A-LIGN A-SCEND vs Exostar CMMC Ready Suite: Side-by-Side Comparison (2026)

A-LIGN A-SCEND

Security and compliance teams running multiple audit frameworks simultaneously will get the most from A-LIGN A-SCEND because its evidence deduplication engine cuts the actual audit workload in half. The platform maps evidence across SOC 2, ISO 27001, HITRUST, and FedRAMP audits so you're not rebuilding the same control narrative four times, and its FedRAMP 20x Low authorization proves it handles the most demanding federal requirements. Skip this if your organization runs a single compliance framework or hasn't yet centralized evidence collection; the ROI flips when you're managing fewer than three concurrent certifications.

Exostar CMMC Ready Suite

Mid-market and enterprise Defense Industrial Base contractors need CMMC Level 2 readiness without rebuilding their security program from scratch, and Exostar CMMC Ready Suite cuts implementation time by handling all 110 NIST SP 800-171 controls plus the documentation overhead that kills most projects. The CUI-isolation secure enclave separates sensitive data from corporate networks by design rather than policy, which is why their assessment support actually closes control gaps instead of just identifying them. Skip this if your organization runs highly distributed or air-gapped networks where hybrid deployment becomes a liability, or if you need the deep forensics and continuous monitoring that NIST Detect functions require; Exostar prioritizes readiness and evidence collection over detection and response.