General summary
Panorays is an IT Vendor Risk Management solution focused on security ratings, vendor assessments, and automated questionnaire workflows. It combines external attack surface monitoring and vendor risk questionnaires, delivering comprehensive visibility into vendor security postures. Panorays specializes in providing clear, unified security ratings and simplifying the vendor onboarding process, though it lacks fully real-time monitoring capabilities.
UpGuard is an end-to-end third-party risk management platform with best-in-class time-to-value and scalability from initial implementations to beyond.
UpGuard delivers powerful, integrated tools for automated third-party monitoring, in-depth risk assessment and remediation, and one-click reporting.
By combining actionable insights with built-in risk management workflows, UpGuard helps organizations maintain comprehensive oversight of their supply chain security posture and equips them with the necessary tools to shut down emerging risks rapidly.
UpGuard delivers powerful, integrated tools for automated third-party monitoring, in-depth risk assessment and remediation, and one-click reporting.
By combining actionable insights with built-in risk management workflows, UpGuard helps organizations maintain comprehensive oversight of their supply chain security posture and equips them with the necessary tools to shut down emerging risks rapidly.
SecurityScorecard is a cybersecurity ratings platform that monitors external-facing vendor networks. It aggregates risk signals from various sources to produce vendor security ratings. SecurityScorecard integrates with SIEM and GRC tools and provides insights that mitigate supply chain attacks. However, risk assessment workflows are managed separately via the Atlas module, which can lead to fragmented processes that could delay vendor assessment delivery and impact program efficiency
Bitsight is a cybersecurity ratings platform that continuously monitors organizational and vendor security postures. It collects and analyzes data from multiple sources—including botnet and malware intelligence—to offer evidence-based risk insights. Bitsight also integrates with GRC and TPRM workflows, allowing teams to proactively mitigate threats across their extended supply chain. However, Bitsight’s pricing structure can complicate scalability.
Black Kite is a third-party cyber risk management platform emphasizing external risk visibility, financial impact modeling, and compliance automation. Black Kite uses non-intrusive OSINT-based scans to discover assets and vulnerabilities, presenting findings as easy-to-read letter grades. However, by excluding critical TPRM workflows, Black Kite’s potential for effective third-party risk management is significantly limited.
Key strengths
Panorays excels in automated questionnaire workflows, simplifying vendor assessments and onboarding processes. Its unified security rating system effectively quantifies external and internal vendor risks, delivering valuable insights to executive stakeholders. The platform integrates external scans, questionnaires, and certifications into auditable security attestations.
UpGuard excels by completing full vendor scans every 24 hours, which provides near real-time visibility into vendor security postures while seamlessly integrating native end-to-end AI-powered vendor assessment workflows.
UpGuard's licensing model and efficient learning curve offer best-in-class time to value and program efficiency.
UpGuard's licensing model and efficient learning curve offer best-in-class time to value and program efficiency.
SecurityScorecard covers an extensive range of cyber intelligence, drawing from open, proprietary, and dark web sources to identify vendor security risks and assess IP reputation risks. SecurityScorecard’s well-known A–F letter grade system makes it approachable for executives and large enterprises.
In addition to risk monitoring, Bitsight employs analytical forecasting to estimate future security trajectories. It integrates with platforms like ServiceNow, JIRA, and PowerBI to suit more advanced workflows. This network of partnerships, coupled with strong institutional acceptance, reinforces Bitsight’s profile with complex organizations.
Black Kite takes a diverse approach to cyber risk quantification with a methodology heavily based on the Open FAIR™ standard. This allows Black Kite to derive their varying cyber risk insights from a consistent quantification base.
Key weaknesses
Panorays underperforms in its reporting capabilities, offering limited options for customizing reports and dashboards. The platform does not natively support TPRM workflows, forcing customers to purchase additional tools to fill TPRM process gaps.
UpGuard's focus on core frameworks like ISO 27001 and NIST offers robust coverage for most security and compliance needs, though organizations requiring highly specialized or region-specific regulations may choose to augment it with dedicated GRC modules.
Its strengths in cybersecurity and continuous monitoring ensure strong TPCRM capabilities, but those seeking an all-encompassing governance solution (e.g., covering environmental or privacy regulations) might benefit from additional integrations.
Its strengths in cybersecurity and continuous monitoring ensure strong TPCRM capabilities, but those seeking an all-encompassing governance solution (e.g., covering environmental or privacy regulations) might benefit from additional integrations.
SecurityScorecard's staggered scan cycles disrupts real-time vendor security posture visibility. IP attribution issues are also cited as common scanning problems.
Additionally, vendor monitoring and risk assessments are licensed separately, which may increase purchasing complexity and limit coverage of end-to-end visibility of supply chain vendors
Bitsight's pricing structures can quickly escalate operational expenses for TPRM programs and create complicated decisions regarding the extent of risk visibility that can be deployed for vendors within a supply chain. Customers additionally cite attribution challenges for risks and assets within shared IP and cloud environments, which require support request submissions to address.
Monitoring and assessment capabilities are also separately licensed, which may increase purchasing complexity and limit end-to-end coverage to several vendors within supply chains.
Black Kite does not offer vendor questionnaires or risk assessments as part of their solution offerings. While Black Kite's quantification-forward approach may be sufficient for some, customers with requirements for vendor security reviews and assurance documents for compliance needs will likely require an additional solution for this capability.
Usability and learning curve
Panorays offers a user-friendly platform with automated workflows and straightforward vendor onboarding, making it relatively easy for teams to adopt. However, the complex structure of optional questionnaire responses and segmented refresh rates for monitoring can introduce minor learning curve challenges, particularly for teams new to Vendor Risk Management practices.
UpGuard offers best-in-class time to value for initial implementations.
UpGuard's platform architecture is designed from the ground up to deliver a quick and shallow adoption curve. UpGuard's clean and intuitive interface ensures ease of ongoing operation and rapid pick-up from new staff members as needed.
UpGuard's platform architecture is designed from the ground up to deliver a quick and shallow adoption curve. UpGuard's clean and intuitive interface ensures ease of ongoing operation and rapid pick-up from new staff members as needed.
SecurityScorecard's dashboards and clear A-F grading help non-technical stakeholders quickly grasp vendor risk exposure. However, some users report multiple drill-down steps required to reach specific risk insights, which could lengthen new user learning curves
Bitsight is generally intuitive for professionals familiar with security ratings, with an interface offering clear vendor risk summaries. However, some advanced features require more expertise and time to leverage effectively, particularly when deploying Bitsight's separate modules for monitoring and risk assessments.
Black Kite's interface is designed around letter-grade dashboards and detailed risk findings for its range of quantification options offered. However, insights for each focused rating are not clearly segmented by audience and often bleed across the entire platform. This can make the relevance of platform insights less consistent for specialized users, even within teams.
Cyber risk data accuracy
The accuracy of Panorays' cyber risk insights could be improved by including technical information about sources for all identified risks
UpGuard's real-time data refresh rate ensures up-to-date and accurate vendor security posture calculations while also allowing users to initiate scans on demand.
Threat Monitoring automatically scans the open, deep, and dark web for data leaks and exposed credentials, using AI-powered analysis to reduce false positives and prioritize findings for targeted, timely remediation.
Threat Monitoring automatically scans the open, deep, and dark web for data leaks and exposed credentials, using AI-powered analysis to reduce false positives and prioritize findings for targeted, timely remediation.
SecurityScorecard offers extensive data collection across public-facing and dark web sources, though users occasionally report inaccurate attribution or misflagged IPs requiring support.
Bitsight is widely recognized for malware and botnet reporting, though attribution to hosting providers or shared IP ranges can lead to accuracy challenges requiring correction support.
The platform gathers data from a large set of OSINT feeds and uses standards-based scoring (MITRE, NIST, Open FAIR™) to reduce false positives. However, some users note occasional duplication or outdated issues that require manual dispute or re-validation
Vendor risk management features
Panorays includes comprehensive Vendor Risk Management capabilities such as automated questionnaire workflows, security rating integration, and simplified onboarding management. The platform effectively manages the assessment lifecycle but falls short in providing continuous real-time vendor risk monitoring, potentially requiring supplementary solutions for deeper insights. Its questionnaire design includes numerous optional questions, which often results in vendors skipping responses, potentially weakening the overall risk assessment quality.
UpGuard offers a natively integrated end-to-end workflow addressing the complete Third-party Risk Management lifecycle—from onboarding to risk management and ongoing monitoring.
SecurityScorecard's VRM workflow requires a separate module named Atlas for security questionnaire and risk assessment processes. This can introduce complexity into this process.
Bitsight supports third-party monitoring and risk workflows, including vendor onboarding, but relies on a separately licensed module for vendor risk assessments and workflows.
Although Black Kite offers document analysis features, the platform can be seen as primarily geared toward detecting and quantifying cyber risks rather than offering fully integrated VRM workflows.
Attack surface management features
Panorays effectively identifies and monitors vendor external attack surfaces through periodic scanning intervals. The platform identifies exposed assets and potential vulnerabilities, supporting risk management through visibility and remediation recommendations.
UpGuard provides continuous attack surface monitoring, identifying exposed assets, misconfigurations, and vulnerabilities. It maps internet-facing infrastructure, detects risks like expired certificates and open ports, and prioritizes threats for remediation. Clear, actionable insights help organizations reduce exposure and strengthen their external security posture.
SecurityScorecard offers views into an organization's attack surface by leveraging IP scanning and attribution of identified domains and assets. The platform's approach helps users identify potential weaknesses in their digital footprint that an attacker might exploit.
Bitsight's External Attack Surface Management module is designed to discover hidden assets, provide detailed digital asset insights, and detect vulnerabilities such as unsupported product versions. .
Black Kite uses OSINT data spanning domain records, subdomains, SSL certificates, and more to deliver visibility into a vendor's external footprint.
Security ratings
Panorays offers unified security ratings, clearly quantifying vendor security postures for easy interpretation by executives and stakeholders. This system integrates external and internal risk data effectively. However, its periodic data updates might limit the timeliness of these insights compared to solutions offering real-time or daily refreshed ratings.
Uses a proprietary scoring model from 0–950, updated daily, emphasizing current, empirical data.
UpGuard's objective and transparent approach helps CISOs, security teams, and stakeholders reliably gauge a vendor’s actual security posture in near-real time.
UpGuard's objective and transparent approach helps CISOs, security teams, and stakeholders reliably gauge a vendor’s actual security posture in near-real time.
Employs an A-F rating with a 0–100 scale, penalizing breaches and factoring patching cadences, though some risk categories could have a disproportional impact on scoring. Large-scale data collection across the clear and dark web ensures broad coverage, updated roughly every 10 days for IPv4.
Offers a respected rating system correlated with breach likelihood and is used widely by insurers and financial institutions. Observed security events influence scores, but shared IP misattribution can occasionally skew results.
Uses an A–F letter-grade rating based on standardized models (e.g., MITRE CTSA). The score is supplemented by a separate financial risk metric that ties vulnerabilities to potential financial impact, a key differentiator for stakeholders concerned with breach damage costs.
Customer support
Some users have reported unsatisfactory customer support. Given Panorays' smaller customer base compared to other competitors, this is likely due to resource constraints.
Known for world-class support across all tiers and customer-friendly guidance, UpGuard delivers proactive and prompt engagement to resolve customer issues quickly. Dedicated teams assist with both technical and strategic TPRM challenges.
Generally supportive for enterprise levels, with a community of free users. However, customers at lower licensing tiers report slower responses and less personalized support.
Bitsight provides reputable support, particularly for large enterprises with dedicated account teams. Smaller organizations may experience less responsiveness and find self-service documentation limited.
Black Kite's users report mixed support experiences: some find support teams responsive with weekly check-ins, while others cite slower resolution times and inconsistent follow-up on false positives and duplicate findings.
Workflow automation
Panorays leverages automation effectively for vendor onboarding, questionnaire management, and security attestation workflows. Automated questionnaires streamline data collection and risk assessment processes. However, deeper integration and more advanced automation capabilities, particularly those involving continuous real-time monitoring, may necessitate additional configuration or supplemental solutions.
UpGuard’s AI-powered Security Profile automatically identifies risks and control gaps, then generates contextualized, point-in-time assessment reports in minutes. It also provides a pre-configured (and adjustable) set of controls for two leading security frameworks: ISO 27001:2022 and NIST CSF 2.0.
Custom notifications simplify tracking of critical events and prompting of important follow-up actions.
The platform also facilitates automatic vendor tiering, labeling, and custom attributes based on questionnaire responses for faster vendor onboarding and improved TPRM scalability.
Custom notifications simplify tracking of critical events and prompting of important follow-up actions.
The platform also facilitates automatic vendor tiering, labeling, and custom attributes based on questionnaire responses for faster vendor onboarding and improved TPRM scalability.
SecurityScorecard’s workflow automation features let users create rule-based triggers that automatically respond to security events, such as score drops, new high-severity issues, or breaches. Users can choose from a range of automated response actions, including alert activation, report sharing, and reassigning scorecards for further review
Bitsight integrates with SOAR platforms, allowing users to automate responses to newly discovered risks. However, advanced automation requirements, such as those addressing Vendor Risk Management workflows, require add-on services or third-party tools for complete automation.
Black Kite's Bridge™ module lets users automate vendor outreach and gather risk data during major security events, such as global-scale data breaches.
Artificial intelligence features
Panorays utilizes AI primarily to automate and pre-fill questionnaire responses, reducing manual effort and enhancing assessment efficiency. However, including optional questionnaire items somewhat diminishes the AI's effectiveness, as incomplete vendor responses can affect overall risk visibility and the depth of insights generated.
UpGuard’s AI-powered platform streamlines the entire vendor assessment process.
AI evidence analysis combined with automated scanning immediately uncovers control gaps and risks. Each finding is accompanied by transparent, traceable citations so security teams can quickly verify sources and take action.
AI-generated risk assessment reports, which are typically produced in under a minute, help organizations rapidly communicate risks with stakeholders. This results in faster decision-making, more accurate and consistent reporting, and significantly reduced manual workloads.
AI evidence analysis combined with automated scanning immediately uncovers control gaps and risks. Each finding is accompanied by transparent, traceable citations so security teams can quickly verify sources and take action.
AI-generated risk assessment reports, which are typically produced in under a minute, help organizations rapidly communicate risks with stakeholders. This results in faster decision-making, more accurate and consistent reporting, and significantly reduced manual workloads.
SecurityScorecard offers a branded AI capability named HEID. HEID’s operational workflows are primarily geared toward SecurityScoreCard’s MAX managed service offering, with claims that AI can generate automated remediation and questionnaire requests as risks arise.
SecurityScorecard claims that HEID AI is available as a backend capability for customers with non-service plans, and it is used in its algorithms for risk scoring and classification of issue criticality.
Bitsight offers a branded AI capability named Groma.
Groma is primarily built to support improved risk scoring, identification and attribution of digital assets, and enhanced criticality classification of risk findings.
Bitsight is additionally investing in AI development for TPRM workflows and threat detection capabilities. However, whether this will add to their Groma-branded capability or be released as integrated, separate offerings is unclear.
Black Kite offers an AI-based document scanner aimed at reducing manual questionnaire reviews and accelerating compliance mapping of vendor security postures. However, connectivity to workflows supporting other assessment operations (such as requesting further evidence via questionnaires or other documentation) is not supported without integrating with a separately deployed TPRM solution.
API and Integrations
Panorays includes core integrations such as SSO and API access, particularly at higher-tier subscription levels. Additional specialized integrations or advanced API functionalities may incur extra costs. The platform offers straightforward connectivity options but may require supplemental investments for extensive customization or complex integrations.
UpGuard provides a well-documented API enabling custom integrations, webhooks, and automation across common security and GRC tools. Its extensibility is straightforward, designed for rapid deployment and minimal setup friction. UpGuard also connects with over 4,000+ apps through a dedicated Zapier integration.
Streamlines remediation and monitoring by natively integrating with Jira, Service Now, and Slack.
Streamlines remediation and monitoring by natively integrating with Jira, Service Now, and Slack.
Bitsight integrates with popular platforms like ServiceNow and Splunk, offering APIs for custom reporting and automation. Offers integrations with RSA Archer GRC, CyberGRX, OneTrust Vendorpedia, ProcessUnity, MetricStream, and more.
Bitsight integrates with popular platforms like ServiceNow and Splunk, offering APIs for custom reporting and automation. Offers integrations with RSA Archer GRC, CyberGRX, OneTrust Vendorpedia, ProcessUnity, MetricStream, and more.
While no exhaustive list of native integrations is publicly available, Black Kite generally supports exporting scan results to external systems.
Purchasing & Licensing Transparency
Panorays offers a free plan for assessing up to five vendors and a full-featured free trial. However, detailed public pricing information is not disclosed, and users must contact sales directly for tailored quotes. Panorays features a complex pricing structure involving multiple service tiers (Continuous 360° Evaluation, Bi-Annual 360° Evaluation, Continuous Posture Evaluation, Bi-Annual Posture Evaluation, Smart Questionnaires), potentially complicating purchasing decisions and budget forecasting
UpGuard offers a freemium package for monitoring up to 5 vendors.
Also provides free access to an AI-powered vendor questionnaire management tool, Trust Exchange.
Pricing starts at USD 1,599 / month.
A 14-day free trial for paid plans is also available.
Also provides free access to an AI-powered vendor questionnaire management tool, Trust Exchange.
Pricing starts at USD 1,599 / month.
A 14-day free trial for paid plans is also available.
Public pricing information is not available. Offers a free plan and a 14-day free trial for paid plans.
Public pricing is not available. Does not publically offer a free trial.
Public pricing details are limited. Costs typically rise based on the number of monitored vendors, which can become significant for large supply chains. Some organizations report that the step up in licensing for “critical” vendors can be expensive.
Customers
Major customers include Avis, Arvest, Quantum, and Payoneer.
Major customers include The New York Stock Exchange (ICE), Morningstar, TDK, PagerDuty, Hopin, and IAG.
To learn more, read UpGuard’s customer stories.
To learn more, read UpGuard’s customer stories.
Major customers include Symantec, Pepsico, Two Sigma, and Stony Brook University.
Major customers include Optus / Singtel, The University of North Florida, Snam, and PROSA.
Major customers include Morgan Lewis, Healthfirst, Navy Federal, and Maersk.
G2 rating
Accurate as of March 2025
4.3, based on 35 reviews.
4.5, based on 383 reviews. Named a G2 Market Leader for Third Party & Supplier Risk Management Software.
4.2, based on 75 reviews.
4.6, based on 44 reviews.
Currently not rated.
Security rating
950
/ 950
950
/ 950
950
/ 950
950
/ 950
950
/ 950
General summary
Panorays is an IT Vendor Risk Management solution focused on security ratings, vendor assessments, and automated questionnaire workflows. It combines external attack surface monitoring and vendor risk questionnaires, delivering comprehensive visibility into vendor security postures. Panorays specializes in providing clear, unified security ratings and simplifying the vendor onboarding process, though it lacks fully real-time monitoring capabilities.
Key strengths
Panorays excels in automated questionnaire workflows, simplifying vendor assessments and onboarding processes. Its unified security rating system effectively quantifies external and internal vendor risks, delivering valuable insights to executive stakeholders. The platform integrates external scans, questionnaires, and certifications into auditable security attestations.
Key weaknesses
Panorays underperforms in its reporting capabilities, offering limited options for customizing reports and dashboards. The platform does not natively support TPRM workflows, forcing customers to purchase additional tools to fill TPRM process gaps.
Usability and learning curve
Panorays offers a user-friendly platform with automated workflows and straightforward vendor onboarding, making it relatively easy for teams to adopt. However, the complex structure of optional questionnaire responses and segmented refresh rates for monitoring can introduce minor learning curve challenges, particularly for teams new to Vendor Risk Management practices.
Cyber risk data accuracy
The accuracy of Panorays' cyber risk insights could be improved by including technical information about sources for all identified risks
Vendor risk management features
Panorays includes comprehensive Vendor Risk Management capabilities such as automated questionnaire workflows, security rating integration, and simplified onboarding management. The platform effectively manages the assessment lifecycle but falls short in providing continuous real-time vendor risk monitoring, potentially requiring supplementary solutions for deeper insights. Its questionnaire design includes numerous optional questions, which often results in vendors skipping responses, potentially weakening the overall risk assessment quality.
Attack surface management features
Panorays effectively identifies and monitors vendor external attack surfaces through periodic scanning intervals. The platform identifies exposed assets and potential vulnerabilities, supporting risk management through visibility and remediation recommendations.
Security ratings
Panorays offers unified security ratings, clearly quantifying vendor security postures for easy interpretation by executives and stakeholders. This system integrates external and internal risk data effectively. However, its periodic data updates might limit the timeliness of these insights compared to solutions offering real-time or daily refreshed ratings.
Customer support
Some users have reported unsatisfactory customer support. Given Panorays' smaller customer base compared to other competitors, this is likely due to resource constraints.
Workflow automation
Panorays leverages automation effectively for vendor onboarding, questionnaire management, and security attestation workflows. Automated questionnaires streamline data collection and risk assessment processes. However, deeper integration and more advanced automation capabilities, particularly those involving continuous real-time monitoring, may necessitate additional configuration or supplemental solutions.
Artificial intelligence features
Panorays utilizes AI primarily to automate and pre-fill questionnaire responses, reducing manual effort and enhancing assessment efficiency. However, including optional questionnaire items somewhat diminishes the AI's effectiveness, as incomplete vendor responses can affect overall risk visibility and the depth of insights generated.
API and Integrations
Panorays includes core integrations such as SSO and API access, particularly at higher-tier subscription levels. Additional specialized integrations or advanced API functionalities may incur extra costs. The platform offers straightforward connectivity options but may require supplemental investments for extensive customization or complex integrations.
Purchasing & Licensing Transparency
Panorays offers a free plan for assessing up to five vendors and a full-featured free trial. However, detailed public pricing information is not disclosed, and users must contact sales directly for tailored quotes. Panorays features a complex pricing structure involving multiple service tiers (Continuous 360° Evaluation, Bi-Annual 360° Evaluation, Continuous Posture Evaluation, Bi-Annual Posture Evaluation, Smart Questionnaires), potentially complicating purchasing decisions and budget forecasting
Customers
Major customers include Avis, Arvest, Quantum, and Payoneer.
G2 rating
Accurate as of March 2025
4.3, based on 35 reviews.
Security rating
950
/ 950
General summary
UpGuard is an end-to-end third-party risk management platform with best-in-class time-to-value and scalability from initial implementations to beyond.
UpGuard delivers powerful, integrated tools for automated third-party monitoring, in-depth risk assessment and remediation, and one-click reporting.
By combining actionable insights with built-in risk management workflows, UpGuard helps organizations maintain comprehensive oversight of their supply chain security posture and equips them with the necessary tools to shut down emerging risks rapidly.
UpGuard delivers powerful, integrated tools for automated third-party monitoring, in-depth risk assessment and remediation, and one-click reporting.
By combining actionable insights with built-in risk management workflows, UpGuard helps organizations maintain comprehensive oversight of their supply chain security posture and equips them with the necessary tools to shut down emerging risks rapidly.
Key strengths
UpGuard excels by completing full vendor scans every 24 hours, which provides near real-time visibility into vendor security postures while seamlessly integrating native end-to-end AI-powered vendor assessment workflows.
UpGuard's licensing model and efficient learning curve offer best-in-class time to value and program efficiency.
UpGuard's licensing model and efficient learning curve offer best-in-class time to value and program efficiency.
Key weaknesses
UpGuard's focus on core frameworks like ISO 27001 and NIST offers robust coverage for most security and compliance needs, though organizations requiring highly specialized or region-specific regulations may choose to augment it with dedicated GRC modules.
Its strengths in cybersecurity and continuous monitoring ensure strong TPCRM capabilities, but those seeking an all-encompassing governance solution (e.g., covering environmental or privacy regulations) might benefit from additional integrations.
Its strengths in cybersecurity and continuous monitoring ensure strong TPCRM capabilities, but those seeking an all-encompassing governance solution (e.g., covering environmental or privacy regulations) might benefit from additional integrations.
Usability and learning curve
UpGuard offers best-in-class time to value for initial implementations.
UpGuard's platform architecture is designed from the ground up to deliver a quick and shallow adoption curve. UpGuard's clean and intuitive interface ensures ease of ongoing operation and rapid pick-up from new staff members as needed.
UpGuard's platform architecture is designed from the ground up to deliver a quick and shallow adoption curve. UpGuard's clean and intuitive interface ensures ease of ongoing operation and rapid pick-up from new staff members as needed.
Cyber risk data accuracy
UpGuard's real-time data refresh rate ensures up-to-date and accurate vendor security posture calculations while also allowing users to initiate scans on demand.
Threat Monitoring automatically scans the open, deep, and dark web for data leaks and exposed credentials, using AI-powered analysis to reduce false positives and prioritize findings for targeted, timely remediation.
Threat Monitoring automatically scans the open, deep, and dark web for data leaks and exposed credentials, using AI-powered analysis to reduce false positives and prioritize findings for targeted, timely remediation.
Vendor risk management features
UpGuard offers a natively integrated end-to-end workflow addressing the complete Third-party Risk Management lifecycle—from onboarding to risk management and ongoing monitoring.
Attack surface management features
UpGuard provides continuous attack surface monitoring, identifying exposed assets, misconfigurations, and vulnerabilities. It maps internet-facing infrastructure, detects risks like expired certificates and open ports, and prioritizes threats for remediation. Clear, actionable insights help organizations reduce exposure and strengthen their external security posture.
Security ratings
Uses a proprietary scoring model from 0–950, updated daily, emphasizing current, empirical data.
UpGuard's objective and transparent approach helps CISOs, security teams, and stakeholders reliably gauge a vendor’s actual security posture in near-real time.
UpGuard's objective and transparent approach helps CISOs, security teams, and stakeholders reliably gauge a vendor’s actual security posture in near-real time.
Customer support
Known for world-class support across all tiers and customer-friendly guidance, UpGuard delivers proactive and prompt engagement to resolve customer issues quickly. Dedicated teams assist with both technical and strategic TPRM challenges.
Workflow automation
UpGuard’s AI-powered Security Profile automatically identifies risks and control gaps, then generates contextualized, point-in-time assessment reports in minutes. It also provides a pre-configured (and adjustable) set of controls for two leading security frameworks: ISO 27001:2022 and NIST CSF 2.0.
Custom notifications simplify tracking of critical events and prompting of important follow-up actions.
The platform also facilitates automatic vendor tiering, labeling, and custom attributes based on questionnaire responses for faster vendor onboarding and improved TPRM scalability.
Custom notifications simplify tracking of critical events and prompting of important follow-up actions.
The platform also facilitates automatic vendor tiering, labeling, and custom attributes based on questionnaire responses for faster vendor onboarding and improved TPRM scalability.
Artificial intelligence features
UpGuard’s AI-powered platform streamlines the entire vendor assessment process.
AI evidence analysis combined with automated scanning immediately uncovers control gaps and risks. Each finding is accompanied by transparent, traceable citations so security teams can quickly verify sources and take action.
AI-generated risk assessment reports, which are typically produced in under a minute, help organizations rapidly communicate risks with stakeholders. This results in faster decision-making, more accurate and consistent reporting, and significantly reduced manual workloads.
AI evidence analysis combined with automated scanning immediately uncovers control gaps and risks. Each finding is accompanied by transparent, traceable citations so security teams can quickly verify sources and take action.
AI-generated risk assessment reports, which are typically produced in under a minute, help organizations rapidly communicate risks with stakeholders. This results in faster decision-making, more accurate and consistent reporting, and significantly reduced manual workloads.
API and Integrations
UpGuard provides a well-documented API enabling custom integrations, webhooks, and automation across common security and GRC tools. Its extensibility is straightforward, designed for rapid deployment and minimal setup friction. UpGuard also connects with over 4,000+ apps through a dedicated Zapier integration.
Streamlines remediation and monitoring by natively integrating with Jira, Service Now, and Slack.
Streamlines remediation and monitoring by natively integrating with Jira, Service Now, and Slack.
Purchasing & Licensing Transparency
UpGuard offers a freemium package for monitoring up to 5 vendors.
Also provides free access to an AI-powered vendor questionnaire management tool, Trust Exchange.
Pricing starts at USD 1,599 / month.
A 14-day free trial for paid plans is also available.
Also provides free access to an AI-powered vendor questionnaire management tool, Trust Exchange.
Pricing starts at USD 1,599 / month.
A 14-day free trial for paid plans is also available.
Customers
Major customers include The New York Stock Exchange (ICE), Morningstar, TDK, PagerDuty, Hopin, and IAG.
To learn more, read UpGuard’s customer stories.
To learn more, read UpGuard’s customer stories.
G2 rating
Accurate as of March 2025
4.5, based on 383 reviews. Named a G2 Market Leader for Third Party & Supplier Risk Management Software.
Security rating
950
/ 950
General summary
SecurityScorecard is a cybersecurity ratings platform that monitors external-facing vendor networks. It aggregates risk signals from various sources to produce vendor security ratings. SecurityScorecard integrates with SIEM and GRC tools and provides insights that mitigate supply chain attacks. However, risk assessment workflows are managed separately via the Atlas module, which can lead to fragmented processes that could delay vendor assessment delivery and impact program efficiency
Key strengths
SecurityScorecard covers an extensive range of cyber intelligence, drawing from open, proprietary, and dark web sources to identify vendor security risks and assess IP reputation risks. SecurityScorecard’s well-known A–F letter grade system makes it approachable for executives and large enterprises.
Key weaknesses
SecurityScorecard's staggered scan cycles disrupts real-time vendor security posture visibility. IP attribution issues are also cited as common scanning problems.
Additionally, vendor monitoring and risk assessments are licensed separately, which may increase purchasing complexity and limit coverage of end-to-end visibility of supply chain vendors
Usability and learning curve
SecurityScorecard's dashboards and clear A-F grading help non-technical stakeholders quickly grasp vendor risk exposure. However, some users report multiple drill-down steps required to reach specific risk insights, which could lengthen new user learning curves
Cyber risk data accuracy
SecurityScorecard offers extensive data collection across public-facing and dark web sources, though users occasionally report inaccurate attribution or misflagged IPs requiring support.
Vendor risk management features
SecurityScorecard's VRM workflow requires a separate module named Atlas for security questionnaire and risk assessment processes. This can introduce complexity into this process.
Attack surface management features
SecurityScorecard offers views into an organization's attack surface by leveraging IP scanning and attribution of identified domains and assets. The platform's approach helps users identify potential weaknesses in their digital footprint that an attacker might exploit.
Security ratings
Employs an A-F rating with a 0–100 scale, penalizing breaches and factoring patching cadences, though some risk categories could have a disproportional impact on scoring. Large-scale data collection across the clear and dark web ensures broad coverage, updated roughly every 10 days for IPv4.
Customer support
Generally supportive for enterprise levels, with a community of free users. However, customers at lower licensing tiers report slower responses and less personalized support.
Workflow automation
SecurityScorecard’s workflow automation features let users create rule-based triggers that automatically respond to security events, such as score drops, new high-severity issues, or breaches. Users can choose from a range of automated response actions, including alert activation, report sharing, and reassigning scorecards for further review
Artificial intelligence features
SecurityScorecard offers a branded AI capability named HEID. HEID’s operational workflows are primarily geared toward SecurityScoreCard’s MAX managed service offering, with claims that AI can generate automated remediation and questionnaire requests as risks arise.
SecurityScorecard claims that HEID AI is available as a backend capability for customers with non-service plans, and it is used in its algorithms for risk scoring and classification of issue criticality.
API and Integrations
SecurityScoreCard offers an extensive marketplace of integrations with security, GRC, and workflow platforms. However, integrations tend to primarily focus on score visibility in other platforms rather than workflow extensibility. Offers integrations with several third-party platforms, such as RSA Archer, ServiceNow, and more.
Purchasing & Licensing Transparency
Public pricing information is not available. Offers a free plan and a 14-day free trial for paid plans.
Customers
Major customers include Symantec, Pepsico, Two Sigma, and Stony Brook University.
G2 rating
Accurate as of March 2025
4.2, based on 75 reviews.
Security rating
950
/ 950
General summary
Bitsight is a cybersecurity ratings platform that continuously monitors organizational and vendor security postures. It collects and analyzes data from multiple sources—including botnet and malware intelligence—to offer evidence-based risk insights. Bitsight also integrates with GRC and TPRM workflows, allowing teams to proactively mitigate threats across their extended supply chain. However, Bitsight’s pricing structure can complicate scalability.
Key strengths
In addition to risk monitoring, Bitsight employs analytical forecasting to estimate future security trajectories. It integrates with platforms like ServiceNow, JIRA, and PowerBI to suit more advanced workflows. This network of partnerships, coupled with strong institutional acceptance, reinforces Bitsight’s profile with complex organizations.
Key weaknesses
Bitsight's pricing structures can quickly escalate operational expenses for TPRM programs and create complicated decisions regarding the extent of risk visibility that can be deployed for vendors within a supply chain. Customers additionally cite attribution challenges for risks and assets within shared IP and cloud environments, which require support request submissions to address.
Monitoring and assessment capabilities are also separately licensed, which may increase purchasing complexity and limit end-to-end coverage to several vendors within supply chains.
Usability and learning curve
Bitsight is generally intuitive for professionals familiar with security ratings, with an interface offering clear vendor risk summaries. However, some advanced features require more expertise and time to leverage effectively, particularly when deploying Bitsight's separate modules for monitoring and risk assessments.
Cyber risk data accuracy
Bitsight is widely recognized for malware and botnet reporting, though attribution to hosting providers or shared IP ranges can lead to accuracy challenges requiring correction support.
Vendor risk management features
Bitsight supports third-party monitoring and risk workflows, including vendor onboarding, but relies on a separately licensed module for vendor risk assessments and workflows.
Attack surface management features
Bitsight's External Attack Surface Management module is designed to discover hidden assets, provide detailed digital asset insights, and detect vulnerabilities such as unsupported product versions. .
Security ratings
Offers a respected rating system correlated with breach likelihood and is used widely by insurers and financial institutions. Observed security events influence scores, but shared IP misattribution can occasionally skew results.
Customer support
Bitsight provides reputable support, particularly for large enterprises with dedicated account teams. Smaller organizations may experience less responsiveness and find self-service documentation limited.
Workflow automation
Bitsight integrates with SOAR platforms, allowing users to automate responses to newly discovered risks. However, advanced automation requirements, such as those addressing Vendor Risk Management workflows, require add-on services or third-party tools for complete automation.
Artificial intelligence features
Bitsight offers a branded AI capability named Groma.
Groma is primarily built to support improved risk scoring, identification and attribution of digital assets, and enhanced criticality classification of risk findings.
Bitsight is additionally investing in AI development for TPRM workflows and threat detection capabilities. However, whether this will add to their Groma-branded capability or be released as integrated, separate offerings is unclear.
API and Integrations
Bitsight integrates with popular platforms like ServiceNow and Splunk, offering APIs for custom reporting and automation. Offers integrations with RSA Archer GRC, CyberGRX, OneTrust Vendorpedia, ProcessUnity, MetricStream, and more.
Purchasing & Licensing Transparency
Public pricing is not available. Does not publically offer a free trial.
Customers
Major customers include Optus / Singtel, The University of North Florida, Snam, and PROSA.
G2 rating
Accurate as of March 2025
4.6, based on 44 reviews.
Security rating
950
/ 950
General summary
Black Kite is a third-party cyber risk management platform emphasizing external risk visibility, financial impact modeling, and compliance automation. Black Kite uses non-intrusive OSINT-based scans to discover assets and vulnerabilities, presenting findings as easy-to-read letter grades. However, by excluding critical TPRM workflows, Black Kite’s potential for effective third-party risk management is significantly limited.
Key strengths
Black Kite takes a diverse approach to cyber risk quantification with a methodology heavily based on the Open FAIR™ standard. This allows Black Kite to derive their varying cyber risk insights from a consistent quantification base.
Key weaknesses
Black Kite does not offer vendor questionnaires or risk assessments as part of their solution offerings. While Black Kite's quantification-forward approach may be sufficient for some, customers with requirements for vendor security reviews and assurance documents for compliance needs will likely require an additional solution for this capability.
Usability and learning curve
Black Kite's interface is designed around letter-grade dashboards and detailed risk findings for its range of quantification options offered. However, insights for each focused rating are not clearly segmented by audience and often bleed across the entire platform. This can make the relevance of platform insights less consistent for specialized users, even within teams.
Cyber risk data accuracy
The platform gathers data from a large set of OSINT feeds and uses standards-based scoring (MITRE, NIST, Open FAIR™) to reduce false positives. However, some users note occasional duplication or outdated issues that require manual dispute or re-validation
Vendor risk management features
Although Black Kite offers document analysis features, the platform can be seen as primarily geared toward detecting and quantifying cyber risks rather than offering fully integrated VRM workflows.
Attack surface management features
Black Kite uses OSINT data spanning domain records, subdomains, SSL certificates, and more to deliver visibility into a vendor's external footprint.
Security ratings
Uses an A–F letter-grade rating based on standardized models (e.g., MITRE CTSA). The score is supplemented by a separate financial risk metric that ties vulnerabilities to potential financial impact, a key differentiator for stakeholders concerned with breach damage costs.
Customer support
Black Kite's users report mixed support experiences: some find support teams responsive with weekly check-ins, while others cite slower resolution times and inconsistent follow-up on false positives and duplicate findings.
Workflow automation
Black Kite's Bridge™ module lets users automate vendor outreach and gather risk data during major security events, such as global-scale data breaches.
Artificial intelligence features
Black Kite offers an AI-based document scanner aimed at reducing manual questionnaire reviews and accelerating compliance mapping of vendor security postures. However, connectivity to workflows supporting other assessment operations (such as requesting further evidence via questionnaires or other documentation) is not supported without integrating with a separately deployed TPRM solution.
API and Integrations
While no exhaustive list of native integrations is publicly available, Black Kite generally supports exporting scan results to external systems.
Purchasing & Licensing Transparency
Public pricing details are limited. Costs typically rise based on the number of monitored vendors, which can become significant for large supply chains. Some organizations report that the step up in licensing for “critical” vendors can be expensive.
Customers
Major customers include Morgan Lewis, Healthfirst, Navy Federal, and Maersk.
G2 rating
Accurate as of March 2025
Currently not rated.
Security rating
950
/ 950
Competitor Comparison Guide
A transparent comparison of top solutions
Panorays pricing overview
Panorays provides a free plan that allows users to assess up to 5 third party vendors. It also offers a full-featured free trial. Panorays does not publicly list detailed pricing for its various tiers. Prospective customers must contact the sales team to recieve a quote.
Panorays’ paid packages span multiple service tiers, including Continuous 360° Evaluation, Bi-Annual 360° Evaluation, Continuous Posture Evaluation, Bi-Annual Posture Evaluation, and a dedicated Smart Questionnaires plan. These options may combine continuous monitoring (via external attack surface scans and questionnaires) or focus on questionnaires only, depending on organizational needs.
Add-ons and additional costs
The following add-ons and services can increase final costs for Panorays:
- Third-Party Inventory: Maintaining a vendor inventory can be licensed as an extra module.
- Professional Services: Paid consulting and guidance are available for organizations requiring additional support.
- Core Integrations: While integrations such as SSO and API access are included in higher-tier packages, certain advanced or specialized features might incur additional costs.
How does Panorays' pricing compare to its competitors?
UpGuard
UpGuard's pricing starts at USD 1,599 per month. For complex TPRM requirements, the platform offers enterprise-grade plans for unlimited vendor monitoring and data leak detection.
UpGuard offers a free plan supporting monitoring for up to 5 vendors, which includes access to risk assessment and remediation workflows.
A 14-day trial is also available for paid tiers. A major differentiator is UpGuard's built-in TPRM workflows, which save users from purchasing additional tools to fill TPRM process gaps.
For more details, see UpGuard's pricing page.
SecurityScorecard
SecurityScorecard does not publicly disclose its pricing information, but they are generally recognized as among the premium-priced options in this space.
A free plan (limited to self-monitoring) and a 14-day free trial of its Business Plan—which includes monitoring up to five vendors with core alerts—are available.
A range of additional modules and upgrades, such as Attack Surface Intelligence (ASI) and compliance framework mapping, come at an extra cost. SecurityScorecard's MAX plan, a top-level managed service, combines all these offerings plus dedicated board-level reporting and concierge-level customer support, but it also carries a premium price tag.
Understand SecurityScorecard's pricing structure.
Bitsight
Bitsight does not publicly disclose its pricing, though it's commonly considered to sit at the higher end of the pricing spectrum. While there is no ongoing free plan or standard free trial, BitSight does offer a one-time security rating snapshot and industry benchmark report as an initial introduction to the platform's capabilities.
Costs can rise depending on the number of entities (e.g., vendors, subsidiaries) monitored, as each addition may incur higher fees. Premium features—such as deeper risk vector reporting, lengthy historical data retention, and integration with platforms like ServiceNow or OneTrust—can also increase final costs.
Users can opt for managed service tiers with varying degrees of hands-on support (Low, Medium, or High Touch), but these come at additional costs.
Understand Bitsight's pricing structure.
RiskRecon
RiskRecon does not disclose any pricing information. The platform offers a 30-day free trial that covers monitoring for up to 50 vendors. However, this plan automatically transitions into a paid 12-month subscription unless a written cancellation notice is provided at least 15 days before the trial's end.
Additional modules such as compliance mapping (NIST, ISO 27001, GDPR), a Whistic integration for vendor assessments, and custom policies may drive up costs. RiskRecon may raise subscription rates annually in line with the greater of 3% or the Consumer Price Index, making careful contract review essential for those intending to scale usage over time.
Understand RiskRecon's pricing structure.
OneTrust
OneTrust does not publish pricing details and charges for implementation. A free plan is not available, and a free trial is not publicly offered. The platform offers a range of functions, from consent management to third-party risk (Vendorpedia), privacy requests/DSAR automation, and AI governance, but these can incur additional monthly charges. OneTrust also charges an implementation fee.
Understand OneTrust's pricing structure.
Black Kite
Black Kite does not publicly disclose its fees and typically structures costs around the number of vendors monitored plus any premium capabilities chosen (e.g., advanced threat intelligence, a Ransomware Susceptibility Index).
Implementation, configuration, and user licenses are included in its core package at no extra charge. However, subscription fees can climb quickly once organizations exceed their initial vendor count or opt for specialized add-ons.
A one-time complimentary assessment for a small set of vendors is available as a starting point, but full platform access and ongoing monitoring require a paid subscription.
Understand Black Kite's pricing structure.
Vanta
Vanta keeps its subscription costs private, offering neither a free tier nor a standard free trial. Instead, the company provides product demonstrations to showcase its compliance automation features.
Its standard subscription only supports one compliance standard (i.e., ISO 27001). Those needing to track alignment against multople standards will see total costs rise accoridngly. Additional user seats, integrations, and advanced reporting tools can also drive up expenses.
Reviews of the SecurityScoreard platform and its top competitors, based on indendant third-party sources and customer insights.
Gartner Peer Insights
Overall ratings for the IT VRM Solutions market. Accurate as of January 2024
4.4, based on 91 reviews.
4.4, based on 160 reviews. Named a Representative Vendor in the 2022 Gartner Market Guide for IT VRM Solutions
4.5, based on 259 reviews.
4.5, based on 261 reviews
4.8, based on 159 reviews
G2 rating
Accurate as of March 2025
4.3, based on 35 reviews.
4.5, based on 383 reviews. Named a G2 Market Leader for Third Party & Supplier Risk Management Software.
4.2, based on 75 reviews.
4.6, based on 44 reviews.
Currently not rated.
Glassdoor
Accurate as of March 2025
4.4, based on 48 reviews.
4.4, based on 95 reviews.
2.7, based on 306 reviews.
3.8, based on 222 reviews.
4.8, based on 19 reviews.
Gartner Peer Insights
Overall ratings for the IT VRM Solutions market. Accurate as of January 2024
4.4, based on 91 reviews.
G2 rating
Accurate as of March 2025
4.3, based on 35 reviews.
Glassdoor
Accurate as of March 2025
4.4, based on 48 reviews.
Gartner Peer Insights
Overall ratings for the IT VRM Solutions market. Accurate as of January 2024
4.4, based on 160 reviews. Named a Representative Vendor in the 2022 Gartner Market Guide for IT VRM Solutions
G2 rating
Accurate as of March 2025
4.5, based on 383 reviews. Named a G2 Market Leader for Third Party & Supplier Risk Management Software.
Glassdoor
Accurate as of March 2025
4.4, based on 95 reviews.
Gartner Peer Insights
Overall ratings for the IT VRM Solutions market. Accurate as of January 2024
4.5, based on 259 reviews.
G2 rating
Accurate as of March 2025
4.2, based on 75 reviews.
Glassdoor
Accurate as of March 2025
2.7, based on 306 reviews.
Gartner Peer Insights
Overall ratings for the IT VRM Solutions market. Accurate as of January 2024
4.5, based on 261 reviews
G2 rating
Accurate as of March 2025
4.6, based on 44 reviews.
Glassdoor
Accurate as of March 2025
4.4, based on 48 reviews.
Gartner Peer Insights
Overall ratings for the IT VRM Solutions market. Accurate as of January 2024
4.8, based on 159 reviews
G2 rating
Accurate as of March 2025
Currently not rated.
Glassdoor
Accurate as of March 2025
4.8, based on 19 reviews.
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