Software · head to head
Drata vs Descope
Drata
Software
Agentic trust management with compliance automation.
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Descope has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Drata no published pricing for any tier; requires contacting sales team for quotes; Descope free tier capped at 7,500 MAU; Pro tier at 10,000 MAU, Growth tier at 25,000 MAU, forcing migration to Enterprise for larger organisations
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Drata and Descope actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Drata
- SaaS companies automating SOC 2 certification for enterprise salesnot Descope
- Organisations managing multi-framework compliance simultaneouslynot Descope
- Vendor management programmes requiring third-party security assessmentsnot Descope
- Enterprises implementing AI governance and monitoring AI systemsnot Descope
- Organisations seeking continuous compliance monitoring rather than point-in-time auditsnot Descope
Descope
- Organisations seeking rapid identity implementation without custom developmentnot Drata
- Companies supporting multiple user types (consumers, partners, AI agents) in single platformnot Drata
- Multi-tenant B2B2C SaaS applications requiring per-organisation identity policiesnot Drata
- Teams building passwordless-first authentication experiencesnot Drata
- Healthcare and regulated industries requiring HIPAA-compliant identity managementnot Drata
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Descope
- Free tier capped at 7,500 MAU; Pro tier at 10,000 MAU, Growth tier at 25,000 MAU, forcing migration to Enterprise for larger organisations
- HIPAA compliance only available in Growth tier ($799/mo) and above; not included in lower-priced plans
- No-code UI builder provides pre-built flows but still requires custom frontend development for fully-branded authentication experiences
- All paid tiers billed annually; no monthly billing option for commitment-free flexibility
- Bot protection features available only in Growth tier and above
Pricing, plan by plan
Drata
On request- Startup$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
Descope
Free- Free ForeverFree
- 7,500 monthly active users
- Basic authentication
- Community support
- Pro$249/month
- 10,000 monthly active users
- Custom domains
- CI/CD integration
- Growth$799/month
- 25,000 monthly active users
- Bot protection
- Fine-grained authorisation
- Enterprise$null/month
- Unlimited monthly active users
- Tiered discounts
- Premium support with dedicated CS engineer
Which should you pick?
Questions people ask
- Is Drata or Descope better?
- Neither clearly leads. Drata starts at On request and Descope at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Drata or Descope?
- Descope has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Drata and Free for Descope.
- Does Drata or Descope run on more platforms?
- Drata runs on Web, API. Descope runs on Web, iOS, Android, API.
- Can I use Descope for free?
- Yes. Descope has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Drata starts at On request.
- What is Drata best used for?
- Drata is most often used for saas companies automating soc 2 certification for enterprise sales, organisations managing multi-framework compliance simultaneously, vendor management programmes requiring third-party security assessments, enterprises implementing ai governance and monitoring ai systems. Of those, saas companies automating soc 2 certification for enterprise sales and organisations managing multi-framework compliance simultaneously are not what Descope is typically brought in for.
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.
SourceDescope: Can I build custom authentication flows without code?
Yes. Descope's drag-and-drop workflow interface allows you to construct and modify signup, login, MFA and SSO flows without code changes.
SourceDrata: 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.
SourceDescope: Does Descope support AI agent authentication?
Yes. Descope supports building identity journeys for AI agents and MCP servers, including scoped OAuth tokens and delegation chains.
SourceDrata: 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.
SourceDescope: Is Descope HIPAA compliant?
HIPAA compliance is available in Growth tier and above, starting at $799/month.
Source