ROI calculator
Total cost of FedRAMP 20x certification — tool-only versus Triad.
Three-year view. Every assumption is editable and shown. Estimates only; your Readiness Assessment replaces them with measured numbers.
Your situation
People, by discipline
| Discipline | Tool-only FTE | With Triad FTE | Loaded cost/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compliance / GRC lead | |||
| Cloud / platform engineer | |||
| Security operations |
Other assumptions (edit)
Three-year comparison by lever
| Lever | Tool-only | Triad | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software & evidence | $420,000 | $240,000 | +$180,000 |
| Environment build | $300,000 | $120,000 | +$180,000 |
| Compliance & operations people | $1,050,000 | $264,000 | +$786,000 |
| Annual assessment effort (Internal) | $133,750 | $33,438 | +$100,313 |
| Managed Security vs. 24/7 security team | $2,625,000 | $630,000 | +$1,995,000 |
| 3PAO fee (neutral) | $180,000 | $180,000 | neutral |
| Total cost | $4,708,750 | $1,467,438 | +$3,241,313 |
Three-year advantage with Triad
$3,241,313
$3,241,313 cost avoided over three years
How the model works
Cost levers
- Software & evidence — tool-only pricing carries an evidence add-on; 20x Governance includes automated evidence collection and KSI validation.
- Environment build — a one-time consultant build on the tool-only path versus the Secure Environment delivered as code you own.
- People — the FTE each discipline dedicates, priced at loaded cost, plus the prep months each assessment cycle consumes.
- Operations — Managed Security replaces the security operations effort the tool-only path assigns to your team or a separate provider.
- 3PAO fee — neutral; the same independent assessment applies on both paths.
Value levers
- Around-the-clock coverage — Managed Security delivers continuous monitoring without standing up an in-house 24/7 team.
- Time to certification — a shorter path to authorization means federal work can start sooner, outside this cost model.
- Engineering time returned — the difference in dedicated FTE is time your engineers spend on product instead of compliance.
- Assessment confidence — machine-verified evidence shortens assessor cycles and reduces rework between packages.
Default figures are indicative and deliberately conservative. Tool-only pricing reflects published list prices for comparable FedRAMP 20x software with automated evidence; Triad figures match the pricing calculator.