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Essential Considerations for Choosing Vendor Risk Management Software
When selecting vendor risk management software, you must look at some critical features to ensure the tool you choose can effectively identify, assess, and mitigate potential risks associated with third-party vendors. This ensures you partner with reliable and trustworthy suppliers while maintaining operational integrity. Here are some essential considerations when choosing vendor risk management software.
1. Logging risk data and tracking changes
The VRM tool must keep a comprehensive record of potential risks associated with vendors and monitor how those risks evolve over time. It must document all risks and show their likelihood, tolerance, impact, and response ratings. Based on the data provided, your organization can make informed decisions about mitigation strategies and ensure continuous improvement in vendor risk management practices.
2. Security
The vendor risk management tool you choose directly impacts your organization's ability to identify and mitigate potential risks from third-party vendors. It should have robust safeguards in place to protect data and ensure compliance by verifying the security practices of your vendors. Confirm if the software has security compliance certifications like ISO 27001 or SOC 2 to safeguard your business.
3. User-friendliness
The platform’s user-friendliness directly impacts user adoption. Staff in different departments should be able to assess and manage vendor risks without technical expertise or significant training. This makes the risk management process across the organization more efficient.
4. Integration with your compliance management software
This prevents duplication of efforts and streamlines the compliance process because risks are linked to mitigating controls on a single platform. It also simplifies data aggregation and reporting during compliance audits, boosting efficiency and accuracy in managing vendor risks across the organization.
The 6 Best Vendor Risk Management Software
|
Name |
Best for |
Standout feature |
Pricing |
|
Managing third-party risk and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards |
Real-time monitoring of regulatory updates and automated alerts for upcoming deadlines or changes in legislation |
Customized pricing based on organizational needs |
|
|
Bitsight |
Automating and streamlining the entire vendor risk management lifecycle, from onboarding to offboarding |
Automated and customizable workflows that streamline the entire vendor risk management lifecycle |
Custom |
|
SecurityScorecard |
Continuously assessing the cybersecurity risk of third-party vendors and their extended networks |
Real-time monitoring and scoring of third-party cybersecurity risk, providing instant visibility into potential vulnerabilities |
Custom |
|
Panorays |
Automating the assessment, monitoring, and mitigation of third-party security risks |
Risk DNA Assessments, which provide dynamic risk ratings based on real-time data, including compliance records |
Custom |
|
UpGuard Vendor Risk |
Providing real-time monitoring and assessment of third-party vendor security risks for a compliant vendor ecosystem. |
Provides real-time insights into the security posture of third-party vendors to help organizations proactively manage risks. |
Starts at $1,599 per month for the basic plan |
|
Sprinto |
Automated assessment, monitoring, and mitigating third-party risks to reduce vulnerabilities across your vendor ecosystem |
It seamlessly connects with your cloud systems to automatically identify and catalog vendors, assess risks, and provide real-time monitoring |
Custom |
Top 6 Vendor Risk Management Software (2025)
1. ComplyScore® by Atlas Systems
ComplyScore® is designed to help organizations manage the risks associated with third-party vendors and partners. It uses AI to automate and streamline the identification, assessment, and mitigation of these risks. The third-party risk management (TPRM) platform offers real-time monitoring, customizable compliance frameworks, and automated alerts to streamline vendor management. E-signature technology ensures efficient contract management, and advanced security assessment reports support audits and client requirements.
Key features
- Real-time monitoring: ComplyScore® tracks regulatory updates and provides automated alerts for changes in legislation or upcoming deadlines, ensuring organizations stay compliant with the latest requirements
- Automated risk assessments: The software creates a comprehensive risk profile for each vendor and conducts risk assessments for various categories to identify potential vulnerabilities and risk areas
- Customizable compliance frameworks: Users can tweak compliance frameworks to fit their operational needs
- Onsite audit support: The VRM tool simplifies auditing with data tools and reporting features
- Robust reporting: Reporting and analytics features provide insights into vendor risks, ensuring organizations prioritize mitigation efforts
Pros
- Global reach: ComplyScore® is used across 65+ countries and is adaptable to different regulatory environments
- Automated processes: Key compliance tasks and reporting are automated, which reduces the administrative burden
- Scalable: The platform is ideal for all organizations, so you can start small and scale
- Responsive support: Users say the customer support team is highly responsive to evolving needs
- Comprehensive reporting: The VRM software provides a comprehensive view of vendor risks, enabling organizations to address potential issues proactively
Cons
- Learning curve: While the platform is user-friendly, new users need time to fully use all features
2. Bitsight
This supplier risk management software helps organizations assess and mitigate third-party risks effectively. It provides data-driven insights to enable companies to make informed decisions about their vendor relationships. Its key strengths include real-time monitoring, smooth integrations, and AI-powered risk assessments.
Key features
- Security ratings: These provide a quantifiable measure of a vendor's cybersecurity posture, helping organizations identify potential risks quickly
- Advanced integrations: Bitsight seamlessly integrates with existing systems through open APIs for enhanced data flow across applications
- Threat intelligence: Detailed threat intelligence helps companies prioritize and address cyber threats before they strike
Pros
- Efficient patch management: Provides insights to help organizations quickly remediate vulnerabilities by applying security patches and managing patch deployment to minimize cyber risk
- Continuous monitoring: This allows for proactive risk management and reduces the time spent identifying and addressing vendor vulnerabilities
- Effective evidence collection: The software gathers relevant data, making the assessment process seamless and aiding in decision-making
Cons
- Focuses on external security: Bitsight’s core focus is external security issues, and it may not always capture all internal vulnerabilities
- Data enrichment issues: Some users report challenges with data enrichment
- High cost: The pricing model isn’t ideal for businesses looking for budget-friendly VRM software
3. SecurityScorecard
Organizations use this vendor risk management software to continuously monitor third-party risk, identify vulnerabilities, and work with vendors to rectify critical issues. The tool assesses businesses from an outside-in perspective to rate and understand their security risk. It provides data-driven insights into vendor security posture, helping companies make informed decisions about vendor selection.
Key features
- Real-time monitoring: Continuously tracks and updates the security posture of third parties and alerts companies when new issues are found
- Evidence locker: Acts as a central repository for managing compliance evidence, making it easy to vet potential vendors' compliance
- Threat intelligence: Detailed threat intelligence helps organizations prioritize and address vulnerabilities across various attack surfaces
Pros
- Customizable dashboards: These give companies at-a-glance visibility into their security posture for quick risk mitigation
- Actionable insights: Organizations can use actionable insights to prioritize risk mitigation efforts and improve vendor security
- Efficient patch management: Quickly identifies and applies security patches to software vulnerabilities to minimize exposure to potential cyber threats
Cons
- Limited customization: Some users have reported limited customization options for reporting and workflows
- Complex setup: Initial setup and implementation can be hard and may require some resources
- Cost: Can be expensive for smaller companies or those with limited budgets
4. Panorays
This supplier risk management software automates the assessment and management of cybersecurity risks posed by vendors. It offers a tailored approach to risk assessment, adapting to the potential impact of each vendor. Panorays provides a comprehensive and dynamic view of vendor risk by combining external attack surface analysis with automated security questionnaires.
Key features
- Risk DNA: This feature assigns each third party a real-time rating, helping companies adjust security measures continuously
- Automated questionnaires: These speed up the assessment process, thanks to AI-powered validation of questionnaire responses
- Supply chain visibility: Monitors the cybersecurity posture of all third-party vendors and immediately sends alerts on vulnerabilities and breaches
Pros
- Actionable insights: Out-of-the-box reporting features simplify complex data for better decision-making
- Collaboration tools: These facilitate vendor collaboration, making it easy to manage security issues and track remediation progress
- Automation streamlines vendor risk management: Automated questionnaires, external attack surface evaluations, and business context reduce the administrative burden
Cons
- Limited integrations: Panorays offers limited integrations with other systems, a deal-breaker for some companies
- Over-reliance on external data: The quality of the data collected from external scans and questionnaires dictates the accuracy of risk assessments
- Cost: Some users have complained that it’s expensive
5. UpGuard Vendor Risk
This popular third-party risk management platform addresses the entire VRM lifecycle. It provides a comprehensive view of vendor risk by combining questionnaire-based assessments, security ratings, and attack surface analysis. Organizations use it to efficiently assess and manage risks associated with third-party vendors with minimal manual effort.
Key features
- Attack surface monitoring: Monitors third-party attack surfaces to identify potential vulnerabilities across vendor relationships
- Regulatory compliance tracking: Helps organizations monitor and assess how well their vendors align with various industry regulations, like HIPAA and NIST 800-53
- Advanced integrations: The cybersecurity platform easily integrates with other security tools and systems to give users a comprehensive view of their cybersecurity risks
Pros
- Comprehensive visibility: Security ratings, questionnaires, and attack surface analysis provide a holistic view of vendor risk
- Risk scoring accuracy: UpGuard Vendor Risk uses risk scoring to accurately assess the cybersecurity risk of a third party to show their security posture
- Collaboration tools: Organizations can easily collaborate with their vendors on the platform to manage security issues
Cons
- Reliance on public data: Since security ratings are based on public data, they may not always give an accurate picture of a vendor's security posture
- Integration can be complex: Integrating UpGuard with existing business systems and workflows can be difficult
- Heavy focus on cybersecurity: The software’s primary focus is cyber risk, and it prioritizes this over other types of vendor risk, like financial or operational risks
6. Sprinto
Sprinto streamlines vendor risk management by providing a single platform to assess vendor risk and ensure compliance. The cloud-based vendor risk management tool offers automated vendor discovery, continuous risk monitoring, AI-powered risk assessments, and compliance mapping to help businesses manage vendors without compromising security.
Key features
- SSO-based vendor discovery: Automatically identifies and logs every third-party connection, including infrastructure providers, ticketing tools, and workspace clouds
- Compliance mapping: Automatically maps a vendor's existing controls and practices against specific compliance frameworks by assessing their alignment with the required compliance standards
- Continuous monitoring: Sprinto provides real-time feedback on the compliance posture and security of systems and processes, and breach notifications are sent within 48 hours
Pros
- Improved visibility: Organizations have better visibility into vendor security and compliance posture
- Time-saving automation: Tasks such as vendor discovery and risk assessments are automated, saving time and resources
- Comprehensive risk insights: Automated analysis and monitoring tools allow businesses to identify and mitigate potential vendor risks proactively
Cons
- Not a dedicated VRM software: Sprinto isn’t designed specifically for VRM and lacks some crucial features found in other tools, such as security ratings and attack surface analysis
- Higher cost: It can be a costly solution, especially for smaller organizations
- Frequent UI Changes: The user interface is updated frequently, confusing users
Stay Compliant and Take Control of Vendor Risk Management with Atlas Systems
Managing your vendors through non-automated methods isn’t sustainable or scalable. It also consumes too much time. Vendor risk management software improves visibility and reporting, helping your organization manage vendor risk successfully.
ComplyScore by Atlas Systems automates all aspects of vendor relationships, from procurement to purchasing. We’ve helped our clients save millions of dollars through better spend management, process automation, and reduced financial risks. Contact us today to discover how we can help grow your business.
FAQs about vendor risk management software
1. Is vendor risk management software suitable for small businesses?
Yes, it can help them efficiently assess and manage risks associated with their vendors, even with a smaller budget.
2. How long does it take to implement vendor risk management software?
It can take weeks to a few months to fully implement the software. The implementation time depends on several factors, such as the VRM software being implemented and your organization's needs.


