Understanding Vanta’s limitations: Insights from real user experiences

Vanta has become a popular choice for automating security compliance, particularly for startups and fast-growing companies. Its promise of streamlining audits and simplifying frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001 makes it appealing for teams navigating complex compliance requirements. But as organizations grow, their needs evolve—and so do the challenges they face with platforms like Vanta. In this blog, we explore real user feedback to uncover common pain points and limitations that teams have encountered. Whether you’re considering Vanta or already using it, these insights can help you make informed decisions as your compliance program scales.

How we gathered insights

To shed light on the real-world challenges Vanta users face, we analyzed feedback from:

• G2 and Capterra: We reviewed dozens of user ratings and testimonials across these platforms, focusing on recurring themes in the areas of product usability, support, pricing, and scalability.

• Reddit discussions: We explored threads in compliance and cybersecurity communities like r/soc2, where practitioners candidly discuss their experiences with Vanta and other GRC platforms.

• AWS Marketplace reviews: We included additional perspectives from verified buyers on AWS Marketplace, adding another layer of user feedback to our analysis.

By focusing on direct user experiences shared across these public platforms, we identified key pain points that reflect common challenges for teams using or evaluating Vanta.

Where Vanta falls short

While Vanta delivers value for many organizations, especially early-stage companies, user feedback consistently highlights areas where the platform struggles to meet evolving needs. Here’s what we found:

1. Customer support and communication issues

Some users have reported difficulties in reaching Vanta's support team, citing the absence of direct contact methods like phone numbers. One reviewer mentioned that documents were lost without satisfactory explanations, leading to concerns about renewing the service. Additionally, there were complaints about unauthorized charges and challenges in canceling subscriptions, with some users feeling trapped by contract clauses.

“They make [it] very difficult to reach them when you have a problem. At the time of this writing, no phone numbers in any email signatures, not on the [website] either. You're forced into their process, and if they choose not to answer you via their web form, good luck. It's a black box at that point.”
– Joel S., CEO 
Capterra Review

2. Pricing concerns for smaller businesses

Several reviews highlight that Vanta's pricing may be steep for small to mid-sized companies. Users have expressed that while the platform offers comprehensive features, the cost could be prohibitive for startups or smaller organizations. Some also noted that advanced features come with a learning curve, potentially requiring additional resources for proper utilization.

“Vanta can be expensive for smaller companies, especially those that need compliance but have limited budgets.”
– Julio P., Cloud Admin
G2 Review

3. Integration and customization limitations

Users have pointed out that while Vanta integrates with many tools, there are gaps, especially concerning niche platforms. The alert system has been described as overwhelming at times, with minor or false-positive notifications. Furthermore, some integrations don't allow much customization, necessitating manual revisions.

“What I disliked about Vanta was that some of the integrations felt a bit clunky and weren't as seamless as I had hoped. There were moments when they required extra effort to set up or troubleshoot, which slowed down the process.”
– Anonymous User, G2 Review

4. Concerns about audit integrity

On forums like Reddit, some users have expressed skepticism about the authenticity of audits facilitated through Vanta. They allege that Vanta and similar platforms may prioritize quantity over quality, partnering with auditors who provide favorable opinions without thorough assessments. Such practices, if true, could undermine the credibility of compliance certifications obtained via the platform.

“Most of the tools, particularly Vanta and Thoropass, are fraudulent. They ship as many customers as they can to either in-house auditors or “in network” auditors who trade clean opinions for leads.”
– r/soc2

5. User interface and performance issues

Feedback from users indicates that Vanta's user interface can be unintuitive, with bugs affecting usability. There are also reports of delays in updates reflecting task completions, leading to confusion about project statuses. Some users have found the AI component underwhelming, citing issues like hallucinated responses and verbosity.

“The AI performs terribly compared to other modern models and constantly hallucinates answers or makes up something far worse than just using previous examples to the same question. Add on [the fact that] the UI has bugs, is very unintuitive, can't manage attachments, and still can't fill out portals means it's barely worth using above just manually answering questionnaires.”
– AWS Marketplace Review

6. Rigid risk management module

While Vanta offers a comprehensive suite of compliance tools, some users have found its risk management features to be less adaptable to evolving organizational needs. Specifically, the platform's limitations in customizing risk assessments have led teams to seek alternative solutions outside of Vanta.

“Risk management can be more flexible. We started the new approach to risk assessment and can’t use internal risk management instrument so we made it in Excel.”
– Konstantin S., Head of Information Security 
Capterra Review

7. Steep learning curve

Some users have noted that while Vanta offers a wide range of valuable features, the platform requires additional training or setup guidance to utilize effectively. This can present challenges for teams, especially those new to compliance automation platforms, as they may need to allocate extra time and resources to fully leverage these functionalities.

“It can sometimes feel overwhelming due to the sheer number of options available. This complexity can lead to a steep learning curve for new users, making it challenging to fully utilize the platform's capabilities right away. Additionally, there have been instances where the integration process with other tools was not as smooth as expected, causing delays in implementation.”
– Yann A., CTO
G2 Review

8. Pricing model constraints

Vanta's pricing structure can become burdensome as businesses scale. A reviewer on G2 expressed frustration, stating, "You need to buy modules, and this thing [is] not mentioned during initial marketing and pre-sale phase." This per-framework and per-user pricing can significantly inflate costs as businesses expand their compliance programs.

9. Multi-entity support requires configuration

Vanta has recently introduced Workspaces to support organizations with multiple subsidiaries, business units, or product lines. This feature allows each entity to operate as a separate instance with its own integrations, policies, users, and frameworks, all managed under a single umbrella account. However, for larger teams or those with complex multi-entity structures, configuring and optimizing Workspaces can require additional setup time and carry a steeper learning curve.

10. Gaps in reporting and insights

Lastly, while Vanta excels in automating evidence collection and streamlining compliance processes, several users have noted limitations in its reporting functionalities. Specifically, the platform's reporting features may lack the depth and customization options that some organizations require for comprehensive compliance analysis and stakeholder communication.

“The reporting functionality, while adequate, has room for improvement in terms of depth and customization options.”
– Anonymous User, G2 Review

A better alternative: 6clicks

For organizations seeking a more flexible and scalable solution, 6clicks offers an AI-powered GRC platform designed to address the limitations users often encounter with Vanta. With integrated risk, compliance, and audit functionality, multi-entity management, and advanced AI capabilities, 6clicks stands out as a robust alternative.

Here’s how 6clicks addresses common pain points identified with Vanta:

• Full-stack cyber GRC suite – Leverage comprehensive modules for risk management, compliance, audits, vendor management, and more, including a purpose-built AI engine that can automate various processes such as control mapping and risk and issue remediation—eliminating the need for external tools like Excel or separate platforms to manage your program end-to-end.

• Enterprise-grade reporting – Easily generate reports across risks, incidents, compliance status, and more. Utilize configurable dashboards for instant insights and leverage our integration with Power BI for advanced data visualizations and deeper analytics.

• Seamless integrations – With a wide array of pre-built integrations and a developer API, connect effortlessly with your existing tech stack, including project management and collaboration tools like Jira and Microsoft Teams, as well as security systems and data sources, to ensure smooth implementation and minimize operational friction.

• Support for federated governance models – 6clicks’ unique Hub & Spoke architecture enables centralized control across multiple subsidiaries, business units, or client environments, while supporting distributed operations. Enforce global standards and maintain oversight at the Hub level, while giving individual entities or Spokes the autonomy to manage their own risk, compliance, and audit activities. Users also benefit from rapid deployment through templated configurations and ready-to-go content, simplifying multi-entity management.

• Dedicated support and onboarding – 6clicks provides full implementation assistance and ongoing support to ensure your risk and compliance programs are set up for success from day one. Our team works closely with you through configuration and training—backed by responsive global support and access to a rich library of resources, templates, and best practices.

• Trusted global partner network – 6clicks collaborates with a global ecosystem of trusted cybersecurity experts, advisory firms, and managed service providers. Gain access to independent compliance and certification assistance across key standards like ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI DSS, and more—ensuring robust, credible audit outcomes.

• Transparent and scalable pricing model – 6clicks offers simple, predictable pricing with no hidden fees or per-framework charges. Access the full suite of modules, including risk management, compliance, audits, and vendor assessments, with unlimited users and unlimited frameworks—designed to scale with your business.