Trust Portal vs GRC: A Decision Checklist
This guide helps you decide whether you need a full GRC platform or if a lightweight document-sharing trust portal is the right fit for your organization.
Not all trust centers are the same
Before choosing a tool, it helps to understand what category you actually need.
Compliance automation platforms
Examples: Vanta, Drata, Secureframe
These tools automate evidence collection, continuous monitoring, and audit readiness. They connect to your cloud infrastructure and track compliance in real-time. Great if you're preparing for SOC 2 or need ongoing compliance management.
Enterprise trust centers
Examples: SafeBase, Conveyor
Full-featured trust portals with integrations, vendor risk workflows, questionnaire automation, and enterprise-grade features. Designed for large organizations with complex security review processes.
Lightweight document-sharing trust portals
Example: Simple Trust Portal
Focused on one thing: sharing security documents securely. Public trust portal, access request approvals, NDA gating, PDF watermarking, and audit logs. No compliance automation, no continuous monitoring, just clean, professional document sharing.
How document sharing works
A simple workflow that gives you control without complexity.
Prospect requests access
They visit your trust portal and submit a request with their name, email, and company.
NDA accepted (optional)
If you require it, the prospect must agree to your NDA before submitting their request.
You review and approve
You get notified, review who's asking, and approve or reject with one click.
Secure share link is created
The prospect receives a time-limited link with download limits. No permanent access.
PDFs watermarked, downloads tracked
Downloaded documents include the requester's information. You see who downloaded what and when.
When you should NOT buy a big trust center
You only need to share a few documents
If your main goal is sharing your SOC 2 report and a couple of policies with prospects, you don't need enterprise infrastructure.
You need sharing controls, not compliance automation
NDA gating, watermarking, and download tracking don't require a platform that monitors your AWS infrastructure.
You're early-stage and want minimal overhead
Enterprise trust centers require implementation time and ongoing management. A lightweight portal takes minutes to set up.
Your sales cycles don't justify enterprise tooling
If you're closing a few deals a month, the ROI on enterprise trust center pricing may not make sense yet.
What you get with Simple Trust Portal
Everything you need to share security documents professionally, nothing you don't.
Public trust portal
A clean, professional page where prospects can see your available documents and request access.
Access request workflow
Review who's asking for documents and approve or reject with one click.
NDA gating
Require prospects to accept your NDA before requesting documents.
PDF watermarking
Automatically watermark downloaded PDFs with the requester's information.
Expiring share links
Time-limited access with download limits. No permanent links floating around.
Audit logs
Track requests, approvals, and downloads with timestamps.
Simple setup
Get started in minutes. Upload documents, configure settings, share your portal link.
Transparent pricing
One plan, one price. Self-serve setup with no sales calls required.
What you don't get (and why that's okay)
We're intentionally focused. Here's what Simple Trust Portal does NOT include:
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No compliance automation
We don't connect to your cloud infrastructure or collect evidence automatically.
-
No continuous monitoring
We don't scan your systems or alert you to compliance drift.
-
No vendor risk workflows
We don't manage inbound security assessments or vendor questionnaires.
-
No questionnaire automation
We don't auto-fill security questionnaires or integrate with third-party tools.
If you need these features, platforms like Vanta, Drata, or SafeBase are designed for that. We focus on document sharing only.
Compared to enterprise trust centers
This comparison focuses on trust centers (document sharing portals), not compliance automation platforms.
| Capability | Simple Trust Portal | Enterprise Trust Centers |
|---|---|---|
| Public trust portal | ||
| Document sharing with access controls | ||
| NDA gating | ||
| PDF watermarking | Varies | |
| Vendor risk workflows | ||
| Questionnaire automation | ||
| Setup time | Minutes | Days to weeks |
| Pricing | Affordable | Enterprise |
Note: Compliance automation and continuous monitoring are features of compliance automation platforms (Vanta, Drata), not trust centers.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a replacement for Vanta?
No. Vanta is a compliance automation platform that includes a trust center module. Simple Trust Portal is a standalone alternative to that module, designed to be simpler to set up and more affordable if document sharing is all you need.
What if I need compliance automation later?
Simple Trust Portal doesn't lock you in. Your documents are yours. If you outgrow document sharing and need a full GRC platform, you can migrate to enterprise tools. Many companies start with simple sharing and upgrade as they scale.
Can I migrate my documents easily?
Yes. You can download your documents anytime, and you can export your full audit logs to take with you. There's no proprietary format or lock-in. If you decide to move to another platform, your files and records go with you.
How is this different from just using Google Drive?
Google Drive is great for collaboration, but it's not designed for controlled document sharing with external parties. Simple Trust Portal gives you access approvals, NDA gating, watermarking, expiring links, and audit trails, all things Drive doesn't provide.
Ready for a simpler trust center?
If you just need to share security documents professionally, start with Simple Trust Portal. You can always upgrade later.
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