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Staying compliant and audit-ready is critical to your business’s health.
That’s where Vanta has earned a strong reputation for automating compliance processes. But, at the same time, many teams find its pricing, scope, and usability limiting. This is especially true for painful manual tasks like security questionnaire automation.
In this guide, we’ll break down five of the best Vanta alternatives: OneTrust, ThoroPass, 1up, and SafeBase. You can compare features, pricing, and capabilities to determine which solution makes the most sense for your organization. Most importantly – we’ll dig into the specialized use cases for each system.
From broad compliance platforms to tools laser-focused on audit readiness, these Vanta competitors provide options for companies of every size and stage.
| Tool | Key Feature | Free Trial? | G2 Reviews | Starting Price |
| OneTrust | Broad compliance automation platform | ✅ | 4.3/5 Stars | Contact sales |
| ThoroPass | SOC 2 readiness and continuous monitoring | ✅ | 4.7/5 Stars | Contact sales |
| 1up | Fast questionnaire automation capabilities and Trust Hub | ✅ | 4.9/5 Stars | $250 / month |
| SafeBase | Trust center for security questionnaires | ✅ | 4.7/5 Stars | Contact Sales |
| Conveyor | AI-powered questionnaire automation + trust portal | ✅ | 4.6/5 Stars | $9,000 per year |
| Archer | Enterprise governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) | ❌ | 4.3/5 Stars | Contact sales |
The Ups and Downs of Vanta
Vanta is one of the most popular names in compliance automation. But that popularity comes with some significant trade-offs. The most common criticism is its pricing structure, which gets expensive fast.
Startups and mid-sized businesses find themselves paying enterprise-level costs for Vanta features they don’t even use. And because Vanta bundles multiple compliance modules together, you can end up overspending even if your team only needs help with a single framework, like SOC 2.
Another issue is that Vanta focuses heavily on audit readiness rather than broader automation. This is great for helping you prepare for SOC 2, ISO 27001, or HIPAA. But it’s less effective at solving day-to-day challenges like automating security questionnaires, responding to customer DDQs / RFPs, or streamlining trust communications with customers.
In the case of Vanta, customer-facing teams often end up looking for supplemental tools to fill these gaps.
Users have also noted that Vanta’s flexibility and ease of use fall short compared to newer competitors. Public reviews mention:
- The platform’s integrations can feel clunky.
- Onboarding can take much longer than expected.
- The dashboard is not always intuitive for non-technical team members.
Support is available but often tiered toward higher-paying customers. So smaller teams end up waiting longer for assistance. These downsides don’t make Vanta unusable. But they do explain why so many companies are actively seeking out alternatives. You want affordability, agility, and alignment with your modern sales and compliance workflows.
1. OneTrust
When it comes to enterprise compliance and privacy management, OneTrust is one of the most established platforms on the market. With Vanta, we see a big focus on audit readiness. In contrast, OneTrust offers a broad suite of tools designed to manage privacy, security, and governance across your entire organization.
From GDPR and CCPA compliance to vendor risk management and policy automation, OneTrust is a one-stop solution for comprehensive regulatory coverage and reporting.
Its robust dashboards, extensive integrations, and automation capabilities make it a strong contender in the GRC space. OneTrust is a great option for businesses looking to centralize compliance efforts at scale.
Pros and Cons of OneTrust
| Pros | Cons |
| Robust compliance coverage across industries and regions | Expensive for small to mid-sized companies |
| Highly scalable with strong integrations | Can feel bloated with too many modules |
| Enterprise-grade reporting and analytics | Steeper learning curve than newer, lighter tools |
OneTrust Key Selling Points
| Use cases | Compliance management across privacy, security, governance, and risk. |
| Standout feature | Extensive regulatory coverage (GDPR, HIPAA, CCPA, SOC 2, ISO, etc.). |
| Tracking and analytics | Dashboards that provide visibility into risk, data usage, and audit progress. |
| Integrations | Integrates with over 200 business apps, including AWS, Azure, Salesforce, and ServiceNow. |
| Customer support | Dedicated account managers for enterprise customers, email and chat support for all tiers. |
Top Features of OneTrust
- Privacy and data governance automation
- Risk and compliance management dashboards
- Vendor risk management workflows
- Built-in regulatory templates and updates
- Enterprise-grade reporting
OneTrust Pricing
OneTrust does not publish transparent pricing. You can request a demo or contact sales to get a quote.
Free Trial: N/A
2. ThoroPass
For companies focused specifically on SOC 2 readiness and continuous compliance monitoring, ThoroPass may be a winner.
Many options, like Vanta, take a broad approach to compliance. In sharp contrast, ThoroPass homes in on streamlining audit preparation and evidence collection. This is especially useful for startups and mid-sized businesses preparing for formal audits.
You’ll get real-time tracking, expert guidance, and integrations with popular cloud and identity platforms. ThoroPass helps teams stay audit-ready without the heavy administrative overhead. Its targeted approach makes it a smart choice for you if you need hands-on support and a clear, actionable path to compliance.
Pros and Cons of ThoroPass
| Pros | Cons |
| Strong compliance expertise with hands-on support | Narrower scope compared to tools like OneTrust |
| Streamlined SOC 2 readiness workflows | Limited automation outside compliance workflows |
| Useful integrations for engineering and security teams | No free trial; demo required for pricing clarity |
ThoroPass Key Points
| Use cases | Compliance readiness with a focus on SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and GDPR. |
| Standout feature | Live audit support with expert guidance included. |
| Tracking and analytics | Audit dashboards to monitor readiness progress and evidence completion. |
| Integrations | Direct integrations with AWS, GCP, Azure, GitHub, and Okta. |
| Customer support | Email, chat, and dedicated compliance experts available for customers. |
ThoroPass Top Features
- SOC 2 and ISO readiness programs
- Continuous monitoring of controls
- Automated evidence collection
- Dedicated compliance advisors
- Secure auditor collaboration portal
ThoroPass Pricing
ThoroPass does not offer transparent pricing on its website. You must contact sales, and the platform promises to get a quote back to you within 24 hours.
Free Trial: Thoropass offers a 14-day free trial to get started with Due Diligence Questionnaires.
3. 1up
Users overwhelmed by security questionnaires, risk assessments, and DDQs, report that Vanta’s automation is very limited. For Security & IT teams, 1up provides a powerful questionnaire knowledge base to automate responses. Industry leaders like WalkMe SAP, Varonis, FusionAuth, and many more rely on 1up to automate their security and compliance questionnaires, making it a top choice for teams looking for a Vanta alternative.
One of the biggest advantages of 1up is its single source of truth: your own internal documents. This means every answer is accurate, up-to-date, and traceable. The system connects directly to the sources you specify and even provides links for verification.
When your team hits a tricky question on a security questionnaire, 1up makes it easy to get the right answer. Your team can query 1up directly in Slack, MS Teams, or Google Chat, or automatically fill out Word Docs, Excel Sheets, and even web-based forms.
1up also provides a Trust Hub for users who want to make it easy for their customers to ask compliance questions:
Comparing 1up vs Vanta? Check out this deep dive.
Pros and Cons of 1up
| Pros | Cons |
| Generate responses in seconds and minutes instead of hours or days | Limited Enterprise audit logging capabilities |
| Offers live chat support with a real human | Live Chat support limited to North America working hours |
| Takes minutes to setup instead of days or weeks | White-glove onboarding limited to Enterprise plan |
| Fills out complex sheets and files with hundreds of lines with ease across Excel, Word, PDF, and Web-based questionnaires | Does not export custom PDF templates |
| Accurate responses pulled from your internal documents, website, and provides sources for where the data was retrieved | |
| The platform is easy to use with tons of integrations with Slack, MS Teams, and more | |
| Provides translations to answers in more than 50 different languages, so you can automate questionnaires even if you’re a multinational company |
1up Key Points
| Use cases | Generates answers to any compliance question from your own internal source material |
| Standout feature | Fast ingestion and automation capabilities for questionnaires |
| Tracking and analytics | 1up analyzes your company’s knowledge sources and updates them in real-time |
| Integrations | Users can integrate Slack, Google Chat, and MS Teams. 1up also has a Browser Extension for web-based questionnaires |
| Customer support | Users can email support or talk with a real person in a live chat |
Top Features of 1up
- Automated Question Answering
- Knowledge Base for Accurate Answers
- Automated Multi-Question RFP and Questionnaire Responses
- Workflow Management
- Rapid Onboarding
1up Pricing
1up offers a 14-day free trial and starter, as well as plans that start as low as $250 per month.
4. SafeBase
Maybe your priority is building trust with customers while streamlining security and compliance communications. In that case, SafeBase stands out as a Vanta alternative.
What makes SafeBase even more interesting is that it’s now part of Drata, a heavyweight in compliance automation. Think of it as pairing the engine that keeps your audits running smoothly with the showroom that proves your security to customers.
- Drata automates the behind-the-scenes evidence collection.
- SafeBase puts that proof front and center in a polished trust portal.
The result? Less friction in security reviews, faster sales cycles, and a stronger signal to customers that your business takes compliance and transparency seriously.
Rather than focusing on audits, SafeBase provides a centralized trust portal. There, organizations can share security policies, certifications, and pre-filled questionnaires with clients and partners.
This approach cuts way down on the back-and-forth typically associated with security assessments. So you’ll save time for both your team and your customers. It’s got analytics, CRM integrations, and a customer-facing interface.
SafeBase is ideal for companies hoping to showcase security readiness and maintain transparency at scale.
Pros and Cons of SafeBase
| Pros | Cons |
| Simplifies trust-building with prospects and customers | Expensive for early-stage startups |
| Strong branding and customer-facing interface | Limited outside the scope of trust and questionnaire sharing |
| Reduces back-and-forth for security questionnaires | No month-to-month option; annual commitment required |
SafeBase Key Points
| Use cases | Streamlining security questionnaires and building trust with customers via a dedicated trust center. |
| Standout feature | Branded Trust Portal that makes security and compliance docs accessible to prospects and partners. |
| Tracking and analytics | Tracks who accesses your trust portal, what documents they request, and overall questionnaire completion metrics. |
| Integrations | Works with CRMs like Salesforce and HubSpot, as well as compliance tools like Vanta and Drata. |
| Customer support | Email support and customer success managers for enterprise plans. |
Top Features of SafeBase
- Centralized trust center for security docs
- NDA-gated access to sensitive information
- Pre-filled security questionnaires
- Customer access tracking
- CRM integration to align with sales pipelines
SafeBase Pricing
SafeBase does not publish transparent pricing. You can start with a free module that offers a few features. From there, costs vary based on modules and company size. Many customers report enterprise-level pricing starting in the tens of thousands annually.
Free Trial: You can start with their Foundation option, which offers their basic features for free.
5. Conveyor
If your team spends a ton of time buried in vendor security reviews, Conveyor might be an alternative you’re looking for. The platform aims to make the security review process simpler by automating both risk assessment responses and document sharing. Like SafeBase, it emphasizes trust-building.
Conveyor’s sales pitch is that it uses your company’s policies, certifications, and prior answers to generate responses automatically. No more manual entries It also provides a self-serve trust portal. There, prospects can securely access NDAs, certifications, and compliance documents.
This can cut way down on the back-and-forth and get your sales team out of the weeds. So they can focus on closing deals. For companies that feel Vanta doesn’t address the day-to-day grind of risk assessments, Conveyor offers a more agile and sales-friendly approach.
Pros and Cons of Conveyor
| Pros | Cons |
| Automates repetitive questionnaire responses with AI | AI responses can be super generic and often require extensive review |
| Secure, branded trust portal for prospects | Some customization requires higher-tier plans |
| Reduces manual overhead for sales and compliance teams | Narrower compliance scope than OneTrust or ThoroPass |
| Strong integrations with compliance and sales tools | Best for mid-market and enterprise teams. It may be overkill for smaller crews |
Conveyor Key Points
| Use cases | Automating security questionnaires and centralizing trust communications |
| Standout feature | AI-powered questionnaire response automation |
| Tracking and analytics | Insights into questionnaire completion, portal activity, and response times |
| Integrations | Works with Salesforce, HubSpot, Slack, and major compliance platforms |
| Customer support | Email, chat, and dedicated account managers for enterprise plans |
Top Features of Conveyor
- Questionnaire tool
- Secure trust portal with NDA-gated access
- Knowledge base for reusing past answers
- CRM integrations to align with sales workflows
- Analytics on portal engagement and questionnaire progress
Conveyor Pricing
Conveyor offers a free tier for basic trust portal use, with paid plans scaling by features and usage. Beyond that free tier, pricing starts around $9k per year for the trust center and automation tools.
Free Trial: Yes, Conveyor offers a free plan to get started for small teams with few documents.
6. Archer
If you’re looking for a broader governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) solution, Archer (formerly RSA Archer) stands out as an alternative to Vanta.
Vanta specializes in audit readiness. Archer takes that a step further by addressing enterprise-level risk management, policy enforcement, and third-party governance.
Archer is not a lightweight tool. It’s built for larger organizations that need comprehensive oversight across compliance, security, and risk operations. The platform aims to centralize risk data, automates workflows. It also provides dashboards for executives to monitor compliance posture at scale.
If your company is growing fast or you’re already operating in a heavily regulated industry, Archer is a choice. It offers flexibility and depth far beyond SOC 2 readiness.
Of course, that power comes with added complexity compared to smaller, plug-and-play platforms.
Pros and Cons of Archer
| Pros | Cons |
| Comprehensive GRC coverage for large organizations | Complex setup and steeper learning curve |
| Highly customizable workflows and dashboards | Expensive compared to lighter alternatives |
| Strong risk management and policy governance features | Best suited for enterprises; overkill for startups and small teams |
| Deep analytics and executive reporting |
Archer Key Points
| Use cases | Enterprise GRC, risk management, compliance oversight |
| Standout feature | Centralized governance and risk platform with customizable modules |
| Tracking and analytics | Detailed dashboards for risk, compliance, and audit progress |
| Integrations | Works with IT service management tools, cloud providers, and third-party data feeds |
| Customer support | Enterprise-level support with dedicated teams for implementation and ongoing success |
Top Features of Archer
- Comprehensive risk management workflows
- Policy and compliance automation
- Vendor and third-party risk management
- Incident response tracking
- Executive dashboards and analytics
Archer Pricing
Archer does not publish pricing publicly. Expect enterprise-level costs, and your contracts will likely be tailored to large organizations.
Free Trial: No free trial. You’ll need to book a demo and contact the enterprise sales team.
Found Your Vanta Alternative?
Obviously, the best security automation software is going to depend on your company’s specific needs and compliance goals.
Every organization has different priorities.
That might be SOC 2 readiness, broader regulatory coverage, or streamlining security questionnaires for clients. Budget, team size, and the scale of your compliance projects over the coming months or years are also critical factors to consider.
The good news is that many Vanta competitors offer demos, and some provide free trials. So you’ll get a chance to explore the platform before you commit.
By evaluating features, integrations, and usability, you can find the tool that meets your compliance requirements and fits seamlessly into your team’s workflow.
1up offers you a free trial so you can demo automating your security questionnaires and see if it’s a fit for you.
If you’re ready to learn more, start a free trial with 1up today.
