Vanta, Drata and Tidal Control honestly compared as compliance tools
You're comparing compliance software. Maybe Vanta is already at the top of your shortlist and you're wondering whether it's the right choice. Understandable. Vanta is the best-known name in the market, but name recognition isn't a quality mark and certainly no guarantee that a tool is a good fit for a Dutch or European organisation.
This article puts Vanta, Drata and Tidal Control side by side. Honestly, which means we also cover the scenarios where Tidal Control is not the best choice. We're writing this as a Dutch company, drawing on public information from the vendors themselves and on user reviews.
What is Vanta?
Vanta was founded in 2018 in San Francisco and is the best-known player in compliance automation. The platform claims more than 10,000 customers worldwide and supports SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA, NIS2 and DORA. On G2, Vanta averages 4.6 to 4.7 stars.
Vanta has the largest integration library in the segment, a broad American audit network and, since 2024, an EU data centre in Frankfurt on AWS. The weak points: the platform works exclusively in English, EU data storage is opt-in rather than the default, the entry price starts at around ten thousand dollars per year according to public benchmarks, excluding audit costs, and users report multi-year contracts with little flexibility. NIS2 and DORA support was added recently; the depth varies by framework.
What is Drata?
Drata was founded in 2020 in San Diego and targets the American mid-market and enterprise. In 2025, the company acquired SafeBase for approximately 250 million dollars. On G2, Drata scores around 4.7 to 4.8 stars.
Drata offers an unlimited number of users, more than 140 integrations and access to compliance advisors. The downside: there is no public documentation on EU data residency, the infrastructure runs on American servers by default, and NIS2 and DORA are not supported as fully developed frameworks at the time of writing. The pricing structure is not transparent; users report that rates increase considerably at enterprise tiers.
What is Tidal Control?
Tidal Control is a Dutch compliance automation platform, founded in Amsterdam and positioned as 'Made in EU'. That's not a marketing label: the platform itself is ISO 27001 certified by DNV, and data is stored exclusively in European data centres. Tidal offers a 14-day free trial without a credit card.
EU data storage is enabled by default. NIS2 and DORA are supported as fully developed frameworks, alongside ISO 27001, SOC 2 (Type I and II), GDPR, ISO 42001, ISO 9001 and CyberFundamentals. The platform includes pre-built controls, policy documents and risk management templates, and has more than 150 automated tests via integrations with Microsoft, AWS, Google Cloud, GitHub, GitLab and Jira. Pricing is transparent: Essential from 249 euros per month, Professional from 499 euros per month. Tidal also offers a certification guarantee.
The weak points: the integration library is smaller than Vanta's or Drata's, and the brand is younger with fewer reviews on comparison sites. If you primarily need SOC 2 for the American market, you'll find a denser audit partner network in the US with Vanta or Drata.
What really matters when choosing?
The visible price and the actual price are two different things with compliance software. Vanta starts at around ten thousand dollars per year, but audit costs come on top of that. A SOC 2 Type II audit in the US typically costs an additional ten thousand to fifty thousand dollars. Tidal Control starts at just under three thousand euros per year for Essential, with transparent pricing in euros and no hidden costs for additional users.
For organisations subject to GDPR and Schrems II, data storage is a serious consideration. Vanta's EU region is opt-in and must be actively configured during onboarding. Drata has no clear public documentation on this. Tidal stores all customer data exclusively in EU data centres, replicated across multiple availability zones. For legal teams that have the same conversation every month about American subprocessors, that's a discussion that no longer needs to come up.
For Dutch and Belgian organisations, NIS2 and DORA are now relevant frameworks. NIS2 was transposed into national law in October 2024, and DORA has applied to the financial sector since January 2025. If you know that either of these is coming your way, the depth of that framework support matters more than a few hundred extra integrations you'll never use.
Language and support play a bigger role than teams anticipate upfront. Vanta and Drata work exclusively in English: interface, policy templates and customer support. For a Dutch legal department that needs to have policies reviewed internally, or for a founder who prefers to communicate with support in Dutch, that problem comes up again every week. Tidal Control offers support in Dutch and English, with a team in Amsterdam that is familiar with Dutch certification practice, DNV, Brand Compliance and common auditors in the Benelux.
When do you choose which tool?
Dutch SaaS startup that needs ISO 27001 and NIS2: Tidal Control is the best fit here. EU data storage is on by default, Dutch support is available, the price suits a startup budget and both frameworks are fully covered. Nedscaper, a Dutch cybersecurity scale-up, achieved ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 in twelve weeks following this profile.
Scale-up targeting US enterprise customers: this becomes a trade-off. Vanta and Drata have greater name recognition among American prospects and a broader US audit network. If your sales conversations literally ask which tool you use and the answer needs to be Vanta or Drata for credibility, that's a legitimate reason. At the same time, Tidal Control also produces SOC 2 Type II reports that are accepted by American customers, often at a lower total cost.
Fintech or payment service provider with a DORA obligation: Tidal Control. Of the three, Tidal currently offers the most mature DORA support, with direct mapping to ISO 27001 for parallel implementation. For financial institutions that need to demonstrate DORA compliance as of January 2025, this is a decisive difference.
American company with a Dutch subsidiary, primary market the US: Vanta or Drata. Their US-first orientation is a better match for where the volume of customers and auditors sits. A Dutch office with an American parent company is typically organised around American compliance requirements and English-language processes.
Conclusion
For EU and Dutch organisations looking to achieve ISO 27001, NIS2 or DORA, Tidal Control is the most suitable choice of the three. The price is considerably lower, EU data storage is the default, NIS2 and DORA are fully supported and support is available in Dutch. Vanta and Drata are better options for those who primarily need SOC 2 for the American market and work in a fully English-speaking team.
None of the three tools is the best choice for everyone. But if you're a European organisation with European compliance obligations, Tidal Control is built for exactly that profile. Schedule a demo or start a free 14-day trial without a credit card to experience it for yourself. Further reading: how to choose the right ISO 27001 software and challenges for European startups.
Frequently asked questions
Is Vanta available in Dutch?
No. Vanta works exclusively in English. The platform, policy templates and customer support are not available in Dutch. For legal teams that need to have policies reviewed internally before they are published, this can result in extra translation work.
Does Vanta store my data in Europe?
Vanta has an EU region in Frankfurt on AWS, but this is opt-in and must be actively configured during onboarding. If you don't explicitly request this, your data ends up on American servers. For organisations subject to GDPR and Schrems II, this is something to nail down carefully in advance.
What does Tidal Control cost compared to Vanta?
Vanta starts at around ten thousand dollars per year according to public benchmarks, excluding audit costs. Tidal Control starts at 249 euros per month on an annual contract, which is just under three thousand euros per year for Essential. The Professional plan with two frameworks costs 499 euros per month. Tidal also offers a free 14-day trial without a credit card.
Does Drata support DORA and NIS2?
Not as fully developed frameworks at the time of writing. Drata focuses primarily on SOC 2 and ISO 27001 for the American market. For Dutch financial institutions that need to demonstrate DORA compliance or organisations subject to NIS2, Drata is not a logical first choice at this point.