What are EU Alternatives to Vanta or Drata?

Vanta and Drata are established compliance automation platforms, but both originate in the USA and were originally built around North American frameworks such as SOC 2. For European companies, this often creates friction: data residency, GDPR compliance, EU-specific standards, and the question of who actually carries the legal responsibility. Several European alternatives exist, and Kertos stands out among them as the option most strongly aligned with European requirements.

Why European companies look for an EU alternative

  • Data residency and hosting: US platforms often process data outside the EU, which raises GDPR questions.
  • Standard coverage: SOC 2-centric tools only partially cover EU frameworks such as NIS2, DORA, the EU AI Act, TISAX, or C5.
  • Legal depth: pure software delivers automation, but not legal responsibility or interpretation of European requirements.
  • Language and local audit practice: European auditors, languages, and authorities call for local expertise.

Kertos compared to Vanta and Drata

Criterion Vanta / Drata (USA) Kertos (EU)
Origin and orientation Built around SOC 2 and US standards, later extended to EU topics Designed for European standards from the ground up, not a retrofit
Hosting and data residency Predominantly US infrastructure Made in Germany, hosted on European AWS infrastructure, EU co-financed
Standard coverage Strong on SOC 2 and ISO 27001 ISO 27001/27701/42001, GDPR, NIS2, DORA, EU AI Act, SOC 2, TISAX, C5
Model Self-service software Agentic platform (KAIA) plus accredited experts
Legal and subject-matter responsibility Sits with the customer Experts own the topic, including external CISO and DPO mandates

Why Kertos is the strongest EU alternative

Kertos was not developed as a US tool with a European veneer, but for European requirements from the start. Three points make the difference:

  • A founding team with legal depth: the Kertos founding team includes a German lawyer. Compliance is therefore approached not only technically, but in a legally sound way.
  • Certified European experts: a team of accredited specialists works side by side with customers, owns the compliance topic, and knows local audit practice.
  • European by design: made in Germany, EU co-financed, and hosted on European infrastructure. Data residency and GDPR are not an add-on but the foundation.

Instead of pure self-service software, Kertos combines the agentic platform KAIA with human expertise. This is reflected in the track record: a 100% audit pass rate, roughly 80% less manual compliance effort, a customer satisfaction of 98%, and customers like AskUI reaching ISO 27001 certification in just 8 to 10 weeks. For European tech companies that want continuous compliance as an outcome rather than a tool, Kertos is the natural alternative to Vanta and Drata.

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