Choosing between Discern and Delve requires understanding that these platforms serve fundamentally different purposes in the business compliance ecosystem. While both companies use similar names and operate in professional services, they address distinct pain points for different types of organizations.
Discern specializes in entity management and compliance automation, providing registered agent services, annual report filing, and Delaware franchise tax optimization across 51+ jurisdictions. The platform serves venture capital firms, private equity companies, and fast-growing businesses that manage multiple legal entities and need streamlined compliance processes that eliminate the "existential dread of not knowing" compliance status.
Delve positions itself as an AI-native security and compliance platform focused on frameworks like HITRUST, CMMC, and SOC 2 certifications. Rather than managing entity registrations and state filings, Delve helps companies achieve security certifications needed to close enterprise deals and maintain compliance with data protection standards.
The table below highlights the fundamental differences between these platforms, reflecting their distinct market positions and service offerings. Understanding these distinctions helps clarify that choosing between Discern and Delve isn't about finding the better service; it's about matching the right solution to your specific compliance challenge.
Cost example for a 10-state operation: Discern's subscription model costs $350 per state registration per year for registered agent coverage, with annual reports included. For a 10-state operation, this totals $3,500 annually. This pricing includes unlimited users, automated payments, franchise tax alerting, and active standing monitoring across all registrations.
Delve operates on enterprise contract pricing for security compliance services, with costs varying based on certification requirements, company size, and managed service needs. Their focus on white-glove onboarding and dedicated Slack support reflects a service model designed for companies navigating complex security audits rather than managing entity compliance.
Core service focus: Discern automates entity management tasks including registered agent services, annual report filing, and state compliance across 51+ jurisdictions. The platform handles everything from initial LLC formations to ongoing annual reports, Delaware franchise tax calculations, and foreign registrations when you expand into new states. Delve focuses on security compliance certifications like SOC 2, ISO 27001, and GDPR that help companies win enterprise deals. These represent entirely different compliance domains with minimal overlap; one addresses state-level business registration requirements while the other addresses enterprise security standards.
Pricing and service models: Discern uses transparent subscription pricing at $350 per state registration per year for ongoing entity management. This includes registered agent service, annual report filing, status monitoring, and franchise tax alerting in a single subscription. Change of agent filings are free, and state fees pass through at cost for other filings. Delve operates through enterprise contracts with customized pricing based on certification requirements, company size, and managed service needs. Their concierge support model and dedicated compliance specialists reflect a higher-touch service approach.
Automation approach: Discern's automation centers on entity filings, with most completed in under 3 minutes using pre-filled forms and centralized data models. The platform auto-fills forms with current entity data, processes filings quickly, and routes payments to entity-specific accounts. Delaware franchise tax calculations automatically optimize between available methods to minimize your tax obligation. Delve's automation focuses on security control implementation, evidence collection, and audit preparation for certification frameworks. The platform uses AI agents to collect screenshots, gather evidence, monitor infrastructure for compliance issues, and autofill security questionnaires automatically.
Customer engagement model: Discern provides self-service automation with support options, designed for users managing multiple entities who want to complete compliance tasks quickly. The platform offers real-time dashboards showing compliance status at a glance, with automated alerts flagging deadlines in advance. Delve emphasizes managed compliance through white-glove support, Slack-based communication with response times under 5 minutes, and dedicated specialists who guide customers through certification processes from start to finish.
Discern works well for:
Delve works well for:
Entity management and security certifications represent different layers of business compliance, each requiring specialized expertise and automation. Trying to manage multiple state registrations manually creates operational complexity that compounds as your portfolio grows, while lacking security certifications blocks enterprise sales opportunities. The key is recognizing which compliance gap is currently limiting your business and selecting the appropriate solution.
Understanding which compliance challenges you face determines the right platform choice. If you're managing multiple legal entities across states and dealing with annual filings, registered agent requirements, and Delaware franchise tax obligations, these operational tasks require entity-focused automation. The administrative burden of tracking different filing schedules, fee structures, and compliance requirements across jurisdictions can quickly overwhelm teams without proper systems in place. Missing a single deadline can trigger late fees, loss of good standing, and in some cases administrative dissolution.
If enterprise prospects are requesting SOC 2 reports or security questionnaires before closing deals, you need certification-focused managed compliance services. This is a different challenge entirely, one focused on demonstrating your security practices meet industry standards rather than maintaining good standing with state agencies. Security certifications unlock specific business opportunities that entity compliance simply cannot address.
Many growing companies eventually need both types of compliance support. A venture-backed startup might use Discern to manage entity registrations across the states where they operate while simultaneously working with Delve to achieve SOC 2 certification for enterprise sales. These solutions complement rather than compete with each other, addressing fundamentally different compliance requirements that both need attention as companies scale.
Ready to see how Discern handles entity management for organizations like yours? Book a demo to explore automated annual reports, Delaware franchise tax filing, and multi-state registered agent services from a single platform.
Can Delve handle registered agent services and entity formations?
No, Delve focuses exclusively on security and compliance certifications like SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR, and PCI DSS. Their platform does not offer registered agent services, entity formations, foreign registrations, or state filing management of any kind. Delve's expertise lies in helping companies pass security audits and meet certification requirements for enterprise sales. For entity management needs including annual reports, registered agent service, and state compliance, you would need a separate provider like Discern that specializes in those operational compliance tasks.
Does Discern offer security certifications like SOC 2?
Discern specializes in entity compliance and state filing automation, not security certifications. The platform itself is SOC 2, Type 2 compliant, ensuring your entity data and compliance information remains secure within their systems. However, Discern does not help customers achieve their own SOC 2 certification or other security frameworks. If your business needs both entity management and security certifications, you would typically work with Discern for state compliance (registered agent, annual reports, Delaware franchise tax) and a security-focused platform like Delve for certification frameworks.
Which platform covers more jurisdictions?
Discern covers all 50 states plus Washington DC for entity management services, providing registered agent coverage and annual report filing across all 51 jurisdictions from a single platform. Delve's coverage relates to which regulatory frameworks they support (GDPR for European data protection, CCPA for California privacy requirements, SOC 2 for enterprise security standards) rather than geographic entity registration coverage. The platforms serve different geographic and regulatory scopes based on their distinct service offerings.
How do the platforms handle complex multi-entity structures?
Discern provides enterprise-grade features specifically designed for managing 250+ entities with individual payment methods, general partner chain tracking for LP structures, and automated compliance across all registrations simultaneously. The platform supports segregated fund management, allowing different bank accounts or credit cards for each entity, which is particularly valuable for investment firms managing multiple funds. Delve handles security compliance at the enterprise level through managed services and supports multiple concurrent certifications, but does not manage legal entity structures, state registrations, or corporate governance requirements.
What if I need both entity management and security certifications?
These are complementary needs requiring separate solutions, and many growing companies use both types of platforms. You might use Discern for ongoing entity compliance and state filings while working with Delve or similar platforms for security certifications needed to close enterprise deals. The entity compliance layer (state registrations, annual reports, franchise taxes) operates independently from security certification requirements (SOC 2 audits, HIPAA compliance, GDPR documentation), so there's no conflict in using specialized tools for each compliance domain.
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