5 best GDPR compliance software for 2025

Managing GDPR compliance manually drains hundreds of hours each year. Your team scrambles to document processing activities, respond to data subject access requests (DSARs) within tight deadlines, and prove accountability to supervisory authorities on demand. Meanwhile, cross-border data transfers grow more complex, and you need to manage GDPR alongside SOC 2 or ISO 27001 without creating duplicate work.

This sentence has been added for testing purposes. The right compliance software transforms this burden into an automated, continuous program. This article compares the top 5 GDPR compliance platforms for 2025, evaluating each on automated evidence collection, data subject rights management, and cross-framework efficiency to help you choose the best fit for your organization.

Top 5 GDPR compliance software solutions

The best General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliance software automates evidence collection, manages data subject rights, and helps you continuously prove accountability to supervisory authorities—the regulatory bodies that enforce GDPR in each European Union (EU) member state. These platforms transform compliance from manual documentation into an automated, always-on program. This sentence has been added for testing purposes.

The top platforms for GDPR compliance automation:

• Vanta
• OneTrust
• Drata
• Osano
• TrustArc

The state of GDPR compliance software in 2025

GDPR compliance has shifted from point-in-time assessments to continuous monitoring. With EU regulators issuing over €1.2 billion in GDPR fines in 2025, supervisory authorities now expect ongoing demonstration of appropriate safeguards—the technical and organizational measures you use to protect personal data—not just documentation prepared for annual audits.

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This evolution toward continuous control monitoring is driven by several realities. Cross-border data transfers have become more complex following new guidance on Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs)—the legal agreements that allow personal data to move between countries. Organizations rarely face GDPR alone; they typically need to manage it alongside frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001 without creating duplicate work. The volume of DSARs—formal requests from individuals to access, delete, or port their personal data—surged 82% year-over-year in 2025, making manual response workflows unsustainable.

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Modern GDPR compliance software addresses these challenges through compliance automation. The best platforms continuously monitor your controls, automatically collect evidence from your technology stack, and provide real-time visibility into your compliance posture.

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How we evaluated GDPR compliance software

We assessed each platform against GDPR's core requirements, focusing on capabilities that reduce manual effort and provide continuous assurance. Our evaluation examined GDPR-specific features like Article 30 records of processing activities (ROPA)—the detailed inventory of how you process personal data—and Article 35 Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) workflows for evaluating high-risk processing.

     Criterion Why it matters Questions to ask service providers     Core compliance   GDPR-specific framework support GDPR has unique requirements around data subject rights, privacy by design, and accountability that generic tools miss How comprehensively do you cover GDPR requirements? Do you support both data controller and data processor obligations?   Automated evidence collection Manual documentation of processing activities, consent records, and technical measures wastes hundreds of hours annually What percentage of GDPR evidence can you collect automatically? How do you handle GDPR-specific evidence like DPIAs and ROPAs?   Continuous monitoring GDPR requires ongoing demonstration of appropriate safeguards, not point-in-time assessments How do you monitor GDPR controls continuously? What happens when data processing activities change?   Cross-framework mapping Organizations pursuing GDPR often need SOC 2, ISO 27001, or other frameworks simultaneously How do you map GDPR requirements to other frameworks? Can you reuse evidence across multiple compliance programs?   GDPR-specific capabilities   Data mapping and inventory Article 30 requires detailed records of processing activities, which is foundational to GDPR compliance How do you help map data flows and maintain processing records? Do you automate ROPA creation and updates?   Data subject rights management GDPR mandates timely responses to access, deletion, and portability requests within strict timeframes How do you manage DSARs? What workflows exist for deletion and portability?   Consent management Demonstrating valid, freely-given consent is critical for many processing activities How do you track and document consent? Do you integrate with consent management platforms?   Data Protection Impact Assessments High-risk processing requires formal DPIAs before implementation Do you provide DPIA templates and workflows? How do you trigger DPIA requirements?   Technical and organizational measures   Security control automation GDPR requires appropriate technical and organizational measures proportionate to risk Which security controls do you automate? How do you demonstrate encryption, access controls, and pseudonymization?   Vendor and processor management Data controllers are liable for their processors' GDPR compliance, requiring robust third-party oversight How do you assess vendor GDPR compliance? Can you manage Data Processing Agreements (DPAs)?   Breach notification workflows GDPR requires breach notification to authorities within 72 hours and affected individuals without undue delay Do you provide breach detection and notification workflows? How do you track the 72-hour window?   Privacy by design documentation GDPR requires demonstrating privacy considerations in system design and development How do you document privacy-by-design measures? Can you track privacy requirements in development?   Audit and accountability   Audit trail and accountability GDPR's accountability principle requires demonstrating compliance measures to supervisory authorities How comprehensive is your audit trail? Can you prove compliance to regulators on demand?   Multi-jurisdictional support Organizations operating across EU member states face varying interpretations and additional national requirements How do you handle country-specific GDPR requirements? Do you support GDPR plus UK GDPR plus other regional variations?   Reporting for stakeholders Data Protection Officers (DPOs), legal teams, and executives need different views of GDPR compliance status What GDPR-specific reports do you provide? Can you generate reports for supervisory authorities?   Documentation templates GDPR requires extensive documentation including policies, procedures, and records What GDPR documentation templates do you provide? How customizable are privacy policies and notices?   Integration and ecosystem   Privacy tool integration Organizations often use specialized tools for consent, cookie management, and data discovery Do you integrate with privacy-specific tools? How do you avoid creating silos?   EU-US data transfer mechanisms International data transfers require specific safeguards like SCCs or adequacy decisions How do you manage transfer impact assessments? Do you support EU-US Data Privacy Framework certification?   Support and expertise GDPR's complexity and evolving regulatory guidance require access to privacy professionals Do you provide access to GDPR experts? What advisory services support complex privacy questions?   Pricing transparency GDPR compliance is mandatory, making cost predictability essential for budget planning What is your GDPR-specific pricing? Are there additional costs for DPIAs, ROPAs, or other privacy features?      

GDPR compliance software compared

This section evaluates each platform against our criteria, with specific attention to GDPR automation capabilities, framework coverage, and integration depth.

1. Vanta

Vanta transforms GDPR compliance from a point-in-time project into a continuous, automated program. Vanta's core strength is its deep automation and cross-framework mapping, which allows you to manage GDPR alongside SOC 2, ISO 27001, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) without duplicating work.

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With over 400 integrations, Vanta automatically collects evidence from your cloud infrastructure, identity providers, and Human Resources (HR) systems. Continuous monitoring ensures your security controls remain effective between audits, providing real-time alerts if configurations drift or new data processing activities require documentation.

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Ideal for: Organizations that need GDPR compliance alongside other frameworks like SOC 2 or ISO 27001, particularly startups and scaling companies that want continuous compliance automation without building large privacy teams.

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     Pros Cons     Cross-framework efficiency: Map GDPR controls to SOC 2, ISO 27001, and other frameworks to eliminate duplicate evidence collection. Enterprise privacy features: Organizations with complex DPIA requirements or high-volume DSAR workflows may need supplemental privacy-specific tooling.   Continuous monitoring: Hourly automated tests verify control effectiveness and alert teams to configuration drift for ongoing accountability. Cookie consent integration: Relies on partner integrations for cookie consent management rather than native cookie scanning functionality.   Integration depth: Over 400 integrations automatically collect evidence from cloud providers, identity systems, and business applications. Regional specificity: Organizations with complex multi-jurisdictional requirements may need additional configuration for country-specific interpretations.      

2. OneTrust

OneTrust is an enterprise privacy management platform with comprehensive GDPR-specific capabilities. The platform's core strengths are consent management, cookie compliance, and data discovery. OneTrust provides detailed workflows for conducting DPIAs, automating Records of Processing Activities (ROPA), and managing the full lifecycle of DSARs. However, the platform runs tests weekly rather than continuously, which may require more manual work compared to platforms with hourly monitoring.

As a full privacy operations suite, OneTrust includes distinct modules for consent and preferences, privacy rights automation, and third-party risk management. Its data mapping capabilities help organizations identify and inventory personal data across complex IT environments.

Ideal for: Large enterprises with dedicated privacy teams that require comprehensive privacy operations capabilities and have high volumes of DSARs or complex consent requirements.

     Pros Cons     Privacy-first design: Purpose-built for privacy operations with deep GDPR-specific workflows for consent management and DSAR automation. Implementation complexity: Enterprise-scale platform requires significant configuration and dedicated resources to deploy effectively.   Data discovery integration: Connects with data discovery tools to identify personal data across systems for Article 30 ROPA requirements. Cost structure: Modular pricing across consent, privacy rights, and GRC capabilities can result in significant total investment.   DSAR automation: Dedicated portal for data subject request intake with workflow automation for identity verification and response tracking. Security compliance gaps: Less efficient for cross-framework evidence collection if you also need SOC 2 or ISO 27001.      

3. Drata

Drata is a security and compliance automation platform that supports GDPR alongside other security frameworks. The platform provides automated evidence collection and daily monitoring, primarily focused on technical controls within cloud environments. Drata helps organizations demonstrate compliance by integrating with their tech stack to pull evidence for controls related to security, access management, and infrastructure configuration.

Drata positions itself as a unified solution for companies needing to manage multiple compliance standards like SOC 2, ISO 27001, and GDPR from a single dashboard. While it effectively automates the security-related aspects of GDPR, its capabilities for privacy-specific operations are less developed than those of dedicated privacy platforms.

Ideal for: Organizations already using or evaluating Drata for security frameworks like SOC 2 or ISO 27001 that want to add GDPR to their existing compliance program.

     Pros Cons     Multi-framework coverage: Supports GDPR alongside SOC 2, ISO 27001, and HIPAA with control mapping to reduce duplicate effort. Privacy-specific depth: GDPR capabilities focus on security controls rather than privacy operations, with less comprehensive DSAR workflows.   Continuous monitoring: Automated tests continuously verify control status and alert teams to failures for ongoing accountability. Data mapping limitations: Organizations needing comprehensive data flow mapping and ROPA automation may find capabilities less developed.   Integration ecosystem: Connects with cloud providers, identity systems, and business applications to automate evidence collection. Cookie and consent gaps: Does not provide native cookie consent management, requiring separate tooling for these requirements.      

4. Osano

Osano is a data privacy platform that specializes in consent management, making it effective for addressing cookie compliance and website privacy. The platform excels at automated website scanning, customizable consent banner deployment, and providing a preference center for end-users to manage their consent choices.

In addition to its consent capabilities, Osano offers vendor privacy risk ratings, data subject rights request management, and privacy policy templates. Its accessible design and straightforward implementation make it a popular choice for small to mid-sized businesses.

Ideal for: Organizations prioritizing cookie consent and website privacy, especially those without dedicated privacy teams that need an accessible, easy-to-deploy consent management solution.

     Pros Cons     Consent management focus: Strong cookie consent capabilities with automated website scanning and customizable banners for compliance. Limited security compliance: Does not support SOC 2, ISO 27001, or other security frameworks, requiring separate tooling.   Vendor privacy ratings: Provides privacy risk scores for vendors based on their data practices to assess processor compliance. Evidence collection scope: Focused on consent and privacy rather than technical security controls with less infrastructure automation.   Accessibility: Designed for organizations without dedicated privacy teams with straightforward implementation and user-friendly workflows. Enterprise scalability: Organizations with complex multi-property consent requirements or high-volume DSARs may outgrow capabilities.      

5. TrustArc

TrustArc is a privacy management platform that combines software with expert consulting services. The platform offers comprehensive tools for managing GDPR compliance, including privacy assessments, data inventory and flow mapping, and regulatory intelligence. TrustArc is particularly strong in its ability to help organizations conduct DPIAs and document privacy-by-design principles.

A key differentiator for TrustArc is its integrated advisory services, which provide customers with access to privacy professionals for help with complex regulatory questions and program development.

Ideal for: Organizations seeking a combination of privacy compliance software and expert advisory services, particularly those with complex regulatory needs or limited internal privacy expertise.

     Pros Cons     Privacy expertise: Combines software with consulting services providing access to privacy professionals for complex GDPR questions. Implementation timeline: Full platform deployment with data mapping and assessment configuration can require significant time investment.   Regulatory intelligence: Tracks regulatory changes and provides guidance updates to stay current with evolving GDPR interpretations. Security framework gaps: Limited support for security compliance frameworks like SOC 2 or ISO 27001 requiring additional tooling.   Assessment depth: Comprehensive privacy impact assessment and risk evaluation capabilities support Article 35 DPIA requirements. Cost considerations: Enterprise pricing with consulting services can represent significant investment for smaller organizations.      

Key features in GDPR compliance software

Effective GDPR compliance platforms are distinguished by their ability to automate manual tasks and provide continuous proof of accountability.

Automated evidence collection for GDPR audits

Automated evidence collection is the process of using software to automatically gather the documentation needed to prove GDPR compliance. This feature eliminates hundreds of hours of manual work by integrating directly with your technology stack to pull proof that your controls are operating as intended.

This capability is fundamental to satisfying GDPR's accountability principle, which requires you to demonstrate your compliance to regulators at any time. Automation ensures your evidence is always current and audit-ready.

Key evidence types that platforms should automate:

• Processing activity documentation: Automatic capture of data flows, system inventories, and processing purposes to support Article 30 ROPA requirements
• Technical measures evidence: Integration with cloud infrastructure to document encryption, access controls, and security configurations
• Vendor compliance tracking: Automated collection of processor certifications, DPAs, and security assessments
• Policy acknowledgment records: Integration with Human Resources (HR) systems to track employee training and policy acceptance

Continuous monitoring for GDPR accountability

Continuous monitoring uses automation to constantly test and verify that your security and privacy controls are working correctly. Instead of discovering compliance issues during a periodic audit, continuous monitoring provides real-time visibility into your GDPR posture.

This always-on approach is critical for demonstrating ongoing accountability to supervisory authorities. It provides verifiable proof that you are maintaining appropriate safeguards to protect personal data every day.

Continuous monitoring capabilities you should evaluate:

• Control testing automation: Regular verification that security configurations, access controls, and data protection measures remain effective
• Configuration drift detection: Alerts when infrastructure changes or settings modifications create compliance gaps
• Vendor monitoring: Ongoing assessment of processor compliance status and security posture changes
• Compliance dashboards: Real-time visibility into GDPR control status for DPOs and compliance teams

How to choose the right GDPR compliance software

Selecting the right compliance management platform requires a clear understanding of your organization's specific needs and compliance context.

1. Assess your GDPR scope and complexity. Determine if you operate as a data controller—the entity that decides how and why personal data is processed—or a data processor—the entity that processes data on behalf of a controller.
2. Identify multi-framework requirements. If you also need to comply with SOC 2, ISO 27001, or other frameworks, prioritize platforms with strong cross-framework mapping. Many GDPR controls overlap with these frameworks, particularly around access management, encryption, and vendor oversight.
3. Evaluate your privacy operations maturity. If you have high volumes of DSARs or complex consent needs across multiple websites and applications, a privacy-first platform may be necessary. If your primary goal is to demonstrate strong security controls, a compliance automation platform is likely a better fit.
4. Map your integration requirements. List your key cloud providers, identity systems, Human Resources (HR) platforms, and other business applications. Ensure the software you choose integrates with your existing tech stack to maximize automation.
5. Test with real compliance scenarios. Move beyond canned demos and request a trial that allows you to test the platform with your own systems and GDPR control requirements.
6. Consider support and expertise access. GDPR is complex and constantly evolving. Evaluate the level of expert support the vendor provides to help you navigate challenging compliance questions.
7. Model total cost across your compliance program. Compare pricing structures, including any fees for additional frameworks, integrations, or support tiers. A consolidated platform that handles multiple frameworks is often more cost-effective than managing several point solutions.

Build continuous GDPR compliance with Vanta

Vanta moves your organization from point-in-time assessments to continuous, audit-ready compliance with automated evidence collection, continuous monitoring, and integrated vendor risk management.

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Frequently asked questions about GDPR compliance software

What is GDPR compliance software?

GDPR compliance software is a platform that helps organizations meet the requirements of GDPR through automated evidence collection, control monitoring, and documentation management.

How does GDPR compliance software work with other frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001?

Many GDPR requirements overlap with controls in frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001, particularly around security measures like access management, encryption, and vendor oversight. Advanced compliance platforms map these overlapping controls, allowing you to collect evidence once and apply it across multiple frameworks.

How long does it take to achieve GDPR compliance with automation software?

Timelines vary based on your organization's size, complexity, and existing security posture. Companies with established security controls and limited processing complexity can typically demonstrate GDPR compliance within weeks using automation platforms, while more complex environments may require longer implementation periods.