Compare
Three honest paths to CMMC Level 2
A small contractor has three real options. Each one is legitimate for somebody. Here is the straight version of all three, including when ours is not the right one.
| What matters to a small shop | JumpStart Fed | Enterprise platform | Consultant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Documents arrive already written | ✓Included | ✕Still on you | −Hand-written, slowly |
| Mapped to all 110 requirements from day one | ✓The whole point | −Federal modules added on | ✕Built as you go |
| Built for small shops with no security team | ✓The target shop | ✕Assumes a compliance owner | −If the budget is there |
| A defined path from kickoff to assessment-ready | ✓93 steps, in order | ✕Monitoring, not a path | −Whatever they plan |
| The system stays when the engagement ends | ✓Yours to operate | −While you subscribe | ✕Often leaves with them |
| Many frameworks across an enterprise surface | ✕Not what this is | ✓Genuinely their strength | −Depends on the firm |
| Fully bespoke for an unusual environment | ✕Engineered, not bespoke | ✕Templates and connectors | ✓Their strength |
| Cost posture | Scoped to your shop; one call gets a real answer | Commonly $50k to $100k+ per year before services | Hourly or fixed-fee; often six figures |
Two of those rows are not ours to win, and we would rather you know that now.
The full picture
Each option, in its own words
The matrix compresses. These are the honest details behind each column.
JumpStart Fed
Engineered program, deployed and worked with you
What it is
- A 93-step program with controlled documents already written and mapped to all 110 requirements
- Scoped, high-touch setup; you operate a system instead of building one
Strong when
- You are a small shop with CUI on a handful of machines
- You have no security team and no enterprise budget
- You want to stay assessment-ready after the assessment, not just pass once
Watch for
- It is a working program, not a magic wand: your team still does the steps
- Pre-launch product; you are an early customer, with the access that brings
Cost posture
- Scoped to your shop; one call gets a real answer
Enterprise platform
Continuous-monitoring compliance SaaS
What it is
- A subscription dashboard that connects to your stack and monitors control status
- Built first for SOC 2 and ISO markets, with federal modules added on
Strong when
- You have hundreds of employees, a cloud-native stack, and someone whose job is compliance
- You need many frameworks at once across a large surface
Watch for
- The platform watches; the program, policies, and evidence story are still on you
- Pricing commonly lands at $50k to $100k+ per year before services
Cost posture
- Annual subscription, quoted through a sales process
Consultant
Blank-page engagement, built by hand for you
What it is
- An expert (or firm) writes your documentation and runs your readiness effort from scratch
- Fully bespoke to your environment
Strong when
- Your environment is genuinely unusual and templates would fight you
- You want it largely done for you and the budget is there
Watch for
- Blank-page work is slow and expensive; six-figure engagements are common
- When the consultant leaves, the system often leaves with them
Cost posture
- Hourly or fixed-fee, typically the most expensive path
The honest part
Sometimes the other column is right
We would rather tell you now than have you find out mid-engagement.
Pick the platform if
You are past a hundred employees, run a modern cloud stack end to end, and have a person who owns compliance full-time. Continuous monitoring across many frameworks is what those tools are genuinely good at.
Pick the consultant if
Your environment is truly one of a kind, or you want a done-for-you engagement and can fund it. A good consultant building from scratch beats a template that fights your reality.
Pick neither if
You do not handle CUI and nobody in your contract chain is asking for CMMC. Do not buy compliance you do not owe. A scoping call can tell you that too, and we will say so.
Find your column
Bring your contract situation. If JumpStart Fed is not the right fit, you will hear that from us directly, with a pointer to what is. Prefer to start solo? The free readiness snapshot is coming.