Free Compliance & Risk Templates (2026): 15 Free Plans Compared

Which compliance & risk templates tools have a free plan in 2026?

Everything below is free indefinitely for what its row describes, and the Scorecard marks which of three kinds it is. Frameworks and guidance: NIST CSF 2.0, OWASP SAMM and ASVS, ENISA, COSO’s summary. Registration-gated downloads: CIS Controls. Tools: SimpleRisk and Eramba (self-hosted GRC), OpenRMF (STIG checklists), CISA’s scanning services, NCSC’s readiness tool, the ICO’s checklists. We also list what the official standards cost — ISO 27001 at CHF 155 — and what the vendor resources actually are: Vanta’s ISO 27001 template is a free download, Drata’s resources are checklists for reading.

Excluded: Secureframe (from $7,500 a year, no templates stated), Smartsheet (no free plan), Riskonnect (no pricing), and the Notion and Google Sheets template galleries, which were not reviewed. AICPA’s SOC 2 material is paid and listed only as a reference. Editions matter in this category and each row states the one we verified: CSF 2.0 (2024), CIS v8.1, ASVS 5.0.0 (May 2025), COSO ERM 2017.

The table shows the kind, the gate and the Free Score; Core job weights authority and currency. Open a row for licence, edition and the page we checked.

Company	Free as	Key limit	Card	Free Score
NNIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0	Startup program	Framework · tool · courses · no gate	No	92	Scorecard ↓
OOWASP ASVS 5.0.0	Open source	CC BY-SA 4.0 · PDF, DOCX, CSV · May 2025	No	86	Scorecard ↓
SSimpleRisk Core	Open source	Free · unlimited users · self-assessments · Extras $5K/yr	No	84	Scorecard ↓
CCIS Controls v8.1	Startup program	PDF & Excel · registration form · Implementation Groups	No	82	Scorecard ↓
EEramba Community	Open source	Free · unlimited users & data · self-hosted · €5K/yr Enterprise	No	78	Scorecard ↓
OOWASP SAMM	Open source	CC BY-SA 4.0 · assessment · free course	No	76	Scorecard ↓
CCISA Cyber Hygiene services	Startup program	No cost · US government & critical infrastructure	No	74	Scorecard ↓
NUK NCSC Cyber Essentials	Free tools	Readiness tool free · certification from £320	No	72	Scorecard ↓
IICO data protection self-assessment	Free tools	6 checklists · short report · no registration	No	70	Scorecard ↓
EENISA publications	Startup program	Downloadable · open licences · EU	No	68	Scorecard ↓
VVanta ISO 27001 template	Free tools	Free download · vendor marketing	No	60	Scorecard ↓
CCOSO ERM 2017	Startup program	Executive summary free · full framework paid	No	56	Scorecard ↓
OOpenRMF OSS	Open source	GPL-3.0 · DoD STIG checklists	No	52	Scorecard ↓
DDrata resources	Free tools	Checklists for reading · no templates listed	No	48	Scorecard ↓
IISO/IEC 27001:2022	Startup program	Paid · CHF 155 · preview only	No	30	Scorecard ↓

Free tiers verified 24 October 2026 on each vendor’s pricing page (third-party sources named in the Scorecard where the vendor page was silent). Order is by Free Score only; sponsorship never changes it.

What do the free risk resource plans actually include?

Open any row for the eight-field Scorecard. The “Why it ranks here” note under each row explains the score in plain terms.

1NNIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0US · the CSF 2.0 PDF, quick-start guides, the CSF 2.0 tool, profile templates, informative references and online courses, all without registration; two years old in February 2026Startup programFramework · tool · courses · no gateNo card92⌄

What’s free

PDF download, Quick Start Guides, the CSF 2.0 Tool, Profiles templates, Informative References, online courses

Hard limits

None · the page does not use the word ‘free’ or state a licence

Time limit

None

Card required

No.

Upgrade trigger

None

Cheapest paid step

None

Best free for

Any company building or auditing a security programme

Verified

Oct 2026 · nist.gov/cyberframework (‘Two Years of CSF 2.0’ post dated 24 Feb 2026)

Free Score 92 · Duration 30 · Capacity 30 · Core job 25 · Friction 7See the free plan →

Why it ranks here. The most complete free compliance resource anywhere: the framework, the mapping tool and the training. Friction is only that applying it is work.

2OOWASP ASVS 5.0.0US · the Application Security Verification Standard, version 5.0.0 published 30 May 2025, as PDF, Word and CSV under CC BY-SA 4.0Open sourceCC BY-SA 4.0 · PDF, DOCX, CSV · May 2025No card86⌄

What’s free

PDF, DOCX and CSV downloads; an open standard under CC BY-SA 4.0

Hard limits

None

Time limit

None

Card required

No.

Upgrade trigger

None

Cheapest paid step

None

Best free for

Writing security requirements for software you build or buy

Verified

Oct 2026 · asvs.owasp.org

Free Score 86 · Duration 30 · Capacity 30 · Core job 20 · Friction 6See the free plan →

Why it ranks here. The current edition, an open licence and a CSV you can load into any register; narrower than CSF because it is about applications.

3SSimpleRisk CoreUS · free and open source with unlimited users: governance, risk, compliance tests, asset management, self-assessments for CIS, HIPAA, NIST 800-171 and PCI, reporting and email support; paid Extras are $5,000 a year eachOpen sourceFree · unlimited users · self-assessments · Extras $5K/yrNo card84⌄

What’s free

Free and open source with unlimited users: governance, risk, compliance tests, asset management, self-assessments (CIS, HIPAA, NIST 800-171, PCI), reporting, email support

Hard limits

Extras excluded · licence not named

Time limit

None

Card required

No.

Upgrade trigger

Extras — API, notifications, custom authentication

Cheapest paid step

Starter $5,000/year (3 Standard Extras); Extras $5,000 a year each

Best free for

A small company’s first real risk register with built-in questionnaires

Verified

Oct 2026 · simplerisk.com/pricing (licence not named on the page or repository)

Free Score 84 · Duration 30 · Capacity 30 · Core job 20 · Friction 4See the free plan →

Why it ranks here. The free GRC tool that is actually usable by a non-specialist, with the frameworks above loaded as self-assessments; the Extras are priced for enterprises.

4CCIS Controls v8.1US · the Controls as PDF and Excel with the change log and Implementation Groups, downloadable after a form asking name, organisation and emailStartup programPDF & Excel · registration form · Implementation GroupsNo card82⌄

What’s free

PDF, Excel, change log and Implementation Groups for download

Hard limits

A registration form · cost and licence not stated

Time limit

None

Card required

No.

Upgrade trigger

SecureSuite membership for benchmarks tooling

Cheapest paid step

Not stated

Best free for

Prioritising what to fix first — IG1 is the small-company baseline

Verified

Oct 2026 · cisecurity.org/controls/v8-1 and learn.cisecurity.org (download form)

Free Score 82 · Duration 30 · Capacity 28 · Core job 20 · Friction 4See the free plan →

Why it ranks here. The most practical control list for a small company, behind a form that costs an email address.

5EEramba CommunityUK · a free Community edition of a full GRC platform with unlimited users and data, self-hosted and actively updated; Enterprise is a flat €5,000 a yearOpen sourceFree · unlimited users & data · self-hosted · €5K/yr EnterpriseNo card78⌄

What’s free

Free Community edition: unlimited users and data; version 3.31.2 updated days before our check

Hard limits

Not stated · licence not stated

Time limit

None

Card required

No.

Upgrade trigger

Enterprise

Cheapest paid step

Flat fee €5,000/year

Best free for

A company that wants full GRC — risks, controls, audits, policies — on its own server

Verified

Oct 2026 · eramba.org (licence not stated)

Free Score 78 · Duration 30 · Capacity 30 · Core job 16 · Friction 2See the free plan →

Why it ranks here. More GRC than SimpleRisk and more to learn; the licence and the pricing page could not be read.

6OOWASP SAMMUS · the Software Assurance Maturity Model under CC BY-SA 4.0, with an assessment and a free self-paced courseOpen sourceCC BY-SA 4.0 · assessment · free courseNo card76⌄

What’s free

CC BY-SA 4.0; an assessment; a free, self-paced course

Hard limits

None · version not stated

Time limit

None

Card required

No.

Upgrade trigger

None

Cheapest paid step

None

Best free for

Measuring how mature your software security practice is

Verified

Oct 2026 · owaspsamm.org (version not stated)

Free Score 76 · Duration 30 · Capacity 28 · Core job 14 · Friction 4See the free plan →

Why it ranks here. A maturity model rather than a control list; the companion to ASVS.

7CCISA Cyber Hygiene servicesUS · vulnerability scanning and other cyber hygiene services at no cost for US federal, state, local and tribal governments and critical infrastructure, plus a database of free toolsStartup programNo cost · US government & critical infrastructureNo card74⌄

What’s free

Cyber Hygiene services at no cost; a database of free tools and services

Hard limits

US government and critical-infrastructure organisations; international enquiries through the international affairs office

Time limit

None

Card required

No.

Upgrade trigger

None

Cheapest paid step

None

Best free for

A US critical-infrastructure company that wants external scanning done for it

Verified

Oct 2026 · cisa.gov/cyber-hygiene-services

Free Score 74 · Duration 30 · Capacity 22 · Core job 16 · Friction 6See the free plan →

Why it ranks here. Real services, not documents, with an eligibility rule most private companies fall outside.

8NUK NCSC Cyber EssentialsUK · a free readiness tool producing a tailored action plan and a free preview of the question set; certification itself costs from £320 plus VAT by organisation sizeFree toolsReadiness tool free · certification from £320No card72⌄

What’s free

A free Readiness Tool with a tailored action plan; preview the question set free

Hard limits

Certification is paid

Time limit

None

Card required

No.

Upgrade trigger

Certification

Cheapest paid step

Cyber Essentials from £320 plus VAT by size; Plus by size and complexity

Best free for

A UK SME that will be asked for Cyber Essentials by a customer

Verified

Oct 2026 · ncsc.gov.uk

Free Score 72 · Duration 30 · Capacity 24 · Core job 14 · Friction 4See the free plan →

Why it ranks here. The preparation is free and the certificate is cheap.

9IICO data protection self-assessmentUK · six checklists — controllers, processors, information security, records, data sharing and subject access, CCTV — that produce a short report, with a separate small-business versionFree tools6 checklists · short report · no registrationNo card70⌄

What’s free

Six checklists producing a short report; a separate version for small organisations

Hard limits

Aimed at medium organisations · ‘free’ and registration not stated

Time limit

None

Card required

No.

Upgrade trigger

None

Cheapest paid step

None

Best free for

A UK GDPR gap check before an audit or a customer questionnaire

Verified

Oct 2026 · ico.org.uk

Free Score 70 · Duration 30 · Capacity 22 · Core job 14 · Friction 4See the free plan →

Why it ranks here. The regulator’s own checklist, which is what an auditor will compare you to.

10EENISA publicationsEU · downloadable publications including the Threat Landscape 2026, with reproduction authorised when the source is acknowledged and free access under open licencesStartup programDownloadable · open licences · EUNo card68⌄

What’s free

Downloadable publications; reproduction authorised with source acknowledged; free access under open licences

Hard limits

Third-party material excluded

Time limit

None

Card required

No.

Upgrade trigger

None

Cheapest paid step

None

Best free for

EU risk context and sector guidance

Verified

Oct 2026 · enisa.europa.eu publications page and legal notice

Free Score 68 · Duration 30 · Capacity 26 · Core job 8 · Friction 4See the free plan →

Why it ranks here. Guidance rather than a framework or a tool; the European counterpart to NIST’s library.

11VVanta ISO 27001 templateUS · a free downloadable ISO 27001 documentation template with an ISMS scope and four appendices, plus SOC 2, HIPAA and GDPR checklists, from a compliance-automation vendorFree toolsFree download · vendor marketingNo card60⌄

What’s free

A free downloadable ISO 27001 template (ISMS scope, four appendices); SOC 2, HIPAA and GDPR checklists

Hard limits

Form gating not stated · vendor marketing · the ISO standard itself is not included

Time limit

None

Card required

No.

Upgrade trigger

The Vanta platform

Cheapest paid step

Not stated

Best free for

A starting ISMS scope document when you cannot yet justify a consultant

Verified

Oct 2026 · vanta.com

Free Score 60 · Duration 30 · Capacity 14 · Core job 12 · Friction 4See the free plan →

Why it ranks here. Useful and verified as a real download; written to lead you to a platform whose price is not on the page.

12CCOSO ERM 2017US · the executive summary of the 2017 Enterprise Risk Management framework is free; the full framework is sold through the IIA, AICPA and AAA bookstores at an unstated priceStartup programExecutive summary free · full framework paidNo card56⌄

What’s free

A free executive summary of the 2017 ERM framework

Hard limits

The full framework is a purchase

Time limit

None

Card required

No for the summary.

Upgrade trigger

The full text

Cheapest paid step

Not stated

Best free for

Board-level enterprise risk language

Verified

Oct 2026 · coso.org/guidance-erm

Free Score 56 · Duration 30 · Capacity 12 · Core job 10 · Friction 4See the free plan →

Why it ranks here. The reference for enterprise risk, mostly behind a bookstore.

13OOpenRMF OSSUS · a GPL-3.0 tool for managing, viewing and reporting on US Department of Defense STIG checklists; maintenance status not statedOpen sourceGPL-3.0 · DoD STIG checklistsNo card52⌄

What’s free

Managing, viewing and reporting of DoD STIG checklists

Hard limits

US DoD-specific · maintenance status not stated

Time limit

None

Card required

No.

Upgrade trigger

None

Cheapest paid step

None stated

Best free for

A US defence contractor running RMF

Verified

Oct 2026 · github.com/Cingulara (GPL-3.0; docs v1.14.01)

Free Score 52 · Duration 30 · Capacity 20 · Core job 2 · Friction 0See the free plan →

Why it ranks here. Niche by design; listed for the companies it is for.

14DDrata resourcesUS · an automated-governance checklist and a GRC engineering checklist from a compliance-automation vendor; the free templates the hub card expected are not on its resources pageFree toolsChecklists for reading · no templates listedNo card48⌄

What’s free

Automated Governance Checklist; GRC Engineering Checklist

Hard limits

Gating not stated · no templates listed

Time limit

None

Card required

No.

Upgrade trigger

The platform

Cheapest paid step

Not stated

Best free for

Reading about GRC automation

Verified

Oct 2026 · drata.com/resources

Free Score 48 · Duration 30 · Capacity 8 · Core job 6 · Friction 4See the free plan →

Why it ranks here. Marketing content; listed to say so.

15IISO/IEC 27001:2022Switzerland · the standard itself costs CHF 155 as PDF and ePub (edition 3, October 2022); the online browsing preview’s free status is not statedStartup programPaid · CHF 155 · preview onlyNo card30⌄

What’s free

A read-sample preview; the full text is paid

Hard limits

Full text paid

Time limit

Not applicable

Card required

Yes, to buy.

Upgrade trigger

Not applicable

Cheapest paid step

CHF 155 PDF and ePub

Best free for

The one document in this category you will have to buy

Verified

Oct 2026 · iso.org/standard/27001

Free Score 30 · Duration 0 · Capacity 10 · Core job 16 · Friction 4See the free plan →

Why it ranks here. Listed so the ‘free ISO 27001 template’ searches land on the truth: the controls are in Annex A of a paid standard, and NIST CSF is the free framework that maps to them.

Which free risk resource has no credit-card requirement?

Nothing here takes a card except ISO’s store and NCSC’s certification. CIS asks for a name, organisation and email; Vanta’s template gating is not stated; everything else is a download or a web tool. Nothing converts to paid.

The condition is currency: frameworks have editions and auditors notice. Each row names the edition we verified — CSF 2.0, CIS v8.1, ASVS 5.0.0, COSO 2017 — and a template found elsewhere that cites CSF 1.1 or ASVS 4.0 is out of date.

When does the free plan stop being enough?

Kurums Match: which free risk resource fits your situation?

How did we verify these free tiers?

We opened each publisher’s page and recorded what is downloadable, any registration or purchase gate, licence and edition. For CISA and the NCSC, official overview pages were used; SimpleRisk’s and Eramba’s licences are not named on their pages or repositories. Secureframe, Smartsheet and Riskonnect were excluded as having no free tier; Notion’s risk-template gallery and Google Sheets templates are not listed. AICPA’s SOC 2 guides are paid and not scored.

Prices are USD, GBP, EUR and CHF as stated. Nothing here is legal or audit advice.

Frequently asked questions