Self-hosted vs SaaS GRC
Where your risk data lives decides your security review, your bill and who can see it.
Updated 10 October 2026
Self-hosted risk software runs on your own servers, so your risk register, incidents and decisions never leave your network. It runs under the security you already operate, avoids a vendor holding your most sensitive information, and with a flat fee its cost doesn’t climb with every user you add. SaaS GRC runs on the vendor’s infrastructure, usually priced per seat or by module.
What’s the difference?
A SaaS GRC tool stores your data on the vendor’s infrastructure and you use it through their website. A self-hosted tool, such as Riskamy, is installed on infrastructure you control: a server in your data centre or a virtual machine in your own cloud account. In practice, self-hosted and on-premises mean the same thing.
Your risk register is the most sensitive list you own
A risk register names your weak points: the systems that could fail, the controls that don’t work yet, the incidents you’ve had. With SaaS, that list sits with a third party. Self-hosted, it stays inside your network, and no vendor can see it, lose it or be compelled to hand it over.
A shorter security review
Buying SaaS GRC means assessing the vendor as a data processor: their hosting, their sub-processors, their breach history, their data residency. With self-hosted software the vendor never hosts, sees or processes your data, so that review shrinks to the software itself.
Cost as you grow
SaaS GRC is commonly priced per user, per module or by volume, so the bill rises as more of the business takes part. That pushes teams to ration seats, which is the opposite of what a risk program needs. Riskamy is one flat fee with no limits on users, risks, registers or instances.
AI without sending your register to a vendor
Many SaaS tools bundle their own AI, running on their infrastructure. Self-hosted, you choose: connect Claude, OpenAI or DeepSeek under your own account, or a model on your own hardware so nothing leaves your network at all.
What running it takes
Your team owns hosting, backups and certificates, as it does for other internal systems. Riskamy keeps that small: it runs on a single server, upgrades are one command, and we guide your team through setup.
At a glance
| Self-hosted (Riskamy) | Typical SaaS GRC | |
|---|---|---|
| Where data lives | Your servers or cloud account | The vendor’s infrastructure |
| Who can access it | Only your people | Your people, plus the vendor and its sub-processors |
| Security review | The software | The software, the vendor and its hosting |
| Pricing | One flat fee, unlimited users | Usually per seat or per module |
| AI | Your choice of model, including offline | Usually the vendor’s |
| If you stop | Your data stays where it is | Export before the contract ends |
Frequently asked questions
Is self-hosted software less secure than SaaS?
No. It runs under the identity, network, logging and backup controls you already trust for your other internal systems, and removes a third party from the picture entirely.
Can we self-host in AWS or Azure?
Yes. Self-hosted means infrastructure you control, which includes a virtual machine in your own cloud account.
Do we need a big IT team?
No. Riskamy runs on a single server and upgrades are one command. We guide your team through setup.
Who handles upgrades?
Your team runs them, with one command, when it suits you. Nothing changes under you without your say.
See it on your own register. Bring the spreadsheet you use today.
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