Vanta vs Drata vs Secureframe 2027: SOC 2, ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials

Summary. Only one of the three publishes a price. Secureframe's Fundamentals plan starts at $7,500 a year for one framework, while its Complete and Defense plans, Vanta's four plans (Essentials, Plus, Professional, Enterprise) and Drata's three compliance plans (Foundation, Advanced, Enterprise) are sold by quote, and we found no GBP price on any of the three sites. All three list SOC 2, ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials, but every entry tier includes one framework, and Drata's Foundation plan is capped at 50 FTEs and limits that framework to SOC 2, ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials, HIPAA or GDPR. Vanta claims 400+ integrations and 100+ partner audit firms, Drata 175+ audit firms and Secureframe 300+ native integrations. No plan page lists the auditor's fee as included. The AICPA's draft 2027 SOC 2 criteria are open for comment until 15 January 2027 and would apply to engagements beginning on or after 31 December 2027 if approved. Our verdict: a 30-person US SaaS that needs only SOC 2 can start on any entry tier and should choose on integrations and auditor fit. A 30-person UK SaaS that needs only Cyber Essentials (£440 + VAT, or £110 + VAT with the First Step Fund) does not need a platform yet.

About this article. This comparison is for founders, security leads and sales teams at US and UK software companies choosing a compliance automation platform. On 13 November 2026 we checked plans, prices and features on each vendor's own pages, and the rules and fees on AICPA, IASME and GOV.UK pages. Drata's and IASME's sites refuse automated reads, so for those we used Internet Archive copies and give the capture date in the references. List prices are not quotes, vendors change plans often, and this is general information, not legal or audit advice. It makes no claim about eCorpIT's own attestations, and no vendor paid for inclusion. Researched with AI assistance and reviewed by our editorial team.

What changed in 2026, and why the choice matters now

Four things moved this year, and each one changes how you should buy.

The SOC 2 criteria are being rewritten. The AICPA's SOC page lists exposure drafts of proposed 2027 SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria and Description Criteria, dated 26 October 2026. CPA Practice Advisor reports that comments are open until 15 January 2027 and that, if approved, the criteria would apply to engagements beginning on or after 31 December 2027, with early adoption permitted. New points of focus cover AI governance, model monitoring, prompt manipulation, data poisoning, transparency of AI outputs, training data and automated decision-making. A-LIGN, a CPA firm that issues SOC 2 reports, reads the draft as cutting the common criteria from 33 in nine series (CC1 to CC9) to 20 in eight (CC1 to CC8): logical and physical access moves from CC6 to CC5, system operations to CC6, change management to CC7, and vendor risk becomes CC8. Every platform maps controls to those labels, so every platform will need a new mapping. For what each framework covers and who asks for it, see our Cyber Essentials, ISO 27001 and SOC 2 buyer guide.

Auditors tied to tools are under scrutiny. On 13 April 2026 AICPA ethics staff published guidance saying that business arrangements between CPA firms and SOC 2 tool providers can pose significant threats to compliance with the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct. The Peer Review Board's May 2026 reviewer alert tells reviewers to examine a firm's use of external SOC platforms, whether its engagement timelines are reasonable, and whether reports, risk assessments, sample sizes and testing are identical across clients, which peer review treats as nonconforming. The AICPA's SOC page also carries a notice that it is looking into anonymously published allegations about a compliance vendor that offers SOC services. All three vendors here sell access to an auditor network, so how you choose the auditor now matters as much as which platform you choose.

The vendors moved into AI governance. On 9 November 2026 Vanta said it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire Pillar Security, a runtime security platform, and that AI Governance will be a paid offering from January 2027. Drata announced AI agent governance features on 10 June and 4 August 2026. Secureframe launched a hosted MCP server on 5 August 2026 and announced on 25 June 2026 that its own platform had reached FedRAMP 20x Moderate authorisation. For what 20x means for SaaS sellers, see our FedRAMP 20x and Rev5 guide.

UK Cyber Essentials got cheaper for first-timers. A DCMS funding package published on GOV.UK on 3 November 2026 gives SMEs seeking a new Cyber Essentials certificate a 75% discount through the First Step Fund until the end of March 2027 or until funding runs out.

Pricing: what each vendor publishes

For two of the three vendors the answer is a sales call. The table below separates what each pricing page showed on 13 November 2026 (for Drata, the Internet Archive copy of 8 November 2026) from what you must ask for.

The $7,500 Secureframe figure is a list-price floor, not a quote: it buys one framework, 100 AI-answered questionnaire questions and 15 trust-centre document requests a year. A buyer needing two frameworks, such as Cyber Essentials and ISO 27001, is outside every published entry tier.

Framework coverage: SOC 2, ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials

Vanta's and Secureframe's plan tables do not name Cyber Essentials, but their framework pages do. Vanta's Cyber Essentials page says it helps UK businesses meet Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus requirements, and its FAQ says accredited certification bodies issue the certificate, not Vanta. Secureframe lists Cyber Essentials among its commercial security frameworks and names ISO 27001:2022. Drata names Cyber Essentials as one of the five frameworks allowed in Foundation and among its 30+ pre-built frameworks. The table draws on those pages and Vanta's framework list.

Vanta and Secureframe also list the EU AI Act; Drata's frameworks page, in the June 2026 copy we could read, did not. All three products cover the three headline frameworks. The differences sit elsewhere: how many frameworks the plan includes, how evidence maps across them, and how fast controls will be remapped to the 2027 SOC 2 criteria.

One caution on Cyber Essentials. It checks five technical controls (firewalls, secure configuration, security update management, user access control and malware protection) through a self-assessment that a certification body marks, and certificates expire after 12 months. Vanta says many teams spend 40 to 80 hours preparing with its platform, which is a vendor claim. You can pass basic Cyber Essentials without any of these products; the Danzell question set and 14-day patching rule matter more than the tool.

Integrations

Integration count is the number vendors most like to quote. What matters is whether your identity provider, cloud, HR system, device management, code host and ticketing tool have native connectors rather than screenshot uploads.

Vanta says it pulls data from 400+ tools. It offers the Vanta API, an Auditor API from Essentials and custom tests from Professional. Since VantaCon 2026 it has also offered access from inside Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and Slack through Vanta MCP, its APIs and a CLI.

Drata describes hundreds of tools on its integrations page without a total. Its categories run from HRIS and MDM to vulnerability scanning and compliance as code, and its HRIS list includes Breathe, Charlie and HiBob, which UK buyers should check for. Foundation includes pre-built integrations, compliance as code and Open API access; custom connections and tests start at Advanced. Drata's developer portal documents an MCP server.

Secureframe lists 300+ native integrations and API access on both Fundamentals and Complete, but custom integrations, SSO into the platform and SCIM appear only in Complete. Its hosted MCP server, launched in August 2026, lets AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor query live compliance data.

Auditor networks, and how to pick the auditor

All three vendors run a network of partner audit firms. None of them performs your SOC 2 examination or issues your ISO 27001 or Cyber Essentials certificate.

Vanta says 100+ audit firms partner with it and that 26,000+ audits have been completed through Vanta. Firms shown on its auditor page include A-LIGN, Schellman, Coalfire, Armanino, Insight Assurance and Prescient Security. Its plan comparison lists both access to its auditor network and the option to bring your own auditor.

Drata says 175+ audit firms belong to its Audit Alliance and that more than 80% of its customers meet their auditor through Drata. It publishes an auditor code of ethics, and A-LIGN, Coalfire and Armanino appear on its partner page as well as Vanta's. Audit Hub, its auditor workspace, is included in every plan.

Secureframe includes access to its audit partner network on both Fundamentals and Complete, without a published firm count.

Given the AICPA's 2026 guidance, treat any network as a shortlist. Ask the CPA firm whether it has a referral or revenue arrangement with your platform vendor, ask for its peer review report, and be wary of timelines that look identical for every client. For ISO 27001, confirm the certification body is accredited; for Cyber Essentials, use a certification body licensed by IASME.

AI features compared

Vanta. Essentials includes the Vanta AI Agent for search, evidence checks, policy generation, control mapping and SLA tracking. AI questionnaire automation is an add-on on Essentials, included at Plus (25 questionnaires a year) and raised to 144 a year at Professional. At VantaCon 2026 the Vanta Agent and autonomous vendor assessments became generally available. Vanta says the Pillar deal will add AI inventory and runtime monitoring in January 2027, red teaming in spring 2027 and runtime enforcement in summer 2027; treat those as announced roadmap, not shipped features.

Drata. Drata now calls its product an agentic trust management platform. Foundation includes standard AI questionnaire assistance, and the separate Assurance plans offer AI help for up to 100 questionnaires at Foundation level. Its plans page lists Agentic TPRM as an Enterprise add-on and as a separate Third-Party Risk plan that scores vendor risk, collects evidence from vendors' trust centres and handles follow-up and reassessment. AI agent governance arrived through announcements in June and August 2026.

Secureframe. Comply AI drafts policies, suggests remediation and supports risk work on both tiers; Comply AI for third-party risk is Complete-only. AI questionnaire answering is capped at 100 questions a year on Fundamentals and 15,000 on Complete, so a company that receives several 200-question security questionnaires a year will outgrow Fundamentals quickly. Secureframe supports ISO 42001, NIST AI RMF and the EU AI Act as frameworks, and its pricing page lists no separate AI agent governance module.

The AI features that matter most for 2027 audits are plain ones: inventorying AI services and agents, including AI accounts in access reviews, and detecting unsanctioned AI tools, which A-LIGN places under proposed CC5.1 and CC5.3. For the controls around the agents themselves, see our guide to enterprise AI agent governance layers.

Head-to-head comparison

The rows below summarise the vendor pages cited above; customer and auditor counts are vendor-reported and unaudited.

Secureframe launched its Defense plan for CMMC on 10 March 2026.

The 2027 SOC 2 criteria: questions to ask each vendor

Until the AICPA issues final criteria, the 2017 criteria stay the basis for SOC 2 reports, so a Type 2 period starting in 2027 will most likely use them unless you and your auditor adopt early. A platform contract signed now, though, will probably run past 31 December 2027. Ask:

1. When will you ship a 2027 criteria template, and will it be included in our plan or priced as an extra framework?

1. Can we run 2017 and 2027 mappings side by side during the transition, so evidence collected once covers both?

1. How will exported reports handle the renumbering (CC6 to CC5, CC7 to CC6, CC8 to CC7, CC9.2 to CC8.1)?

1. What evidence will you collect for the new AI points of focus: AI inventory, AI agent accounts in access reviews, unsanctioned AI tool detection, model and prompt monitoring?

1. If our product uses AI and our auditor recommends adding Processing Integrity, does that count as a second framework?

None of the pricing or framework pages we checked gives a ship date for a 2027 mapping. Get the answer in writing before you sign a multi-year term.

Decision table: a 30-person US SaaS and a 30-person UK SaaS

The rows use the plan limits and fees cited above.

Worked cost example: what you can calculate today

Because two vendors publish nothing, a worked example can only use the figures that are published; the rest is a quote you must obtain. Sources: Secureframe's and Drata's plan pages for the US case, and IASME, GOV.UK's funding package and GOV.UK's VAT rates for the UK case.

30-person US SaaS, SOC 2 Type 2.

30-person UK SaaS, Cyber Essentials now, ISO 27001 next year.

The UK arithmetic makes the sequencing point: Cyber Essentials alone costs £132 including VAT in year one with the fund, so a platform pays off only once ISO 27001 or SOC 2 is planned. Ask for that quote in GBP, for two frameworks, with the renewal uplift in the order form.

Implementation checklist

1. List frameworks by deal. Write down which prospects asked for SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001 or Cyber Essentials (or Plus). That number decides your tier on all three tools.

1. Count staff for the whole term. Drata's Foundation cap is 50 FTEs; plan for hiring, not today's headcount.

1. Map your systems. Send each vendor your identity provider, cloud accounts, HR, MDM, code host and ticketing list and ask which are native integrations.

1. Estimate questionnaire volume. Count last year's security questionnaires and questions, then compare with Vanta's 25 or 144 questionnaires, Drata's 100 questionnaires and Secureframe's 100 or 15,000 questions.

1. Choose the auditor separately. Use the vendor's network as a shortlist, ask about business arrangements with the tool provider, and request the firm's peer review report.

1. Get the 2027 criteria answer in writing. Template date, price, dual mapping and AI evidence.

1. Negotiate exit terms. Ask how you export evidence, policies and audit history if you leave.

1. Fix the controls first. Auditors test MFA, patching, device inventory and access reviews. The tool records them; it does not create them.

How eCorpIT can help

eCorpIT is a Gurugram-based technology organisation, founded in 2021, assessed at CMMI Level 5 and MSME certified, with senior-led engineering teams working across AWS, Microsoft and Google platforms. Our SOC 2 and ISO 27001 readiness engineering service builds the controls these platforms record, such as MFA, patch reporting, device inventories, access reviews and logging, and works alongside your chosen auditor or certification body. Talk to us at /contact-us/.

Last updated: 13 November 2026.

References

1. Secureframe packages — Secureframe

1. Plans and Pricing — Vanta

1. Plans That Scale with Your Mission (Internet Archive copy, 8 November 2026) — Drata

1. Become a Vanta auditor — Vanta

1. Audit Alliance (Internet Archive copy, 4 November 2026) — Drata

1. AICPA Proposes Update of SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria to Enhance the Relevance, Usability and Value of CPAs' Reports, 29 October 2026 — CPA Practice Advisor

1. Cyber Essentials frequently asked questions (Internet Archive copy, 11 November 2026) — IASME

1. Cyber Essentials funding package, 3 November 2026 — Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, GOV.UK

1. System and Organization Controls: SOC suite of services — AICPA & CIMA

1. AICPA Exposure Drafts: Proposed 2027 SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria and Description Criteria — AICPA & CIMA

1. Proposed SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria Updates: What You Need to Know, 5 November 2026 — A-LIGN

1. Ethics Staff Insights: Business arrangements with SOC tool providers, 13 April 2026 — AICPA & CIMA

1. AICPA guides peer reviewers to address SOC 2 risks, 14 May 2026 — Journal of Accountancy

1. Vanta + Pillar: The System of Runtime Action for AI Governance, 9 November 2026 — Vanta

1. Newsroom (Internet Archive copy, 13 August 2026) — Drata

1. Newsroom — Secureframe

1. Secureframe Achieves FedRAMP 20x Moderate Authorization, 25 June 2026 — Secureframe

1. Cyber Essentials — Vanta

1. Supported frameworks — Secureframe

1. Take Advantage of 30+ Pre-Built Frameworks (Internet Archive copy, 10 June 2026) — Drata

1. All frameworks Vanta supports — Vanta

1. This just in from VantaCon 2026 — Vanta

1. Integrations (Internet Archive copy, 13 October 2026) — Drata

1. MCP Server — Drata Developer Portal

1. Secureframe Leads the Way in AI-Driven Cybersecurity with Hosted MCP Server Launch, 5 August 2026 — Secureframe

1. Become a Secureframe Audit Partner — Secureframe

1. VAT rates — GOV.UK