Vanta vs Drata: Honest Comparison for European Buyers

If you're evaluating compliance platforms in Europe, Vanta and Drata are the two names that come up first. Both are well-funded US platforms with strong market positions. But for European companies — particularly those already running an ISMS — the comparison isn't as straightforward as feature lists suggest.

This comparison focuses on what matters for EU-based buyers: data residency, NIS2/DORA readiness, trust center architecture, and whether you actually need a full GRC platform or just the proof layer.

Quick Comparison

Feature	Vanta	Drata	Orbiq
Headquarters	San Francisco, US	San Diego, US	Europe (EU)
Primary architecture	Compliance automation + Trust Center	Compliance automation + Trust Center	Trust Center + EU Compliance
EU data hosting	Frankfurt (AWS), opt-in	US-primary	EU-default
Framework coverage	35+ frameworks	20+ frameworks	ISO 27001, NIS2, DORA, CRA, GDPR
Integrations	375+	100+	Focused on EU compliance tools
NIS2 support	Framework mapping (2024)	Via ISO 27001 mapping	Native, purpose-built
DORA support	Framework mapping	Limited	Native, purpose-built
Trust Center	Bundled with GRC platform	Bundled with GRC platform	Standalone, EU-native
Published pricing	No (sales-led)	No (sales-led)	Yes, from €299/month
Target buyer	US-first, expanding EU	US-first, expanding EU	EU-first

Platform Architecture

Vanta

Vanta is a compliance automation platform first, trust center second. The platform is built around automated evidence collection across 375+ integrations, continuous control monitoring, and SOC 2/ISO 27001 readiness workflows.

The trust center is a feature within the broader platform. It's well-designed — includes an AI chatbot, document access controls, and customisation options. But you can't buy the trust center separately. You get the full compliance automation stack.

For companies building a compliance programme from scratch, that's valuable. For companies that already have an ISMS and just need the customer-facing proof layer, you're paying for capabilities you may not use.

Drata

Drata takes a similar approach but emphasises workflow automation and custom framework building. The platform supports policy management, risk assessment workflows, and personnel tracking alongside compliance monitoring.

Drata's trust center (branded "Trust Center") provides document sharing, security profile pages, and NDA workflows. Like Vanta, it's bundled with the full platform.

Orbiq

Orbiq is a standalone trust center platform designed for European companies. No GRC bolt-ons you don't need. The platform focuses on the customer-facing proof layer: publishing your security posture, managing document access, handling security questionnaires, and providing continuous compliance evidence.

If you already run ISO 27001 and need to add NIS2/DORA compliance proof, Orbiq is built specifically for that use case.

EU Compliance: NIS2, DORA, and CRA

This is where the platforms diverge most significantly for European buyers.

NIS2 Support

Vanta: Added NIS2 framework support in 2024 with pre-mapped controls. This helps with documentation and gap analysis. But NIS2 compliance requires operational capabilities beyond framework mapping — 24-hour incident early warning, continuous supply chain monitoring, evidence-on-demand for supervisory authorities. These are operational processes, not checkbox controls.

Drata: Supports ISO 27001 mapping which provides partial NIS2 coverage. No dedicated NIS2 framework or operational tooling as of early 2026.

Orbiq: NIS2 is a core design principle, not a bolt-on framework. Supply chain monitoring, incident reporting workflows, and continuous evidence management are built into the platform architecture.

DORA Support

Vanta: Framework mapping available. Basic third-party risk assessment capabilities.

Drata: Limited DORA-specific support. General vendor management features.

Orbiq: Purpose-built DORA support including ICT third-party risk register, vendor monitoring, and evidence management designed for regulatory inspections.

Data Residency

Vanta: EU data centre in Frankfurt (AWS), available as an option. Connected evidence and integration data routing depends on configuration.

Drata: Primary infrastructure is US-based.

Orbiq: EU data residency by default. All data — platform, evidence, documents, monitoring — stays in EU jurisdictions.

Trust Center Capabilities

Document Management

Capability	Vanta	Drata	Orbiq
Document hosting	✅	✅	✅
Access controls (NDA-gated)	✅	✅	✅
Watermarking	Limited	❌	✅
Customisation / branding	✅	✅	✅ (hyper-customisation)
Custom domain	✅	✅	✅
AI chatbot / search	✅	❌	✅

Security Questionnaire Handling

Capability	Vanta	Drata	Orbiq
Questionnaire automation	✅ (Vanta AI)	✅	✅ (AI-powered)
Knowledge base	✅	✅	✅
Custom Q&A	✅	✅	✅

Evidence and Proof

Capability	Vanta	Drata	Orbiq
Continuous monitoring	✅ (375+ integrations)	✅ (100+ integrations)	✅ (EU compliance focused)
Real-time compliance status	✅	✅	✅
Audit evidence export	✅	✅	✅
Regulatory evidence-on-demand	Limited	Limited	✅ (NIS2/DORA designed)

Pricing

Neither Vanta nor Drata publishes pricing. Both use enterprise sales models:

Aspect	Vanta	Drata	Orbiq
Published pricing	No	No	Yes
Starting price	~$10,000–15,000/year (est.)	~$10,000–15,000/year (est.)	€299/month
Contract model	Annual, typically 2-year	Annual	Monthly or annual
Trust center only	Not available separately	Not available separately	Core product
Price transparency	Requires sales call	Requires sales call	Self-serve pricing page

For companies that only need a trust center — not a full compliance automation platform — the cost difference is significant.

When to Choose Each Platform

Choose Vanta when:

You're building a compliance programme from scratch
You need SOC 2 automation with broad US cloud integrations
You want the largest framework library (35+)
Your primary market is the US and EU is secondary
You need deep integration coverage (375+ tools)

Choose Drata when:

You need custom framework building capabilities
You want strong workflow automation for internal processes
SOC 2 and ISO 27001 are your primary frameworks
You prefer Drata's approach to policy and risk management

Choose Orbiq when:

You already have an ISMS (ISO 27001) and need the proof layer
NIS2, DORA, or CRA compliance is a primary driver
EU data residency is a requirement, not a nice-to-have
You want a trust center without paying for a full GRC platform
Published, predictable pricing matters
Your buyers are primarily European and expect EU-native proof

The European Buyer's Real Question

The Vanta vs Drata comparison assumes you need a full compliance automation platform. Many European companies don't.

If you already run ISO 27001 — and most NIS2-affected companies do — you have the governance layer. What you're missing is the operational proof layer: a trust center that demonstrates your compliance posture to customers, handles security questionnaires efficiently, and provides evidence-on-demand for regulators.

That's a different product category. And it's the category Orbiq was built for.

Vanta vs Drata: Honest Comparison for European Buyers (2026)