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With so many different auditing solutions available, figuring out which one is right for you is tough. You know you want to conduct thorough and efficient audits, ensure compliance, and identify potential risks or irregularities but need to figure out which tool is best for your business. I've got you! In this post I'll help make your choice easy, sharing my personal experiences using dozens of different tools and having been exposed to hundreds of audits, with my picks of the best audit software.

What Is Audit Software?

Audit software refers to tools that support internal auditors in the examination and analysis of financial data, internal controls, and compliance with regulations. Features that make this possible include data analysis tools, risk assessment modules, compliance tracking, document management, and reporting capabilities.

Overall, audit software enables organizations to conduct more thorough and timely audits, automates various audit tasks, improves workflow efficiency, and helps auditors identify areas for improvement, and better address risk management and compliance.

Overviews Of The 10 Best Audit Software

Here’s my assessment of each audit software I chose for my top list and what features I think set it apart from the competition.

Best for real-time AD auditing

  • 30-day free trial
  • Pricing upon request
Visit Website
Rating: 4.4/5

ManageEngine ADAudit Plus is an auditing software designed to secure and ensure compliance for Active Directory (AD), Azure AD, member servers, file servers, and workstations. 

Why I picked ManageEngine ADAudit Plus: I like its real-time Active Directory auditing and alerting capabilities, which ensure that any changes within the Windows environment are immediately detected and addressed. Its ability to track user logins, monitor file modifications, and manage permissions is essential for maintaining security and compliance. Additionally, the software's user behavior analytics and alerts for suspicious activities are crucial in preventing security breaches and ensuring adherence to regulations like GDPR and HIPAA.

ManageEngine ADAudit Plus Standout Features and Integrations:

Features include detailed file server auditing, monitoring access and modifications to files and folders across Windows and NetApp environments. Additionally, the account lockout and management feature efficiently identifies and resolves account lockout issues.

The software also provides comprehensive group policy auditing, ensuring thorough monitoring and reporting of changes to group policies, and advanced auditing for workstations, capturing detailed user logon and logoff activities, software installations, and changes to local users and groups.

Integrations include ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus, ManageEngine OpManager, ManageEngine Log360, ManageEngine EventLog Analyzer, Microsoft SCOM, Microsoft Azure, VMware, Office 365, and SIEM solutions like Splunk, IBM QRadar, and ArcSight. 

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Real-time monitoring
  • User behavior analytics
  • Detailed reports on group policy and object changes

Cons:

  • May be too complex for very small businesses with limited IT resources
  • Limited support for non-Windows environments

Best for automations

  • Free demo available
  • Available upon request
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Rating: 4.6/5

Every time data needs to be manually entered or updated by a human, it introduces room for error. Workiva helps to automate financial reporting work and reduce the risks associated with manual data entry.

Why I picked Workiva: It’s important to make sure audit work is being done accurately and completely, but you probably also want it to be done quickly, too. Whether you’re preparing regulatory filings or producing annual reports, Workiva’s automation features can help ‌cut the time it takes to complete your audit tasks.

Workiva Standout Features and Integrations:

Features include APIs and connectors that make it easy to input and output data like account balances or transaction details. This means you’re using the same data across all of your work, including within your ERP, consolidation systems, planning systems, or budgeting software—I liked that.

Once your data is linked, your documents and spreadsheets auto-update with the latest information. Workiva can handle data whether it’s formatted as a number, in a table, or as text.

Workiva has specific features to help with ESG reporting, internal audit management, SEC reporting, and SOX compliance.

Integrations include Dropbox, Hubspot, NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Salesforce, and 20+ other tools.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Easy to use
  • Visually appealing interface
  • Extensive automation options

Cons:

  • Not ideal for smaller businesses
  • Pricing details aren’t transparent

Best for managing multiple compliance frameworks

  • Free demo available
  • Pricing upon request
Visit Website
Rating: 4.5/5

Hyperproof is an innovative compliance operations platform designed to simplify and streamline audit management. It automates key processes and provides a centralized system for compliance, risk management, and audit preparation.

Why I picked Hyperproof: Its ability to map controls across various frameworks makes it ideal for organizations dealing with multiple regulatory standards. Features like automated evidence collection and real-time compliance visibility ensure that audit preparations are thorough and up-to-date. Additionally, Hyperproof’s task management capabilities ensure that all audit-related activities are tracked and completed on time.

Hyperproof Standout Features and Integrations:

Features include reporting capabilities that allow organizations to generate detailed and comprehensive reports that facilitate audit readiness and regulatory compliance.

Additionally, Hyperproof's centralized risk tracking system helps organizations identify, assess, and mitigate risks proactively.

Integrations include Jira, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Okta, OneDrive, Google Drive, AWS, Azure, GitHub, GitLab, Confluence, ServiceNow, Microsoft 365, Zoom, Box, Dropbox, Asana, Trello, Salesforce, and Smartsheet. 

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Automates evidence collection to save time during audits
  • Intuitive, easy-to-use interface
  • Pre-built frameworks for compliance management

Cons:

  • Reporting could be more robust
  • Could have more customization options

Best for IT audits

  • 20-day free trial
  • Pricing upon request
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Rating: 4.4/5

Netwrix’s audit software helps IT teams ‌detect security threats and prove compliance.

Why I picked Netwrix: There are constantly new viruses, hacks, phishing attempts, and other cyber threats that threaten the security of your business’ computer infrastructure. A tool like Netwrix Auditor makes it easier to ensure your business is secure. Instead of waiting for a threat or problem to emerge, it allows you to actively monitor and catch issues before they become a problem.

Netwrix Standout Features and Integrations:

Features include predefined reports that are mapped to common regulations and industry standards. I thought these would be helpful to reduce the time needed to prepare for audits.

Netwrix’s Google-like search function allows you to find answers within minutes. That way, you’re not combing through audit logs and records for hours to answer specific questions from auditors.

Risk assessment tools help you identify weaknesses and security gaps in your infrastructure. Netwrix also sends alerts to notify you of suspicious activity around your sensitive data. That way, you can respond before you have a data breach or system failure.

Integrations include Splunk, Cyberark, Amazon Web Services, IBM QRadar, Intel Security, and 10+ others.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Searchable tool
  • Helpful automations
  • Risk identification tools

Cons:

  • Pricing isn’t transparent
  • Outdated user interface

Best value for money

  • Free trial upon request
  • From $3,600/year
Visit Website
Rating: 4.7/5

EHS Insight is a well-priced audit tool that covers audit management, incident management, compliance tasks, training management, audit observations, environmental management, and quality management modules.

Why I picked EHS Insight: Some audit software tools focus on a very specific task. While they may be inexpensive, oftentimes you eventually end up buying several other tools to fill in the gaps. EHS Insight charges a flat rate that covers most, if not all, of the audit tools you need.

EHS Insight Standout Features and Integrations:

Features include a fully functional mobile app, and visually appealing user dashboards and reports. After seeing so many drab and outdated audit software options, that really stood out to me.

Offline access keeps data accessible, even if you don’t have an internet connection in the field. And cloud functionality means you can access your information from pretty much anywhere on any device.

Integrations Unfortunately, EHS Insight doesn’t provide any information about integrations on its website.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Great mobile app
  • Broad range of features and applications
  • User-friendly interface

Cons:

  • Not designed for smaller businesses
  • Lack of detail regarding integration

Best for internal audit teams

  • Free demo available.
  • Pricing upon request
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Rating: 4.3/5

Resolver’s software helps internal audit teams to allocate resources to high-priority tasks, allowing teams to streamline and automate different steps of the audit process.

Why I picked Resolver: It helps internal auditors to perform high-quality risk-based audits quickly, with automated workflows and customizable templates.

Although I focused on Resolver’s internal audit software here, they also offer a range of products for managing enterprise risk, security risk, IT risk, vendor risk, and regulatory compliance—all of which could also be used for audit purposes.

Resolver’s Standout Features and Integrations:

Features include powerful reporting dashboards. In my opinion, these real-time reports will help ensure auditors are always making the best decisions based on the latest information.

A central information hub stores all audit data, consolidating process documentation, risk assessments, and audit work papers. Plus, when needed, internal audit teams can easily share data with individuals in other departments, increasing efficiency and engagement.

Automated workflows, reminders, and alerts reduce the amount of time that auditors will need to chase for backup via email and phone calls. One-click audit committee reports let you see an overview of the entire business or use filters to drill down to finer details.

Integrations: None natively supported. (API and webhooks integration only)

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Strong reporting functionality
  • Great automation features
  • Simple, visually intuitive interface

Cons:

  • No mobile app
  • No native integrations

Best ISO compliance features

  • 30-day free trial
  • Pricing upon request
Visit Website
Rating: 5/5

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) compliance is an internationally-recognized standard or way of doing something. QT9’s software helps with ISO compliance across various industries, including ISO 9001, ISO 13485, ISO 14001, and ISO 17025.

Why I picked QT9 QMS: It allows you to automate and connect all of your quality control and total quality management processes to ensure your products are meeting your customer’s expectations while complying with all applicable industry standards and requirements. This is particularly important in industries like aerospace and medical devices, where the margin for error can be incredibly small.

QT9 QMS Standout Features and Integrations:

Features include the ability to access the software from anywhere. I liked that it supports Mac, PC, Chromebook, Linux, and mobile devices equally well. The software’s modern dashboard grids and graphics improve data visibility.

QT9 helps businesses to automate routine tasks by implementing quality management best practices. Its fully integrated models can easily transfer data and documents from one system to the next.

Integrations include QT9’s own ERP software, Microsoft Office, and Microsoft Excel.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Scalable
  • Mobile-friendly
  • Fast and easy implementation

Cons:

  • Steep learning curve
  • Limited integrations

Best for Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) audits

  • Free demo available.
  • Pricing upon request

Pro-Sapien is an award-winning and comprehensive environmental, health & safety (EHS) audit platform.

Why I picked Pro-Sapien: It’s the best tool that I found in my research for EHS workflows. It’s got purpose-built EHS modules, an intuitive design, and AI-powered automations.

Pro-Sapien’s Standout Features and Integrations:

Features include an integrated mobile platform that auditors can access from their mobile or tablet when they’re out of the office for inventory counts or site visits. Teams can also save time with the automated approval and verification that automatically routes documents to the correct person based on factors like audit type and location.

I liked that you can import templates from your existing library. Sometimes a finding comes up more than once in your organization, and this helps reduce the time and effort spent on paperwork.

Pro-Sapien’s Business Intelligence model provides reports and analytics that help you identify trends, measure against KPIs (key performance indicators), and make data-based decisions.

Integrations include SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft 365.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Great analytics and reporting
  • Mobile compatible
  • Easy to learn and use

Cons:

  • Limited integrations
  • Requires Microsoft 365

Best for growing companies

  • Free demo available.
  • Pricing upon request

Diligent HighBond is designed to scale with your team. Its broad set of features makes it suitable for a wide range of auditing scenarios.

Why I picked Diligent HighBond: It’s a flexible audit management software designed to make your entire audit workflow more efficient, from planning to reporting.

Diligent HighBond fits nicely into a number of different use cases, such as compliance management, IT risk management, and ESG.

Diligent HighBond Standout Features and Integrations:

Features include advanced analytics and data automation, which you can use to more easily identify and assess risks in real-time. HighBond’s storyboards provide great data visualization, so you can get a deeper understanding of your company’s internal data.

I liked that HighBond focuses on configuration over customization. It has many configuration options, but they avoid complicated customization and bespoke solutions. Instead, this software was designed by implementing years of insight and customer feedback about what works and what doesn’t.

Integrations include Amazon Web Services, Dun & Bradstreet, Oracle, Netsuite, Microsoft SQL Server, SAP, Salesforce, Sage Accounting, Quickbooks, Zendesk, Stripe, Square, and dozens more.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Wide range of audit uses
  • Setup is straightforward
  • Simple, visually intuitive interface

Cons:

  • No free plan/trial available
  • Steep learning curve

Best for government agencies

  • Free demo available.
  • Pricing upon request

eCASE Audit was specifically designed for use by government agencies. It helps to streamline audit processes to ensure compliance with Government Accountability Office (GAO) guidelines.

Why I picked eCASE Audit: Government agencies and organizations have very specific needs and requirements when it comes to audits.

An audit software that’s ideal for private companies may not be what’s needed in the public sector. For those situations, eCASE Audit offers a dedicated and purpose-built solution.

eCase Audit Standout Features and Integrations:

Features include issue tracking and resolution management with automated follow-ups. This makes assigning ownership of tasks and meeting deadlines easier. Integrated scheduling and time tracking helps to record the time spent to complete various audit procedures and reduces the need for data re-entry.

I liked that eCASE Audit has collaboration tools that allow users to edit PDFs, spreadsheets, slideshows, and other documents from within the application.

Integrations are limited, as eCase Audit is designed to be an all-in-one audit software. However, it does support email integration with Microsoft Outlook or other email services that use SMTP settings, as well as Word-based correspondence templates.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Clean, intuitive interface
  • Purpose-built for government agencies
  • Cloud-based data storage

Cons:

  • No mobile app
  • Limited integrations
Tool Best For Trial Info Price
1
ManageEngine ADAudit Plus

ManageEngine ADAudit Plus offers a real-time alerting system for critical events in need of attention.

Best for real-time AD auditing

30-day free trial

Pricing upon request Website
2
Workiva

Here’s a look at the real-time dashboard available in Workiva.

Best for automations

Free demo available

Available upon request Website
3
Hyperproof

Hyperproof's audit management features offer dashboards and customizable reports for real-time visibility into audit activities.

Best for managing multiple compliance frameworks

Free demo available

Pricing upon request Website
4
Netwrix Auditor

Here’s a look at a risk assessment dashboard within Netwrix.

Best for IT audits

20-day free trial

Pricing upon request Website
5
EHS Insight

This is a look at performance charts within EHS Insight.

Best value for money

Free trial upon request

From $3,600/year Website
6
Resolver

Here’s a look at how real-time reports are displayed in Resolver.

Best for internal audit teams

Free demo available.

Pricing upon request Website
7
QT9 QMS

QT9’s cloud-based software displays well on all devices.

Best ISO compliance features

30-day free trial

Pricing upon request Website
8
Pro-Sapien

Here’s a look at Pro-Sapien’s audit tools.

Best for Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) audits

Free demo available.

Pricing upon request Website
9
Diligent HighBond

Here’s a look at one of HighBond’s reporting screens.

Best for growing companies

Free demo available.

Pricing upon request Website
10
eCASE Audit

A configuration screen within eCASE Audit.

Best for government agencies

Free demo available.

Pricing upon request Website

Other Options

Here are some additional audit tools that didn’t quite make my top 10 list but are still worth checking out.

  1. SafetyCulture

    For mobile auditing teams

  2. Onspring

    For risk assessment features

  3. FORM OpX

    For paperless audits

  4. StandardFusion

    Comprehensive suite of audit features

  5. Mitratech

    For complete digital audit trails

  6. Audit Prodigy

    For integrated audit and compliance management features

  7. AuditBoard

    Cloud-based features

  8. SiteDocs

    For construction and maintenance projects

  9. ProcessGene

    GRC (governance, risk, and compliance) software

Selection Criteria For Audit Software

Here’s a short summary of the main selection and evaluation criteria I used to develop my list of the best audit software for this article:

Core Functionality

First, I evaluated and compared a wide range of popular audit softwares to see the sort of functions they had in common. These are the basic things that an audit software needs to be able to do in order to make it onto my list:

  • Create a detailed audit trail of the system
  • Manage workflows
  • Test and sample data
  • Perform a risk assessment
  • Allow for data analysis (should support data import, data cleansing, data transformation, and provide various analytical tools for testing, validation, and identification of anomalies or patterns.)
  • Track and manage issues as they arise
  • Help the user ensure compliance

Key Features

In order to deliver the core functionality I’ve outlined above, here are some key features that I think audit software should include:

  • Checklists, templates, and forms: These help to add structure and guide the audit process, as well as standardize documentation.
  • Audit planning tools: These are vital to conducting audits effectively and on schedule.
  • Reporting and dashboards: These allow auditors to more easily interpret information at a glance, as well as inform the decision-making of stakeholders. Analytics help auditors spot areas for improvement, especially when compared against benchmarks.
  • Mobile access: Audits are often completed on the go or in the field, so the software should ideally be compatible with mobile devices or tablets. An offline mode or the ability to use 4G instead of wifi is also an advantage.
  • Task management: Audit teams need a way to assign ‌tasks to individual team members and track their progress.
  • Compliance and risk management: Features within the software should help make sure the business is compliant with relevant standards and regulations.
  • Alerts and notifications: The software should proactively warn about potential problems early, so they can be prevented or mitigated early on.

Usability

I prioritized audit software that I thought had a high level of usability. I define usability as being easy both to implement and to use.

Any audit software will have a learning curve to some degree. But modern software should be user-friendly and easy to navigate in an intuitive way.

People Also Ask

Here are some other questions you might have when trying to find the audit software that’s right for your use case.

How much does audit software cost?

The cost of audit software depends on a lot of factors, especially the features and functionality included.

On the low end, you can expect to pay at least $20 per user per month.

More advanced audit software and higher end options can run up to $10,000 or more per year, with implementation costs in the thousands as well.

Who uses audit software?

Audit software is primarily used by internal or external auditors or by compliance officers.

Audit software is most commonly associated with accounting and finance. However, risk assessments, data analysis, and other audit functions can also be performed for IT departments and other areas of a business.

What are the different types of audit software?

There are a number of different types of audit software. For example, audit software can be designed specifically for:

  • data analysis
  • risk assessment
  • compliance management
  • audit management
  • financial reporting
  • continuous monitoring
  • document management

There is also software specialized for certain types of audits like, OSHA and EHS audits

Final Thoughts

Auditing is a rather broad term that covers accounting audits, IT audits, environmental audits, and many others. You’ll need different tools and features in your software for each of these. The best audit software for you will be the one that helps you to complete your audit as efficiently and accurately as possible.

Hopefully, my audit software picks will help you to find the audit software that’s the best fit for your team.

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Simon Litt
By Simon Litt

Simon Litt is the editor of The CFO Club, specializing in covering a range of financial topics. His career has seen him focus on both personal and corporate finance for digital publications, public companies, and digital media brands across the globe.