GRC software costs anywhere from free to more than $50,000 a year, depending on the tool and the size of your company.
Startup compliance platforms list at about $7,500 to $32,500 a year, mid-market GRC suites have typical contracts of $41,000 to $54,000, and large enterprise suites are quote-only.
The software is rarely the whole bill: audits, penetration tests, extra frameworks, and renewal increases add more.
Reviewed by Riya Ann Varghese, GRC Engineer, ISO 27001 lead auditor certified. Last updated October 22, 2026.
How We Priced These Tools
We used only public price data. List prices come from vendors' own pricing pages and their AWS Marketplace listings. Typical prices come from Vendr, which publishes median contract values from real purchases. A few figures come from quotes our team has seen, and we label those. Every number is dated, and the sources are listed under the price table. A GRC engineer checked every section.
What Is GRC Software?
GRC software is a platform that helps a company manage governance, risk, and compliance in one place, instead of in spreadsheets and shared folders.
There are three broad kinds, and they are priced very differently:
- Compliance automation platforms for startups and scaleups getting SOC 2, ISO 27001, or HIPAA. They connect to your cloud and tools and collect audit evidence.
- Mid-market GRC suites for risk, audit, and compliance teams running many programs.
- Enterprise GRC suites for large, regulated companies, often with long implementations.
How Much Does GRC Software Cost?
GRC software typically costs $7,500 to $32,500 a year for a startup compliance platform and $41,000 to $54,000 a year for a mid-market GRC suite.
| Type of tool | Typical yearly cost | Who buys it |
|---|---|---|
| Free and open-source GRC | Free core, about $5,000 per paid add-on | Small teams that can run and configure it themselves |
| Compliance automation platform | $7,500 to $32,500 list; Vendr medians of $15,000 to $27,000 | Startups and scaleups getting SOC 2, ISO 27001, or HIPAA |
| Mid-market GRC suite | Vendr medians of about $41,000 to $54,000 | Companies with a dedicated risk or compliance team |
| Enterprise GRC suite | Quote only | Large, regulated companies with many business units |
GRC Software Pricing by Vendor
Most GRC vendors do not publish prices, so the best public data comes from marketplace listings and purchase records.
Compliance Automation Platforms
Compliance software pricing for startups is the easiest to compare, because several vendors list prices on AWS Marketplace.
| Vendor | List price | Typical yearly cost | How it is priced |
|---|---|---|---|
| UprootSecurity | $8,000 (1 to 10 employees) | Custom quote | Plans by frameworks and team size; a yearly penetration test included in every plan |
| Vanta | $14,000 (1 to 20 employees) | About $20,000 | Tiers by employee count and plan |
| Drata | $25,000 platform + $7,500 per framework | About $24,900 | Platform fee for up to 100 employees, plus each framework |
| Secureframe | $15,000 (SOC 2, up to 100 employees) | About $20,000 | Plan by framework and company size |
| Sprinto | $12,500 platform + $2,000 per framework | About $15,000 | Platform for up to 100 employees, plus each framework |
| Scrut | $15,000 (up to 20 employees) | From about $4,000 in quotes we have seen | Quote can bundle a pentest and the SOC 2 audit |
| Scytale | $12,500 (platform and one framework) | Higher with add-ons | Consulting, pentest, and audit sold as add-ons |
| Thoropass | Not published | About $26,900 | Software and audit from its own CPA firm |
Our full reviews of Vanta, Drata, and Sprinto break down each price in more detail.
Mid-Market and Enterprise GRC Suites
| Vendor | Typical yearly cost | Range seen in purchases | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hyperproof | About $41,400 | $22,215 to $70,000 | Multi-framework compliance operations |
| Optro (formerly AuditBoard) | About $45,900 | $21,220 to $111,208 | Audit, risk, and compliance suite |
| LogicGate | About $53,800 | $12,294 to $136,130 | No-code risk and compliance workflows |
| OneTrust | About $12,300 | $1,620 to $48,274 | Median covers all OneTrust products, not only GRC |
| SimpleRisk | Free core; $5,000 per standard add-on | Published price list | Unlimited users; self-hosted option |
| Archer | Quote only | Not published | Enterprise integrated risk management |
| ServiceNow GRC | Quote only | Not published | Priced inside the wider ServiceNow platform |
For features rather than price, see our guide to GRC tools.
Are Implementation Fees Separate From the Subscription?
Implementation fees are sometimes separate from the subscription, so always ask before you sign.
Enterprise suites usually quote implementation as its own project. Many compliance automation platforms include onboarding, but some charge a one-time setup fee. Ask the vendor to list onboarding, evidence-collection setup, and training as separate lines in the quote.
How UprootSecurity Prices Compliance
UprootSecurity gives each customer a custom quote that includes the platform, a dedicated compliance expert, and a yearly penetration test.
- No separate pentest bill: every plan includes a yearly penetration test.
- Expert help built in: a dedicated compliance expert from gap assessment to the final report.
- Audit firm introductions: we introduce you to audit firms that quote fixed prices.
What Does GRC Software Cost in Year 1 vs Year 2?
GRC software usually costs more in year 2 than year 1, because renewal prices rise even when the work stays the same.
Here is an estimate for a 20 to 100 person SaaS company with SOC 2 on a typical compliance platform:
| Cost | Year 1 | Year 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Compliance platform | About $20,000 | About $22,000 to $24,000 (a 10% to 20% renewal increase) |
| SOC 2 Type 2 audit | $5,000 to $20,000 | $5,000 to $20,000 |
| Penetration test | $3,000 to $10,000 | $3,000 to $10,000 |
| Total | About $28,000 to $50,000 | About $30,000 to $54,000 |
This is an estimate. Adding ISO 27001 in year 2 can add another framework fee, such as $7,500 on Drata's list price. A renewal cap in your first contract is the easiest way to keep year 2 close to year 1.
Why Don't GRC Vendors Publish Prices?
Most GRC vendors do not publish prices because the final price depends on headcount, frameworks, modules, and negotiation.
Quote-only pricing also lets vendors discount for some buyers and not others. That is why GRC pricing comparisons rely on marketplace listings and purchase data, like the figures above. If a vendor will not give even an indicative range after a first call, treat that as a warning sign.
How to Get a Better Price on GRC Software
To get a better price on GRC software, compare at least three quotes and negotiate the renewal terms, not just the first-year price.
- Ask for a renewal cap in writing, such as 5% a year.
- Get every line item: platform, each framework, onboarding, add-ons, and support.
- Ask what happens when you hire. Find out the next headcount band and its price.
- Price your next framework now, even if you will add it next year.
- Check what is not included, especially the audit and a penetration test.
- Confirm you can export your evidence if you leave.
- Compare against public prices. Use marketplace list prices and purchase data, like the tables above, as your benchmark.
Is GRC Software Only for Large Enterprises?
No, GRC software is not only for large enterprises; compliance automation platforms are built for startups and small teams.
A 20-person startup selling to larger customers often needs SOC 2, and compliance software pricing for that starts at about $7,500 a year at list price. Large GRC suites are the ones built for enterprises. Our comparison of the best SOC 2 compliance software covers the startup tools in more detail.
How UprootSecurity Approaches Compliance
Comparing GRC software prices is the first step. Knowing the full cost, and keeping it steady after year 1, is what protects your budget.
| What you need | How UprootSecurity handles it |
|---|---|
| A clear price | A custom quote based on your scope, plus a 14-day free trial |
| Real security testing | A yearly penetration test in every plan |
| Help from someone who knows compliance | A dedicated compliance expert from gap assessment to final report |
| Evidence that stays current | Continuous monitoring across 140+ integrations |
| More than one framework | SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and 22 frameworks in total |
| A smooth audit | Introductions to audit firms that quote fixed prices |
UprootSecurity is a compliance platform for startups and scaleups that need SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, or other frameworks. See our plans and how GRC automation works.
Frequently Asked Questions
GRC software costs from free to more than $50,000 a year. Startup compliance platforms list at about $7,500 to $32,500 a year, with Vendr medians of $15,000 to $27,000. Mid-market GRC suites have medians of about $41,000 to $54,000, and enterprise suites like Archer and ServiceNow are quote-only.
A mid-sized company should budget about $20,000 to $55,000 a year for a GRC platform, depending on whether it needs a compliance automation tool or a full GRC suite. Add the audit, a penetration test, and a 10% to 20% renewal increase when planning year 2.
Implementation fees are sometimes separate from the subscription. Enterprise GRC suites usually quote implementation as its own project, while many compliance automation platforms include onboarding. Ask the vendor to list onboarding, setup, and training as separate lines so you can compare quotes fairly.
Most compliance platforms charge per framework, not per control. Drata, for example, lists $7,500 for each framework and Sprinto lists $2,000. Per-control pricing is rare in public price lists. Shared controls across frameworks should reduce the extra work when you add a second standard.
Adding a framework typically costs $2,000 to $7,500 a year at list price, based on Sprinto's and Drata's AWS Marketplace listings. Some vendors include several frameworks in a plan instead. Price your next framework, such as ISO 27001, before you sign the first contract.
Most GRC vendors don't publish prices because the final price depends on headcount, frameworks, modules, and negotiation. Quote-only pricing lets them discount for some buyers. Marketplace listings and purchase data from sources like Vendr are the most reliable public starting points.
No, GRC software is not only for large enterprises. Compliance automation platforms are built for startups that need SOC 2, ISO 27001, or HIPAA, and they start at about $7,500 a year at list price. Large GRC suites with long implementations are the ones aimed at enterprises.
Most GRC software today is a yearly subscription. Some older enterprise tools still offer perpetual licenses with yearly maintenance fees, and open-source tools like SimpleRisk offer a free core you can host yourself. Subscriptions usually renew automatically, so check the renewal terms.
Most GRC software pricing does not include the audit. A licensed CPA firm performs the SOC 2 audit, and typical SOC 2 Type 2 audit fees run $5,000 to $20,000. Some vendors, like Thoropass, sell an audit through their own firm, and Scrut can bundle one into a quote.
Risk management software usually costs about the same as a GRC suite, because most GRC suites include a risk module. Vendr medians for risk-focused suites like LogicGate and Hyperproof are about $41,000 to $54,000 a year, while SimpleRisk offers a free core with paid add-ons at $5,000 each.
