Competitor profile

Symbiant vs Acompli: product and service comparison

Symbiant is profiled first using its public positioning: UK GRC, audit, risk, compliance, RoPA and DPIA software. The page then maps product and service coverage against Acompli so buyers can see overlap, gaps and specialist strengths.

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Symbiant alternativeGRCUK privacyEvidence

Comparison briefComparison evidence lens

Compared companySymbiant

Compared againstAcompli

symbiant.co.uk

acompli.ie

Fit checkBuyer, workflow, scope

Evidence testSource, claim, caveat

Coverage9 sections, 3 tables

Outputs1 linked options

Fit

Who each option is best for, and where either supplier is deliberately narrower.

Evidence

Which public claims, review signals, caveats and capability rows are evidenced.

Operations

How much work it takes to implement, maintain and export the privacy record.

Decision

The questions a privacy team should ask before switching or shortlisting.

On this page

Key takeaways

Symbiant public market lane: UK GRC, audit, risk, compliance, RoPA and DPIA software.
Symbiant best-fit buyer: UK organisations that want modular GRC with ROPA, DPIA, risk registers, controls, actions, documents and audit-readiness.
Symbiant published strengths include broad GRC, audit, risk and compliance management - wider than privacy alone, useful when GRC is the goal.
The capability rows use public-documentation signals: "Y" means publicly documented, and "N" means not publicly confirmed.

01Symbiant profile

What Symbiant provides

Symbiant (UK) is AI-embedded GRC software for risk management, audit and compliance - affordable, agile and customisable - with DPIA and RoPA modules and risk-based GDPR management.

Signal	Details
Market lane	UK GRC, audit, risk, compliance, RoPA and DPIA software.
Best-fit buyer	UK organisations that want modular GRC with ROPA, DPIA, risk registers, controls, actions, documents and audit-readiness.
Ratings / pricing signal	Public ROPA page references pricing from around GBP 100/month; older Capterra evidence appears product-family oriented. Confirm current pricing, ratings and product details before making a buying decision.
Deployment / operating model	UK modular GRC/privacy software; public pages describe software modules, but public materials do not confirm private-cloud or on-prem options.

02Official website signals

What Symbiant emphasises on its own website

Symbiant positions itself as UK GRC, audit, risk and compliance software with privacy-related modules.

Symbiant official website

Open the official Symbiant source used for this profile refresh.

Explore

Official positioning is GRC-led, with audit, risk, compliance, controls and assurance workflows.
Privacy-related comparison should focus on whether DPIA and RoPA modules are enough for the buyer's GDPR operating model.
Symbiant is strongest when a UK buyer needs broad risk and audit administration beyond privacy.

03Published strengths

Symbiant products, services and stated strengths

A fair comparison names what the GRC platform does well. Symbiant is a credible, affordable UK GRC platform, and for some buyers it is the better choice.

Broad GRC, audit, risk and compliance management - wider than privacy alone, useful when GRC is the goal.
A breach/incident tracking module and policy/document management - Acompli has breach guidance but no dedicated breach module.
Transparent public pricing (from around GBP 100/month) and a highly customisable, affordable setup - Acompli prices on scope.
UK-based, with risk-based GDPR management for UK organisations.

04Sourced 2025-2026 signals

What's new at Symbiant (2025-2026, sourced)

These sourced updates were researched on 2026-07-05 and are listed separately from the live comparison table so existing profile claims remain unchanged.

Recent developmentSource: symbiant.co.uk

The UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) - the UK data-protection regulator - selected Symbiant as its GRC and audit software vendor, announced 18 January 2024 and still promoted by Symbiant as a live case study in 2026; Symbiant's CEO Andrew Birch is quoted describing the selection process. This is a notable public-sector/regulator-as-customer signal not currently reflected in Acompli's profile.

CertificationSource: symbiant.co.uk

Symbiant has been approved as a supplier on the UK government's G-Cloud 14 Digital Marketplace framework for the 4th consecutive year, a public-sector procurement accreditation not currently listed among the certifications in Acompli's existing profile (which lists ISO 27001:2017, ISO 9001, Cyber Essentials Plus, Gartner Cool Vendor and ICAEW).

Review signalSource: capterra.com

Independent review coverage for Symbiant remains very thin: Capterra lists 'Symbiant Tracker' at 5.0/5 stars but based on only 3 user reviews (pricing shown as starting at GBP 300/month), and G2 does not appear to host a populated review/star-rating page for Symbiant's products - only 'alternatives/competitors' listing pages are indexed for 'Symbiant Tracker' and 'Symbiant Audit Action Tracker'.

Market positioning nuanceSource: symbiant.co.uk

Symbiant markets itself heavily on longevity and pedigree: founded in 1999, claiming to have launched 'the world's first web-based, collaborative GRC solution' in 2002, with 'six major rewrites' of the platform since - a 25+ year tenure narrative not currently reflected in Acompli's profile of the vendor.

Review signalSource: symbiant.co.uk

Symbiant's own marketing (not independently verified) cites a government-led customer survey of 450 participants reporting 95% satisfaction with the system and 97% satisfaction with support - a vendor-reported statistic that should be labelled as such if used.

05Comparison context

Symbiant alternatives

Symbiant is publicly positioned in this market lane: UK GRC, audit, risk, compliance, RoPA and DPIA software.

This page profiles Symbiant's stated product and service coverage, best-fit buyer, rating and pricing signals, and published strengths before comparing where Acompli overlaps.

"Y" means publicly documented, while "N" means not publicly confirmed rather than proof that a supplier cannot provide it.

06At a glance

Symbiant vs Acompli at a glance

This page profiles Symbiant first, then compares public product and service coverage so buyers can decide what fits their own requirement.

Decision question	Symbiant	Acompli
Best fit	UK teams looking for affordable, agile and customisable GRC, risk, audit and compliance management software with privacy modules.	Privacy teams that need GDPR records, source evidence and review workflows across RoPA, DPIA, vendor, risk and data mapping, rather than general GRC administration.
Operating model	AI-embedded GRC, risk, audit and compliance software with DPIA and RoPA modules and transparent public pricing.	Connected, evidence-traceable privacy records across RoPA, DPIA, DSAR, risk, vendors, data mapping and code scan.
When to choose it	Choose Symbiant when the main requirement is broad GRC, audit and risk management with privacy modules.	Choose Acompli when the buyer needs privacy-specific Article 30, assessment, vendor and data-map evidence workflows.

07Capability comparison

Symbiant product and service coverage compared with Acompli

Y means a meaningful product, module, feature or service was publicly documented at the time of writing.

* "N" means this capability was not publicly confirmed at the time of writing - not proof the vendor lacks it. "Y" means it was publicly documented. Confirm current features directly with each vendor.
Capability	Symbiant	Acompli
DPIA/PIA assessments	Y	Y
RoPA / Article 30	Y	Y
DSAR / privacy rights	N	N
Data mapping	N	Y
Vendor risk	Y	Y
Privacy risk	Y	Y
AI governance	Y	Y
Consent management	N	N
Cookie/tracker scanning	N	N
Breach/incident management	Y	N
Retention management	Y	Y
Policy/notice management	Y	N
Training module	N	N
Approval workflows	Y	Y
Audit trail	Y	Y
Role-based access control	Y	Y
Multi-entity support	Y	Y
Spreadsheet import	Y	Y
PDF/CSV/Excel export	Y	Y
Public pricing	Y	N

08Ireland & UK

Symbiant vs Acompli for RoPA in Ireland and the UK

Both serve UK organisations, so for an Irish or UK team the deciding question is the depth of the privacy record. Records of processing are required under GDPR Article 30 - a controller record under Article 30(1) and a processor record under Article 30(2); the Irish DPC and the UK ICO each publish Article 30 documentation guidance.

For both Symbiant and Acompli, buyers should ask to see entity-scoped exports, reviewer history, source evidence and how EU GDPR and UK GDPR records are separated in practice.

EU GDPR Article 30(1) and Article 30(2) controller and processor records.
UK GDPR Article 30 documentation and ICO guidance fit.
Irish DPC accountability expectations and exportable evidence for each legal entity.

09Shortlisting notes

When Symbiant belongs on the shortlist

Symbiant should remain on the shortlist when its published market lane, product strengths and buyer fit match the requirement.

Acompli should be evaluated only where its own workflow coverage matches the requirement; this page is intended to show overlap and gaps, not to force a universal replacement narrative.

Shortlist Symbiant when the main requirement is broad GRC, audit and risk management with privacy modules.
Shortlist Acompli when the buyer needs privacy-specific Article 30, assessment, vendor and data-map evidence workflows.
Ask each supplier to demonstrate the same workflow using current product screens, exports, review history and implementation assumptions.

Comparison FAQ

Symbiant questions answered

What is Symbiant?

Symbiant is profiled here in this market lane: UK GRC, audit, risk, compliance, RoPA and DPIA software. Symbiant (UK) is AI-embedded GRC software for risk management, audit and compliance - affordable, agile and customisable - with DPIA and RoPA modules and risk-based GDPR management.

What does Symbiant provide?

Symbiant provides the products, services or modules publicly evidenced in the capability table on this page. The table covers RoPA, DPIA/PIA assessments, DSAR/privacy rights, data mapping, vendor risk, privacy risk, AI governance, consent, cookie scanning, breach, retention, policy, training, workflow, audit and export signals.

Who is Symbiant best suited for?

Symbiant is best suited for UK organisations that want modular GRC with ROPA, DPIA, risk registers, controls, actions, documents and audit-readiness. Buyers should still verify current product scope, service scope, contract terms and implementation requirements directly with Symbiant.

What are Symbiant's main product or service strengths?

Symbiant's published strengths include Broad GRC, audit, risk and compliance management - wider than privacy alone, useful when GRC is the goal; A breach/incident tracking module and policy/document management - Acompli has breach guidance but no dedicated breach module; Transparent public pricing (from around GBP 100/month) and a highly customisable, affordable setup - Acompli prices on scope.

What pricing or buyer-review signal is available for Symbiant?

Symbiant starter packs begin from GBP 300/month (2 modules plus 5 seats, or 1 module plus 10 seats); each additional module is listed at GBP 100/month, with 30-day rolling contracts and a one-time setup fee on request. Confirm current pricing, ratings, plan limits and service scope directly with Symbiant before procurement.

Does Symbiant support GDPR Article 30 RoPA?

Yes. Symbiant publicly documents RoPA / Article 30. Acompli is marked as publicly evidenced for the same row. Buyers should verify live module scope, service scope and export evidence directly with each supplier before procurement.

Does Symbiant support DPIA or privacy assessments?

Yes. Symbiant publicly documents DPIA/PIA assessments. Acompli is marked as publicly evidenced for the same row. Buyers should verify live module scope, service scope and export evidence directly with each supplier before procurement.

Does Symbiant support DSAR or privacy rights workflows?

Not publicly confirmed. Symbiant is marked N for DSAR / privacy rights here, meaning public documentation does not clearly confirm it, not proof the supplier cannot provide it. Acompli is marked as not publicly confirmed for the same row. Buyers should verify live module scope, service scope and export evidence directly with each supplier before procurement.

Does Symbiant provide data mapping?

Not publicly confirmed. Symbiant is marked N for Data mapping here, meaning public documentation does not clearly confirm it, not proof the supplier cannot provide it. Acompli is marked as publicly evidenced for the same row. Buyers should verify live module scope, service scope and export evidence directly with each supplier before procurement.

Does Symbiant provide vendor risk or third-party privacy risk management?

Yes. Symbiant publicly documents Vendor risk. Acompli is marked as publicly evidenced for the same row. Buyers should verify live module scope, service scope and export evidence directly with each supplier before procurement.

Does Symbiant provide consent management or cookie scanning?

Not publicly confirmed. Symbiant is marked N for Consent management here, meaning public documentation does not clearly confirm it, not proof the supplier cannot provide it. Not publicly confirmed. Symbiant is marked N for Cookie/tracker scanning here, meaning public documentation does not clearly confirm it, not proof the supplier cannot provide it. Acompli is marked as not publicly confirmed for consent management and not publicly confirmed for cookie/tracker scanning, so buyers needing either capability should verify live vendor scope before procurement.

Does Symbiant provide AI governance?

Yes. Symbiant publicly documents AI governance. Acompli is marked as publicly evidenced for the same row. Buyers should verify live module scope, service scope and export evidence directly with each supplier before procurement.

How should buyers read the Symbiant vs Acompli capability table?

The table records public-documentation signals for each supplier. "Y" means a meaningful product, module, feature or service was publicly documented; "N" means it was not publicly confirmed, not proof that the supplier cannot provide it.

What are Symbiant alternatives?

Symbiant alternatives depend on the buyer's exact requirement, because Symbiant's strongest fit is: Choose Symbiant when the main requirement is broad GRC, audit and risk management with privacy modules. The shortlist may include broad privacy platforms, GRC tools, specialist consent or DSAR tools, service providers, and Acompli where the buyer needs overlapping privacy-governance workflows shown in the table.

How does Symbiant compare with Acompli?

Symbiant should be assessed first on its own published fit: Choose Symbiant when the main requirement is broad GRC, audit and risk management with privacy modules. Acompli is included as a factual overlap point where the requirement is: Choose Acompli when the buyer needs privacy-specific Article 30, assessment, vendor and data-map evidence workflows. Buyers should ask both suppliers to demonstrate the same workflow with current product screens, exports and implementation assumptions.

When should buyers shortlist Symbiant?

Buyers should shortlist Symbiant when the main requirement is broad GRC, audit and risk management with privacy modules. They should only compare Acompli for the overlapping requirements shown on this page, and they should keep any specialist supplier that covers a requirement neither platform clearly evidences.

How current is this Symbiant profile?

Ratings, pricing, product names, plan limits and service scope can change over time. Treat this as a comparison guide and verify current details with Symbiant before procurement.

Acompli answers

Acompli as a Symbiant alternative

Who are Symbiant's competitors?

Symbiant's competitors are mostly GRC and audit platforms such as AuditBoard, LogicGate and Sprinto. For privacy specifically, Acompli competes as a privacy-specialised alternative for Ireland and the UK that covers the full lifecycle - RoPA, DPIA, vendor, risk and data mapping - with evidence provenance and human approval.

Is Acompli a good Symbiant alternative?

Acompli is a strong Symbiant alternative for the privacy side of the job. Where Symbiant is GRC-led with DPIA and RoPA modules, Acompli covers the full privacy lifecycle - including data mapping and vendor records - with evidence traceable to its source assessment and exportable for the DPC or ICO. Symbiant remains the better fit when broad GRC, audit and risk management is the goal.

Does Acompli replace Symbiant?

Acompli can replace Symbiant's privacy modules for many teams across privacy operations - RoPA, DPIA, privacy risk, vendor records, data mapping and EU AI Act governance - and adds data mapping and vendor evidence. It does not provide broad GRC and audit management or a dedicated breach module; teams that need those would keep a GRC tool alongside Acompli.

Does Symbiant do data mapping?

Symbiant focuses on GRC, audit and risk with DPIA and RoPA modules; public materials do not position data mapping as a core strength. That is an Acompli strength - a living data map traceable to source evidence and human-approved.

How much does Symbiant cost compared with Acompli?

Symbiant publishes pricing from around GBP 100 per month. Acompli prices on its compliance estate — data controllers, legal entities, jurisdictions and integrations — never per seat, and provides pricing on request. For a low-cost UK GRC setup Symbiant's public plan is the simpler buy; for the full privacy lifecycle with provenance, Acompli scopes to the programme.

What is the best Symbiant alternative for UK privacy teams?

The best Symbiant alternative for UK privacy teams is one built around full Article 30 coverage and data mapping, ICO and DPC fit, and a self-contained per-entity export - which is exactly what Acompli is built around: both Article 30(1) and 30(2) records, the full privacy lifecycle, EU and UK GDPR on one register, and an export the ICO or DPC can read without a platform login.

Is Symbiant suitable for Irish organisations or EU-based controllers?

Symbiant hosts data in UK AWS data centres by default with no confirmed EU or Irish data residency. For an Irish controller, that matters: your RoPA and assessment data sits outside the EU, which raises a transfer question you should raise with Symbiant before signing. Acompli is built for both the DPC (Ireland) and the ICO (UK), with EU and UK GDPR on one register and per-entity exports your supervisory authority can read without a platform login.

Does Symbiant distinguish Article 30(1) controller records from Article 30(2) processor records?

Symbiant's RoPA module is built around UK GDPR Article 30 controller accountability; public materials do not confirm that it separates Article 30(1) controller records from Article 30(2) processor records or supports per-legal-entity export. Acompli models both record types separately, scoped by legal entity, so each subsidiary can produce its own self-contained export for the DPC or ICO.

What certifications does Symbiant hold?

Symbiant holds ISO 27001:2017 (Ernst and Young accreditation), ISO 9001, and Cyber Essentials Plus, and is Gartner-recognised as a Cool Vendor. It is also endorsed by the ICAEW - described as the only GRC software to hold that recognition. For a buyer evaluating vendor security posture, these are credible signals. Ask Symbiant for the current certificate scope and expiry dates.

What recent certification or analyst signal is available for Symbiant?

Acompli overlap

Related Acompli workflows

Risk management

Extract candidate risks from approved evidence, assign treatment plans and report on current exposure.

Open module

RoPA management

Maintain Article 30 records that stay linked to approved assessments, systems, suppliers and transfers.

Open module

Assessments

Run DPIAs, LIAs, TIAs, processor reviews and AI Act assessments with templates, AI support and human approval.

Open module

Compare Symbiant and Acompli against a real workflow.

Bring one RoPA, DPIA, vendor, risk or AI-governance requirement and map which parts are covered by Symbiant, which parts Acompli covers, and where another specialist may still be needed.

Book a walkthrough See a sample Evidence Pack

Acompli architecture

One governed foundation. Five connected modules.

Imported systems, suppliers, policies, DPIAs and RoPA spreadsheets become the shared evidence model for assessments, risk, records, third-party oversight and data mapping.

Point tools create records. Acompli connects them.