SimpleRisk review
A flexible, self-hosted GRC platform with a free core and paid capability extensions.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
SimpleRisk is a governance, risk and compliance platform for security, compliance and risk teams. Its Core plan combines policy and governance document lifecycle management, risk registers, frameworks and controls, scheduled control tests, audit workflows, evidence management and audit trails. The open-source Core edition supports unlimited users and can be self-hosted, while hosted deployments are also available. It fits organizations that want control over deployment and a broad GRC foundation without starting with a per-user model.
The product’s strongest area is its coverage across the GRC lifecycle. Teams can assign policy owners and approvers, set review cadences, score and mitigate risks, map controls within hierarchical frameworks, schedule tests, attach audit evidence and retain activity histories across risks, controls, audits, documents, users and configuration. Framework support includes NIST CSF, ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI DSS, HIPAA, GDPR, SOX, FedRAMP, CMMC and NERC-CIP. This makes SimpleRisk a better fit for teams managing several connected compliance and risk processes than for organizations seeking only a lightweight risk register.
Platform flexibility is another defining choice. SimpleRisk supports web, Linux, self-hosted and API deployments, with REST endpoints for risk, governance, compliance, asset and reporting workflows. Jira, the Secure Controls Framework and the Unified Compliance Framework extend its ecosystem fit. Paid packages add support and updates, on-premise or SaaS deployment, and selected Extras such as Advanced Search, API access, artificial intelligence, custom authentication, customization, email notifications, incident management and organizational hierarchy. Teams should choose SimpleRisk when open source, deployment control and functional breadth matter; organizations wanting a narrower, simpler tool may prefer a more focused alternative.
SimpleRisk pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Free, open-source Core plan supports unlimited users and self-hosting
- Covers policies, risks, controls, audits, evidence and audit trails
- REST API, Jira integration and framework mapping support broader workflows
- Where it doesn't
- Advanced capabilities depend on paid Extras or packages
- Self-hosting requires Linux, Docker or cloud deployment work
- The broad feature set may exceed the needs of simple risk tracking
SimpleRisk fact sheet, pricing and score →
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