Overview

Eramba is governance, risk and compliance software for organizations that want to coordinate risk, controls, policies and compliance work. It is best suited to GRC teams that need configurable workflows and room to involve other departments or suppliers. Its strongest case is breadth and flexibility; its clearest boundary is that it does not discover assets by scanning networks.

The product covers risk and compliance management, data privacy, incident management, awareness programs, automated account reviews and online assessments. Its team says it began building and sharing the tool in 2007. In practice, Eramba is a system for managing GRC information, not a replacement for asset discovery: organizations can bring asset information from a CMDB through its REST API.

Key features

Eramba combines configurable records with workflow and reporting tools. Custom fields, granular access controls, notifications and dynamic status let teams adapt how information is captured and tracked. Quantitative analysis, custom risk fields, workflow automation and scheduled risk reporting support ongoing risk work rather than a collection of static registers. That configurability suits organizations with established processes, though the range of GRC activity means teams should be prepared to define how they want those processes represented.

More than 70 compliance packages are ready to import, and teams can upload a custom framework as a CSV. That gives organizations a useful starting point for common frameworks while leaving a path for their own requirements.

REST APIs and webhooks connect Eramba with other systems. It can receive API requests and send webhooks; examples include creating SIEM incidents and Jira issues. External authentication supports LDAP, SAML and Google OAuth, and LDAP synchronization is documented. Locally authenticated accounts have brute-force protection by default, blocking additional login attempts after incorrect credentials.

GRC team members can manage risks, controls and policies, while other departments and suppliers can provide review feedback. This division makes Eramba relevant to organizations whose GRC work depends on input from people outside the core team.

Pricing

Eramba has a free Community option and paid Enterprise plans. Community is open and free as a self-hosted deployment, with unlimited users and data. The trade-off is operational: upgrades and backups are manual, and support is not included. It fits organizations able to run the system themselves and handle maintenance without vendor support.

Enterprise On-Premise starts at €2,500 per year and includes unlimited users and data, all modules and email support. It is the stronger fit for organizations that want to host their own installation but need vendor support and the complete module set. Enterprise SaaS starts at €5,000 per year, also with unlimited users and data; Eramba hosts it, manages updates and backups, and offers cloud hosting in Europe or the USA. The higher starting price buys less operational burden rather than a larger user allowance.

For SaaS, Eramba says it performs daily backups and applies upgrades when releases become available. The plans have no stated user or data caps, so the practical choice is chiefly between self-management and managed hosting, alongside the difference in starting price.

Platforms

Eramba supports web, Linux, API and self-hosted use. Community and Enterprise on-premise deployments are documented for Docker and VMware, with the Docker guide covering Linux host configuration. Its hybrid deployment options give organizations a choice between managing an installation themselves and using Eramba-hosted SaaS.

Who it's for

Eramba is a good fit for GRC teams that need to manage several related programs, tailor records and workflows, and gather feedback across departments or suppliers. The framework packages, APIs and authentication choices will matter most to organizations connecting compliance work to existing systems and identity services. It is less suitable as a stand-alone tool for discovering network assets; that information needs to come from another system such as a CMDB.

Pros and cons

Broad GRC coverage: risk, compliance, privacy, incidents, awareness, account reviews and assessments can sit within one system.
Flexible framework support: more than 70 importable packages and CSV framework uploads give teams both a starting library and a route for custom requirements.
Integration options: REST APIs, webhooks and external authentication can connect GRC processes with other systems and identity providers.
Community shifts operations to the customer: manual upgrades and backups, with no included support, make the free self-hosted plan a better fit for teams able to maintain it.
No network scanning: teams need another source for asset discovery and can sync CMDB information through the API.

Alternatives

Pirani may suit teams that want Android or iOS access and a free plan capped at 200 records, five user seats, one heat map report and 2.5 GB of cloud storage. Eramba's Community plan instead offers unlimited users and data but requires self-hosting and manual maintenance.

EasyRisk is worth considering for a free, self-hosted option with unlimited risks, one risk board, one editor, one attachment per risk and standard email support. Eramba is the broader choice for teams seeking multiple GRC activities and compliance packages, while EasyRisk's free plan makes its limits explicit.

Protecht is an alternative for teams considering paid ERM software with annual license fees based on the number and type of named active users; marketplace templates and its Operational Resilience module cost extra.

NAVEX IRM is another paid option, with pricing tailored to organizational size, solutions, program scope and requirements.

Riskware is a paid alternative with a free trial and Android, iOS, macOS, web and API platforms.

ShipManager Crewing is a paid web, iOS and Android option without a free plan.

AuditBoard (now Optro) offers flexible plans with unlimited stakeholder licenses, tailored to business needs, along with Optro Success and Services.

For broader comparisons, see Risk Management Software, Internal Controls Software and Governance, Risk and Compliance Software.

Verdict

Choose Eramba if your organization needs a configurable home for multiple GRC activities, wants framework packages and integrations, and can decide between self-managed infrastructure and paid hosting. The main reason to look elsewhere is equally clear: it will not scan your network, and the free self-hosted plan leaves upgrades, backups and support to you.

	Ascent Controls	Eramba
Free plan	No	Yes
Free trial	No	No
Paid from	—	€208.33/mo
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Web	api, Linux, self-hosted, Web
Free plan	No	Yes
Control testing	Yes	—
Evidence collection	Yes	—
Issue remediation	Yes	—
Deployment	cloud	hybrid

Ascent Controls vs Eramba

Ascent Controls

Eramba