Section 9.0 - Methodology
DOC-REF: FRC-METHOD-001
How This Site Sources Its FedRAMP Cost Numbers
Every cost figure on FedRAMPCost.com is either verified against a named source and dated, or clearly labelled as an estimate. This page explains the source classes used, how figures are triangulated, what counts as verified versus indicative, and the independence stance behind the numbers. The aim is that any number on this site can be traced to where it came from.
Section A
Source classes
Figures are drawn from four classes of source, weighted by reliability.
FedRAMP PMO and GSA primary sources
PrimaryProgram rules, the FedRAMP Marketplace, the 20x pilot documentation, and PMO guidance. Used for facts about process, authorization status, control counts, and required deliverables. Authorization-status claims (which 3PAOs are accredited, which platforms are authorized) are checked against the Marketplace.
Vendor and 3PAO published material
NamedVendor pricing pages, 3PAO case studies, and automation-platform cost write-ups. Used for platform list pricing and stated savings claims, always attributed to the vendor and labelled as the vendor's own figure rather than an independent measurement.
Third-party procurement data
TriangulatedAggregated contract and review data (for example Vendr, Capterra, Sprinto) for platform subscription tiers where vendors do not publish list prices. Used to bound ranges and median contract values.
CSP procurement disclosures
TriangulatedPublic procurement records and CSP-reported authorization spend. Used to sanity-check 3PAO fee bands against what CSPs actually paid, not just what assessors quote.
Section B
Verified versus estimated
A figure is treated as verified when it can be traced to a named source and dated: a vendor's own published price, a FedRAMP Marketplace authorization record, a CSP procurement disclosure, or a primary PMO document. Verified figures carry the source inline on the page and a date in the log below.
A figure is treated as an estimate or indicative range when it is triangulated across sources that do not individually publish a single authoritative number, which is the normal case for 3PAO assessment fees and enterprise-scope platform quotes. These are labelled "indicative" on the page. Where a vendor states a savings claim about its own product, that claim is attributed to the vendor and not presented as an independent measurement.
Where a number cannot be sourced to either standard, it is omitted rather than invented. Platform vendors frequently do not publish FedRAMP-scope pricing at all; in those cases the page says the quote is custom rather than fabricating a figure.
Section C
Verification log (June 2026)
Key figures with their source and verification date. Re-checked periodically; the 20x landscape is moving fast.
| Item | Value | Source | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanta Government Cloud FedRAMP 20x Moderate | Authorized | BusinessWire / FedRAMP Marketplace | Announced 28 Apr 2026; verified Jun 2026 |
| Drata FedRAMP 20x Low pilot authorization | Authorized (Low) | Drata / FedRAMP Marketplace | Late 2025; verified Jun 2026 |
| Paramify FedRAMP 20x Moderate | Authorized | Paramify / FedRAMP Marketplace | Verified Jun 2026 |
| 3PAO Moderate initial assessment | $125K - $650K | Paramify, Secureframe, CSP disclosures | Verified Jun 2026 |
| Manual SSP authoring (Moderate) | $250K - $1M+ | Paramify published cost material | Verified Jun 2026 |
| Advisory / consulting | $100K - $500K ($150-$210/hr) | Paramify, advisory published ranges | Verified Jun 2026 |
Section D
Independence and how to read the ranges
FedRAMPCost.com has no vendor affiliation, no referral relationship with any 3PAO, advisory firm, or automation platform, and no email gate. The site exists to state numbers that the parties quoting them rarely put in writing publicly. That independence is the point: a CSP planning a budget needs a figure it can take to a board, not a sales conversation.
Read every range as indicative, not a quote. FedRAMP costs move with boundary size, system complexity, control inheritance, and negotiation. Ranges here are intended to bound a budget, not replace a scoped proposal. Negotiated deals routinely save 15 to 40 percent against list, and the only number that binds you is the one in a signed statement of work. Always get a scoped quote before committing.
About the author: this site is maintained by Oliver Wakefield-Smith, founder of Digital Signet, who is named as the author in the structured data on every content page so the source of the analysis is attributable.
Next step
Put the numbers to work
Use the worksheet to turn these ranges into a board-ready FedRAMP budget across all six cost buckets.