CISO Tribune

Vendor comparison · 2 companies

Thoropass vs UpGuard

Thoropass is a licensed auditor that delivers audits, supported by purpose built software. UpGuard sells tools that move third-party risk monitoring from static snapshots to continuous oversight. CISO Tribune files both under Third-party risk and security ratings. This page sets the two records side by side: what each sells, where it is based, who owns and funds it, the customers it names and its recent news, each fact numbered to its source.

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  • Thoropass
  • UpGuard
Thoropass vs UpGuard: Products, Customers and Funding Compared
ThoropassThoropass is a licensed auditor that delivers audits, supported by purpose built software.thoropass.comUpGuardUpGuard sells tools that move third-party risk monitoring from static snapshots to continuous oversight.upguard.com
What it sells
  • Audit Lifecycle Platform[4][6][11][17][18]A centralized system that manages the audit process from readiness through final reporting.
  • First Pass[11]AI-powered evidence review that runs before evidence reaches the auditor.
  • Smart Sort[11][12][17]Analyzes incoming evidence and maps it to the appropriate audit requirement.
  • Thoropass MCP ServerLets customers use the Audit Lifecycle Platform from AI tools such as Claude or ChatGPT.
  • Thoropass Risk Register[5][16]Reviews and mitigates risk in the same platform used for readiness and audit.
  • Thoropass Trust Center[14]A public-facing portal that shows a customer's compliance posture.
  • User Risk[1][5][10]Human risk management that gives visibility into human risk and enables safe AI adoption.
  • Risk Automations[1][10]Risk automation that connects a risk stack to system APIs to automate discovery, notification and remediation.
  • Questionnaire AI[11]Automatically completes questionnaires using a customer's own security documentation.
Categories
Headquarters
New York, United States[3]Hobart, Australia[2]
Founded
2019[2][3]2012[2]
Ownership and funding
Not stated on its pagesPrivately held[2][3]
Named customers
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Recent news
  • July 9, 2026Thoropass launched an MCP server that lets customers connect their organizations' AI agents with its Audit Lifecycle Platform.[18]
  • January 29, 2026Thoropass launched Smart Sort AI, a feature in its Audit Lifecycle Platform that turns exports from any GRC tool into audit-ready evidence.[17]
Not stated on its pages
G2 and Gartner Peer Insights
  • G2: listed, seen November 4, 2026[10]
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
  • G2: listed, seen November 10, 2026[3]
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
Who it fits
From its own pages, Thoropass sells mainly to organizations pursuing audits and certifications such as SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS and HIPAA. Thoropass says it serves organizations getting started on a first framework and those looking to maintain a compliance program. Companies with multiple products or environments can organize evidence and controls in the platform. Its pages address healthcare organizations that need HIPAA compliance. Organizations with unique industry or internal frameworks can manage them directly in Thoropass.Not written yet
Last verified
November 2, 2026September 27, 2026

Where they overlap

  • Thoropass and UpGuard are both filed under Third-party risk and security ratings.

Where they differ, field by field

  • Thoropass's primary category is Compliance automation; UpGuard's is Third-party risk and security ratings.
  • UpGuard is also filed under External attack surface management and Human risk management.
  • Thoropass lists Audit Lifecycle Platform, First Pass, Smart Sort, Thoropass MCP Server, Thoropass Risk Register and 1 more. UpGuard lists User Risk, Risk Automations and Questionnaire AI.
  • Thoropass is headquartered in New York, United States. UpGuard is headquartered in Hobart, Australia.
  • Thoropass was founded in 2019. UpGuard was founded in 2012.
  • UpGuard is privately held.

What it sells: Thoropass

What Audit Lifecycle Platform does[4][6][11][17][18]
The Thoropass Audit Lifecycle Platform combines AI-powered workflow automation, evidence collection, control management and auditor collaboration in one place. The platform is designed to replace fragmented tools like spreadsheets and email chains.
What First Pass does[11]
First Pass checks evidence for common issues such as missing information, inconsistencies and timing problems before it reaches the auditor. It is meant to help teams reduce rework and improve audit readiness.
What Smart Sort does[11][12][17]
Smart Sort analyzes incoming evidence from external systems and maps it to the appropriate audit requirement. It is currently available for customers pursuing SOC 2 Type I or Type II audit cycles.
What Thoropass Risk Register does[5][16]
With the Thoropass Risk Register, customers review and mitigate risk in the same platform they use for compliance readiness and the audit process. The risk dashboard can be set up in a flexible 4×4 or 5×5 risk configuration. Risks are linked back to relevant controls.
What Thoropass Trust Center does[14]
The Thoropass Trust Center is available to all customers as a public-facing portal that shows a customer's compliance posture. Customers control visibility with NDA gating and access requests.

What it sells: UpGuard

What User Risk does[1][5][10]
User Risk continuously detects unsanctioned applications running across a workforce and exposes over-privileged permissions and credential leaks. User Risk nudges employees mid-workflow and redirects them to approved corporate alternatives. User Risk sits in the browser and blocks unauthorized file uploads and copy-pastes.
What Risk Automations does[1][10]
UpGuard describes risk automation that connects a risk stack to system APIs to automate discovery, notification and remediation. The offering automates discovery, notification and resolution by integrating a risk stack.
What Questionnaire AI does[11]
Questionnaire AI automatically completes questionnaires using a customer's own security documentation. Customers upload documents such as a SOC 2 report, an information security report and previously completed questionnaires.

Questions about Thoropass and UpGuard

What do Thoropass and UpGuard sell?
Thoropass sells Audit Lifecycle Platform, First Pass, Smart Sort, Thoropass MCP Server, Thoropass Risk Register and 1 more. UpGuard sells User Risk, Risk Automations and Questionnaire AI.
Are Thoropass and UpGuard in the same category?
They share Third-party risk and security ratings. Thoropass's primary category is Compliance automation and UpGuard's is Third-party risk and security ratings.
Where are Thoropass and UpGuard headquartered?
Thoropass is headquartered in New York, United States. UpGuard is headquartered in Hobart, Australia.
When were Thoropass and UpGuard founded?
Thoropass was founded in 2019. UpGuard was founded in 2012.
Who owns Thoropass and UpGuard?
UpGuard is privately held.
Who are Thoropass and UpGuard sold to?
From its own pages, Thoropass sells mainly to organizations pursuing audits and certifications such as SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS and HIPAA.
What have Thoropass and UpGuard announced recently?
July 9, 2026: Thoropass launched an MCP server that lets customers connect their organizations' AI agents with its Audit Lifecycle Platform.

About Thoropass

Thoropass is a licensed auditor that delivers audits, supported by purpose built software. Thoropass combines in-house auditors with the automation of evidence collection in a single process and place. Thoropass uses AI to map controls, identify gaps and organize evidence in real time.[1][4][13]

The Thoropass Audit Lifecycle Platform is a centralized system that manages the entire audit process from readiness through final reporting. The platform combines AI-powered workflow automation, evidence collection, control management and auditor collaboration in one place. The platform is designed to replace fragmented tools like spreadsheets and email chains. The Audit Lifecycle Platform supports customers and auditors throughout the assessment process.[4][6][11]

First Pass is Thoropass’ AI-powered evidence review capability, and it checks evidence for common issues such as missing information, inconsistencies and timing problems before it reaches the auditor. First Pass reviews submissions for completeness, consistency and timeliness. Smart Sort analyzes incoming evidence from external systems and maps it to the appropriate audit requirement. Customers upload files or folders into Thoropass, and Smart Sort analyzes each document and recommends it for the relevant evidence request. Smart Sort works with uploaded evidence without requiring a dedicated integration with the system it came from. Smart Sort is currently available for customers pursuing SOC 2 Type I or Type II audit cycles. The Thoropass MCP Server lets customers interact with the Thoropass Audit Lifecycle Platform from AI tools such as Claude or ChatGPT. Thoropass states that it does not believe AI should replace human auditing.[1][4][11][12][13]

Thoropass is designed to support multi-framework audits such as SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI, GDPR and HITRUST within a unified process. The platform maps overlapping controls across frameworks to reduce duplicate work. ISO/IEC 27701, NIS 2 Directive, ISO 9001, CMMC Level 2 and CIS Controls v8 are available in the Thoropass platform. Thoropass supports ISO 42001 in its OrO Way offering for multi-framework compliance. Organizations with unique industry or internal frameworks can manage them directly in Thoropass. Certified CPA and HITRUST auditors conduct SOC 2, ISO 27001, HITRUST or HIPAA audits directly within Thoropass.[4][13][15]

With the Thoropass Risk Register, customers review and mitigate risk in the same platform they use for compliance readiness and the audit process. The risk dashboard can be stood up in a flexible 4×4 or 5×5 risk configuration. In the Thoropass Risk Register, risks are linked back to relevant controls so customers can review, assign and remediate without leaving the platform. Thoropass provides penetration testing within its platform, to test where an organization needs improvement. Thoropass is a PCI Approved Scanning Vendor (ASV). The Thoropass Trust Center is available to all customers as a public-facing portal that shows a customer's compliance posture.[1][5][16]

Thoropass integrations, such as the one with AWS, are vetted and approved by auditors. High-quality data from integrations automatically satisfies evidence requests while powering transparent continuous compliance monitors. Customers connect business tools and apps to Thoropass through auditor-vetted native integrations. Thoropass integrates with a wide range of common business and infrastructure tools to automate evidence collection and reduce manual work. Customers can use consultation, representation and audit services through a vetted ecosystem of service partners.[4][7][8][9]

Thoropass names customers among its stories. Thoropass’ compliance experts conducted gap, risk and readiness assessments for Cinchy and crafted a tailored task list to help it secure ISO 27001 and SOC 2 compliance. Elestio was looking to expand and move up-market in Europe, and Thoropass’s multi-framework approach helped it achieve additional certifications quickly. Sam Li is the CEO of Thoropass.[1][4][5][6][7]

Thoropass on the record

Sources

Thoropass full record

  1. [1]Readiness and audit in one compliance automation platform - ThoropassThoropass · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]Thoropass ceo sam li honored by goldman sachs for entrepreneurship excellenceThoropass · thoropass.com · published October 17, 2024 · Tier A
  3. [3]6001423004Thoropass · job-boards.greenhouse.io · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]AI-powered, expert-led | ThoropassThoropass · undated page, accessed October 29, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]The only all-in-one solution for infosec compliance and audits - ThoropassThoropass · undated page, accessed October 29, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]Audit Lifecycle Platform | ThoropassThoropass · undated page, accessed October 29, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]Augment your experience with service partners - ThoropassThoropass · undated page, accessed October 29, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]Save time and money with AWS and Thoropass - ThoropassThoropass · undated page, accessed October 29, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Integrations that streamline your compliance journey - ThoropassThoropass · undated page, accessed October 29, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Thoropass Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & FeaturesG2 · undated page, accessed October 29, 2026 · Tier C
  11. [11]AI-Native IT Audits | Thoropass Audit Lifecycle PlatformThoropass · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]Smart Sort AI: Automated Evidence Mapping | ThoropassThoropass · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]Thoropass leading the charge on AI-powered technology - ThoropassThoropass · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  14. [14]Product Updates - ThoropassThoropass · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  15. [15]Thoropass vs. Traditional Audit Firms: A Smarter Way to Compliance | ThoropassThoropass · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  16. [16]Efficiently track, analyze, and mitigate risk in one, central platform - ThoropassThoropass · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  17. [17]Thoropass Launches Smart Sort AI to Turn Any GRC Export Into Audit-Ready EvidenceThoropass · published January 29, 2026 · Tier A
  18. [18]Thoropass Launches MCP Server to Further Streamline AI-native Audit CapabilitiesThoropass · published July 9, 2026 · Tier A

UpGuard full record

  1. [1]upguard.comUpGuard · upguard.com · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]Upguard raises 75m in series c funding to accelerate market leadership in cyber risk posture managementUpGuard · upguard.com · published February 26, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]UpGuard Vendor Risk Reviews & Product DetailsG2 · undated page, accessed October 29, 2026 · Tier C
  4. [4]Continuous Third-Party Risk Monitoring | UpGuardUpGuard · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]The #1 Cyber Risk Posture Management Platform | UpGuardUpGuard · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]Pricing For The UpGuard CRPM Platform | UpGuardUpGuard · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]Third-party Risk Assessment Software | UpGuardUpGuard · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]Lucid Security Rating & Data Breaches | UpGuardUpGuard · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]GiftPay Security Rating & Data Breaches | UpGuardUpGuard · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]User Risk: A Human Risk Management Platform | UpGuardUpGuard · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Free AI-Powered Security Questionnaires Done in MinutesUpGuard · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A

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