What Each Company Does
Exostar is a SaaS platform for trusted collaboration in aerospace and defense, serving nearly half of the Defense Industrial Base including 98 of the top 100 DIB companies VERIFIED: exostar.com. Its CMMC Ready Suite includes: Certification Assistant™ (guided self-assessment, SPRS scoring, SSP/POA&M generation), PolicyPro™ (AI-assisted policy creation and gap analysis for all 14 NIST control families), and Managed Microsoft 365™ (a FedRAMP Moderate Equivalent GCC-High enclave implementing ~85 of 110 controls). In December 2025, Exostar received CMMC Maturity Level 2 certification with a perfect score — no POA&Ms needed VERIFIED: Intelligence Community News, December 2025.
CyberSheath is a cybersecurity consulting firm focused exclusively on CMMC compliance for the DIB. It offers hands-on advisory services: gap analysis, scoping, SSP/POA&M review, legal risk education, and audit preparation support. It has published influential research on the DIB's CMMC readiness state and positions itself as CMMC experts — not a technology vendor. It does not offer a proprietary SaaS tool VERIFIED: cybersheath.com.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature / Capability | Exostar CMMC Ready Suite | CyberSheath |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery Model | SaaS platform (subscription) | Consulting & advisory services |
| Self-Assessment Tooling | ✓ Certification Assistant™ — guided wizard, auto-SPRS VERIFIED | ⚠ Guidance + templates; no proprietary tool |
| SPRS Score Calculation | ✓ Automated VERIFIED | ⚠ Manual, advisor-assisted |
| SSP / POA&M Generation | ✓ Automated with Certification Assistant™ VERIFIED | ⚠ Document review and guidance |
| Policy Management | ✓ PolicyPro™ — AI builder, all 14 NIST families VERIFIED | ⚠ Policy review and advisory support |
| Managed Collaboration Enclave | ✓ Managed M365 GCC-High, ~85 controls VERIFIED | ✗ Not offered — customers supply own environment |
| FedRAMP / Certification Status | ✓ CMMC ML2 perfect score, FedRAMP Mod Equiv VERIFIED | ⚠ Expert firm; certification status not marketed |
| Legal Risk Advisory | ⚠ Platform-only; no legal advisory | ✓ Emphasis on flow-down, False Claims Act risk VERIFIED: cybersheath.com |
| Scoping Guidance | ⚠ Platform templates AI-GENERATED | ✓ Specialized scoping advisory VERIFIED: cybersheath.com blog |
| C3PAO Audit Preparation | ✓ Evidence repository, documentation tools | ✓ Direct audit prep, documentation review |
| Supply Chain / Flow-Down | ✓ Supply chain risk dashboards VERIFIED | ✓ Flow-down risk advisory VERIFIED |
| Pricing Model | Subscription per-user/tenant + consulting add-ons | Project-based consulting fees; no recurring SaaS license |
| SMB Accessibility | ⚠ Positioned for SMBs; pricing not public AI-GENERATED | ⚠ Services costs vary by project scope |
Cost Comparison
Exostar: Subscription-based. No public price list. Managed Microsoft 365 is per-user/tenant with monthly recurring fees. Exostar has described its SMB pricing as "enterprise-grade security at a price SMBs can afford" — but no figures are published AI-GENERATED — no public pricing. Contact Exostar for a quote. Consulting add-ons (CMMC 2.0 Basic Assessment) available through vetted partner network.
CyberSheath: Project-based consulting. No published rate card. Fees vary by engagement scope — gap analysis, full compliance implementation, and audit prep each carry different cost structures. Expect typical consulting hourly rates for specialized CMMC advisory AI-GENERATED — no public pricing.
Neither company publishes pricing. Both require direct engagement. Organizations comparing total cost should factor in: Exostar's ongoing SaaS fees vs. CyberSheath's potentially higher one-time project costs, and Exostar's bundled M365 enclave vs. the separate cost of building or licensing a CUI-compliant environment independently.
Best For
Exostar Is Best For
- SMBs that want a self-contained SaaS platform handling assessment, policy, and collaboration
- Organizations that don't have a CUI-compliant collaboration environment yet
- Contractors that want to handle most of the compliance work internally with tooling support
- Primes managing supply chain CMMC compliance across multiple subcontractors
- Organizations that want continuous compliance dashboards, not a point-in-time engagement
CyberSheath Is Best For
- Organizations that already have internal tooling and need expert advisory layer
- Contractors with complex scoping questions or unusual environments
- Organizations concerned about False Claims Act or flow-down legal risk
- Companies preparing for their first C3PAO audit and wanting hands-on guidance
- Primes needing help navigating subcontractor compliance flow-down obligations
The Factual Verdict
Exostar and CyberSheath represent two valid but different approaches to CMMC compliance. Exostar automates the process. CyberSheath guides it. Neither is universally superior — the right choice depends on your organization's existing infrastructure, internal capability, and budget structure.
For an SMB with no compliant collaboration environment and limited internal IT expertise, Exostar's CMMC Ready Suite — particularly Managed Microsoft 365 — provides the most accelerated path. You get ~85 of 110 NIST controls implemented out-of-the-box, along with tools to handle the remaining documentation and assessment work. CyberSheath adds no equivalent infrastructure.
For an organization that has its environment sorted but needs help with scoping, legal risk, and audit strategy, CyberSheath's advisory depth is harder to replicate with software alone. Complex environments benefit from human expertise in ways that self-service platforms don't address.
Many serious CMMC initiatives use both: Exostar's platform for automation and evidence management, CyberSheath (or similar advisors) for strategy and audit preparation. That combination reflects how most C3PAO-level certifications are actually achieved. AI-GENERATED assessment