Vanta vs Drata (and Secureframe) for CMMC
Published 2026-10-22
Vanta and Drata grew up selling SOC 2 to software companies, and both bolted CMMC on later: Drata gave its CMMC framework full control mappings in October 2024, and Vanta only began generating system security plans in February 2026. A Level 2 shop needs three things from either one: the 110 requirements of NIST SP 800-171 Rev 2, a score counted the way 32 CFR 170.24 counts it, and the two documents an assessor will ask for, the system security plan CA.L2-3.12.4 and the plan of action CA.L2-3.12.2.
We read both vendors' own pages against those rows, and added Secureframe, whose Secureframe Defense product is sold as "built for the Defense Industrial Base". The surprise was not in the features. It was in the FedRAMP Marketplace, where each vendor has a different listing and only some reach Moderate. If you want the wider field first, see CMMC compliance software compared.
- In force today
- DFARS 252.204-7012 still applies: NIST SP 800-171 Rev 2 on systems that hold covered defense information, cyber incidents reported to DoD within 72 hours, and FedRAMP Moderate or equivalent for any cloud that holds it. DFARS 252.204-7012(b)(2), (c)
- Suspended
- Phase 2, due in November 2026, is suspended for every contractor, whatever its size: contracts are not adding the third-party Level 2 (C3PAO) or Level 3 (DIBCAC) requirements. DoW CIO memo of 2026-07-13, applied by Class Deviation 2026-O0025 Rev 3
- Not yet known
- The outcome of the CMMC Reform Task Force review is not confirmed as of 2026-10-23: no report or rule change has been published. Federal Register search, 2026-10-23
Secureframe
The only one of the three whose pages say it builds the CUI environment as well as the paperwork, with a live SPRS score and a 20x Moderate listing on the platform itself.
Read the Secureframe notesVanta
One platform for commercial frameworks and CMMC, with a score widget, generated SSPs, and a Government Cloud edition listed at Moderate through 20x.
Read the Vanta notesDrata
Its Rev 2 framework and assessment objectives organise the evidence well; plan to write the SSP and do the SPRS sum yourself.
Read the Drata notes
Three platforms against the rule
Rows inside the boundary are what the rule asks of your paperwork, and of the tool itself if CUI goes in. Rows outside it are conveniences. Every word was read on the vendor's own pages or the FedRAMP Marketplace on 2026-10-22; click a vendor name for its notes.
| What the rule asks | Vanta | Drata | Secureframe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inside the boundary | |||
| Ships a CMMC Level 2 framework on NIST SP 800-171 Rev 2 (110 requirements)32 CFR 170.14(c)(3) | Rev 2 stated | Rev 2, 110 stated | Stated, with objectives |
| Gives you a score counted the way the CMMC Scoring Methodology counts it32 CFR 170.24 | SPRS score stated | Says it does not | Live score stated |
| Builds the system security planCA.L2-3.12.4 | Generation stated | You upload it | Generated, OSCAL stated |
| Manages the plan of action and milestonesCA.L2-3.12.2; 32 CFR 170.21 | Template stated | Tracks items | Stated |
| FedRAMP Moderate or equivalent, needed only if CUI goes into the toolDFARS 252.204-7012(b)(2)(ii)(D); 32 CFR 170.16(c)(2) | Gov Cloud: Certified 20x (Moderate) | Certified 20x (Low) | Certified 20x (Moderate) |
| Outside the boundary | |||
| Can run in AWS GovCloud | Gov Cloud edition | Says it is not | Not stated |
| Collects evidence from GCC High or Azure Government | Entra, Intune, Defender | Sign-in only stated | GCC High, Azure Gov stated |
| Sets up the CUI environment itself | Not stated | Not stated | GCC High or Workspace |
| SOC 2 and ISO 27001 from the same controls | Stated | Shared controls stated | Stated |
| Trust center for your own customers | Trust Center stated | Trust Center stated | Trust product stated |
| Partner RPOs or C3PAOs | RPOs and C3PAOs stated | Not stated | C3PAO partner stated |
What the words mean
- MeetsRev 2 statedSPRS score statedGeneration statedTemplate statedGov Cloud editionEntra, Intune, DefenderStatedTrust Center statedRPOs and C3PAOs statedRev 2, 110 statedTracks itemsShared controls statedStated, with objectivesLive score statedGenerated, OSCAL statedGCC High, Azure Gov statedGCC High or WorkspaceTrust product statedC3PAO partner stated
- The vendor's own documentation, or the official register, says so. Read on the date shown.
- PartialGov Cloud: Certified 20x (Moderate)You upload itCertified 20x (Low)Sign-in only statedCertified 20x (Moderate)
- Covers part of the requirement, or the vendor claims it and the official register does not show it.
- Check with vendorNot stated
- Not stated in what we read. Ask the vendor in writing before you rely on it.
- NoSays it does notSays it is not
- The vendor's own documentation says it does not.
Which Vanta, which Drata: the FedRAMP listings
All three vendors appear in the live FedRAMP Marketplace, but not at the same class. Vanta has two listings, one per product, and they sit at different classes. When a sales deck says "FedRAMP", read the package, not the brand.
| Offering | Package | Status, type | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| VantaVanta Government Cloud | FR2525556241XM | FedRAMP Certified, 20x Pilot | Class C (Moderate) |
| VantaVanta - Trust Management Platform | FR2525556241 | FedRAMP Certified, 20x Pilot | Class B (Low) |
| DrataDrata Trust Management Platform | FR2600167032 | FedRAMP Certified, 20x Pilot | Class B (Low) |
| SecureframeSecureframe Platform | FR2529360449 | FedRAMP Certified, 20x Pilot | Class C (Moderate) |
Whether any of this matters depends on one question: does CUI go into the tool? A platform that holds only your security data (configurations, scan results, logs) is in your assessment scope as a Security Protection Asset, not a FedRAMP question. Once CUI goes in, DFARS 252.204-7012 asks for FedRAMP Moderate or its equivalent. On that test the two Class B (Low) listings, standard Vanta and Drata, are not enough, and Drata's own help centre adds that Drata is hosted outside AWS GovCloud.
Who does the SPRS math
This is the row where Vanta and Drata part ways. Vanta and Secureframe both show a score that moves as you close controls. Drata marks each requirement Ready, In Progress or Out of Scope, and its own self-assessment guide is plain about the rest:
"Drata helps you organize and track compliance activities, but it does not calculate or submit an official SPRS score. You remain responsible for applying the DoD Assessment Methodology, entering your final results into the SPRS portal …"
No tool submits for you either: Vanta's CMMC page says you still submit scores and attestations in SPRS. What a score view can do is warn you early. Here is the case to put in front of any of them: a shop with three gaps, everything else Ready.
| Gap | Points off | Allowed on the POA&M? |
|---|---|---|
| Session lock not set on the two shop-floor PCsAC.L2-3.1.10 | −1 | Yes, a 1-point requirement |
| MFA covers remote and admin users onlyIA.L2-3.5.3 | −3 | No: worth 3 points, and only 3.13.11 is excepted |
| Laptops encrypted, but not with FIPS-validated modulesSC.L2-3.13.11 | −3 | Yes, the one 3-point exception |
| Score | 103 | Above the 88 floor, yet no Conditional status until MFA covers every user |
A score of 103 looks safe. It is not enough on its own, because 32 CFR 170.21 lets only 1-point requirements onto a POA&M, plus SC.L2-3.13.11 when you encrypt without FIPS-validated modules. The MFA gap has to be closed before the assessment, whatever the total says. In a demo, enter these three gaps and see whether the tool says so. On Drata you will do this check by hand, which our SPRS score calculator and the POA&M template are built for. When the number is final, how to submit your SPRS score walks through the entry itself. The 88-point floor next to the 7019 score it sits on is laid out in CMMC vs NIST SP 800-171.
Your demo script
A demo shows whatever the salesperson picks unless you steer it. Take this list into the call and make the vendor show each line in the product, not on a slide. If your shop has no CUI environment yet, read the CMMC enclave comparison before you book any of them; if it runs on Microsoft, GCC vs GCC High explains which tenant the tool must connect to.
CMMC demo script builder, cuideck.com
Pick the vendor on your next call and tick what is true of your shop. Pre-filled with a typical GCC High shop.
Your script for Vanta
- 01Open the CMMC framework and show the NIST SP 800-171 Rev 2 requirement list with its assessment objectives.
- 02Enter three gaps (session lock, MFA for remote users only, non-FIPS encryption) and show the score and the POA&M warning.
- 03Show where the SPRS widget lives and which package includes it.
- 04Connect Entra, Intune and Defender for GCC High in the trial and show the tests they feed.
4 asks for Vanta
The three, one by one
Vanta
What it is. A multi-framework compliance platform with a CMMC product for Levels 1, 2 and 3: controls pre-mapped to NIST SP 800-171 and 800-172, an SPRS score widget, SSP generation as DOCX or PDF, POA&M templates and OSCAL export. Vanta Government Cloud is a separate environment on AWS GovCloud.
Who it fits. A shop that also answers SOC 2 or ISO 27001 questionnaires from commercial customers, and will buy the Government Cloud edition if CUI could ever end up in the tool.
| What the rule asks | What we found |
|---|---|
| Gives you a score counted the way the CMMC Scoring Methodology counts it | SPRS score stated |
| FedRAMP Moderate or equivalent, needed only if CUI goes into the tool | Gov Cloud: Certified 20x (Moderate) |
| Can run in AWS GovCloud | Gov Cloud edition |
Checked on vanta.com, 2026-10-22
Check with the vendor before you buy.
Drata
What it is. A multi-framework compliance platform whose NIST SP 800-171 Rev 2 framework carries the 110 requirements, 195 mapped controls, 22 policy templates and assessment objectives from 800-171A; its CMMC framework has a Level 1 or Level 2 picker. Drata's own guide says it does not calculate an official SPRS score.
Who it fits. A shop already running Drata for SOC 2 that wants its 800-171 evidence in the same place, and has someone who will write the SSP and do the SPRS sum outside the tool.
| What the rule asks | What we found |
|---|---|
| Gives you a score counted the way the CMMC Scoring Methodology counts it | Says it does not |
| Builds the system security plan | You upload it |
| FedRAMP Moderate or equivalent, needed only if CUI goes into the tool | Certified 20x (Low) |
Checked on help.drata.com, 2026-10-22
Check with the vendor before you buy.
Secureframe
What it is. A compliance platform whose Secureframe Defense product goes past the paperwork: it can stand up a preconfigured GCC High or Google Workspace environment for CUI, then generates the SSP and POA&M from that environment and keeps a live SPRS score. SSP export in OSCAL.
Who it fits. A shop with no CUI environment yet, or one already on GCC High, that is buying for CMMC first and SOC 2 second.
| What the rule asks | What we found |
|---|---|
| Gives you a score counted the way the CMMC Scoring Methodology counts it | Live score stated |
| Sets up the CUI environment itself | GCC High or Workspace |
| FedRAMP Moderate or equivalent, needed only if CUI goes into the tool | Certified 20x (Moderate) |
Checked on secureframe.com, 2026-10-22
Check with the vendor before you buy.
Want people rather than a platform, or alongside one? The CMMC consultants and RPOs page covers who can help write the SSP a tool cannot.
How we read the vendors
Questions buyers ask
Is Vanta or Drata better for CMMC?
On the rows the rule cares about, Vanta does more of the work: it keeps an SPRS score, generates the SSP and has a Government Cloud edition listed at Moderate. Drata organises the evidence against the 110 Rev 2 requirements well, but leaves the score and the SSP to you. If you already pay for one of them for SOC 2, check it against this page before you add a second platform. Already ISO 27001 certified? CMMC vs ISO 27001 shows which requirements NIST's own map carries over and which you build.
Is Vanta FedRAMP authorized?
Two Vanta offerings are in the FedRAMP Marketplace as FedRAMP Certified under the 20x pilot: Vanta Government Cloud at Class C (Moderate) and the standard Vanta Trust Management Platform at Class B (Low). Which one your account runs in decides the answer, so ask for it in the contract.
Does Drata support CMMC Level 3?
Not on the pages we read. Drata's CMMC framework offers a Level 1 or Level 2 baseline. Vanta's CMMC page names Levels 1, 2 and 3 with mappings to NIST SP 800-172. Few small shops will see Level 3, which DIBCAC assesses; the status box at the top of this page says where it stands today.
Should the tool be on NIST SP 800-171 Rev 2 or Rev 3?
Rev 2. 32 CFR Part 170 incorporates Rev 2 and the DFARS 252.204-7012 text in use today names Revision 2. Both Vanta and Drata state Rev 2 support; Drata also carries Rev 3 material, so pick the Rev 2 framework when you set it up. The 110 Rev 2 requirements by family are on one page.
We only need CMMC Level 1. Is any of this worth it?
Probably not on its own. Level 1 is 15 requirements, scored met or not met, with no POA&M allowed. Our Level 1 checklist covers it. A platform starts paying when Level 2 is in sight or a commercial customer already wants SOC 2.