SOC 2 Without the Vanta Price Tag
Vanta is quote-based, and Vendr's buyer data puts small companies at $12,000–$28,000 a year. SimpleAudit is from $480 one time (Prepare, 12 months of access). Prove is $299.99 a month or $2,999.88 a year. No integration setup, no enterprise contract.
Feature comparison
| Feature | SimpleAudit | Vanta |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $480 one time (Prepare, 12 months of access). Prove is $299.99 a month or $2,999.88 a year. | $12,000–$28,000/year (Vendr) |
| Setup time | Minutes | Integration setup first |
| AI Policy Generation | ||
| Conversational AI Interface | Vanta Agent (July 2026) | |
| Automated Evidence Collection | ||
| Integration Marketplace | ||
| Risk Register | ||
| Vendor Management | ||
| Access Reviews | ||
| Multiple Frameworks | SOC 2 (more planned) | |
| Published price |
Pricing
Setup time
AI Policy Generation
Conversational AI Interface
Automated Evidence Collection
Integration Marketplace
Risk Register
Vendor Management
Access Reviews
Multiple Frameworks
Published price
At Vendr's observed range for small companies, $12,000–$28,000 a year, Vanta's platform alone costs 4 to 9 times SimpleAudit Prove ($2,999.88 a year). Most startups don't need enterprise compliance infrastructure. They need their SOC 2 report and the deal it unlocks. For the platform, audit and add-on costs line by line, see Vanta pricing for startups.
Total first-year cost including the audit
No platform on this page includes the audit. The CPA firm that signs your SOC 2 report is a separate purchase. Our row uses our audit partner's starting price; for the others, add the fee your auditor quotes.
SimpleAudit Prepare
- Platform, first year
- $480
- Audit
- Type 1 from $5,000
- First-year total
- from $5,480
Vanta
- Platform, first year
- $12,000–$28,000
- Audit
- + your auditor's fee
- First-year total
- Depends on your auditor
| Option | Platform, first year | Audit | First-year total |
|---|---|---|---|
| SimpleAudit Prepare | $480 | Type 1 from $5,000 | from $5,480 |
| Vanta | $12,000–$28,000 | + your auditor's fee | Depends on your auditor |
From $480 one time (Prepare, 12 months of access). Prove is $299.99 a month or $2,999.88 a year. Our row is the lowest first-year cost: Prepare ($480 one time) plus a SOC 2 Type 1 from MJD Advisors, a peer-reviewed, US-based CPA firm, from $5,000. Prepare covers all five SOC 2 areas for up to 5 seats. It gets you audit-ready, but audit tracking is on Prove, so on Prepare you hand your auditor the package. A Type 1 is the option when a prospect needs a report in under about 3 months. Our recommended path is a security-only SOC 2 Type 2 with a 3-month observation window: MJD prices it from $7,500, and with Prove ($2,999.88 a year), which runs the audit, the first year starts at $10,499.88. MJD Advisors is SimpleAudit's audit partner.
Vanta's range is Vendr's buyer data for companies with 1 to 50 employees on one framework (read 2026-09-29). Vanta publishes no prices.
Why Vanta's pricing model breaks down for startups
Vanta does not publish prices. Its pricing page lists four tiers, Essentials, Plus, Professional and Enterprise, and every one leads to a demo. Buyer data from Vendr puts companies with 1 to 50 employees at $12,000–$28,000 a year for one framework, and the median contract across all company sizes is about $20,000. No tier includes the audit. The full breakdown, with add-ons and the auditor fee, is on Vanta pricing for startups.
The price is not the only cost. Vanta's automation runs on its integrations, 400+ of them, and someone has to connect your cloud, identity and code tools and keep those connections healthy. For a team where every engineer is shipping product, that work competes with the roadmap, and it never appears on an invoice.
Vanta has moved toward small teams. In July 2026 it launched Vanta Agent, pitched as a compliance co-founder for early-stage startups with no security hire. That narrows the gap on guidance. It does not change the model underneath: quote-based pricing and standing connections into your systems. SimpleAudit holds no credentials into your infrastructure, and evidence arrives only when you upload it.
Vanta makes sense when you need several frameworks, want continuous automated monitoring, and have a security owner to run it. Below that point, you are paying for capacity you will not use for a while.
If a specific prospect already asked for your SOC 2 report, see what to send this week and how fast you can actually get one.
Why teams switch from Vanta
Teams switch to SimpleAudit when they need SOC 2 compliance but cannot justify the cost or complexity of Vanta at their current stage.
Overpriced with a steep learning curve
"The system is not very intuitive, and the cost/benefits do not match, especially for small companies."
Source: Christian Visti L., Verified Vanta User, G2 1.5/5 (Feb 2026, Organic)
High starting cost
Vanta's pricing is quote-based, and Vendr's buyer data puts companies with 1 to 50 employees at $12,000–$28,000 a year for one framework, before the audit. That is a large commitment for a startup still finding product-market fit.
Source: Vendr buyer data, read 2026-09-29; Vanta's pricing page lists no prices
Integration complexity
Vanta's automated evidence collection runs on its integrations (it lists 400+). Someone on your team has to connect them and keep them working, which takes engineering time away from building product.
Source: vanta.com, read 2026-09-29
No ROI at early stage
If you're pre-Series A with one or two enterprise deals riding on SOC 2, paying $12,000 or more a year before you've validated the revenue is hard to justify. SimpleAudit is designed for the seed stage where compliance is a sales requirement, not a full-time program.
Source: Founder experience, r/soc2 community feedback
What makes SimpleAudit different
Guidance without handing over your keys
Vanta added an AI agent for small teams in July 2026, so guidance alone no longer separates us. The model underneath does: Vanta's automation runs on standing connections into your cloud and identity tools. SimpleAudit holds no credentials into your systems. Evidence arrives only when you upload it, or push it from your own tools on Prove.
Zero integrations to start
Start generating policies and assessing risks immediately. No integration setup before you can make progress.
Startup-friendly pricing
Prove is $299.99 a month with a 3-day free trial (14-day on the Partner plan), no credit card required. Prepare is $480 one time for 12 months of access, with a 3-day free trial, also with no credit card required. Designed for startups and small teams (1–150 people) who need SOC 2 without enterprise pricing.
Who Vanta is actually right for
Vanta is right for a company that wants automated, continuous evidence collection and has someone to own it: an engineer or security lead who will connect and maintain its integrations (Vanta lists 400+). It is also the safer pick if you need several frameworks now, since SimpleAudit covers SOC 2 only, or if your buyers want a vendor name they already recognize. That is usually a team at Series A and beyond. For a small team that needs its first SOC 2 report, the bottom of Vendr's small-company range for Vanta, $12,000 a year, is more than a year of SimpleAudit Prove plus a security-only Type 2 audit ($10,499.88).
Frequently asked questions
How much does Vanta cost compared to SimpleAudit?
Vanta does not publish prices; every tier leads to a demo. Vendr's buyer data puts companies with 1 to 50 employees at $12,000–$28,000 a year for one framework. SimpleAudit is from $480 one time (Prepare, 12 months of access). Prove is $299.99 a month or $2,999.88 a year. Neither price includes the audit. Prepare plus a SOC 2 Type 1 from MJD Advisors starts at $5,480 for the first year; Prepare gets you audit-ready, and audit tracking is on Prove. Our recommended path, a security-only Type 2 with Prove, starts at $10,499.88. MJD Advisors is SimpleAudit's audit partner. For what Vanta costs a startup in full, see Vanta pricing for startups.
Is SimpleAudit a good Vanta alternative for startups?
For a small team pursuing its first SOC 2 report to close deals, yes. SimpleAudit is conversation-first, needs no integration setup, holds no credentials into your systems, and publishes its price. Vanta is the better fit once you want continuous automated monitoring, need several frameworks, and have a security owner to run it.
Does SimpleAudit require integrations like Vanta does?
No. Vanta's automated evidence collection runs on its integrations (it lists 400+), which someone has to connect and maintain. SimpleAudit starts working immediately: the AI generates policies, builds your risk register, and guides remediation through conversation, and evidence arrives when you upload it.
How long does setup take with SimpleAudit vs Vanta?
SimpleAudit setup takes minutes: you answer questions in an AI conversation and start generating policies right away. Vanta's automated checks depend on connecting your cloud, identity and code tools first, so setup time depends on how many systems you connect and who on your team does it.
Does SimpleAudit offer a free trial?
Yes. Prepare and Prove each start with a 3-day free trial with no credit card. The Partner plan gets 14 days. Sell has no trial and is available once a report has been issued.
Who is Vanta actually right for?
Vanta is right for a company that wants automated, continuous evidence collection and has someone to own it: an engineer or security lead who will connect and maintain its integrations (Vanta lists 400+). It is also the safer pick if you need several frameworks now, since SimpleAudit covers SOC 2 only, or if your buyers want a vendor name they already recognize. That is usually a team at Series A and beyond. For a small team that needs its first SOC 2 report, the bottom of Vendr's small-company range for Vanta, $12,000 a year, is more than a year of SimpleAudit Prove plus a security-only Type 2 audit ($10,499.88).
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