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Cybersecurity · head to head

Drata vs Harness

Drata logo

Drata

Cybersecurity

Agentic trust management with compliance automation.

From
On request
Free plan
No
Harness logo

Harness

Developer Tools

Software delivery platform across CI, CD, security testing and cost management

From
Free
Free plan
Yes

The short version

  • Only Harness 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; Harness essentials and Enterprise pricing requires sales contact; no published rates
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Drata and Harness actually diverge.

Attributes where Drata and Harness differ
AttributeDrataHarness
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, APIWeb
CategoryCybersecurityDeveloper Tools

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Harness
  • Organisations managing multi-framework compliance simultaneouslynot Harness
  • Vendor management programmes requiring third-party security assessmentsnot Harness
  • Enterprises implementing AI governance and monitoring AI systemsnot Harness
  • Organisations seeking continuous compliance monitoring rather than point-in-time auditsnot Harness

Harness

  • Deploying apps to AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud with rollbacksnot Drata
  • Integrating security scanners throughout build pipelines before productionnot Drata
  • Automating cloud cost reduction and tracking unit-level expensesnot Drata
  • Enabling developers to provision infrastructure without operations bottlenecksnot Drata
  • Assessing deployment frequency and lead time productivity metricsnot 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

Harness

  • Essentials and Enterprise pricing requires sales contact; no published rates
  • DevOps Essentials has no on-premises deployment option
  • Internal Developer Portal requires minimum 20 developer licenses
  • Pipeline execution history retention 6 months (Essentials) vs 25 months as add-on (Enterprise)

Pricing, plan by plan

Drata

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

Harness

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Starter platform for software delivery lifecycle
    • Open source options available (Harness Open Source, Litmus Chaos)
  • Essentials$null/month
    • Growing organizations with small to mid-size teams
    • Packaged DevOps Essentials bundle
    • Continuous software delivery capabilities
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • Large-scale organizations
    • Pick any modules based on needs
    • Advanced features

Which should you pick?

Choose Drata if

  • You work on Web, API.

Choose Harness if

  • You want to start without paying.

Questions people ask

Is Drata or Harness better?
Neither clearly leads. Drata starts at On request and Harness at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Drata or Harness?
Harness has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Drata and Free for Harness.
Does Drata or Harness run on more platforms?
Drata runs on Web, API. Harness runs on Web.
Can I use Harness for free?
Yes. Harness 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 Harness 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.

Source
Harness: Is there a free Harness plan?

Yes, Harness offers a free plan for individual developers and small teams with open source options including Harness Open Source and Litmus Chaos.

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
Harness: What are Harness's paid pricing tiers?

Harness offers Essentials for growing teams and Enterprise for large-scale organizations. Both require contacting sales for custom pricing. Pricing is based on modules and features selected.

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
Harness: Can Harness be deployed on-premises?

Enterprise plans include self-managed platform deployment option. DevOps Essentials bundle does not offer on-premises deployment.

Source
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