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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteVanta and Drata both offer software for organizing SOC 2 Type 2 readiness, collecting evidence, monitoring controls, and working with auditors. Neither platform is the SOC 2 examination or the report: an independent CPA performs the examination. The right choice depends on which platform fits your systems, evidence gaps, control workflows, and intended auditor—not on a universal winner.
What SOC 2 Type 2 covers—and what software does not do
SOC is a suite of services that CPAs may provide in connection with system-level controls at a service organization. A SOC 2 engagement examines controls relevant to one or more Trust Services Criteria: security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. The criteria included should fit the system and customer commitments; an engagement does not automatically cover all five. The AICPA & CIMA SOC resources identify the 2017 Trust Services Criteria, with points of focus revised in 2022.
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Type 2 examines controls over a period, rather than documenting readiness at a single point in time. A platform can help gather certain evidence, track tasks, and monitor selected controls, but it cannot make a control work in practice or independently issue a CPA’s report. The AICPA & CIMA SOC 2 guide, updated October 15, 2022, addresses examination and reporting, the Trust Services Criteria, and description criteria.
What Vanta and Drata say their SOC 2 tools do
The feature descriptions below come from each vendor, not from an independent head-to-head test. Confirm that a feature supports your actual systems and evidence requirements before relying on it.
#1 Best Overall
Vanta
Vanta says its platform connects with cloud, code, identity, and device tools to collect evidence, map it to controls, monitor controls, and flag remediation needs. It also describes policy management, risk assessment workflows, framework mapping, a Trust Center, and auditor collaboration through a partner network and platform portal. Its SOC 2 offering supports Type I and Type II workflows. See Vanta’s SOC 2 page.
Vanta says audit pricing varies with scope, company size, and whether the customer is pursuing Type I or Type II. Its page does not provide a comparable fixed platform subscription or auditor quote.
Drata
Drata says it connects to cloud infrastructure, identity, HR, code repositories, ticketing, and other tools to collect and map evidence to SOC 2 controls. Its SOC 2 page also describes continuous monitoring, auditor collaboration, training tasks, Trust Center integration, third-party risk, policy versioning, risk reporting, and a customizable control library. These capabilities should be checked against your own systems and evidence needs. See Drata’s SOC 2 page.
Drata’s plans page lists elements such as pre-mapped frameworks, pre-built integrations, and Trust Center features, but the retrieved information does not give a usable public price. Verify current packaging and request a quote: Drata plans.
How to compare them for your SOC 2 scope
1. Test the integrations you will actually use
Inventory the cloud, identity, HR, code, endpoint or device, ticketing, and other systems inside your audit boundary. Ask each vendor to demonstrate the specific connections and show what evidence each one supplies. A broad integration count is less useful than coverage of your actual stack and controls.
2. Map the work that remains manual
For each control, identify what still needs a person: policy approval, periodic review, screenshots, written explanations, or other evidence. Establish who owns the control and how often it must be performed. Automated collection can reduce some evidence-gathering work, but the responsible people still need to operate controls and judge whether evidence is appropriate.
3. Bring your intended CPA firm into the decision
Ask the firm you expect to engage how it reviews evidence in each platform, which exports it accepts, and whether either workflow changes the work it must perform. Both vendors describe auditor collaboration, but the practical process depends on configuration and auditor practice. A platform does not replace the independent CPA examination.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute4. Settle the system boundary and criteria before buying
Work with your auditor and consider customer commitments to define the system boundary and which Trust Services Criteria belong in the engagement. If you expect other standards, verify that the specific controls and evidence you need can be reused; broad framework coverage alone does not establish that it will save time. Both companies describe framework-related capabilities, but fit depends on your requirements.
5. Compare the full cost on the same basis
Request quotes using the same scope and period. Compare platform subscription, implementation and support, independent audit fees, contract length, and any additional frameworks. The public vendor information does not establish an apples-to-apples Vanta-versus-Drata price, and Vanta says audit cost depends on scope, company size, and Type I or Type II.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Should you use a platform, a consultant, or both?
A compliance platform is most useful when you want a shared place to map controls, collect supported evidence, track owners, and monitor selected systems. It is not a substitute for deciding what is in scope, designing workable controls, or following through on manual tasks.
If your team needs hands-on help defining scope or implementing controls, readiness consulting or vCISO support may address that work. Keep readiness assistance distinct from the independent CPA examination: the CPA engaged to issue the report must perform that examination independently. Check any firm’s qualifications and relevant SOC 2 experience.
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Quick Recap
A practical selection process
- Document your scope: List the services and systems in the audit boundary, the relevant Trust Services Criteria, and the period you plan to examine.
- Prepare a control-and-evidence inventory: Record each control owner, evidence source, review cadence, and known manual task.
- Run equivalent demonstrations: Give both vendors the same in-scope systems and representative controls; ask them to show the evidence collected and what remains manual.
- Check the auditor workflow: Ask your intended CPA firm about review, exports, and any workflow implications for each platform.
- Request comparable proposals: Use the same scope, period, support expectations, and additional-framework requirements when comparing costs.
- Choose against your operating needs: Favor the workflow that your control owners and auditor can use reliably, not a promise of an automatic report or a generic automation claim.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
