Basenorm vs Drata
Which Online ISMS fits EU trust programs?
Drata is the trust management leader for US-focused startups scaling beyond SOC 2. Basenorm is the EU-native online ISMS built from the start for organisations whose compliance stack combines ISO 27001 with NIS2, DORA and AVG — managed through one Unified Control Library.
Why Basenorm
Three things that don't change, whoever we're compared with
Unified Control Framework
Define every control once in the Unified Control Library and map it automatically across ISO 27001, SOC 2, NIS2, DORA, AVG, BIO and the frameworks you will add next. No duplicate evidence, no parallel workbooks.
Map your own frameworks to any standard
Internal policies, supplier standards, vertical regulations — bring them into Basenorm alongside the ISO, SOC and EU catalogues. Your frameworks are first-class citizens, not forced into someone else's taxonomy.
AI-first and MCP-native, no legacy
AskNorman is built on current-generation LLMs connected through the Model Context Protocol (MCP). A modern AI workflow from day one, not a chatbot bolted onto a legacy GRC stack.
When to choose which
Choose Drata if
- Your compliance roadmap starts with SOC 2 and scales into ISO 27001 for a US customer base.
- You want a very large integration catalogue (170+ integrations) with strong automation-depth for cloud infrastructure.
- A US-based trust portal and buyer-recognised brand matters for your go-to-market.
- You want one of the strongest automation-maturity levels in the category.
- Your EU data residency needs can be met through Drata's EU region configuration during setup.
Choose Basenorm if
- ISO 27001 combined with NIS2, DORA, EU AI Act, AVG or BIO is your real compliance scope — not an adjacency.
- You want EU data residency by default and an EU-based vendor — without opt-in toggles.
- You want controls defined once in a Unified Control Library and mapped semantically across frameworks.
- You prefer an AI-first assistant (AskNorman) that drafts controls and interprets evidence, not only automated scanning.
- Your buyer is European and EU-native provenance strengthens your own trust story.
Feature-by-feature comparison
Supported · Partial · Not available
| Feature | Basenorm | Drata |
|---|---|---|
ISO 27001 support | ||
SOC 2 support | ||
NIS2 native coverage Drata added NIS2 as a framework mapping in 2024. | ||
DORA native coverage Drata offers DORA as a framework addition. | ||
GDPR / AVG support | ||
EU AI Act support Not listed in Drata's public framework catalogue as of April 2026. | ||
BIO (Dutch public-sector baseline) | ||
Unified Control Library (define once, map many) Drata maps controls between framework requirements; Basenorm centralises them in one semantic library. | ||
EU data residency by default Drata offers EU region configuration during setup. | ||
EU-headquartered vendor Drata is headquartered in San Diego, USA. | ||
Integrations catalogue Drata lists 170+ integrations; Basenorm's catalogue is smaller and growing. | ||
AI assistant as primary surface Drata added DrataAI in 2024; AskNorman is Basenorm's primary interaction surface. | ||
Continuous audit-readiness model | ||
Statement of Applicability management | ||
Evidence collection automation | ||
Governance Graph (linked entities) | ||
Multi-framework control mapping | ||
Custom frameworks | ||
Publicly listed pricing Drata uses a contact-sales model with no public prices. | ||
Free trial available Drata offers demos; a public self-serve trial is not documented. |
Comparison information is based on publicly available sources as of April 2026. Vendor features and pricing change frequently; please verify with each vendor before making a decision.
Automation depth vs control-first architecture
Drata is known for very deep automation of cloud evidence collection and continuous monitoring, with 170+ integrations and strong SOC 2 heritage. Basenorm takes a control-first approach: every control is defined once in the Unified Control Library and mapped semantically across frameworks, with the Governance Graph connecting controls to risks, assets, policies and evidence as linked entities.
- Drata: broad automation of evidence collection through integrations with cloud providers and SaaS.
- Basenorm: one semantic control library, reused across frameworks, less re-work when adding new regulations.
- For pure SOC 2 plus ISO 27001 automation depth, Drata's integration catalogue is larger today.
EU-native coverage: NIS2, DORA, EU AI Act, BIO
Drata covers the main international frameworks well and has added NIS2 and DORA as framework additions. Basenorm treats NIS2, DORA, EU AI Act, AVG and BIO as first-class frameworks built into the core data model, with regulatory updates integrated within 24–48 hours of publication by EU institutions.
- Basenorm: NIS2, DORA, EU AI Act and BIO natively modelled.
- Drata: NIS2 and DORA added as framework mappings.
- For Dutch public-sector (BIO) and EU AI Act programmes, Basenorm is the EU-native option on this list.
EU data residency and vendor location
Basenorm is headquartered in the Netherlands and runs on EU infrastructure by default. Drata is headquartered in San Diego, USA, and offers EU region deployment during setup. For DORA third-party oversight and NIS2 supply-chain reviews, an EU-native vendor reduces paperwork and supplier risk review effort.
- Basenorm: EU-headquartered, EU data residency by default.
- Drata: US-headquartered, EU region available on configuration.
- Under DORA and NIS2, EU-native vendors reduce supplier risk assessment effort.
Pricing transparency and model
Drata uses a contact-sales pricing model with no publicly listed prices. Basenorm publishes pricing publicly, with tiers (Foundation, Assurance, Regulatory) designed around compliance scope rather than user seat count.
- Basenorm: publicly listed pricing; tiered by compliance scope.
- Drata: contact-sales pricing; scaled by organisation size.
- The bigger cost factor is consultant time saved — compare total ownership cost.
Switching to Basenorm
Switching from Drata to Basenorm
Organisations typically move from Drata to Basenorm when their compliance scope tilts decisively towards EU regulation — NIS2, DORA, EU AI Act, AVG or BIO becoming operational obligations rather than adjacencies. The migration itself is a controlled cutover: export the control inventory, Statement of Applicability, risk register and evidence catalogue from Drata; import and map into the Unified Control Library; run a parallel readiness check before cutover. Because Basenorm stores controls, risks, assets and policies as linked entities in the Governance Graph, existing ISO 27001 evidence does not need to be re-collected — it gets re-attached. Most teams complete the functional migration inside one quarter; the bigger change is process: moving from integration-driven scanning to continuous assurance with an AI assistant as the primary interaction surface.
Frequently asked questions
Disclosure: Basenorm is the platform we build. We aim for accuracy and fairness, cite public sources where possible, and encourage you to verify every claim with the respective vendor.