Accountable is a clean, transparent HIPAA program — but it's cloud-only and starts at $199/mo, and its strongest controls (vuln scan, pen test, custom roles) are gated to the $799 Pro tier. Ward starts free and local-first, and prices its full program well below that.
Both cover the core HIPAA program. The differences are price, where your data lives, and what's gated behind the top tier.
| Accountable | Ward | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | ~$199/mo (Basic) | $0 (local) / $159/mo (Solo) |
| Free SRA tier | 7-day trial | Yes — complete, forever |
| Local-first (PHI on your machine) | No — cloud-only | Yes — default |
| Mac / Windows / Linux desktop | Web app only | Yes |
| SRA rigor | Good | ONC-rubric-based (~120 scored Qs) |
| 2026 Security Rule readiness meter | Partial | Yes — live, severity-weighted, per-mandate |
| Per-mandate POA&M (owner/target/overdue) | Basic task tracking | Yes — gaps and 2026 mandates, both tracked |
| Asset inventory & data map | Partial | Yes — flags unencrypted ePHI |
| Cadence tracking (scan / pen-test / IR) | Tied to $799 Pro scanning | Yes — due dates + overdue reminders (Solo, $159/mo) |
| Custom roles / RBAC | Gated to $799 Pro | Included in Practice ($299/mo) |
| Policy templates + versioning + attestation | Yes | Yes — 10 CFR-cited templates, local version history |
| BAA & training records | Yes (per-employee training fees) | Yes — bundled, no per-seat training fee |
| MSP multi-client console | Limited | Yes — $99/client/mo |
| "HIPAA certified" claim | Markets "certification" | Audit-ready, not "certified" (none exists) |
The honest take: Accountable is a solid product with clean UX. Ward's wedge is that you can run a complete SRA for $0 and keep PHI off the cloud entirely — and when you do pay, the full program is $159–$299/mo instead of $199–$799, with the 2026 report built in.
Run a complete, local-first HIPAA Security Risk Assessment for $0 — then decide if you need cloud sync, the 2026 report, and the audit binder.
Start your free SRA