Compliance and Data Protection -- Varonis Alternatives

Best Varonis Alternatives for Compliance and Data Protection in 2026

Compliance and data protection encompasses the regulatory requirements for safeguarding sensitive data under frameworks like GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, PCI DSS, and SOX. Organizations must demonstrate that they can discover, protect, monitor, and report on sensitive data to satisfy regulatory auditors and avoid penalties. Varonis provides compliance-focused reporting and data protection capabilities, but several alternatives offer deeper compliance automation, privacy-specific features, and broader regulatory framework coverage that may better serve compliance-centric organizations.

How It Works

1

Identify Applicable Regulatory Frameworks

Determine which regulations apply to your organization based on industry, geography, and data types processed. Map specific requirements for each framework — GDPR requires data subject rights and processing records, HIPAA requires PHI safeguards, PCI DSS requires cardholder data protection, and SOX requires financial data access controls.

2

Discover and Classify Regulated Data

Deploy data discovery and classification across all data stores to identify regulated data types — personal data for GDPR/CCPA, protected health information for HIPAA, cardholder data for PCI DSS, and financial records for SOX. Map where each data type resides and who has access to it.

3

Implement Data Protection Controls

Apply required protection controls based on regulatory requirements — access controls to restrict data to authorized personnel, encryption for data at rest and in transit, data loss prevention to prevent unauthorized disclosure, and retention policies to manage data lifecycle. Document controls for audit evidence.

4

Establish Monitoring and Incident Response

Deploy continuous monitoring for access to regulated data, including alerts for unauthorized access, data exfiltration attempts, and policy violations. Establish incident response procedures that meet regulatory notification requirements — GDPR requires 72-hour breach notification, HIPAA requires notification within 60 days.

5

Generate Compliance Reports and Audit Evidence

Configure automated compliance reports that demonstrate regulatory compliance to auditors — data inventory reports, access control evidence, incident response documentation, and data subject request fulfillment records. Schedule periodic reviews to ensure controls remain effective and aligned with evolving regulations.

Top Recommendations

#1

Securiti

Cloud Data Security

Custom pricing based on data volume and modules

The most comprehensive compliance automation platform with DSAR fulfillment, consent management, data mapping, breach notification workflows, and cross-border data transfer compliance. Best for organizations where privacy compliance is the primary driver.

#2

BigID

Data Discovery & Classification

Custom pricing based on data sources and volume

Strong compliance capabilities with privacy management, DSAR automation, data retention policies, and data minimization workflows built on deep data intelligence. Best for organizations needing compliance integrated with data cataloging and governance.

#3

Microsoft Purview

Cloud Data Security

Included in Microsoft 365 E5 / Standalone plans from $12/user/month

Compliance Manager provides 300+ regulatory assessment templates with built-in DLP, retention, and eDiscovery within the Microsoft ecosystem. Best for Microsoft-centric organizations wanting integrated compliance without additional vendors.

#4

Spirion

Enterprise DLP

Custom pricing based on data volume and endpoints

The highest accuracy for discovering regulated data types required for HIPAA, PCI DSS, and GDPR compliance. Best for organizations in healthcare and financial services where classification precision directly impacts compliance audit outcomes.

#5

Netwrix

Data Security & Auditing

From $25/user/year / Enterprise custom pricing

Provides audit-ready compliance reporting for common regulatory frameworks with change tracking evidence that satisfies auditors. Best for mid-market organizations needing cost-effective compliance reporting and evidence collection.

Detailed Tool Profiles

Securiti

Cloud Data Security
4.2

AI-powered data security, privacy, and governance platform with DSPM and compliance automation

Pricing

Custom pricing based on data volume and modules

Best For

Organizations needing a unified platform for data security posture management, privacy compliance, and multi-cloud data governance with AI automation

Key Features
AI-powered data discovery and classificationData security posture management (DSPM)Privacy impact assessments and DSAR automationConsent management and preference center+4 more
Pros
  • +Unified platform covering data security, privacy, and governance in one solution
  • +Strong AI-powered automation reduces manual effort for classification and compliance
  • +Comprehensive privacy compliance capabilities including consent management
Cons
  • Newer platform with less market maturity than established data security tools
  • Data access governance capabilities less deep than Varonis
  • Insider threat detection less sophisticated than dedicated UEBA platforms
Cloud

BigID

Data Discovery & Classification
4.3

Data intelligence platform using ML for discovery, classification, and privacy management

Pricing

Custom pricing based on data sources and volume

Best For

Data-forward organizations needing ML-powered data intelligence for privacy, security, and governance across diverse data landscapes

Key Features
ML-powered sensitive data discovery and classificationData cataloging and lineage trackingPrivacy management and DSAR automationData risk assessment and scoring+4 more
Pros
  • +Advanced ML-based classification goes beyond regex pattern matching
  • +Broad data source coverage with 100+ connectors
  • +Strong privacy management capabilities including DSAR automation
Cons
  • No insider threat detection or behavioral analytics capabilities
  • Limited data access governance compared to Varonis
  • Can be complex to deploy and configure across many data sources
CloudSelf-Hosted

Microsoft Purview

Cloud Data Security
4.3

Microsoft unified data governance and compliance platform with deep M365 integration

Pricing

Included in Microsoft 365 E5 / Standalone plans from $12/user/month

Best For

Microsoft-centric organizations wanting integrated data governance, DLP, and compliance across their M365 and Azure environment

Key Features
Data classification with trainable classifiersData loss prevention across M365 and endpointsInsider risk managementInformation protection and sensitivity labels+4 more
Pros
  • +Deep native integration with Microsoft 365 and Azure ecosystem
  • +Bundled with M365 E5 licensing reduces incremental cost
  • +Unified platform covering DLP, classification, compliance, and governance
Cons
  • Strongest coverage limited to Microsoft ecosystem — weaker for non-Microsoft data stores
  • Complex licensing tiers make cost prediction difficult
  • Can require significant configuration to match Varonis-level depth on file access governance
Cloud

Spirion

Enterprise DLP
4

Sensitive data discovery and classification platform with high-accuracy identification of regulated data

Pricing

Custom pricing based on data volume and endpoints

Best For

Organizations in regulated industries that need the most accurate sensitive data discovery and classification for PII, PHI, and PCI compliance

Key Features
High-accuracy sensitive data discoveryAutomated data classification and taggingPII, PHI, PCI, and custom data type detectionStructured and unstructured data scanning+4 more
Pros
  • +Industry-leading accuracy for sensitive data identification with low false positives
  • +Deep specialization in regulated data types (PII, PHI, PCI)
  • +Strong presence in healthcare and financial services verticals
Cons
  • Narrower scope — focused on discovery and classification, not full data security
  • Lacks insider threat detection and behavioral analytics
  • No data access governance or permission mapping capabilities
CloudSelf-Hosted

Netwrix

Data Security & Auditing
4.2

Data security and auditing platform for change tracking, compliance, and user behavior monitoring

Pricing

From $25/user/year / Enterprise custom pricing

Best For

Mid-market organizations needing data auditing, change tracking, and compliance reporting at a lower price point than enterprise platforms

Key Features
Change auditing across AD, file servers, and cloudData classification for sensitive content discoveryUser behavior analytics and alertingCompliance reporting for regulatory frameworks+4 more
Pros
  • +More accessible pricing for mid-market organizations
  • +Strong change auditing across hybrid environments
  • +Straightforward deployment compared to enterprise platforms
Cons
  • Less sophisticated behavioral analytics than Varonis UEBA
  • Data classification capabilities less mature than dedicated platforms
  • Limited automated remediation for overexposed data
CloudSelf-Hosted

Compliance and Data Protection FAQ

Which platform is best for GDPR compliance?

For comprehensive GDPR compliance, Securiti and BigID offer the broadest capabilities — automated DSAR fulfillment, consent management, records of processing activities (ROPA), data mapping, and cross-border transfer compliance. Microsoft Purview is strong for organizations whose data lives in the Microsoft ecosystem. Varonis provides data access controls and monitoring that satisfy GDPR Article 32 security requirements and Article 25 data protection by design principles, but lacks native DSAR automation and consent management.

How does Varonis help with HIPAA compliance?

Varonis helps with HIPAA compliance by providing access controls and audit trails for electronic protected health information (ePHI) — it maps who has access to PHI data stores, detects unauthorized access, enforces least privilege, and generates audit reports. However, Varonis does not provide the full HIPAA compliance program management that dedicated compliance platforms offer. For HIPAA-specific classification accuracy, Spirion provides industry-leading PHI discovery with low false positive rates.

Do I need separate tools for compliance and data security?

Many organizations use a combination — a data security platform like Varonis for access governance and threat detection, supplemented by a compliance-focused platform like Securiti or BigID for privacy automation, DSAR fulfillment, and consent management. Microsoft Purview offers the broadest single-platform coverage but may lack depth in specific areas. The optimal approach depends on your regulatory burden — heavily regulated organizations often benefit from dedicated compliance tools, while organizations with simpler requirements may be served by a single platform.

What compliance reports should I expect from a data protection platform?

A data protection platform should generate reports that satisfy auditor requirements including data inventory reports showing where sensitive data resides, access control reports showing who has access to regulated data, audit trail reports showing data access activity, incident reports documenting security events and response actions, and data subject request reports documenting DSARs and fulfillment. Varonis, Netwrix, and Microsoft Purview all provide pre-built compliance report templates. Securiti and BigID additionally provide privacy-specific reports like data processing records and consent dashboards.

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