The comparison
How Scarlet Risk compares.
A risk layer, not an audit project.
We are not a certification platform and we are not trying to win a SOC 2 tooling argument. Scarlet Risk is the self-serve risk layer for operators with no compliance team — and for the MSPs already sitting in that stack.
Two different jobs, often confused.
Certification platforms
Built around an audit.
Designed to carry a company through a specific certification: deep stack integrations, an implementation period, auditor coordination, and an annual contract. If a certificate is the deliverable you are funding, that is the right shape of tool.
Goal: pass the audit.
Scarlet Risk
Built around your risk.
Three suites, one platform — Scarlet Comply, Scarlet Intel, and Scarlet Governance. Policies, a living risk register, posture, vendor risk, and monitoring, from $25/mo, with no sales call. You get an initial risk view in less than 20 minutes and keep it current from there. Already using Vanta or Drata? Scarlet complements your current setup — no rip-and-replace.
Goal: understand and manage risk continuously.
Certification is one outcome. Understanding your risk is the job.
The buying model
How you buy it matters as much as what it does.
Category-level differences only. We do not publish competitor prices we have not sourced.
| Scarlet Risk | Certification platforms | Enterprise risk-intel platforms | Consultants / vCISO | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $25/mo | Annual contract | Annual contract | Hourly / retainer |
| Billing | Month-to-month | Annual | Annual | Project or retainer |
| Self-serve signup | ||||
| Sales call required | Never | Usually | Usually | Always |
| Time to initial risk view | Less than 20 minutes | Weeks | Weeks | Weeks |
| Built for | Operators with no compliance team, and their MSPs | Companies driving a specific certification | Large enterprises and governments | Whoever can fund the engagement |
| Cancel anytime |
Scope
Comply, Intel, and Governance. One platform.
Deeper AI governance engagements are scoped separately — see AI Governance.
| Scarlet Risk | Certification platforms | Enterprise risk-intel platforms | |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI-generated policies | Yes | Partial | No |
| Living risk register | |||
| Cyber posture checklist | |||
| Vendor / third-party risk | Yes | Partial | Partial |
| World and threat monitoring | |||
| Evidence library | |||
| Works without pursuing a certification | |||
| Priced for a business under 200 people |
Cost of the alternatives
One public number, for scale.
Compliance-automation platforms rarely publish pricing. One that does is Strike Graph, at a public $10,000/year. Scarlet Pro is $99/mo ($1,188/yr) — a different job at a different scale. We do not guess at any vendor's private pricing, and we are not asking you to replace the certification tooling you already run.
Where we fit
The layer under the certificate.
Certification platforms serve companies already funding an audit. Enterprise risk-intelligence platforms serve organizations with an analyst team. Neither was built for the operator running the business with no compliance team, or for the MSP carrying that work for a book of clients. That is who we build for.
No demo required. Month-to-month. Initial risk view in less than 20 minutes.
Why Scarlet Risk
Built for how small businesses actually buy — not how enterprises do.
The left column is the traditional route most small teams get quoted. The right column is how Scarlet Risk works today.
| Metric | The traditional route | Scarlet Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Onboarding time | 8–12 weeks | less than 20 minutes |
| First-year cost | $40,000+ | From $25/mo |
| Demo required | Mandatory, 45 min | Optional, AI-led |
| Policy creation | Consultants & templates | Autonomous AI |
| Contract | Annual, legal review | Month-to-month |
| Policy maintenance | Manual, quarterly | Continuous, autonomous |
Traditional-route figures reflect typical published enterprise GRC pricing and consultant-led implementation timelines for small businesses. Your own quotes may differ.