Which STREAM® Edition Is Right for You?
How to choose between STREAM® Cloud and STREAM® Classic based on your programme maturity, complexity, and goals.
GRC Experts
20 March 2026
STREAM® Cloud is built for fast deployment, guided workflows, and practical visibility. STREAM® Classic is built for deeper automation, advanced modelling, and expert-level configurability. The right choice depends on your programme maturity, not your feature wish list.
Choosing a cyber GRC platform is rarely just about features.
For most teams, the real question is simpler: what do we need now, and what will actually help us move forward?
That is exactly why Acuity offers two editions of STREAM®.
STREAM® Cloud is designed for fast deployment, simple workflows, and practical cyber risk management visibility. STREAM® Classic is designed for organisations that need deeper automation, advanced modelling, and expert-level configurability. Both are built to support cyber GRC. The difference is the level of maturity, complexity, and flexibility your programme requires.
Start with your operating reality, not your wish list
It is easy to assume the "best" platform is the one with the longest feature list.
In practice, the right choice is the edition that fits your current programme, team capacity, and decision-making needs.
If you are building structure, replacing spreadsheets, formalising processes, or standing up a more consistent approach to cyber risk and compliance, your priorities are likely speed, clarity, and ease of use.
If you are already running a mature programme with deeper modelling needs, more complex workflows, larger data sets, and a stronger need for automation, your priorities will look very different.
Choose STREAM® Cloud if you need to get moving quickly
STREAM® Cloud is ideal for organisations that want to move away from spreadsheets or home-grown processes and put a more structured cyber GRC foundation in place.
It is especially well suited to teams that are:
- Building or formalising an ISMS, QMS, or integrated management system
- Managing one or more core cyber GRC use cases
- Working with lean teams that need guided workflows rather than heavy configuration
- Looking for rapid deployment and a minimal learning curve
- Earlier in programme maturity, but ready for something more robust than manual administration
In short, STREAM® Cloud is the right fit when the challenge is not a lack of ambition. It is a lack of time, simplicity, and structure.
Choose STREAM® Classic if your programme needs deeper control and automation
STREAM® Classic is designed for organisations that need a more advanced operating model for cyber GRC.
It is the better fit for teams that need:
- Deeper automation across workflows and processes
- Advanced modelling and expert-level configurability
- Support for larger and more complex data sets
- Richer integration, reporting, and automation needs
- More mature programme design across risk, compliance, and operational workflows
For these teams, the question is not how to get started. It is how to scale, customise, and automate without losing control.
A simple way to decide
If your priority is to deploy quickly, simplify the user experience, and replace spreadsheet-driven ways of working, start with STREAM® Cloud.
If your priority is to model more deeply, automate more aggressively, and support more complex programme requirements, choose STREAM® Classic.
Choose STREAM® Cloud when you need:
- Faster time to value
- Guided workflows
- Practical visibility
- Essential cyber risk management
- A simpler path out of spreadsheets
Choose STREAM® Classic when you need:
- Deep automation
- Advanced modelling
- High configurability
- Enterprise-scale cyber GRC
- Support for more complex environments
Still unsure? Use the quiz or book a demo
If you want a quick answer, take our STREAM® edition quiz to find the best fit for your organisation.
If you would rather talk it through with an expert, request a demo and we will help you assess whether STREAM® Cloud or STREAM® Classic is the right choice for your goals, maturity, and operating requirements.