Spreadsheet, PrivyLedger, or GRC suite?
Most companies track vendors in one of three ways: a spreadsheet, a focused register like PrivyLedger, or an enterprise GRC suite (Vanta, Drata, OneTrust and peers). Here is an honest breakdown — including where PrivyLedger is not the right answer.
| Aspect | Spreadsheet | PrivyLedger | GRC suite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup time | Minutes — but you design it yourself | ~10 minutes with catalog quick-add or CSV import | Days to weeks; onboarding calls, implementation |
| Automatic risk scoring | No — manual judgement, goes stale | Yes — 0–100 with itemized reasons per vendor | Yes, often deeper but heavier to configure |
| AI / LLM vendor tracking | Rarely — usually a free-text column | First-class: AI register, exposure bands, training-on-data flags, 90-day re-reviews | Partial; AI governance often a separate expensive module |
| DPA status + request letters | Status column at best | Chase board with due dates and generated request letters | Yes, as part of wider contract management |
| DSAR deadlines | Manual calendar reminders | Board with statutory countdowns | Yes |
| Questionnaire exports | Copy-paste and pray | One click: markdown, SIG-Lite style, CAIQ style, CSV, JSON | Yes, enterprise-format heavy |
| Price (realistic SMB tier) | Free — until it costs you a deal | Free → €199/mo | €8k–30k+/yr typical entry |
| Data jurisdiction | Wherever the file lives | Norway/EEA on operator-run infrastructure; EEA→EEA processing | Varies; often US-headquartered processors |
When PrivyLedger is not the answer
- You need continuous attack-surface scanning of your own perimeter — that's UpGuard/Bitsight territory, not ours.
- You need full GRC: policy management, audit workflows, SOC 2 evidence automation — look at Vanta/Drata/OneTrust and pay accordingly.
- You have fewer than ~5 vendors and no customer questionnaires — a spreadsheet genuinely suffices. Come back when procurement asks.
Related reading
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