Engage Compliance vs Vanta

A DPO service and a compliance platform solve different problems. Here's when you need each.

Vanta is a compliance automation platform for SOC 2, ISO 27001, and other security certifications. Engage Compliance provides hands-on outsourced DPO and privacy compliance services. They solve different problems, and many companies use both.

Key takeaways

  • Vanta automates security certifications (SOC 2, ISO 27001). Engage handles privacy compliance (GDPR, DPO, DPIAs, breach management).

  • Where GDPR requires a DPO, it must be a named individual, not a software tool. Vanta does not replace a DPO.

  • Most Series A+ companies benefit from both: Vanta for security, Engage for privacy.

What Vanta does well

  • Automated evidence collection for SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI DSS

  • Continuous monitoring of security controls

  • Streamlined audit preparation with timeline compression

  • Integrations with cloud infrastructure, HR tools, and developer platforms

  • Self-service compliance management for fast-moving startups

What Vanta does not do

  • Act as your named DPO with contact details communicated to a supervisory authority

  • Handle GDPR-specific compliance (data subject requests, DPIAs, breach notification to regulators)

  • Fill out enterprise vendor privacy questionnaires

  • Provide regulatory privacy guidance

  • Engage with supervisory authorities on your behalf

  • Handle complex cross-border data transfer assessments

When you need Vanta, Engage, or both

Vanta only: You need SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certification but don't have significant GDPR or privacy obligations.

Engage only: You need a DPO, GDPR compliance, privacy documentation, and enterprise deal support but don't need security certifications yet.

Both (common for Series A+ companies): Vanta handles your security certifications. Engage handles your privacy compliance, DPO appointment, and customer-facing privacy work. Many of our clients use this combination.

FAQ

Does Vanta replace a DPO? No. Vanta automates security compliance workflows. A DPO provides privacy oversight, regulatory engagement, and accountability under GDPR. These are legally different responsibilities. GDPR requires a named human DPO where applicable, not a software tool.

Can Engage help with SOC 2 or ISO 27001? We can advise on the privacy components of these certifications, but for the full certification process, a dedicated platform like Vanta is more efficient. We work alongside them.

How do the costs compare? Vanta's pricing is quote-based and varies by company size and frameworks. Engage starts from €500/month (€6,000/year) for Advisory and €2,000/month (€24,000/year) for a full DPO. They're different budget lines solving different problems.

Can I start with Vanta and add Engage later? Yes. Many companies start with Vanta for SOC 2 (often driven by a specific customer requirement) and add Engage later when GDPR or DPO needs arise.

Do you integrate with Vanta? We work with whatever tools you use. If you're on Vanta, we leverage your existing compliance documentation and build privacy governance on top of it.

This page is general information, not legal advice. We are not affiliated with Vanta.

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