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Without the right assessor FedRAMP authorization is, well, impossible. So, finding the right auditor is key.
We’ve worked with many assessors and businesses on their FedRAMP journeys, and know how important the right partner is. Whether you’re just starting FedRAMP or looking to make a change, we’re here to help you find your best fit.
There is no one perfect auditor for every compliance path. Here we’ll provide you a list of 8 top FedRAMP assessors that we recommend with information about each, so you can make the best decision for your organization.
Top 8 FedRAMP Assessors or Auditors
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Top Assessor Service Overview
A-Lign
A-LIGN is a top FedRAMP 3PAO with a 100% authorization success rate after 1,000+ federal submissions. They help organizations achieve both FedRAMP Ready status and full authorization.
When you work with them, they’ll take the time to understand your operations and fit the audit to your business. You won’t need to find another partner, even if your compliance audit needs grow, because they provide a wide range of audit services.
Expect excellent customer service with a 96% client satisfaction rate and 24 hour response time.
Supported Frameworks
- CMMC
- FedRAMP
- FISMA
- GovRAMP
- HIPAA
- ISO 27001
- NIST CSF
- PCI DSS
- SOC 2
- Tx-RAMP
Ideal Audit Partner For
If your organization is a mid-sized CSP targeting federal Low/Moderate authorizations, values prestige for marketing, and an innovative approach that’s a faster/less expensive path than average, A-LIGN is a strong match.
A-LIGN may be an especially good fit for orgs seeking 20x, having succeeded at the process themselves for their A-SCEND platform.
Available Products & Services
✔ Attestations & Certifications
✔ Data Security & Privacy Assessment
✔ FedRAMP 3rd Party Assessment
✔ Gap Assessment
✔ Penetration Testing
✔ POA&M Management
✔ Managed Detection and Incident Response
→ Connect with A-Lign
BD Emerson
Supported Frameworks
- CMMC
- FedRAMP
- FISMA
- GovRAMP
- HIPAA
- ISO 27001
- NIST CSF
- PCI DSS
- SOC 2
- Tx-RAMP
Ideal Audit Partner For
BD Emerson shines in affordable, personalized support, making them ideal if you value efficiency and a reliable process without breaking the bank.
With competitive pricing, budget-conscious teams at smaller, as well as mid-sized to enterprise orgs may find BD-Emerson’s 15+ years of cybersecurity expertise a dependable choice for FedRAMP Authorization.
Available Products & Services
✔ Attestations & Certifications
✔ Data Security & Privacy Assessment
✔ Duo Multifactor
✔ Email Protection
✔ FedRAMP 3rd Party Assessment
✔ Gap Assessment
✔ Identity and Access Management
✔ Incident Response Plan
✔ Penetration Testing
✔ POA&M Management
✔ Managed Detection and Incident Response
✔ SSP Ingestion
✔ SSP Management
About BD Emerson
BD Emerson delivers integrated solutions in cybersecurity, assurance & attestation, technology, and privacy consulting. Their advisory services provide guidance through every step from compliance and audit readiness to technology strategy and data protection.
Their experienced security team builds out technical controls for companies seeking authorization and certification for many frameworks.
Drawing on their extensive experience, they also provide top-tier 3PAO assessment services.
Coalfire
Supported Frameworks
- FedRAMP
- CMMC
- FISMA
- GovRAMP
- HIPAA
- ISO 27001
- NIST CSF
- PCI DSS
- SOC 2
- TX-RAMP
Ideal Audit Partner For
Coalfire is a market leader with over 10 years, 100+ assessments, and a 100% pass rate for federal submissions. You can expect a reliable audit and excellent support through your final review.
Coalfire’s experience and reputation may price out smaller, startups, so consider less expensive options if budget is your top concern.
Products & Services Provided
✔ Attestations & Certifications
✔ Data Security & Privacy Assessment
✔ FedRAMP 3rd Party Assessment
✔ Gap Assessment
✔ Incident Response Plan
✔ Penetration Testing
✔ POA&M Management
✔ Security Architecture
About Coalfire
Coalfire is a Paramify Premier Partner. They offer advanced cybersecurity services using innovative SaaS-based platforms to enhance your organization's cyber resilience, simplify regulatory compliance, and boost business performance.
Their tailored cybersecurity solutions protect your organization from evolving cyber threats and ensure compliance with the latest industry standards, regulations, and frameworks.
Fortreum
Supported Frameworks
- FedRAMP
- CMMC
- FISMA
- GovRAMP
- HIPAA
- ISO 27001
- NIST CSF
- PCI DSS
- SOC 2
- TX-RAMP
Ideal Audit Partner For
Fortreum is a fast growing, reputable 3PAO that is newer to the assessment space (accredited since 2021). They may be the right fit for your CSP if you value innovative prestige and cost efficiency.
While Fortreum has fewer years of audit experience under their belt, small to mid-sized CSPs may find their approach ideal without crushing the budget.
Products & Services Provided
✔ Attestations & Certifications
✔ Data Security & Privacy Assessment
✔ FedRAMP 3rd Party Assessment
✔ Gap Assessment
✔ Incident Response Plan
✔ Penetration Testing
✔ POA&M Management
✔ Security Architecture
✔ Security & Compliance Advisory
✔ SSP Management
About Fortreum
Fortreum is a trusted leader in cloud and cybersecurity services, ranked in the Top 5 FedRAMP Third Party Assessment Organizations (3PAO) on the FedRAMP Marketplace.
They provide their clients independent, third-party and vendor-agnostic regulatory assessment and advisory services, coupled with advanced cybersecurity offensive and compliance technical services.
Their comprehensive service portfolio includes regulatory compliance (FedRAMP, FISMA, SOC, ISO, HIPAA, CMMC) and technical security services (Penetration Testing, Red Teaming, Social Engineering, Attack Surface Analysis and others).
They've worked with Fortune 500 companies and leading cloud service providers to build a reputation of service-delivery excellence and unwavering commitment to their core values:
- Quality matters most
- Customer-driven mindset
- Autonomy to do your job
- Personal accountability/stewardship
Insight Assurance
Supported Frameworks
- FedRAMP
- TX-RAMP
- CMMC
- GovRAMP
Ideal Audit Partner For
Insight Assurance is a brand new 3PAO (as of 2025) led by Dr. Stephanie Carter, one of the industry’s more seasoned FedRAMP experts. Insight Assurance combines this experience with cost-effective, streamlined FedRAMP assessment using modern tools to automate.
If your organization is a mid-sized CSP offering SaaS for federal data, prioritizes expert prestige from Big 4 pros, and needs cost-effective, streamlined FedRAMP authorization, Insight Assurance is a promising fit.
Products and Services Provided
✔ Penetration Testing
✔ Attestations & Certifications
About Insight Assurance
With Big 4 backgrounds and hundreds of successful audits, Insight Assurance helps companies meet SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI, HITRUST, among other compliance needs—delivering quality and earning trust along the way.
→ Connect with Insight Assurance
Lunarline, Inc
Supported Frameworks
- CMMC
- FedRAMP
- FISMA
- GovRAMP
- HIPAA
- TX-RAMP
Ideal Audit Partner For
Lunarline, Inc is a good fit if your organization is a mid-sized CSP targeting Moderate/High FedRAMP for federal contracts, values longstanding prestige, and needs cost-effective tools for efficient compliance.
For very small organization alternatives may align better.
Products and Services Provided
✔ Attestations & Certifications
✔ Data Security & Privacy Assessment
✔ FedRAMP 3rd Party Assessment
✔ Gap Assessment
✔ Penetration Testing
✔ POA&M Management
✔ Security Architecture
About Lunarline, Inc
For over 20 years, Lunarline, Inc.—an original, accredited 3PAO— has specialized in delivering independent, high-quality cybersecurity assessments and consulting for U.S. Federal agencies and private sector organizations.
Their deep engineering roots set them apart, approaching assessments with a technical mindset to ensure findings are accurate, actionable, and aligned with both compliance and real-world operations.
Whether you’re navigating FedRAMP, NIST, CMMC, or other frameworks, their team delivers tailored assessments that go beyond checklists — laying the groundwork for stronger, more resilient security programs that stand up to today’s demands and tomorrow’s threats.
→ Connect with Lunarline, Inc.
Prescient Security
Supported Frameworks
- FedRAMP
- GovRAMP
- CMMC
- SOC 2
- PCI DSS
Ideal Audit Partner For
If your organization is a mid-sized CSP targeting FedRAMP Low or Moderate for federal contracts, values emerging prestige with automation efficiencies, and needs bundled compliance support, Prescient Security is a promising fit.
For very large enterprises or those requiring long-established FedRAMP track records, more veteran 3PAOs may align better.
Products and Services Provided
✔ Attestations & Certifications
✔ Penetration Testing
About Prescient Security
A Global Top 20 Independent Audit and Penetration Testing Company, Prescient Security delivers unparalleled quality in audits, attestations, and certifications to ensure excellence and client success.
Precinct uses a Risk-Based Audit Approach versus a Requirement-Based Audit Approach. This, paired with the ability to customize audit deliverables based on specific client needs, allows them to operate from a cybersecurity standpoint first. The results are comprehensive yet granular, taking a fraction of the time.
→ Connect with Prescient Security
Schellman
Supported Frameworks
- FedRAMP
- CMMC
- FISMA
- GovRAMP
- HIPAA
- ISO 27001
- NIST CSF
- PCI DSS
- SOC 2
- TX-RAMP
Ideal Audit Partner For
Schellman is the ideal 3PAO for any sized SaaS provider targeting FedRAMP Low, Moderate, or High. They offer top prestige and use efficient processes and automation to speed up timelines 25% over the average.
Smaller startups and organization less focused on reputation may find a better fit in newer, less expensive 3PAO options.
Products and Services Provided
✔ Attestations & Certifications
✔ Data Security & Privacy Assessment
✔ FedRAMP 3rd Party Assessment
✔ Gap Assessment
✔ Penetration Testing
✔ POA&M Management
About Schellman
Schellman is the only Top 50 CPA firm focused exclusively on IT Compliance and Cybersecurity, and the #1 service provider for FedRAMP Assessments. Their industry-leading NPS scores, client retention, and employee retention mean their clients experience greater continuity and quality.
→ Connect with Schellman
More FedRAMP 3PAO Options
Not finding your perfect fit on this list? Check out the list of assessors provided on the FedRAMP Marketplace. You’ll find those listed here, and several more.
C3PAO Options
Not FedRAMP focused? For CMMC we also recommend A-Lign, BD Emerson, Coalfire, Fortreum, Insight Assurance, Lunarline, Prescient, Schellman, as well as RSI Security as C3PAOs for your CMMC audit.
What Does a FedRAMP 3PAO Assessor Do?
Just in case you’re new to the whole GRC world, let’s go over the basics.
A 3PAO is a 3rd Party Assessment Organization. The assessor is going to validate your
- Scoping
- Implementation of security controls around that scope
- That those controls are in place and operating
Your assessor will continue to provide support after they complete your audit and provide their report. They’ll attend your review with the PMO, answering questions about your system and why they validated your security choices.
We saw it ourselves recently when invited to a client’s final review with the PMO for FedRAMP 20x — with the assessor regularly chiming in and helping the client through their review.
How to Choose the Best FedRAMP Assessor for You
Which assessor you choose will come down to 4 main concerns:
- Reputation
- Price
- Availability
- Methodology
Reputation
Some assessors have more experience and have established a reputation as an assessor you can trust to provide the feedback and support you need to get authorized.
Price
All assessors do not cost the same. Basically, you’re going to pay more if you choose an auditor with a strong reputation.
If your org is larger, more established, or just has the funds, that reputation and associated trust may be worth the price tag. If not, you may consider smaller, newer auditors working to build their reputation.
Availability
Your timeline may affect which assessor you choose. Depending on the assessor and their capacity you may need to wait for them to have an opening.
Methodology
The approach and openness to innovation may differ from assessor to assessor.
Your method may not be a perfect fit for each assessor. Learn about and talk to each assessor you’re considering to make sure it’s the best fit for your process.
We worked with Coalfire for our 20x FedRAMP Authorization because they were familiar with our risk-based methodology, had the availability, and were interested in the innovation of 20x.
Wondering who to use with Paramify? Any partner listed here is comfortable with Paramify’s methodology.
Do You Have the Wrong GRC Assessor?
You are not required to change assessors for FedRAMP, unlike the financial sector where you’re required to change partners every 7 years. You can find one you love and stick with them forever.
But, sometimes a CSP needs to make a change. Usually because of pricing factors or because they’ve had an unpleasant experience.
What does an unpleasant experience look like?
One org told us they decided to switch after their assessor missed findings until the last minute, which caused them frustration and delays coupled with rising prices that didn’t match the quality of service.
They made a change for their next audit cycle and found the new fit a better experience.
Having the right partner makes a big difference, so don’t be afraid to make a change when things aren’t going well.
Do you Need a Specific Assessor if You Use Paramify?
You can use Paramify with any 3PAO.
All of the assessors we’ve listed here have experience using Paramify and would be a great fit. But, any assessor you choose can access your ATO package — and enjoy the benefits of assessing a Paramify-built package.
→ How you can save money and time using Paramify for FedRAMP Authorization
Connect With Your Best GRC Assessor
If you’ve got more questions or think you’ve found the best FedRAMP assessor for you listed here, we’d be happy to help.
Feel free to reach out to our team at Paramify with questions, or directly to the assessor of your choice to get started.
Curious how Paramify works with Advisors and Assessors? Learn whether Paramify is a good fit to streamline your FedRAMP process, check out case studies, or learn how our partners use our products.
If you’d like to learn more, request our demo video below, or set up time for a live demo.
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