CMMC compliance software for small defense contractors

If you're a small defense contractor — a machine shop, a parts supplier, an MSP serving the defense base — you've likely been told you need to be “CMMC compliant” and that there's software to help. This guide lays out the three real paths (enterprise platforms, consultants, and self-serve tools), what each costs, and how to pick the one that fits a small business with a deadline and a budget.

First, what the software is actually for

CMMC Level 2 comes down to implementing all 110 controls in NIST SP 800-171 Rev 2 — the standard for protecting Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). “CMMC software” doesn't make you compliant on its own. What good tooling does is handle the four jobs that are slow and error-prone by hand:

• Self-assessment — walking through all 110 controls and honestly marking each as Met, Partial, Not Met, or N/A.
• SPRS scoring — turning that assessment into the single number the DoD looks at (and that you submit yourself).
• Remediation planning — deciding which gaps to fix first, with realistic cost and effort estimates.
• Documentation — producing the System Security Plan (SSP) and Plan of Action & Milestones (POA&M) an assessor expects to see.

Every option below does some subset of this. The difference is who does the work — and what you pay for that.

Your three real options

1. Enterprise GRC platforms

Tools like Vanta, Drata, and Hyperproof are excellent at what they're built for: continuous compliance automation across many frameworks (SOC 2, ISO 27001, and CMMC among them) for companies with dedicated security or IT staff. They integrate deeply with your cloud stack and automate evidence collection.

The catch for a small contractor: they're priced for funded companies, typically $5,000–$10,000+ per year, and they assume you have someone in-house to drive the program. For a 12-person machine shop with one IT person on retainer, that's a lot of platform — and a lot of money — for a single framework you need to clear once and maintain.

2. CMMC consultants and RPOs

A consultant or Registered Provider Organization (RPO) will do the readiness work for you: assess your environment, write your SSP and POA&M, and guide remediation. If you have the budget and want it off your plate, this is the lowest-effort path.

It's also the most expensive — typically $20,000–$50,000+ for a small-contractor engagement, sometimes more if remediation labor is included. For many small shops, that number alone is what triggers the search for an alternative.

3. Self-serve readiness tools

This is the newer middle path, and where 144 sits. The idea: software gives you the structure, the scoring, the prioritized roadmap, and the documents — and you do the implementation yourself. You trade done-for-you convenience for a price that fits a small business: 144 is $149/month, with a free tier and no contract.

The honest framing 144 uses on its own site applies here: “144 gives you the structure and the documents — you do the implementation. That's how the price stays at $149/month instead of $40,000.” If you have the time and a willing IT person, this path gets you to a credible, submittable position without a five-figure invoice.

Side-by-side

Cost ranges are general market figures, not quotes; confirm current pricing with each provider. No tool or consultant can issue CMMC certification — only a C3PAO can.

How to choose

Strip away the marketing and it comes down to two questions: how much time do you have to do the work yourself, and how much can you spend?

• You have budget and zero time → a consultant or RPO is the cleanest answer.
• You're a larger, funded company juggling multiple frameworks → an enterprise GRC platform earns its keep.
• You're a small contractor who can put in the hours but can't justify five figures → a self-serve tool like 144 is built precisely for you.

One thing that's true regardless of which path you pick: start with your number. You can't plan remediation, get a consultant quote, or scope a platform without knowing where you stand against the 110 controls today.

Get your SPRS number first — it's free

Before you spend a dollar on any option, run an honest self-assessment. The free SPRS calculator at 144company.com walks you through all 110 controls in about ten minutes, in your browser, with no signup. You'll leave with a real number and a clear view of your biggest gaps — which is exactly the input every other option needs anyway.

If you decide the self-serve path fits, 144's full workflow picks up from there: a prioritized roadmap sorted by score-gained-per-day of effort, cost estimates, a projected ready date, and the SSP and POA&M documents an assessor expects — all self-serve, $149/month, no consultants required.