Is PCI DSS included in Drata, or is it an add-on?

PCI DSS is a paid framework add-on on top of a base subscription. Drata supports SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR, PCI DSS, and a wide framework catalogue, with each framework added as a separate line item. Drata's per-framework add-on pricing (reported $1,500 to $3,000 per year) is the most transparent and among the lowest in the automation-platform market, which is why Drata is frequently the value pick when PCI is the second or third framework on the roadmap.

Does Drata replace the QSA and ASV for PCI?

No. Drata automates the evidence collection, control monitoring, and SAQ workflow for PCI DSS, but it is not a Qualified Security Assessor and it is not an Approved Scanning Vendor. A Level 1 merchant still engages a QSA for the Report on Compliance, and any merchant with internet-facing systems still contracts a separate ASV for the quarterly external scan. Drata reduces the manual hours those engagements consume; budget the QSA, ASV, and pen test as separate line items on top of the Drata subscription.

Is Drata cheaper than Vanta for PCI?

On per-framework add-on cost, yes: Drata is reported at $1,500 to $3,000 per added framework versus Vanta's $5,000-plus, so adding PCI to an existing subscription is cheaper on Drata. On median total contract, Drata's $24,869 sits above Vanta's $20,000, because Drata's observed deals skew toward multi-framework buyers. For a buyer adding PCI as an incremental framework, Drata is usually the cheaper marginal choice; for a single-framework buyer, the totals are closer and the decision turns on integrations and onboarding rather than price.

Is Drata worth it for PCI compliance?

Drata pays back for multi-framework teams (its transparent per-framework add-ons make stacking PCI on SOC 2 or ISO 27001 inexpensive) and for buyers whose PCI scope is SAQ D with continuous-monitoring obligations. For a Level 4 merchant whose entire obligation is a short SAQ A plus a quarterly ASV scan, the base subscription is hard to justify against a $300 to $1,000 bundled SAQ-plus-ASV product. As with all automation platforms, the economics improve with scope and with the number of frameworks sharing one evidence base.

Does Drata cover PCI DSS v4.0.1?

Yes. Drata maps its controls and evidence automation to the current PCI DSS v4.0.1 requirement set, including the v4.0 additions that became mandatory in March 2025 such as the Requirement 6.4.3 payment-page script management obligation for e-commerce merchants. The platform monitors control drift against the live standard between assessment cycles. It still does not perform the script-monitoring function itself for Requirement 6.4.3 (that needs a dedicated tool), and the QSA still validates the evidence.

Automation platform pricing

Drata PCI compliance cost 2026: per-framework add-on pricing read

Drata sells PCI DSS as a paid framework add-on, and its per-framework pricing is among the most transparent in the market. It automates the evidence and monitoring work around PCI but does not replace the QSA, the ASV, or the pen test.

Pricing verified June 2026

Median annual cost

~$24,900/yr

Vendr median across 223 purchases

Observed range

$9.5k - $60k/yr

Low to high observed deals

PCI add-on

~$1.5k - $3k/yr per framework

What Drata actually does for PCI

Drata is a compliance-automation platform, not a QSA and not an ASV. For PCI DSS it connects to your cloud infrastructure, identity provider, version control, ticketing, and HR systems, then continuously collects the evidence that maps to PCI controls (access reviews, MFA enforcement, encryption state, change management, vendor inventory). It alerts on control drift, runs the SAQ workflow, and assembles an auditor-ready evidence room for the QSA or for self-attestation. The value is the removal of the manual evidence grind, not the removal of the assessment.

What it does not do: it does not run the quarterly external ASV scan, it does not produce the Report on Compliance for a Level 1 merchant, and it does not perform the payment-page script monitoring that PCI DSS v4.0 Requirement 6.4.3 requires of e-commerce merchants. Drata feeds clean evidence into those engagements; it does not replace them.

The pricing model in plain English

Drata prices through sales and does not publish a rate card, but its structure is well documented: a base platform subscription banded by company size, plus a per-framework add-on for each standard. The per-framework add-on is reported at $1,500 to $3,000 per year, which is the most transparent and among the lowest in the automation-platform market. Aggregated buyer data (Vendr, verified June 2026, 223 observed purchases) puts the median annual contract at roughly $24,869, with observed deals from about $9,532 to $60,000.

The median sits above Vanta's $20,000 not because Drata is more expensive per framework (it is cheaper there) but because Drata's observed buyer base skews toward multi-framework deals. For a buyer adding PCI DSS as an incremental framework on top of an existing SOC 2 subscription, Drata is usually the lower marginal cost.

Anchored to Vendr aggregated buyer data (median $24,869, 223 purchases) and public 2026 per-framework add-on reporting. Drata does not publish PCI pricing; these are planning anchors, not a quote.

Three concrete cost scenarios

Scenario	Drata annual	Configuration
Startup adding PCI to existing SOC 2	$11k - $18k/yr	Base subscription in place, PCI added at the $1.5k-$3k per-framework rate, shared evidence
Mid-market, PCI plus SOC 2 plus ISO 27001	$30k - $50k/yr	Three frameworks, 50 to 200 staff, the deal profile that lifts Drata's median
Level 4 e-commerce merchant, PCI only	$9.5k - $15k/yr	Hard to justify against a $300-$1,000 bundled SAQ-plus-ASV product unless SAQ D scope

Plus the QSA, ASV, and pen test, which Drata does not provide and which are quoted separately. See the PCI cost calculator for the full bill.

When Drata wins and when it does not

Drata wins for multi-framework teams who benefit from its transparent and low per-framework add-ons, for buyers who want predictable budgeting (the published add-on structure makes forecasting easier than opaque competitors), and for companies whose PCI scope is continuous-monitoring heavy. For these buyers the manual evidence work Drata removes is worth multiples of the subscription.

Drata does not win for a PCI-only Level 4 merchant on hosted checkout (a bundled SAQ-plus-ASV product is an order of magnitude cheaper), or for anyone expecting the platform to perform the assessment itself. Drata makes you assessable faster and cheaper; it does not make the QSA or the ASV optional.

Drata supports PCI DSS as a framework add-on

Drata lists PCI DSS among its supported frameworks but does not publish pricing. Request a quote keyed to your framework count, and budget the QSA, ASV, and pen test separately.

See Drata's framework list →

Frequently asked

Drata does not publish PCI pricing, but aggregated buyer data puts the median annual contract at roughly $24,869 per year, with observed deals ranging from about $9,532 at the low end to $60,000 at the high end (Vendr, 223 observed purchases, verified June 2026). PCI DSS is sold as a paid framework add-on; Drata's reported per-framework add-on cost is roughly $1,500 to $3,000 per year, lower and more transparent than Vanta's reported $5,000-plus. The platform fee is separate from the QSA, the ASV scanning vendor, and any pen test, none of which Drata provides.

Vanta PCI cost

Median ~$20k/yr, larger integration library.

Secureframe PCI cost

Median ~$20k/yr, three named tiers.

Sprinto PCI cost

Median ~$15k/yr, the lower-cost option.

Reduce PCI costs

Where automation fits among seven cost levers.

SAQ D cost

The scope where automation actually pays back.

QSA assessment cost

The engagement Drata does not replace.