How accurate are the vendor pricing numbers?
We use midpoints of pricing reported publicly on G2, Reddit, Capterra, and proposals shared by buyers — Vanta SOC 2 module typically lands in the $20K–$30K range year one, Drata $19K–$28K, Secureframe $16K–$24K, Sprinto starts lower but scales per-employee. Add-on frameworks (HIPAA, ISO 27001, GDPR) usually run $6K–$9K each. Exact prices depend on your sales call, contract length, and headcount.
Why do you include external auditor fees in every column?
Because they apply no matter which platform you pick. SOC 2 Type II costs $12K–$50K through a CPA firm. ISO 27001 certification costs $15K–$30K through an accredited body. HIPAA assessments $8K–$20K. These fees do not go to the GRC platform vendor — they go to the auditor. Apples-to-apples comparisons need them in both columns.
Why are 'internal hours' higher on the ComplianceIQ path?
Honesty. Integrated platforms like Vanta/Drata automate evidence collection from AWS, GitHub, Okta, etc. — that saves real staff time. ComplianceIQ generates the policies and audits the gaps but doesn't pull evidence from your cloud stack. We bake ~70%-80% more internal hours into the ComplianceIQ path so the comparison stays honest. Even with that handicap, ComplianceIQ comes out significantly cheaper for most companies.
When does Vanta/Drata actually win on cost?
When you're scaling toward a Series B+, going through SOC 2 Type II with a dedicated security hire, and your AWS/GitHub/Okta evidence collection eats more than 200 hours per framework per year. At that point, automation pays for the platform fee. Below 75 employees or for companies that only need policies + audits (not continuous monitoring), ComplianceIQ wins on TCO.
Is this calculator just biased to make ComplianceIQ look good?
We add an internal-hours penalty to the ComplianceIQ path specifically so the comparison stays honest. We include auditor fees in both columns. We use real, reported vendor prices. If the math still favors ComplianceIQ for your stack, that's the actual gap — not a marketing trick. The /alternatives pages also list 'where they genuinely win' for each vendor.
What if I'm just starting out?
If you're pre-revenue or sub-25 employees and just need policies + a first SOC 2 readiness assessment, the gap is even bigger. A $39/mo ComplianceIQ Pro subscription covers unlimited policy generation across all 10+ frameworks. Vanta's entry tier alone is $15K+ year one. Use the calculator with 'Starting from zero' maturity and 'Seed' size to see the numbers.