UpGuard review (2026): features, pros and cons, and what to check before you buy
Security ratings and vendor risk platform with public Standard-plan pricing and a free Trust Exchange.
Our take for buyers
UpGuard is a security ratings and vendor risk platform with tiers set by how many vendors you monitor: 50, 150, 500 or unlimited. Shortlist it if you are a mid-size security team that wants continuous, ratings-based monitoring, questionnaires and templates, plus SSO and API on the base plan. It is independent, and Standard comes with a six-user cap, so check how many of your people need full seats.
G2 lists 4.5 from 654 reviews, with good support noted. Reviewers also call reporting and dashboards rigid, say remediation tools are limited, and report that getting vendors to complete questionnaires is slow. Several controls a buyer will want, such as audit logs and automation, sit behind a quote-only plan, so decide which tier your requirements actually need.
Pros
- Higher review volume and rating than peers per G2 comparison.
- Good support per reviewers.
Cons
- Reporting and dashboards feel rigid.
- Remediation tools are limited.
- Getting vendors to complete questionnaires is slow.
- Best for
- Mid-size security teams that want published entry pricing for vendor risk.
- Starting price
- $1,750 per month, billed annually
- G2 rating
- 4.5 (654 reviews)
What is UpGuard?
Security ratings and vendor risk platform with public Standard-plan pricing and a free Trust Exchange. Mid-size security teams that want a number on the page before talking to sales will notice the published Standard plan: $1,750 monthly, billed yearly, covering about 50 vendors with SSO and API. Best for programs with enough vendors to justify that spend. Probe add-on costs, reporting depth and how fast vendors answer questionnaires. UpGuard was founded in 2012 and is based in Mountain View, California, US (operations in Sydney, Australia).
Category: Vendor Risk Management Software
UpGuard key features
| Criterion | What we found |
|---|---|
| Questionnaires / assessments | Questionnaires and templates; automation from Professional. |
| Continuous monitoring | Security ratings based monitoring. |
| Remediation workflow | Templates and automation from Professional, onboarding portal. |
| Pricing / add-on | Vendor-count tiers. |
UpGuard plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $1,750 | per month, billed annually | 50 vendors, 6 users, SSO, API; extra vendors $79/mo |
| Professional | Contact sales | 150 vendors, 6 users, adds RBAC, audit log, templates and automation | |
| Corporate | Contact sales | 500 vendors, 10 users, fourth parties | |
| Enterprise | Contact sales | Unlimited vendors, 30 users | |
| Enterprise+ | Contact sales | Unlimited users, multi-org |
Pricing page updated September 2026. Unlimited read-only users on all plans. Data residency is an extra cost on Enterprise tiers. Trust Exchange is described as free. G2 comparison pages show an older $5,999 per year entry figure.
Who should shortlist UpGuard
A strong fit for
- Mid-size security teams that want published entry pricing for vendor risk.
- Teams monitoring around 50 vendors who want SSO and API at the base plan.
A weak fit for
- Teams with only a few vendors on a tight budget (Standard is $21,000 per year before add-ons)
- Buyers needing data residency without extra cost.
UpGuard alternatives
SecurityScorecardSecurity teams that want outside-in continuous monitoring of many vendors.
BitsightTeams that want outside-in security ratings to monitor many vendors continuously.
ProcessUnityRegulated firms (banks, insurers) that need configurable assessment workflows and framework mapping.
PanoraysSecurity teams monitoring a vendor base with outside-in cyber scoring.
Mitratech PrevalentMid-market and enterprise risk teams running structured vendor assessment programs.
WhisticSecurity and GRC teams that run questionnaire-based vendor assessments.
Security, admin and compliance
Published: SSO on all plans, audit logs from Professional (not on Standard), role-based access control from Professional, fourth-party mapping from Corporate, and data residency on Enterprise and Enterprise+ at extra cost under Premium Assurance. Not published: SCIM, which the pricing page does not mention, and a DPA. Standard is billed annually and higher plans are quote based, so ask about renewal terms and vendor-count overage on the quote.
- SAML SSO
- All plans.
- SCIM provisioning
- Not mentioned on pricing page.
- Audit logs
- Professional and up (not on Standard)
- Data residency
- Enterprise and Enterprise+, additional cost under Premium Assurance.
Contract and buying terms
- Contract
- Standard billed annually; free trials on Standard and Professional.
- Support
- Standard support; Premium Assurance on Enterprise and Enterprise+.
- Starting price
- $1,750 per month, billed annually.
- Pricing model
- Flat.
- Free plan or trial
- Free trial.
What to test in an UpGuard demo or trial
Load your real vendor list and see how the ratings compare with what you know about each supplier. Send questionnaires to a handful of vendors and time how long they take to respond, since reviewers flag that as slow. Test the reporting and dashboards against the reports your leadership expects, because reviewers call them rigid. Check what remediation actually lets you do. Confirm during a trial on Standard or Professional which features you need, including the onboarding portal, templates and automation that start at Professional.
Questions to ask UpGuard before you sign
These are the points UpGuard's public pages leave open. Get the answers in writing before procurement signs off.
- Can we sign your standard DPA without changes?
- What will the price be at renewal, and is the increase capped?
Things to know before a demo
- Plan limits are by vendors monitored: 50 / 150 / 500 / unlimited.
- Extra vendors on Standard cost $79 per month each.
- Role-based access, audit log and automation require Professional (contact sales)
- Fourth-party mapping starts at Corporate.
- Data residency is an add-on cost on Enterprise tiers.
UpGuard FAQ
What is UpGuard used for?
Mid-size security teams that want a number on the page before talking to sales will notice the published Standard plan: $1,750 monthly, billed yearly, covering about 50 vendors with SSO and API. Best for programs with enough vendors to justify that spend. Probe add-on costs, reporting depth and how fast vendors answer questionnaires. It suits mid-size security teams that want published entry pricing for vendor risk.
Does UpGuard support SSO?
Yes, SSO is included on all plans, including Standard.
Does UpGuard have audit logs?
Audit logs are on Professional and up, not on Standard. Role-based access control and automation also start at Professional.
Does UpGuard offer data residency?
Yes, on Enterprise and Enterprise+, at additional cost under Premium Assurance. SCIM and a DPA are not mentioned on the pricing page.
Vendor profile
- Founded
- 2012.
- Headquarters
- Mountain View, California, US (operations in Sydney, Australia)
- Employees
- 201-500.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from UpGuard's own pricing, product or documentation pages, G2 and company records, checked on October 24, 2026. Unknown values are left out instead of estimated.