How we compare
A GRC platform that doesn't take custody of your evidence.
AuditBoard, Workiva and TeamMate are capable platforms. Here's an honest look at where Substantively is different — and where they may suit you better.
Evidence stays in your tenant
We index references and metadata. Incumbents typically copy evidence into their own cloud.
Least-privilege M365 access
Scoped, admin-approved Graph permissions you can revoke any time — not a broad data export.
Fast, low-cost setup
Live the same day for SharePoint + Excel shops — no migration project or implementation fees.
| Capability | Substantively | AuditBoard | Workiva | TeamMate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data & security | ||||
| Evidence stays in your M365 tenantNo file contents copied to a vendor cloud | ||||
| Least-privilege, revocable access | Varies | Varies | Varies | |
| Evidence audit trail in your own tenant | Self-host | |||
| No additional evidence processor to vet | On-prem | |||
| Audit workflow | ||||
| Control testing & sampling | ||||
| Findings & remediation tracking | ||||
| Audit-committee reporting | ||||
| SOX / financial-reporting depth | Core | Core | ||
| Deployment & cost | ||||
| Native SharePoint + Excel workflow | Import | Import | Import | |
| Same-day setup, no migration | ||||
| No implementation fee | Varies | |||
| Free reviewer & viewer seats | Varies | Varies | ||
Comparison reflects our reading of publicly available product information as of June 2026 and typical default deployments. Capabilities evolve — verify current specifics with each vendor. Product names are trademarks of their respective owners.
The honest part
When an incumbent may be the better call
Choose AuditBoard if…
You want a broad, mature SOX + IT-risk suite with a large analyst footprint and you're comfortable with evidence hosted in the vendor cloud.
Choose Workiva if…
Connected SEC/ESG financial reporting and XBRL is your center of gravity and audit is one workflow among many.
Choose TeamMate if…
You're standardized on a long-established IA suite with deep workpaper conventions and an existing rollout you don't want to change.
Where Substantively wins is narrower and sharper: if your evidence must stay in Microsoft 365, your security team won't approve another data processor, or you want to be running this quarter — that's us.
See it against your own tenant.
Connect a test site and run a real control in under an hour. No evidence leaves your environment.