Compare
The tool is 20% of the cost of getting certified.
Tool-only providers price the software. Buyers pay for the software, the environment build, the consultants, the assessor and the people who run continuous monitoring. Compare the whole bill.
| Capability | Tool-only providers | Triad 20x Federal Compliance Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Security Decision Record, CPO, OCR generation | Included | Included |
| Trust Center | Included | Included |
| Automated evidence collection & KSI validation | Add-on, up to $40K/yr | Included |
| Two independent automated methods per KSI (Class C bar) | Varies | Included, enforced at CI |
| Immutable evidence with ledger receipts, replayable results | Not offered | Included |
| Compliant government-cloud environment built for you | Not offered | Secure Environment (Optional) |
| Engineer-led Readiness Assessment, credited | Self-serve tool | Readiness Assessment (Optional) |
| Remediation of failing indicators | Your team | Managed Security (Optional) |
| SIEM, vulnerability management, incident response operated | Your team or a separate MSSP | Managed Security (Optional) |
| 14-day package refresh and quarterly OCR run for you | Your team | Managed Security (Optional) |
| Federal-only focus | Multi-framework GRC | FedRAMP 20x only |
Where the money actually goes
Tool-only path
- Software — $75,000–$140,000/yr at Class B–C with evidence add-on
- Environment build — consultant or MSP, typically $100,000+ one-time
- People — 1–2 compliance/security engineers to remediate and operate
- 3PAO — independent assessment
- Operations — SIEM, vulnerability management, incident response
Triad path
- 20x Governance — from $60,000/yr, evidence included
- Secure Environment — built once as code you own
- People — your engineers stay on product; Triad carries compliance
- 3PAO — same assessor, faster because evidence is already machine-verified
- Managed Security — $10,000–$25,000/mo, one accountable partner
Put your own numbers in the ROI calculator.
Run the numbers on your situation.
Three-year total cost of certification, tool-only versus Triad, with every assumption editable.