Health tech startups that also need SOC 2 usually choose Vanta, Drata or Secureframe, which automate evidence for HIPAA and SOC 2 together from about $14,000 to $15,000 a year. Sprinto is a lower-cost option, with Vendr contracts around $15,000, and strong ratings. Scytale suits teams that want compliance experts to do much of the work alongside the software. Ostendio is the most affordable way in, with published plans from $2,994 a year, and is built around healthcare frameworks including HITRUST. Strike Graph publishes pricing from $21,500 a year and suits teams adding HIPAA to a broader certification program. No software makes you HIPAA compliant on its own: you still need a documented risk analysis, policies, training, business associate agreements and a breach response plan.
Vanta serves more than 16,000 companies and supports more than 35 frameworks, including HIPAA, SOC 2, ISO 27001 and HITRUST. It connects to more than 400 cloud, identity and HR systems to monitor controls such as encryption, access reviews, MFA and employee security training, and provides HIPAA policy templates and a risk assessment workflow. AWS Marketplace lists Essentials from $14,000 a year, and Vendr reports a median contract of $20,000. Its trust center helps when hospital and payer customers send security questionnaires. G2 lists 2,664 reviews averaging 4.6.
Pricing: Vanta doesn't publish prices on its website. AWS Marketplace lists scoped starting prices for companies with 1–20 employees, and Vendr reports a median contract of $20,000/year across 374 purchases (range roughly $7,500–$57,000). Typical single-framework budgets are $12K–$25K/yr for 1–50 employees, $20K–$40K for 51–200 and $35K–$60K for 200–500. Budget separately for the audit fee and any remediation work.
Automated evidence collection replaces most manual screenshots
Clean interface and fast onboarding, frequently praised in 2026 reviews
Very broad integration and framework coverage
Expensive for very small teams, with median contracts around $20K/yr
Integration gaps for less common or complex stacks
Some controls still need manual work and setup time
Drata reports more than 7,000 customers and 580 integrations, more than most rivals, which matters for health tech companies with complex cloud and data stacks. It maps controls across HIPAA, SOC 2, ISO 27001 and more than 20 frameworks and includes risk management, vendor risk and a trust center. AWS Marketplace lists a Foundation package for up to 50 employees at $15,000 a year, and Vendr reports a median of $24,934. G2 lists 1,327 reviews averaging 4.7.
Pricing: Drata’s public plans page does not publish direct dollar pricing and routes buyers to sales. AWS Marketplace lists a 1–50 FTE Foundation package at $15,000 for 12 months; this is the lowest verifiable paid public entry. Vendr’s third-party benchmark across 236 purchases reports median spend of $24,934/year, an observed range of $9,415–$68,250 and average savings of 23%, so it is directional procurement evidence rather than a Drata rate card.
Broad framework mapping lets teams reuse shared controls across multiple programs.
Continuous evidence collection reduces recurring spreadsheet and screenshot work.
A large integration catalog and REST Open API support complex technology stacks.
Direct pricing is quote-based, and framework or module add-ons can increase total cost.
Foundation GRC is limited to 50 FTEs and one pre-mapped framework.
Some advanced API, webhook, data warehouse and access features require higher plans or Assurance options.
Secureframe supports more than 35 frameworks, including HIPAA, SOC 2, HITRUST-adjacent controls, PCI DSS and CMMC, with more than 300 integrations. AWS Marketplace lists platform access for up to 100 employees at $7,500 a year plus $7,500 for the first framework, or $15,000 together. Its compliance managers help customers through first-time HIPAA programs, which is useful for founders without a security lead. G2 lists 809 reviews averaging 4.7. Note the AWS listing terms are non-cancellable.
Pricing: Secureframe presents Fundamentals, Complete, and Defense packages without public list prices on its main pricing page. AWS Marketplace lists $7,500 per year for platform access for up to 100 employees and $7,500 per year for a first framework, or $15,000 annually together. The AWS listing says fees are non-cancellable and non-refundable and that smaller teams or multi-framework buyers may receive discounts.
The platform combines evidence, controls, policies, risks, vendors, personnel, and questionnaires in one workspace.
Its integration library supports automated evidence collection across more than 300 tools.
Framework coverage includes commercial, privacy, federal, and defense-oriented requirements.
Main pricing is not publicly listed, making budget comparison difficult without a sales process.
The broad feature set requires configuration of integrations, controls, policies, and evidence before it reflects an organization accurately.
Some capabilities, including advanced questionnaires, SSO and SCIM, and custom integrations, are package-dependent.
Sprinto serves more than 4,000 customers and supports HIPAA, HITRUST, SOC 2, ISO 27001 and many other frameworks. Vendr reports contracts from $13,167 to $16,000 a year with a $15,000 median, among the lowest in this category. It has 1,675 G2 reviews averaging 4.8, one of the highest scores among compliance automation tools. It suits cloud-native startups that want automated HIPAA evidence and a guided path without paying for an enterprise suite.
Pricing: Sprinto uses quote-based annual subscriptions rather than public list prices. Vendr reports annual contracts from $13,167 to $16,000, with a $15,000 median; this is a purchasing benchmark, not a guaranteed entry offer. Frameworks, company scope, and enterprise modules affect the quote.
Covers more than 200 digitized frameworks and broad compliance and GRC workflows.
Continuous evidence collection reduces recurring screenshot and spreadsheet work.
Vendor risk, trust center, questionnaires, and AI governance extend beyond basic audit preparation.
Pricing is quote-based, so buyers cannot compare a public entry plan.
The breadth of modules makes connector and scope validation important.
Scytale combines GRC automation with a team of compliance experts who help write policies, run the risk analysis and prepare for audits, across more than 80 frameworks including HIPAA, SOC 2 and ISO 27001. It serves more than 1,000 companies in 44 countries and has 700 G2 reviews averaging 4.8. Pricing is quoted for its Build, Scale and Enterprise packages, with optional penetration testing. A good fit if no one on the team has run a HIPAA program before.
Pricing: Scytale does not publish dollar prices for its Build, Scale or Enterprise platform packages. Startup bundles combine the Build platform with optional consulting and penetration testing, while Scale and Enterprise add customization, automation and support. Buyers must request a quote based on frameworks, integrations and services.
Cross-mapping across 80+ frameworks reduces duplicate control work.
Continuous evidence collection connects compliance to live system data.
Human experts can support implementation, audits and managed compliance.
Scytale does not publish standard dollar pricing.
The breadth of packages and services can make selection complex.
Advanced customization and on-premises connections require higher-tier arrangements.
Ostendio, founded in 2013 in McLean, Virginia, built its MyVCM platform with a strong healthcare customer base and supports HIPAA, HITRUST, SOC 2, ISO 27001 and more than 150 frameworks. It publishes prices: Select from $2,994 a year, Premium from $23,940 and Enterprise from $119,400. Select is one of the cheapest structured ways for a small business associate to manage HIPAA policies, risk assessments and evidence. Integrations are fewer than Vanta or Drata, so expect more manual evidence. G2 lists 40 reviews averaging 4.8.
Pricing: Ostendio publishes annual starting prices of $2,994 for Select, $23,940 for Premium and $119,400 for Enterprise. Final pricing depends on package scope and selected capabilities. The pricing page lists audit collaboration, control mapping, policy templates, vendor risk, dashboards and API support.
CrossWalk can reduce duplicated evidence work across overlapping frameworks.
The platform combines compliance, risk, vendor and audit workflows in one system.
A broad framework library supports organizations expanding into new markets or certifications.
Published annual prices may still make total costs difficult to compare across configurations.
The pricing page emphasizes more than 150 frameworks, so buyers should confirm the exact library included.
The breadth of modules may require configuration, implementation help and ongoing ownership.
Strike Graph, based in Seattle, publishes Certify from $21,500 a year and Scale from $35,000, with additional frameworks at $2,000 to $8,000 each. It supports HIPAA, SOC 2, ISO 27001, CMMC and nearly 30 frameworks, uses AI to map evidence across them, and offers a free Launch tier for getting started. It can also arrange assessments, which it estimates at $4,000 to $8,000 a year. G2 lists 194 reviews averaging 4.6.
Pricing: The public pricing page lists Certify from $21,500 per year and Scale from $35,000 per year; Enterprise pricing is tailored. Additional frameworks range from $2,000–$8,000, audits are priced by the selected independent auditor, and Strike Graph says approved assessment and audit services can range from $4,000–$8,000 per year. Trust Chain has a free tier for the first five vendors, with paid add-ons from $7,500 per year for up to 25 vendors.
The $21,500 annual Certify entry point is publicly disclosed rather than hidden behind a demo request.
Cross-framework mappings let teams reuse existing controls and evidence when adding programs such as HIPAA or NIST.
The integration catalog spans more than 300 systems and includes an evidence API for custom sources.
The $21,500 starting price makes the platform a substantial commitment for very small teams.
Independent audit fees are separate and set by the auditor, so total certification cost is higher than the software subscription.
Additional frameworks can add $2,000–$8,000 each, and advanced Trust Chain and AI usage can add further charges.
HIPAA has three main rules that matter to software companies:
The Privacy Rule limits how protected health information (PHI) can be used and disclosed and gives patients rights over their records.
The Security Rule requires administrative, physical and technical safeguards for electronic PHI. This is where most of a software company's work sits.
The Breach Notification Rule requires notifying affected individuals, HHS and sometimes the media after a breach of unsecured PHI. Notices to individuals are due without unreasonable delay and no later than 60 days after discovery, and breaches affecting 500 or more people must also be reported to HHS within that time.
If you build software that stores or processes PHI for providers, health plans or other health companies, you are almost certainly a business associate. You must sign business associate agreements with your customers, comply with the Security Rule, and pass similar obligations to your own subcontractors, such as your cloud provider.
The risk analysis is the center of everything
HHS's Office for Civil Rights has made inadequate risk analysis the most common finding in its enforcement. Since 2024 it has run a risk analysis enforcement initiative, and many settlements cite a failure to conduct an accurate and thorough assessment of risks to electronic PHI.
A HIPAA risk analysis should:
Identify where PHI is created, received, stored and transmitted, including backups, logs and analytics tools.
Identify threats and vulnerabilities to that data.
Assess current security measures.
Rate the likelihood and impact of each risk.
Document the results and a plan to reduce risks to a reasonable level.
Be reviewed regularly and after significant changes.
Compliance software helps by building the asset inventory from your cloud and identity systems and providing a structured risk register. It does not decide your risks for you, and an auditor or OCR investigator will expect the analysis to reflect your actual environment.
The Security Rule update is delayed
In January 2025, HHS proposed the first major rewrite of the Security Rule since 2013. It would remove the distinction between required and addressable safeguards and make encryption, multifactor authentication, network segmentation, asset inventories, annual penetration testing, vulnerability scanning and tested incident response plans explicit requirements. Business associates would have to verify their safeguards to covered entities each year.
The proposal drew nearly 5,000 comments, many critical of its cost. In July 2026, HHS moved the rule to long-term actions and set July 2027 as the expected final action date. The OCR director has said the administration may weigh costs and benefits differently, and has also reminded regulated entities that addressable does not mean optional. Encryption, she noted, would be reasonable and appropriate in almost all cases today.
The practical advice: build to the proposed controls now. Encryption, MFA and an asset inventory are expected by customers and OCR anyway, and most compliance platforms already test for them.
How we chose these seven
We reviewed the compliance automation and GRC tools in our compliance directory that support HIPAA, and focused on those suited to health tech companies and business associates. We weighted HIPAA control and policy coverage, risk analysis workflow, integrations for automated evidence, support for SOC 2 and HITRUST alongside HIPAA, published pricing and reviewer feedback. Prices are as of October 2026. See all HIPAA tools on our HIPAA framework page.
Others to know: Compliancy Group and Accountable focus on smaller healthcare providers and practices; HITRUST's own assessment platform is required for HITRUST certification; and large health systems often use enterprise GRC platforms covered in our GRC guide.
Comparison at a glance
Tool
Best for
Starting price
Also covers
Vanta
Health tech startups
From $14,000/yr (AWS Marketplace)
SOC 2, ISO 27001, HITRUST
Drata
Complex stacks
From $15,000/yr (AWS Marketplace)
SOC 2, ISO 27001, 20+ frameworks
Secureframe
First-time programs with expert help
$15,000/yr (AWS Marketplace)
SOC 2, PCI DSS, CMMC
Sprinto
Small teams on a budget
~$15,000/yr median (Vendr)
SOC 2, HITRUST, ISO 27001
Scytale
Done-with-you service
Quoted
SOC 2, ISO 27001, ISO 42001
Ostendio
Lowest entry price, healthcare focus
$2,994/yr
HITRUST, SOC 2, 150+ frameworks
Strike Graph
Multi-framework with published pricing
$21,500/yr
SOC 2, ISO 27001, CMMC
Which tool fits which company
Seed-stage health tech selling to clinics or digital health companies. Vanta, Drata or Sprinto. Start with HIPAA, add SOC 2 when customers ask, and reuse the same controls.
Startup selling to hospitals and payers. Expect SOC 2 Type II or HITRUST requests in security reviews. Vanta, Drata or Secureframe with SOC 2 plus HIPAA, then consider HITRUST once enterprise deals require it.
Small business associate with a tight budget. Ostendio Select, plus your own policies and a penetration test.
Team with no security or compliance lead. Scytale or Secureframe, where experts help build the program.
Company running several certifications at once. Strike Graph or Drata, which map one set of controls across many frameworks.
HIPAA, SOC 2 and HITRUST
Health tech buyers often ask for more than a HIPAA statement:
SOC 2 with HIPAA mapping. An auditor's report on your controls, with HIPAA Security Rule requirements mapped in. The most common evidence for startups. See our SOC 2 cost guide.
HITRUST. A certifiable framework combining HIPAA, NIST and other standards. Large hospitals and payers increasingly ask for it, and its e1, i1 and r2 assessments offer increasing levels of assurance at increasing cost.
HIPAA attestation. A third-party assessment against the Security Rule without a SOC 2 report. Cheaper, but less widely recognized.
A first-year HIPAA checklist
Map where PHI lives and flows, including vendors.
Sign BAAs with customers and with every vendor that touches PHI, including your cloud provider, email and support tools.
Complete and document a risk analysis.
Adopt policies for access, encryption, incident response, contingency planning and sanctions.
Turn on encryption at rest and in transit, MFA everywhere and centralized logging.
Train every employee on HIPAA and security, and track completion.
Run a penetration test and fix critical findings.
Test your breach response plan, including the 60-day notification clock.
Review access quarterly and the risk analysis at least yearly.
No. HHS does not certify organizations or products as HIPAA compliant. Companies show compliance through documented risk analysis, policies and safeguards, and often through a third-party assessment such as a SOC 2 report with HIPAA mapping or HITRUST certification. Be wary of vendors selling a HIPAA certificate.
Do I need HIPAA compliance software?
Not legally. Small practices and startups can comply with documents, spreadsheets and a consultant. Software helps when you have a cloud stack to monitor, customers asking for evidence, or SOC 2 or HITRUST at the same time, because it collects evidence continuously and maps one set of controls to several frameworks.
Who needs to comply with HIPAA?
Covered entities, meaning health plans, health care clearinghouses and providers that bill electronically, and their business associates, which are vendors that create, receive, maintain or transmit protected health information for them. Most health tech software companies selling to providers or payers are business associates.
What is a business associate agreement?
A BAA is a contract required by HIPAA between a covered entity and a business associate, or between a business associate and its subcontractor. It sets out how protected health information may be used and safeguarded and requires breach reporting. Cloud providers such as AWS, Google Cloud and Microsoft sign BAAs for eligible services.
What is changing in the HIPAA Security Rule?
HHS proposed a major update in January 2025 that would make encryption, multifactor authentication, asset inventories, annual penetration tests and tested incident response plans explicit requirements. In 2026 HHS moved the rule to long-term actions with final action expected in July 2027, and signalled it may finalize only parts of it. The current rule still applies.
How much does HIPAA compliance cost for a startup?
Software runs from about $3,000 a year with Ostendio Select to $14,000 to $25,000 a year with Vanta, Drata, Secureframe or Sprinto. Add a penetration test, often $5,000 to $20,000, and optional third-party assessments such as SOC 2 with HIPAA mapping. HITRUST certification costs considerably more.
Prices and ratings come from each vendor's public pricing pages and review sites as of October 22, 2026. Vendors change pricing often, so confirm with a quote. Nothing here is tax or legal advice.
