SOC 2 Audit Tracking Platforms Compared

SOC 2 audit tracking platforms give your team a single place to see how close you are to being audit ready: which controls already have evidence attached, which ones are still missing it, and how complete your audit trail is before your auditor starts fieldwork. Instead of piecing progress together from spreadsheets, screenshots, and email threads, these tools pull evidence directly from your infrastructure and show a live view of what is done and what is still outstanding.

The four platforms most commonly used for SOC 2 audit tracking are Vanta, Drata, Hyperproof, and Thoropass. A smaller set of newer or more specialized tools, including TrustCloud, Centraleyes, Carbide, and Optro, also focus specifically on audit progress and evidence tracking rather than the full compliance platform feature set.

SOC 2 audit tracking platforms compared in this guide include Vanta, Drata, Hyperproof, and Thoropass, plus TrustCloud, Centraleyes, Carbide, and Optro. This guide compares how each one handles evidence sources, audit trail retention, and progress reporting so you can judge fit before your next audit.

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Quick Comparison of SOC 2 Audit Tracking Platforms

The biggest differences for audit tracking specifically come down to how much evidence history is retained, how directly your auditor can access it, and whether progress reporting is built for a security team or for a broader, non technical audience.

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Vanta

Vanta gives auditors a dedicated portal to review evidence directly, rather than requesting manual exports.

Vanta collects evidence continuously from connected systems and organizes it against SOC 2 controls as it comes in. Auditors reviewing a Vanta based audit access that evidence inside the platform's auditor portal instead of working from static screenshots, which keeps the audit trail current through the observation period.

How Vanta tracks audit progress

Vanta shows a live view of which controls are passing, which need attention, and which are missing evidence. A configuration change that creates a gap triggers an alert, so the issue can be resolved before it shows up as a finding during fieldwork.

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Drata

Drata's Audit Hub is built specifically for collaborating with auditors inside the platform rather than around it.

Evidence and control status collected through Drata's 250+ integrations flow into a real time dashboard that your team and your auditor can both view. Auditors can leave notes and requests directly inside the Audit Hub, which keeps the back and forth in one place instead of spread across email.

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Hyperproof

Hyperproof's audit tracking strength is cross framework mapping: evidence collected once can satisfy overlapping controls across SOC 2, ISO 27001, and other frameworks tracked in the same workspace. That matters most for organizations managing more than one certification at a time, since it avoids collecting the same evidence twice. Hyperproof also partners with several SOC 2 audit firms through its partner directory, including A-LIGN, Aprio, and BDO.

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Thoropass

Thoropass (formerly Laika) bundles compliance automation software with an in-house audit team, so evidence collection and the SOC 2 examination itself can happen through a single vendor relationship. Companies that prefer an independent auditor can still use Thoropass purely as a tracking platform, exporting the audit trail for a different firm to review.

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TrustCloud

TrustCloud centers audit tracking around a shared trust profile that stays visible to both internal teams and outside reviewers. Evidence and control status update the same profile continuously, which is intended to make ongoing buyer diligence and periodic SOC 2 review part of the same workflow rather than two separate efforts.

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Centraleyes

Centraleyes tracks SOC 2 controls as part of a broader cyber risk register rather than as a standalone checklist. Evidence collected for SOC 2 sits alongside risk scoring and other framework requirements, which suits security teams that already run a formal risk management program and want audit tracking folded into it.

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Carbide

Carbide is built for early stage companies that do not yet have a dedicated security hire. Its audit tracking view favors plain language over security jargon, walking a small team through what evidence is still needed in terms non specialists can act on without translation from a security lead.

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Optro

Optro leans on automation to reduce manual review during audit tracking, generating progress summaries from evidence as it comes in rather than requiring someone to compile status updates by hand. Teams evaluating Optro should confirm current integration coverage directly with the vendor, since automation heavy tools in this category vary in how many systems they connect to out of the box.

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What Is a SOC 2 Audit Tracking Platform

A SOC 2 audit tracking platform is software that shows the real time status of your SOC 2 controls and evidence throughout the audit process, rather than requiring your team to compile progress manually from spreadsheets and exported files. These tools connect to cloud infrastructure, identity providers, source control, and HR systems, then continuously collect evidence and map it to the specific controls your SOC 2 report covers. The platform tracks which controls have sufficient evidence, which ones are missing something, and how much of the observation period an auditor can already verify. Leading options in this category include Vanta, Drata, Hyperproof, and Thoropass, each offering a different balance of integration breadth, auditor collaboration tools, and cross framework support. Audit tracking is a subset of what broader SOC 2 compliance platforms do, focused specifically on the evidence and progress view your team and your auditor rely on once fieldwork begins, rather than the earlier readiness and policy work that happens before an audit starts.

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SOC 2 Audit Tracking FAQ

Do audit tracking platforms replace my SOC 2 auditor?

No. These platforms organize evidence and show progress, but only an independent CPA firm can issue your SOC 2 report.

How is audit tracking different from general SOC 2 compliance software?

General compliance platforms cover readiness work like policy creation and control design, while audit tracking focuses on the live evidence and progress view used once fieldwork is underway.

Can my auditor access evidence directly inside these platforms?

Yes, for the platforms most commonly used for SOC 2, including Vanta and Drata. Auditors typically get a dedicated portal where they can review evidence without requesting manual exports.

Does more integration coverage always mean better audit tracking?

Not necessarily. A smaller, more focused tool can track audit progress just as well if it covers the systems your company actually uses.

How long should audit trail evidence be retained?

Evidence should be retained for at least the full observation period your SOC 2 Type II report covers, typically three to twelve months, plus a buffer for fieldwork.

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Choosing an Auditor for Your Audit Tracking Platform

Whichever platform you use for tracking, you still need an independent CPA firm to perform the SOC 2 examination itself. The SOC 2 Auditors Directory lets you filter firms by platform experience, industry, and company size so you can find an auditor already familiar with your tracking tool. For a broader comparison of compliance platforms beyond audit tracking specifically, see our guide to SOC 2 compliance platforms.