OpenGRC

Overview

OpenGRC is a web-based cyber governance, risk and compliance application for small and midsized businesses. It suits teams seeking risk, audit, vendor and incident work in one system, especially those able to self-host or budget for an Enterprise plan. Its breadth is appealing, but Community requires technical upkeep and the REST API has a firm request limit.

Key features

OpenGRC brings risk management, controls and implementations, audits, vendor management, incident response and project management together. Support for NIST 800-171, ISO 27001, SOC 2, CMMC and PCI DSS, alongside control mapping, evidence collection, risk assessments and remediation workflows, gives compliance teams several core processes in one application.

Audit tools handle evidence requests, progress tracking and report generation, useful for keeping audit work organized from request through reporting. Vendor Management adds a dedicated portal, customizable questionnaires and weighted scoring, giving teams a structured way to assess suppliers rather than relying only on ad hoc reviews.

There are no built-in third-party integrations. The REST API offers a route to connect other systems, but its limit of 60 requests per minute per user—or per IP for unauthenticated requests—may constrain high-volume automation. Enterprise also includes AI risk assessments, automated vendor survey responses and AI gap assessments. Its MCP server works with compatible clients such as Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor using OAuth 2.1. OpenGRC says hosted customer data is not used to train AI models.

Hosted plans commit to 99.5% monthly uptime and state that data is encrypted in transit and at rest, with instance-specific data keys and an annual independent SOC 2 Type II examination. These assurances are relevant to buyers considering hosted deployment, though the uptime commitment is not a guarantee of uninterrupted service.

Pricing

Community costs nothing and includes self-hosting, full source code access and community support. It avoids a subscription, but you must run the web and database servers and handle installation and maintenance; OpenGRC says this calls for some technical knowledge. The license is Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0, with stated exceptions for earlier code and certain commercial use, so organizations should review the terms before adopting it commercially.

Enterprise Basic costs $4,500 a year. It includes unlimited internal users, frameworks, vendors and applications, plus email support with a 24-hour response. That makes it the hosted paid tier for teams that need broad internal access and support without a stated user cap.

Enterprise Enhanced costs $7,500 a year and includes Basic, onboarding training, an SMB Risk Assessment, additional real-time chat support, premium hosting and regular updates. The higher annual cost is most defensible for teams that value guided onboarding and added support. Enterprise plans also include the AI capabilities described above. No trial or renewal terms are stated.

Platforms

OpenGRC is web-based and offers a self-hosted Community edition and hosted plans. Community requires both a web server and a database server, so it is a poor fit for teams seeking a no-maintenance free service. The REST API supports integrations, but there are no built-in third-party integrations.

Who it's for

OpenGRC is a strong candidate for small and midsized organizations bringing compliance, risk, audit and vendor processes into one application, particularly those working across its supported frameworks. Choose Community if you can manage self-hosting and its license fits your use. Choose Enterprise if you want hosted service, support and—in Enhanced—training and additional assistance. Look elsewhere if you depend on built-in integrations, need a less technical free option or require API throughput beyond 60 requests per minute.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Risk, controls, audits, vendor management, incident response and project management share one platform, reducing the need to split those workflows across separate applications.
• Pros: Enterprise plans allow unlimited internal users, frameworks, vendors and applications, so stated capacity does not depend on seat or vendor counts.
• Pros: Community provides full source access at no subscription cost for teams equipped to host and maintain it.
• Cons: Community installation and maintenance require technical knowledge and server administration.
• Cons: The API is limited to 60 requests per minute, and the platform has no built-in third-party integrations.
• Cons: Enterprise Basic starts at $4,500 a year, a meaningful commitment for smaller teams that need hosting and support.

Alternatives

CISO Assistant is worth considering for teams comparing freemium, self-hosted GRC options; its Community plan is free in EUR and allows unlimited users.

SimpleRisk is another freemium, self-hosted option, with an unlimited-user Core plan at no charge. Eramba also offers a free self-hosted Community edition.

Origami Risk GRC is an alternative for organizations that want Android or iOS access alongside web and API platforms. ZenGRC is a paid option with custom quotes and a flat rate for unlimited users, frameworks and vendors.

LogicGate Risk Cloud, Hyperproof and Onspring are also paid alternatives.

Verdict

OpenGRC is best for a small or midsized team that wants risk, audit, vendor and compliance work consolidated, and can either maintain a self-hosted installation or justify an Enterprise subscription. Its range of GRC workflows and unlimited Enterprise capacity are compelling; the technical burden of Community, lack of built-in integrations and API cap are the clearest reasons to choose another platform.