Vanta is a security compliance platform built for SOC 2, ISO 27001, and HIPAA. It added a GDPR framework in March 2026. Rowpa is a GDPR documentation tool built for UK and EU SMBs. They solve different problems at very different price points.
If you are a VC-backed startup preparing for SOC 2 certification and enterprise sales, Vanta is likely the right choice. If you are a UK SMB that needs GDPR compliance documentation - a ROPA, vendor DPAs, privacy notice, DSR workflow, and a DUAA-ready complaints procedure - Rowpa does that for a fraction of the cost. This page breaks down exactly where each product fits.
| Feature | Rowpa | Vanta |
|---|---|---|
| Primary use case | UK GDPR documentation for SMBs | SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA certification |
| ROPA (Article 30) | AI-generated, always current | Added March 2026, framework-based |
| Vendor DPA register | Yes, with AI enrichment and DPA URL verification | Vendor risk management with questionnaires |
| Privacy notice generator | Generated from your ROPA, ICO-aligned | Not a primary feature |
| DSR workflow | Public intake form, AI-drafted responses, 30-day tracking | Available via GDPR framework |
| DUAA complaints procedure | Built-in, public intake, audit trail | Not available |
| Trust Center | Included on all paid plans | Included (Vanta Trust) |
| Site scanner | Scans for third-party trackers and vendors | Agent scans infrastructure and cloud config |
| Integrations | Vendor library focus (SaaS tools, ad platforms) | 300+ (AWS, GCP, Azure, GitHub, Jira, etc.) |
| Pricing | Free tier, then £49 to £299/mo | Typically $10,000 to $25,000/year for small businesses |
| Free trial | 14 days, no credit card | Demo-based sales process |
| Target company size | 1 to 50 employees | 50 to 5,000+ employees |
Vanta is the market leader in continuous security monitoring. It connects to your cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP, Azure), code repositories, HR tools, and endpoint management to continuously verify that your security controls are working. If an auditor is going to certify your SOC 2, Vanta collects the evidence automatically. The platform supports SOC 2 Type I and Type II, ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI DSS, and (since March 2026) GDPR. Its Trust Center product (Vanta Trust) is excellent for enterprise sales. The vendor risk management module sends questionnaires and tracks responses. For companies that need all of this, Vanta is very good at what it does.
A 10-person UK recruitment agency does not need continuous cloud monitoring or SOC 2 readiness. A Shopify app developer does not need ISO 27001 certification tooling. A three-partner accountancy firm does not need vendor risk questionnaires. These businesses need GDPR documentation: a ROPA that reflects their actual processing activities, a vendor register with verified DPAs, a privacy notice they can publish, a DSR process they can point candidates or customers to, and (from 19 June 2026) a complaints procedure that meets the DUAA requirements. Vanta's GDPR framework can produce some of this, but the platform's complexity and cost are designed for a different buyer.
Vanta does not publish prices on its website. Based on publicly available information from G2 reviews and industry reports, small-business contracts typically run between $10,000 and $25,000 per year, with enterprise deals reaching $50,000 to $80,000. Rowpa starts with a free tier (1 user, 5 ROPA activities, 40 vendors), then Starter at £49/mo, Growth at £149/mo, and Agency at £299/mo. For a typical UK SMB that only needs GDPR compliance, the annual cost difference is roughly £600 to £3,600 with Rowpa versus $10,000+ with Vanta.
Vanta launched a GDPR compliance framework in March 2026. It includes ROPA tracking, DPIA support, and data mapping. This is genuinely useful for companies already on Vanta who want to add GDPR to their existing compliance programme. However, it is an add-on to a security platform, not a standalone GDPR tool. It does not generate a UK-specific privacy notice from your ROPA. It does not produce a DUAA-ready complaints procedure. It does not offer AI-drafted DSR responses with ICO references. For companies that already pay for Vanta, turning on the GDPR framework makes sense. For companies that only need GDPR, it means paying for an enterprise security platform to get a compliance module.
14 days of everything. No credit card. No sales call.
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