A-LIGN A-SCEND vs CSS for IIS: Side-by-Side Comparison (2026)

A-LIGN A-SCEND: AI-powered audit management platform for compliance audits and certifications. built by A-LIGN. Core capabilities include AI-powered audit management, Evidence deduplication across audits, Multi-framework evidence mapping..

CSS for IIS: Automated hardening and compliance management tool for Microsoft IIS servers. built by CalCom Software. Core capabilities include Learning Mode: simulates policy impact on production before enforcement, Enforcement Mode: applies and manages custom server hardening configurations, Monitoring Mode: real-time access control and configuration change detection..

Both serve the Compliance Management market but differ in approach, feature depth, and target audience.

A-LIGN A-SCEND differentiates with AI-powered audit management, Evidence deduplication across audits, Multi-framework evidence mapping. CSS for IIS differentiates with Learning Mode: simulates policy impact on production before enforcement, Enforcement Mode: applies and manages custom server hardening configurations, Monitoring Mode: real-time access control and configuration change detection.

A-LIGN A-SCEND is developed by A-LIGN. CSS for IIS is developed by CalCom Software. Vendor maturity, funding stage, and team size can be important factors when evaluating long-term viability and support quality.

A-LIGN A-SCEND integrates with GRC platforms, Vanta. CSS for IIS integrates with Microsoft IIS, Group Policy Objects (GPO). Check integration compatibility with your existing security stack before deciding.

A-LIGN A-SCEND and CSS for IIS serve similar Compliance Management use cases: both are Compliance Management tools. Review the feature comparison above to determine which fits your requirements.