Privacy compliance is tough for growing businesses. Laws keep changing, and most software—like OneTrust—is built for enterprises with big legal teams. That leaves midsize companies with costly, complicated tools they struggle to use.

TrueVault is different. It’s designed for businesses that need to stay compliant without legal guesswork or months of setup.

This article outlines the key differences between OneTrust and TrueVault, and why TrueVault is the smarter, simpler choice for businesses looking to stay compliant without the hassle.

1. Built-In Legal Logic vs. Do-It-Yourself Setup

One of the most important differences between TrueVault and OneTrust is who handles the legal logic.

With OneTrust, you’re essentially handed a privacy toolkit—but you’re responsible for configuring it. That means:

• Creating different request workflows for each privacy law
• Setting up banners, forms, and policies correctly for each law and region
• Making sure all of it is legally accurate

Unless you have an in-house privacy lawyer, this can be risky. Even large companies using OneTrust have been fined for non-compliance with the CCPA due to issues with their cookie banners.

Take Honda, for example—fined $634,000 while paying for an expensive OneTrust subscription. But because the platform wasn’t properly configured, they were still penalized.

TrueVault takes a different approach. Legal logic comes built in—developed and maintained by attorneys—so you don’t have to guess, Google, or hire outside help. From day one, TrueVault:

• Automatically configures region-specific banners, disclosures, and request workflows using your onboarding intake responses
• Keeps your policies and portals updated as laws change—automatically
• Walks you step-by-step through all the legal requirements

When new privacy laws go into effect, we already know if they apply to your business. If they do, we update your privacy assets behind the scenes—so you're compliant without lifting a finger.

2. TrueVault vs. OneTrust: Automation That Goes Beyond Basics

With privacy laws constantly evolving, it’s not enough to just be compliant today. You need to stay compliant tomorrow—without spending weekends rewriting policies or reconfiguring forms.

TrueVault automates ongoing compliance in a way OneTrust simply doesn’t. Our platform:

• Incorporates up-to-date legal research into new and existing privacy laws
• Updates your Privacy Policy and Consumer Rights request forms with the new requirements
• Refreshes cookie banners and scans with the latest categorizations
• Sends reminders to process consumer requests—like access, deletion, appeal, or correction—based on each state’s deadlines

For example, when a new state law takes effect and applies to your business, TrueVault will:

• Add the required disclosures to your Privacy Policy
  Update your request forms to include the new state
• Ensure your cookie banner displays correctly for users in that location (if configured)
  Send reminders for any response deadlines
  

You don’t need to know the law. It’s hands-off compliance by design. We handle the legal complexity so you can stay focused on your business, with confidence that you’re covered.

3. TrueVault: Support from Real People vs. OneTrust: Customer Support That’s MIA

Enterprise platforms often treat support as an afterthought, and that’s one of the biggest complaints we hear from customers switching from OneTrust to TrueVault. OneTrust’s platform is complex, with multiple modules and integration points, which creates more opportunities for things to break. Add to that the manual setup required to stay compliant, and it’s no surprise users often need help.

But when they do reach out, OneTrust users frequently report:

• Long ticket queues and delayed support—even during outages
• Offshore or outsourced support teams that are difficult to get in touch with
• Minimal help with setup or configuration, with onboarding often limited to on-demand videos
  
  

“Their support is close to non-existent. They disregard support tickets altogether, and when they do respond, it’s minimal. Other than spraying you with tons of KB articles, they don't provide much. One rep even said support is for platform issues—not configuration. If we can’t get it right, they’ll sell us professional services.” — Verified OneTrust G2 User

“Customer support is non-existent—you're on your own. Implementation was tricky. Plus, you're required to view four hour-long videos just to get started, which is quite overwhelming.” — Verified OneTrust G2 User

TrueVault is different. You’ll get:

• Direct access to real humans who understand compliance
• Personalized onboarding—we guide you through setup step-by-step
• Ongoing help with training and compliance questions from your dedicated Customer Success Manager
  

It’s the kind of support growing businesses need—especially when you can’t afford to wait days for a ticket to be resolved.
‍

"One thing I’ll say is that I work with a lot of vendors, and we really run lean here. We have a lot to do with very limited resources. Having you help walk this through is not something I get from other vendors I work with. Your customer support is excellent, and I'm so happy to continue working with you." - Bradley Cooper, Jura

4. TrueVault’s Pricing vs. OneTrust's Complex Pricing Structure

OneTrust uses an à la carte pricing model—where every module, feature, or additional user adds to your bill. What looks affordable upfront can balloon quickly as you grow or need more functionality. When you're not sure what exactly you need, you can easily end up overspending on unused and unnecessary add-ons.

TrueVault offers flat-rate pricing with all core features included. You know exactly what you’re paying—no upsells when new laws pass. You’ll have everything you need to stay compliant from the moment you’re onboarded. We also offer a guarantee, if you ever get fined while using our product, we’ll cover it.

5. TrueVault: Privacy Compliance Features Built for Growing Businesses

Here are just a few of the great features that TrueVault offers:

• Data Mapping: Step-by-step guidance for tracking consumer data and disclosures
• Cookie Consent Compliance: We classify cookies for you and keep your banner up to date
• Dynamic Policy Updates: Automatically adjusts your privacy notice as laws or your business change
• Regionalization: Displays cookie options, disclosures, and more based on the user's location
• Automated Consumer Request Workflows: Streamlines opt-out, delete, access, correction, and limit requests—complete with reminders

By contrast, OneTrust provides the tools—but expects you to provide the technical and legal expertise.

For a full side-by-side comparison, check out our chart.

5. Real Privacy Protection with TrueVault vs. Real Privacy Risks OneTrust

If you’re considering OneTrust, here are a few things to be aware of:

• You must know the law: The platform doesn’t ensure setup complies with your business case. You’ll need to know what laws apply to you and the requirements. 
• Little setup guidance: Many teams misconfigure banners, forms, and workflows due to a lack of guidance and support, which puts them at risk. 
• Dark patterns: Consent banners have been criticized for making opt-outs difficult, which can run afoul of data privacy laws.
• Cookie scanning issues: Without regular scans or direction on cookie categorization, banners can become outdated and non-compliant. This requires manual oversight. 
• No alerts: You won’t be notified if something breaks or goes out of compliance
  

The Verdict: What Privacy Compliance Software Best for You?

If you're a large enterprise that needs full control and the ability to customize your setup, OneTrust might be a fit. With a dedicated legal team, a privacy officer, and the resources to manage ongoing oversight, OneTrust can give you the flexibility and customization you may want. It also offers additional features—like detailed reporting and custom preference centers—that go beyond compliance and might benefit your business.

But if you're a growing company that needs compliance to just work—without legal guesswork or constant IT involvement—TrueVault is the smarter choice.

It’s the only privacy platform built to handle compliance end-to-end for businesses without in-house legal teams, making it ideal for:

• Consumer-focused brands – like retailers or eCommerce companies
• Partners offering privacy compliance to clients – like consultants and agencies
• Any company subject to U.S. privacy laws – including CCPA/CPRA, VCDPA, CTDPA, and more

Ready for Privacy Compliance That Runs Itself?

With TrueVault, you don’t need a legal team, IT department, or months of setup time. You’ll get fast, automated compliance—with flat-rate pricing, real human support, and legal logic built in.

Schedule a quick demo and see how TrueVault simplifies compliance, reduces risk, and saves your team hours every week.

👉Book your demo now
👉Or learn more about how TrueVault works

Stuck in a contract with someone else?
We’ve got you. Sign with TrueVault, and we’ll cover your costs until your current agreement ends. No more waiting to upgrade your privacy solution.