The results are in for the best GRC platform in 2026 – and AI is a major component this year. Forrester, renowned for their objectivity and user-focused analysis, have released a report outlining which platforms come out on top for GRC in 2026.
In a comparison of the 12 top GRC platforms, Forrester analyzed all aspects of the GRC lifecycle, from audit management to risk reporting, to AI governance, and more. Unsurprisingly to us, as the exclusive reseller of Diligent in Africa, Diligent has been named a leader.
Receiving the highest score possible in the Platform Use of AI and AI Agents criterion, Diligent’s award-winning platform has embedded intelligence across the GRC lifecycle. Diligent also received the highest score in:
- Risk Identification
- Risk Intelligence
- Risk Quantification
- Audit Management
- Compliance Management
- Enterprise Risk Management (ERM).
Even more significant: this marks Diligent’s recognition as a Leader in 7 major GRC analyst evaluations. Moreover, Diligent is now one of the only GRC providers recognized as a Leader by all five major independent analyst firms covering the GRC space – Forrester, Gartner, IDC, Verdantix and Chartis.
To see what makes Diligent world-class, book a demo with our GRC experts here.
How to Choose the Best GRC Platform in 2026
As governance and compliance challenges climb up the list of priorities in most organizations, more vendors are entering the GRC software market. The Forrester Wave™: Governance, Risk, And Compliance Platforms, Q2 2026 evaluates vendors based on their current offering, strategy and customer feedback – giving organizations an independent, expert analysis of how the most significant vendors stack up.
This evaluation comes at a critical time. As more organizations turn to AI to keep pace with growing complexity in GRC, many remain constrained by legacy, fragmented environments. Recent Diligent Institute research shows only 19% of organizations have fully integrated systems, while 65% remain partially integrated. Diligent’s platform helps close this gap by bringing governance, risk, audit, and compliance into a single view, supported by AI to surface risk earlier and guide decisions.
Diligent as a Top GRC Platform
Forrester gave the Diligent One Platform the highest scores possible across key criteria, including:
- Platform use of AI and AI agents: Embedding intelligence across the GRC lifecycle is a major focus for the top GRC platform this year.
- Risk capabilities: Diligent received 5/5 scores in risk identification, risk intelligence , and risk quantification – surface risks earlier and guide decision-making.
- Audit management: Forrester awarded the highest scores possible for management capabilities, connecting risk and assurance activities to strengthen oversight.
- Compliance management: Diligent earned the highest scores possible in compliance management, supporting teams dealing with growing regulatory complexity – major win for African organizations as regulations grow across the continent.
- Enterprise risk management (ERM): “Diligent’s superior ERM capability takes an objectives-first approach and uses AI to manage risk.”
- Vision and pricing: Diligent prides themselves on having a clear, forward-looking roadmap and strong value proposition.
An AI-First Approach to GRC: A Necessity in 2026
The Forrester report notes:
“Diligent’s vision differentiates by showing how AI-enabled and continuous GRC will transform the board’s relationship with risk.”
“Diligent’s audit and compliance modules use AI to tackle core customer challenges, and its risk quantification and scenario modeling intuitively guide users through setup to results.”
Building momentum in applying AI across governance, risk, compliance, and audit is a priority for Diligent. Solutions help organizations surface risks earlier, prioritize action and embed AI into day-to-day workflows across the GRC lifecycle.
A Note from Brian Stafford, Diligent CEO
Brian’s confidence in Diligent as the best GRC platform in 2026 shines through:
“AI is here and the driver of our accelerated growth. AI is fundamentally changing how organizations govern, manage risk and ensure compliance,” said Brian Stafford, CEO of Diligent. “For us, this recognition as a Leader from Forrester validates our strategy of embedding AI at the core of the Diligent One Platform, giving customers faster insights, earlier risk detection, and the confidence to act when it matters most.”
The Top GRC Platform Across All 5 Major Analyst Firms
Diligent has been consistently recognized as a Leader across major GRC benchmarks, underscoring its strength across the market. In 2025, Diligent became one of the only GRC companies recognized as a Leader by all five major independent analyst firms. Now, with this latest Forrester Wave recognition, that record extends to seven Leader recognitions across those same five firms.
The Forrester Report is Here
Nearly every organization is under pressure to enhance their GRC reporting capabilities while bringing costs down. The Forrester Wave™ is one of the industry’s most complete and detailed analyses, using a transparent methodology composed of vendor surveys, product demos, and customer reference calls to compare top players in the market. Looking for the best GRC platform in 2026? You’ll find it with Forrester.
You can read through a complimentary excerpt of the report here.