Is Vanta or Drata better?

Neither is universally better. Vanta has the larger integration library and broader multi-framework coverage; Drata is generally regarded as having stronger support responsiveness and a cleaner UI. Both automate evidence collection well and share the same limitation: neither runs the compliance program for you.

Do Vanta and Drata include the audit?

No. Both platforms connect you with an audit partner network, but the independent audit itself is purchased separately, typically in the $10,000-$30,000 range depending on scope.

What if we need more than a platform?

A managed compliance team like Auditbahn operates whichever platform you already use (including Vanta or Drata) and handles the remediation, policy, questionnaire, and audit-preparation work the platform itself doesn't do.

Vanta vs. Drata: a specific, honest comparison

Both are compliance automation platforms. Both automate evidence collection well. The differences that actually matter are narrower than the marketing suggests, and neither one runs the program for you.

Aspect	Vanta	Drata
Integration library	750+ integrations, the largest in the category.	Smaller library than Vanta, but covers the common cloud and HR stacks well.
UI and support	Mature, functional UI. Support quality is generally seen as good but less consistently praised than Drata's.	Widely regarded as having a cleaner UI and more responsive support.
Pricing transparency	Not publicly listed; community-reported estimates put entry tiers around $15,000-$24,000/yr.	Also not publicly listed; community-reported estimates put the Startup tier around $10,000-$16,000/yr.
Framework strength	Broad multi-framework coverage, useful if you're running 5+ frameworks at once.	Particularly strong on SOC 2 and ISO 27001 specifically.
EU regulatory coverage (DORA, NIS2)	Limited today.	Limited today, with some coverage reported as growing.
Vendor questionnaire handling	Questionnaire library with auto-suggested answers; still requires a human to validate and fill gaps.	Similar library-based approach; also not a fully managed response.
The audit itself	Not included. Purchased separately from an independent auditor, typically $10,000-$30,000.	Not included. Purchased separately from an independent auditor, typically $10,000-$25,000.

Pricing figures are estimates assembled from buyer reports and typical audit costs, not confirmed by either vendor. Neither company publishes a rate card.

So which one should you pick?

Pick Vanta if

You need the widest possible integration coverage across a complex, multi-cloud environment.
You're running five or more frameworks simultaneously.
Brand recognition and a large existing customer base matter for your procurement process.

Pick Drata if

Support responsiveness matters more to you than integration breadth.
SOC 2 and ISO 27001 are your primary targets, not a long tail of frameworks.
You prefer a cleaner, simpler interface over the largest possible feature set.

If you've realized you need someone to run this, not just a tool

Vanta and Drata share the same structural limitation: both are excellent at showing you where you stand against a framework, and neither one does the work of getting you there. Remediation, policy development, evidence management, questionnaire responses, and audit preparation still need a person, usually someone internal who's learning compliance on the job alongside their actual role.

Auditbahn is a managed compliance team on a monthly retainer, not a third platform to evaluate. If you already run Vanta or Drata, we operate your existing instance directly rather than asking you to migrate. We also cover EU regulatory frameworks (DORA, NIS2, GDPR) natively and handle vendor security questionnaires as part of the service. Published pricing is $5,500/month for the first three months, then $3,500/month (month-to-month list price), or $5,000/$3,000 with a 12-month commitment; see /pricing for full scope.

Full Vanta comparison Full Drata comparison

Still deciding? Tell us your scope.

We'll tell you honestly whether a platform alone fits, or whether you need the operator too.

Vanta and Drata are trademarks of their respective owners. Their appearance here is for nominative comparison only and does not imply affiliation, sponsorship, or endorsement by either company.