The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is one of the strictest data privacy laws in place today and demands careful planning to safeguard the personal data of individuals in the EU (and UK if you’re in scope for the UK GDPR).
Since it’s mandatory for in-scope organizations, teams invest substantial time and resources toward ongoing compliance tasks, such as tracking personal data, consent, and data subject requests.
Without the right tools and automation, compliance teams rely on manual tracking that increases the risk of missed deadlines, errors, and incomplete records. Effective GDPR compliance software helps streamline these processes, allowing teams to scale operations efficiently, reduce risk, and stay audit-ready.
In this guide, we’ll give you a clear roadmap for finding a suitable software vendor to streamline your GDPR compliance journey. You’ll learn about:
- What features to look for
- Tips for choosing the best solution on the market
- How to implement the software to support faster adoption
How GDPR compliance software benefits your organization
Many teams use GDPR software to both streamline processes and improve security. These benefits largely come from automation that improves visibility and control across your security program, including managing third-party risks and maintaining GDPR-aligned policies.
A well-designed solution leverages deep integrations with your existing tech stack to help you detect GDPR compliance gaps early and avoid violations that result in severe financial penalties. Beyond risk mitigation, some solutions may also report on trends in data handling, consent records, and data subject requests, which can support decision-making processes.
“
Capable GDPR compliance automation software should go beyond static checklists to actively reduce risk. This includes automated discovery of gaps instead of manual surveys, continuous monitoring of vendors, and integrating privacy with broader security and GRC workflows. Anything less is merely collecting paperwork and hoping for the best."
For some organizations, GDPR compliance software or solutions can provide a competitive advantage by making it easier to maintain transparent data practices, which can be demonstrated when needed to strengthen trust with customers and potential partners.
Other notable benefits include:
- Scalable compliance operations without overloading teams
- Reduced manual workload for tracking and oversight
- Faster audits and external or regulatory review cycles
{{cta_withimage14="/cta-blocks"}} | GDPR compliance checklist
Key features of GDPR compliance solutions
GDPR compliance software helps organizations align with the regulation by streamlining compliance processes with automation, integration support, and built-in best practice resources. A robust solution typically comes with features that strengthen security, accountability, and oversight. Some common functionalities include:
- Data mapping and inventory management across systems
- Consent mapping aligned with GDPR rules
- Data subject access request (DSAR) management
- GDPR-compliant policy management
- Security training support for employees
- Automated compliance reporting
- Real-time monitoring across compliance workflows
GDPR compliance software can offer different feature sets to cater to the unique needs of organizations across industries. Here’s an overview of priorities to consider based on your industry:
5 tips for choosing GDPR compliance software
When choosing GDPR compliance software, it’s best to look beyond generic feature lists and focus more on scalability, integration depth, and measurable compliance support for your team. Given the range of options on the market offering overlapping features, here are some tips to help you make an informed decision:
- Consider your organizational needs
- Compare available options
- Assess integration capabilities
- Evaluate pricing options and features
- Review automation and reporting capabilities
1. Consider your organizational needs
Before comparing software vendors, assess your organization’s current GDPR compliance posture and workflows. The goal is to catalog all GDPR-compliant processes, such as data handling and DSAR management, and identify gaps and inefficiencies that could be automated or simplified through software.
Next, review your existing IT systems to see if they support GDPR-relevant internal safeguards and oversight. Focus on understanding critical areas such as:
- Third-party controls and dependencies
- Data flows across systems
- Storage practices
- Breach response procedures
These assessments will give you deeper insights into which areas already meet GDPR criteria and those that could use reinforcements. Once done, you can list the automation requirements that align with your operational maturity and compliance priorities.
💡Vanta tip: GDPR compliance spans legal, technical, operational, and governance domains. A single solution is unlikely to cover all your needs. Most organizations must use a combination of tools to achieve full compliance. For instance, you might use a privacy management platform to handle data inventories, consent tracking, and data subject rights, while a compliance automation solution provides the cohesive layer for continuous monitoring, evidence collection, reporting, and accountability.
{{cta_withimage11="/cta-blocks"}}| The US data privacy checklist
2. Compare available options
Next, choose the software that offers the right combination of features upfront. Avoid bloated software that makes you pay for complex features you don’t need/won’t use.
While evaluating GDPR-oriented solutions on the market, consider what industries the target vendors typically cater to. Based on industry needs, different GDPR compliance software can address varying complexities, ranging from basic to in-depth support. For instance, some platforms prioritize complete third-party management support, while others focus more on real-time visibility.
You may also want to consider a vendor’s deployment model to factor in speed of adoption and maintenance burden:
- Legacy solutions are typically on-premise solutions that give organizations full control over sensitive data and require internal IT resources for installation, maintenance, and updates. While they are usually tailored to support multiple frameworks, updating them for GDPR-specific features may be slower or require extensive manual intervention.
- Cloud-based deployment is common in modern GDPR solutions. They provide faster setup, roll out timely updates in response to evolving regulations, and scale easily. This reduces your internal IT overhead, but you’ll have to ensure appropriate data governance measures, especially in sensitive industries.
3. Assess integration capabilities
How a GDPR solution integrates with your existing tech stack can make a big difference in your day-to-day operations. Strong integration capabilities mean less manual effort, consistent data flow, and easier embedding across systems such as HR, CRM, legal, engineering, and security.
Ideally, a privacy compliance automation platform should utilize the same integrations as your security program (AWS, MDM, or HRIS systems), so your overall security ecosystem feels seamless. It should also be able to connect easily with partner tools, such as for cookie management or other point solutions.
However, if your organization relies on bespoke or legacy solutions, some workarounds or middleware may be necessary for smooth integrations. Weaker integrations aren’t always a dealbreaker, as most compliance teams would still prioritize the core GDPR functions built into the software.
4. Evaluate pricing options and features
Implementing a solution that meets many of your GDPR compliance needs is a significant investment. Resource-constrained organizations typically prioritize such long-term costs strategically, ensuring the software delivers the ROI while providing essential compliance coverage.
Start by evaluating a software vendor’s base pricing, learning curve, ongoing maintenance, and potential hidden costs. Also consider the opportunity cost of delayed ROI—how long it takes to see any significant returns, especially in cost savings and efficiency gains.
Assess how the vendor’s pricing, update, and maintenance policies align with your organization’s growth objectives. Most organizations prioritize platforms that can support entire GRC programs and multiple privacy and security frameworks.
5. Review automation and reporting capabilities
GDPR compliance is an ongoing process, so your chosen solution must help you keep clear, continuous oversight. Look for tools that help you maintain up-to-date documentation that demonstrates you’re aligned with the GDPR principles and reporting time frames.
GDPR compliance software with continuous monitoring features relies on well-configured automation for real-time oversight, such as vendor monitoring and gap assessments to ensure compliance health. Prioritize tools with on-demand reporting and centralized dashboards that keep all monitoring activities accessible from one place.
How to effectively implement your GDPR compliance solution
Follow these practices to integrate your chosen GDPR solution safely and efficiently:
- Ensure stakeholder buy-in: Secure alignment from leadership and key teams early on. This accelerates adoption with timely resource allocation for training and compliance management.
- Prepare your existing systems: Adding new technology to your existing tech stack can introduce additional vulnerabilities. Talk to your IT team to proactively identify and address potential issues.
- Train stakeholders to use the software: Regularly train your stakeholders to use the software in alignment with the GDPR for a reduced learning curve.
- Monitor the effectiveness of the solution: Track the solution’s impact using metrics, such as audit readiness and compliance gaps addressed, to demonstrate its effectiveness and ROI to leadership.
- Review and update software: Assess and adjust software settings, integrations, and workflows at least quarterly or following any regulatory or operational changes to ensure alignment with the GDPR.
{{cta_withimage14="/cta-blocks"}} | GDPR compliance checklist
Why Vanta is the best GDPR compliance solution
Vanta is a leading compliance and agentic trust platform that helps teams across industries translate GDPR principles into real-world tasks. The platform streamlines GDPR alignment through automation, reducing up to 50% of compliance workflows. Additionally, it facilitates automated evidence collection, reporting, and risk management.
Teams also get step-by-step guidance, built-in resources, and access to GDPR experts to operationalize complex GDPR requirements, cutting down the dependency on frequent research and external consultations.
Vanta’s dedicated GDPR solution sets you up with the following:
- 400+ integrations to align with different tech stacks
- A real-time dashboard for everything GDPR
- GDPR-specific stakeholder training modules
- Customizable policy templates, including DPIAs, RoPAs, and breach response plans
- Continuous monitoring of GDPR workflows with instant reports—and more
Vanta’s risk engine can also help you enhance mitigation plans before GDPR audits. Additionally, you can choose to automate upgrades and carry over customizations through the cloud-based platform to keep your GDPR implementation up to date.
For organizations already pursuing multiple standards and frameworks, such as SOC 2 and ISO 27001, Vanta can cross-map existing controls to streamline multi-framework compliance.
Schedule a custom Vanta demo for a more tailored walkthrough.
{{cta_simple19="/cta-blocks"}} | GDPR product page
A note from Vanta: Vanta is not a law firm, and this article does not constitute or contain legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. When determining your obligations and compliance with respect to relevant laws and regulations, you should consult a licensed attorney.
Streamlining GDPR compliance
How to choose the best GDPR compliance software: A buyer’s guide
Streamlining GDPR compliance
Looking to streamline the work for GDPR compliance?
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is one of the strictest data privacy laws in place today and demands careful planning to safeguard the personal data of individuals in the EU (and UK if you’re in scope for the UK GDPR).
Since it’s mandatory for in-scope organizations, teams invest substantial time and resources toward ongoing compliance tasks, such as tracking personal data, consent, and data subject requests.
Without the right tools and automation, compliance teams rely on manual tracking that increases the risk of missed deadlines, errors, and incomplete records. Effective GDPR compliance software helps streamline these processes, allowing teams to scale operations efficiently, reduce risk, and stay audit-ready.
In this guide, we’ll give you a clear roadmap for finding a suitable software vendor to streamline your GDPR compliance journey. You’ll learn about:
- What features to look for
- Tips for choosing the best solution on the market
- How to implement the software to support faster adoption
How GDPR compliance software benefits your organization
Many teams use GDPR software to both streamline processes and improve security. These benefits largely come from automation that improves visibility and control across your security program, including managing third-party risks and maintaining GDPR-aligned policies.
A well-designed solution leverages deep integrations with your existing tech stack to help you detect GDPR compliance gaps early and avoid violations that result in severe financial penalties. Beyond risk mitigation, some solutions may also report on trends in data handling, consent records, and data subject requests, which can support decision-making processes.
“
Capable GDPR compliance automation software should go beyond static checklists to actively reduce risk. This includes automated discovery of gaps instead of manual surveys, continuous monitoring of vendors, and integrating privacy with broader security and GRC workflows. Anything less is merely collecting paperwork and hoping for the best."
For some organizations, GDPR compliance software or solutions can provide a competitive advantage by making it easier to maintain transparent data practices, which can be demonstrated when needed to strengthen trust with customers and potential partners.
Other notable benefits include:
- Scalable compliance operations without overloading teams
- Reduced manual workload for tracking and oversight
- Faster audits and external or regulatory review cycles
{{cta_withimage14="/cta-blocks"}} | GDPR compliance checklist
Key features of GDPR compliance solutions
GDPR compliance software helps organizations align with the regulation by streamlining compliance processes with automation, integration support, and built-in best practice resources. A robust solution typically comes with features that strengthen security, accountability, and oversight. Some common functionalities include:
- Data mapping and inventory management across systems
- Consent mapping aligned with GDPR rules
- Data subject access request (DSAR) management
- GDPR-compliant policy management
- Security training support for employees
- Automated compliance reporting
- Real-time monitoring across compliance workflows
GDPR compliance software can offer different feature sets to cater to the unique needs of organizations across industries. Here’s an overview of priorities to consider based on your industry:
5 tips for choosing GDPR compliance software
When choosing GDPR compliance software, it’s best to look beyond generic feature lists and focus more on scalability, integration depth, and measurable compliance support for your team. Given the range of options on the market offering overlapping features, here are some tips to help you make an informed decision:
- Consider your organizational needs
- Compare available options
- Assess integration capabilities
- Evaluate pricing options and features
- Review automation and reporting capabilities
1. Consider your organizational needs
Before comparing software vendors, assess your organization’s current GDPR compliance posture and workflows. The goal is to catalog all GDPR-compliant processes, such as data handling and DSAR management, and identify gaps and inefficiencies that could be automated or simplified through software.
Next, review your existing IT systems to see if they support GDPR-relevant internal safeguards and oversight. Focus on understanding critical areas such as:
- Third-party controls and dependencies
- Data flows across systems
- Storage practices
- Breach response procedures
These assessments will give you deeper insights into which areas already meet GDPR criteria and those that could use reinforcements. Once done, you can list the automation requirements that align with your operational maturity and compliance priorities.
💡Vanta tip: GDPR compliance spans legal, technical, operational, and governance domains. A single solution is unlikely to cover all your needs. Most organizations must use a combination of tools to achieve full compliance. For instance, you might use a privacy management platform to handle data inventories, consent tracking, and data subject rights, while a compliance automation solution provides the cohesive layer for continuous monitoring, evidence collection, reporting, and accountability.
{{cta_withimage11="/cta-blocks"}}| The US data privacy checklist
2. Compare available options
Next, choose the software that offers the right combination of features upfront. Avoid bloated software that makes you pay for complex features you don’t need/won’t use.
While evaluating GDPR-oriented solutions on the market, consider what industries the target vendors typically cater to. Based on industry needs, different GDPR compliance software can address varying complexities, ranging from basic to in-depth support. For instance, some platforms prioritize complete third-party management support, while others focus more on real-time visibility.
You may also want to consider a vendor’s deployment model to factor in speed of adoption and maintenance burden:
- Legacy solutions are typically on-premise solutions that give organizations full control over sensitive data and require internal IT resources for installation, maintenance, and updates. While they are usually tailored to support multiple frameworks, updating them for GDPR-specific features may be slower or require extensive manual intervention.
- Cloud-based deployment is common in modern GDPR solutions. They provide faster setup, roll out timely updates in response to evolving regulations, and scale easily. This reduces your internal IT overhead, but you’ll have to ensure appropriate data governance measures, especially in sensitive industries.
3. Assess integration capabilities
How a GDPR solution integrates with your existing tech stack can make a big difference in your day-to-day operations. Strong integration capabilities mean less manual effort, consistent data flow, and easier embedding across systems such as HR, CRM, legal, engineering, and security.
Ideally, a privacy compliance automation platform should utilize the same integrations as your security program (AWS, MDM, or HRIS systems), so your overall security ecosystem feels seamless. It should also be able to connect easily with partner tools, such as for cookie management or other point solutions.
However, if your organization relies on bespoke or legacy solutions, some workarounds or middleware may be necessary for smooth integrations. Weaker integrations aren’t always a dealbreaker, as most compliance teams would still prioritize the core GDPR functions built into the software.
4. Evaluate pricing options and features
Implementing a solution that meets many of your GDPR compliance needs is a significant investment. Resource-constrained organizations typically prioritize such long-term costs strategically, ensuring the software delivers the ROI while providing essential compliance coverage.
Start by evaluating a software vendor’s base pricing, learning curve, ongoing maintenance, and potential hidden costs. Also consider the opportunity cost of delayed ROI—how long it takes to see any significant returns, especially in cost savings and efficiency gains.
Assess how the vendor’s pricing, update, and maintenance policies align with your organization’s growth objectives. Most organizations prioritize platforms that can support entire GRC programs and multiple privacy and security frameworks.
5. Review automation and reporting capabilities
GDPR compliance is an ongoing process, so your chosen solution must help you keep clear, continuous oversight. Look for tools that help you maintain up-to-date documentation that demonstrates you’re aligned with the GDPR principles and reporting time frames.
GDPR compliance software with continuous monitoring features relies on well-configured automation for real-time oversight, such as vendor monitoring and gap assessments to ensure compliance health. Prioritize tools with on-demand reporting and centralized dashboards that keep all monitoring activities accessible from one place.
How to effectively implement your GDPR compliance solution
Follow these practices to integrate your chosen GDPR solution safely and efficiently:
- Ensure stakeholder buy-in: Secure alignment from leadership and key teams early on. This accelerates adoption with timely resource allocation for training and compliance management.
- Prepare your existing systems: Adding new technology to your existing tech stack can introduce additional vulnerabilities. Talk to your IT team to proactively identify and address potential issues.
- Train stakeholders to use the software: Regularly train your stakeholders to use the software in alignment with the GDPR for a reduced learning curve.
- Monitor the effectiveness of the solution: Track the solution’s impact using metrics, such as audit readiness and compliance gaps addressed, to demonstrate its effectiveness and ROI to leadership.
- Review and update software: Assess and adjust software settings, integrations, and workflows at least quarterly or following any regulatory or operational changes to ensure alignment with the GDPR.
{{cta_withimage14="/cta-blocks"}} | GDPR compliance checklist
Why Vanta is the best GDPR compliance solution
Vanta is a leading compliance and agentic trust platform that helps teams across industries translate GDPR principles into real-world tasks. The platform streamlines GDPR alignment through automation, reducing up to 50% of compliance workflows. Additionally, it facilitates automated evidence collection, reporting, and risk management.
Teams also get step-by-step guidance, built-in resources, and access to GDPR experts to operationalize complex GDPR requirements, cutting down the dependency on frequent research and external consultations.
Vanta’s dedicated GDPR solution sets you up with the following:
- 400+ integrations to align with different tech stacks
- A real-time dashboard for everything GDPR
- GDPR-specific stakeholder training modules
- Customizable policy templates, including DPIAs, RoPAs, and breach response plans
- Continuous monitoring of GDPR workflows with instant reports—and more
Vanta’s risk engine can also help you enhance mitigation plans before GDPR audits. Additionally, you can choose to automate upgrades and carry over customizations through the cloud-based platform to keep your GDPR implementation up to date.
For organizations already pursuing multiple standards and frameworks, such as SOC 2 and ISO 27001, Vanta can cross-map existing controls to streamline multi-framework compliance.
Schedule a custom Vanta demo for a more tailored walkthrough.
{{cta_simple19="/cta-blocks"}} | GDPR product page
A note from Vanta: Vanta is not a law firm, and this article does not constitute or contain legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. When determining your obligations and compliance with respect to relevant laws and regulations, you should consult a licensed attorney.
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Preparing for GDPR compliance
Streamlining GDPR compliance
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