | Vendr median $15,000 |
| Thoropass | Licensed audit firm with its own software | Vendr median $25,000. Confirm what the quote includes |
| Scrut | Long framework list | Not public |
| Oneleet | Pen test and vCISO bundled | Not public, one flat fee |
Vendr figures are median annual contract values from its marketplace pages, checked in October 2026.
Drata vs AccuSights
| Aspect | Drata | AccuSights |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Not public. Vendr median $25,000 a year | Fixed fee from $6,000 a year for a small business |
| Expert help | Support praised in reviews. Ask what advisory is included | Named engineer included |
| Devices | Drata Agent or a supported MDM | Built-in agent, no MDM needed |
| Fixing gaps | Your team, with in-app guidance | In-house remediation |
| Audit | 175+ independent partner firms, extra cost | Independent partner CPA firms, extra cost |
| Our view: best for | Teams with a compliance owner | Teams without one |
Thinking of switching? Timing matters more than the tool
Slide to the number of months until your Drata contract renews.
Months until renewal
The right time to shop. Collect two or three quotes, run a demo with your real stack, and line the switch up with the end of your audit period.
Whichever way you go, never switch in the middle of a Type 2 period without a plan for the evidence. The auditor needs proof for every month, and a month with no monitoring is a gap you can't fill later.
When you should stay with Drata
- Someone on your team owns compliance and likes the tool.
- You rely on integrations a smaller provider doesn't have.
- You're managing three or more frameworks in one place.
- Your only complaint is price. Negotiate before you leave. Vendr reports that buyers often negotiate discounts.
With AccuSights: the judgment calls, the device evidence and the fixes are part of the service, at a fixed fee that starts at $6,000 a year for a small business. We have fewer integrations than Drata and a much smaller name. If what's been missing is a person who knows SOC 2, that's what we add. See also our Vanta alternatives page.