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Security & Cybersecurity · head to head

Cisco Duo vs Drata

Cisco Duo logo

Cisco Duo

Security & Cybersecurity

Trusted access for all users, all devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Drata logo

Drata

Security & Cybersecurity

Agentic trust management with compliance automation.

From
On request
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Cisco Duo has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Cisco Duo free tier caps at 10 users; every paid tier requires a minimum of 10 users; Drata no published pricing for any tier; requires contacting sales team for quotes

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cisco Duo and Drata actually diverge.

Attributes where Cisco Duo and Drata differ
AttributeCisco DuoDrata
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, API

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Security & Cybersecurity).

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Cisco Duo

No use cases recorded yet. See the Cisco Duo review.

Drata

  • SaaS companies automating SOC 2 certification for enterprise salesnot Cisco Duo
  • Organisations managing multi-framework compliance simultaneouslynot Cisco Duo
  • Vendor management programmes requiring third-party security assessmentsnot Cisco Duo
  • Enterprises implementing AI governance and monitoring AI systemsnot Cisco Duo
  • Organisations seeking continuous compliance monitoring rather than point-in-time auditsnot Cisco Duo

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Cisco Duo

  • Free tier caps at 10 users; every paid tier requires a minimum of 10 users
  • Licenses cannot be bought individually above the free tier: under 100 users they are sold in increments of 10, and over 100 users in increments of 25
  • Duo Premier, the top tier with the most adaptive access controls, costs $9 per user per month on top of the per-increment purchase requirement

Drata

  • No published pricing for any tier; requires contacting sales team for quotes
  • Solution tiers (Startup, Growth, Enterprise) are marketing categories with no corresponding published prices or feature differentiation
  • No transparency on cost per framework, per user, or based on organisational size
  • AI questionnaire automation claims 375+ hours saved annually but does not publish per-questionnaire costs or limits
  • Compared directly with Vanta by customers, but pricing opaque for cost-benefit analysis

Pricing, plan by plan

Cisco Duo

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Cisco Duo review.

Drata

On request
  • Startup$null/variable
    • 'Launch Trust Fast' with automated evidence collection
    • SOC 2 and other framework support
    • Basic compliance automation
  • Growth$null/variable
    • 'Accelerate Trust Smoothly' as teams expand
    • Multi-framework compliance
    • Enhanced AI automation
  • Enterprise$null/variable
    • 'Command Trust at Scale' for complex needs
    • Advanced GRC capabilities
    • Dedicated support

Which should you pick?

Choose Cisco Duo if

  • You want to start without paying.

Choose Drata if

  • You work on Web, API.

Questions people ask

Is Cisco Duo or Drata better?
Neither clearly leads. Cisco Duo starts at Free and Drata at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cisco Duo or Drata?
Cisco Duo has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Cisco Duo and On request for Drata.
Does Cisco Duo or Drata run on more platforms?
Cisco Duo runs on Web. Drata runs on Web, API.
Can I use Cisco Duo for free?
Yes. Cisco Duo has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Drata starts at On request.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Drata: What compliance frameworks does Drata support?

Drata supports multiple frameworks including SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS and others, with multi-framework management capabilities.

Source
Drata: Does Drata automate questionnaires?

Yes. Drata's AI uses approved content to draft consistent responses, automating questionnaire completion and saving claimed 375+ hours per year.

Source
Drata: How many customers does Drata have?

Drata serves 8,500+ global customers ranging from startups to enterprises, with a 4.8/5.0 rating on G2.

Source

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