By Marçal Santos, vCISO and founder of SecureLeap. CISM and CDPSE (ISACA). Previously security roles at Aircall, Citibank and Talkdesk, with more than 20 years in cybersecurity and dozens of SOC 2 engagements led for seed to Series B SaaS companies since 2024.
Quick Answer: SOC 2 certification costs land between $5,000 and $20,000 for a Type 1 audit fee and $8,000 to $40,000+ for a Type 2 audit fee in 2026. Large, complex or Big Four engagements run higher on both. Realistic all-in first-year spend, including readiness work, security tools, internal time, and legal review, runs $20,000 to $35,000 for most small and mid-size SaaS companies. I have guided dozens of seed to Series B startups through this exact process. The auditor's invoice is rarely the part that stings. The hidden costs are.
A quick terminology note: SOC 2 is technically an attestation, not a certification. The AICPA, which sets the standard, describes SOC 2 as an examination of controls at a service organization, performed by a CPA firm. You receive an audit report, not a certificate from a standards body (that is ISO 27001).
How these numbers were produced:The ranges in this guide come from auditor proposals and engagement invoices across SecureLeap client work between 2024 and 2026, cross-checked against price guides published by audit firms (Linford & Co in the US, Tempo Audits in the UK) and StrongDM's first-hand cost breakdown. They are market benchmarks, not Secureleap prices. Unless stated otherwise, figures assume a US or EU B2B SaaS company under 50 employees, one to three Trust Services Criteria in scope, and a boutique or mid-market CPA firm rather than a Big Four engagement. Big Four engagements, multi-entity groups, and companies carrying all five criteria run well above every band below.
What I Wish Every Founder Knew Before Budgeting for SOC 2
In one of my engagements of 2025, the CEO had budgeted $12,000 for SOC 2 because "that's what the auditor quoted." Eleven months later, he had spent closer to $24,000. Nothing was wasted. He simply had not been told what SOC 2 actually requires beyond the audit itself.
It is not just first-time founders who misjudge this. Justin McCarthy, co-founder and CTO of StrongDM, opens his own SOC 2 cost breakdown by admitting he "wildly underestimated the cost of our first SOC 2 audit," having assumed the total would be the auditor's fee plus a minor distraction. He was running a security company at the time. His all-in figure came to $147,000.
The difference between his number and the $20,000 to $35,000 in this guide is not the auditor. It is who runs the project. Every SOC 2 estimate above $60,000 assumes a dedicated hire, full-time or half-time, plus $10,000 or more of legal review. That is an enterprise shape. If your CTO or an existing engineer runs the programme with outside guidance, that line item disappears, and the total lands in the band below. The goal of this guide is to make you the most informed buyer in the room before you sign any engagement letter.
How much does SOC 2 certification cost in 2026?
Total SOC 2 certification costs typically fall between $20,000 and $35,000 for small and mid-size companies in 2026. Large enterprises with complex environments, multiple subservice providers, and Big Four auditors should expect $50,000 to $250,000+ all-in.
The wide ranges exist because SOC 2 audit cost is driven by your company size, the number of Trust Services Criteria in scope, and whether you choose a boutique firm or a Big Four like Deloitte, EY, KPMG, or PwC.
vCISO insight: In my client portfolio, the formal audit itself usually represents only 30-40% of the true SOC 2 certification costs. The rest is the iceberg below the waterline, and that is where most budgets break.
SOC 2 certification cost breakdown
Your total SOC 2 spend splits into three buckets:
- External audit fees paid to a CPA firm
- Preparation and remediation including policies, control implementation, security tools, and pentests
- Ongoing annual maintenance covering re-audits and continuous monitoring
Here’s what each component typically costs in 2026 (For Small Companies - Less than 50 employees):
The platform row is optional. Neither the AICPA nor any auditor requires one; both client examples later in this guide completed their audits without a platform line item. Add it when you have more than a handful of systems to evidence, or when a buyer expects continuous monitoring.
Year 1 is always more expensive. You are building the program from scratch, writing policies, deploying tools, and standing up evidence collection. Most clients see total cost drop 30-50% in year two once the foundation exists. If you are looking for fixed-fee SOC 2 consulting, contact us.
How much does a SOC 2 audit cost?
The audit fee alone, the amount paid to the CPA firm, runs $5,000 to $12,000 for a Type 1 and $8,000 to $18,000 for a Type 2 at a SaaS company under 50 employees with one to three criteria in scope. It is the only mandatory external payment in SOC 2, and it is usually a third of what you will actually spend.
Three things move the audit fee: environment size (headcount, systems, regions, subservice providers), the number of Trust Services Criteria in scope, and the firm tier. Everything else in your budget is preparation, tooling and internal time, covered in the sections below. If you want a number for your own profile, the SOC 2 cost calculator on our consulting page runs the same bands by audit type, headcount and criteria.
SOC 2 Type 1 vs Type 2: audit fee ranges
A SOC 2 Type 1 report tests whether your controls are properly designed at a single point in time. A snapshot. A Type 2 report tests whether those controls operated effectively over an observation period of 3 to 12 months. If you are still deciding between them, the Type 1 vs Type 2 comparison covers the trade-offs beyond price.
SOC 2 Type 2 is what enterprise procurement teams want. It costs more because the auditor reviews evidence across months of operation, not a single day.
Auditor fees scale with three things:
- Environment size (headcount, systems, regions, subservice providers)
- Number of Trust Services Criteria in scope (Security only, or Security plus Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy; the AICPA's 2017 criteria with 2022 points of focus define all five)
- Firm tier (boutique CPA, mid-market specialist, or Big Four)
Some firms offer bundled pricing for Type 1 + Type 2 in the first year. Buying both together saves 10-15% on the combined auditor fee if you plan to complete both within 12-18 months anyway.
How much does a SOC 2 Type 1 audit cost?
Type 1 is a snapshot assessment of your control design on a specific date, with audit-only fees starting around $5,000. Startups often use it as a first milestone to show prospects they are serious about data security without waiting out the 3 to 12 month observation period a Type 2 requires.
Concrete 2026 audit fee ranges for Type 1:
These figures exclude preparation costs like your readiness assessment, policy drafting, and security tooling. The entire process for Type 1 typically takes 3-4 months from kickoff to receiving your report; the SOC 2 timeline guide breaks that down by phase.
When to choose Type 1 first:
- You are an early-stage startup that needs something in 3-4 months to unlock sales
- Enterprise prospects are asking for "any SOC 2 report" to proceed with deals
- Your internal expertise is still developing and you want a stepping stone
Some organizations skip Type 1 entirely and go straight to Type 2 if they already have mature security practices. This makes sense when your security posture is solid and you can afford the longer, more expensive compliance process.
How much does a SOC 2 Type 2 audit cost?
Type 2 covers a review period (typically 3, 6, or 12 months) and tests whether controls operated effectively the whole time.
Realistic 2026 audit fee ranges for Type 2:
More Trust Services Criteria, and additional locations directly increase billable hours. Adding availability, confidentiality, and privacy to your audit scope can increase fees by 30-50% compared to security-only.
What share of SOC 2 cost is the audit itself?
Across recent SOC 2 engagements at Secureleap with seed to Series B SaaS companies, total year-1 spend lands between $18,500 and $27,000, the two client examples below. The auditor fee is typically only 30% to 40% of total SOC 2 cost. When a compliance platform is in scope it is usually the largest single line item, often more than the audit itself. Without one, consulting and the penetration test take that place, with internal time behind them.
SOC 2 audit cost by firm tier: boutique, mid-market, and Big 4
For a published reference point from inside the mid-market column, Linford & Co, a CPA firm, puts SOC audit fees at $20,000 to $150,000 with a median around $30,000 across its SOC 1 and SOC 2 engagements of all sizes, and notes that Big Four fees start in the low six figures.
Most B2B SaaS at seed to Series B should pick boutique or mid-market; Big 4 logos rarely move enterprise deals enough to justify the 3x to 5x premium.
The Hidden SOC 2 Costs Nobody Quotes You
Here is what catches most organizations: audit fees are often less than half of true SOC 2 certification costs. Preparation, remediation, and internal resources eat the rest.
The genuinely hidden costs that never appear on an invoice:
- Engineering opportunity cost. Your senior engineers spend 40-150 hours on evidence collection. That is a feature ship date that slips by 3-6 weeks.
- Deal delay during fieldwork. I have watched founders close fewer deals during the audit window because their attention is elsewhere.
- Rework when readiness is skipped. If the auditor finds a gap during fieldwork, remediation under time pressure costs 2-3x what it would have during readiness.
- Customer questionnaire fatigue before you have a report. Every week you delay SOC 2, your sales team fills out another bespoke security questionnaire. At 4-6 hours per questionnaire across security and engineering, this adds up fast.
vCISO rule: A structured 90-day project plan with proper gap analysis keeps total SOC 2 certification costs near the low end. Companies that skip readiness often face 2-3x the remediation costs once auditors find the gaps.
Readiness and gap assessment costs
A SOC 2 readiness or gap assessment is a pre-audit review of your policies, procedures, and technical controls against the AICPA Trust Services Criteria. It is designed to identify gaps before you engage your audit firm.
Concrete price ranges for 2026:
Some CPA firms bundle a light readiness review into their audit fees. Others charge separately or recommend third-party consulting services. Check our list of the best SOC 2 auditors for more info.
A thorough readiness assessment can prevent failed audits and costly rework, effectively lowering your total SOC 2 audit cost over the first 12-24 months.
Sample timeline for achieving compliance:
Security tools, automation platforms, and training
SOC 2 compliance often drives investment in security infrastructure you may have been deferring. Common purchases include:
- Identity and access management (SSO, MFA)
- Endpoint management (MDM/EDR solutions)
- Vulnerability scanning, logging, and threat and intrusion detection
- Compliance automation platforms for automated evidence collection
- File integrity monitoring and security configuration tools
These investments typically support compliance with other frameworks too: ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR evidence requirements. They are not "SOC 2-only" costs but rather foundational data protection investments that multiply in value.
Legal, consulting, and internal time costs
SOC 2 often triggers legal review of:
- Customer and vendor contracts
- Employee handbook and acceptable use policies
- Existing legal agreements that reference data handling
Internal time adds high indirect costs. Typical first-year projects require 40 to 150 hours from engineering, security and leadership combined. At a blended fully loaded rate of $75 to $110 per hour for US engineering and security time, that is roughly $3,000 to $16,500 of internal effort that never appears on an invoice.
Your internal team carries the bulk of compliance tasks: gathering evidence, implementing controls, updating asset inventory, and responding to auditor questions. Key roles affected include:
- CTO or VP of Engineering (strategic decisions, audit prep)
- Security Lead (control implementation, continuous monitoring)
- DevOps/IT (technical configurations, access management systems)
This diverted internal team effort has real opportunity cost. Projects get delayed. Features ship later. Using compliance automation platforms and standardized templates can significantly limit ad hoc legal fees and consulting fees.
Ongoing SOC 2 maintenance and recertification costs
SOC 2 reports are mostly accepted for 12 months only. Customers expect a current report, which means organizations treat SOC 2 as an annual operating expense, not a one-time project.
Typical recurring annual maintenance costs after year 1:
- Repeating Type 2 audit fees: often similar to year one, sometimes 10-15% lower once systems stabilize
- Compliance platform and security tools subscriptions: $6,000–$15,000+ annually
- Internal time for continuous monitoring, evidence collection, and policy refreshes: varies by company size
Comparison: Ongoing compliance runs about 40-70% of your initial year-one spend, depending on how much re-architecture was needed at the start. If year one cost $20,000, budget $14,000–$18,000 annually going forward.
How to lower your SOC 2 certification cost without cutting corners
The goal is not "cheap SOC 2", it is cost-efficient SOC 2 that produces a credible, customer-trusted report. Cutting corners leads to failed audits, compliance status issues, and wasted spend.
Practical strategies that work:
Narrow your audit scope in year 1
- Start with fewer TSCs (Security only if that meets customer requirements). About 90% of SecureLeap engagements are Security-only, and the buyers on the other side rarely ask for more until a specific procurement requires it.
- Scope a single product or system rather than your entire infrastructure. The scoping guide shows how to draw that boundary.
- Limit to primary operating regions before expanding globally
Auditors say the same. Rob, CEO of Tempo Audits, a UK firm that issues AICPA SOC 2 reports, advises clients:
"For the majority of our SaaS / Tech customers, security is the core requirement. Anything on top is typically specific to the procurement process they're going through. With that in mind, we normally advise clients to focus on Security TSC, and then add in additional TSCs if there's a specific demand."
Invest in automation
- Compliance automation platforms reduce internal hours by 50-80%
- Automated evidence collection eliminates manual screenshot gathering
- Continuous monitoring catches issues before auditors do
Choose the right auditor
- Select auditors experienced with your industry and tech stack
- Boutique firms often charge $8,000–$20,000 for a Type 2 where Big Four start at $60,000
- Ask for references from similar-sized SaaS companies
"In dozens of engagements I have not seen a Big Four logo close a deal that a boutique CPA report would have lost. Procurement checks that the report exists, is current, and covers the systems they use. The firm's name comes up later, if at all."
Marçal Santos, vCISO and founder of Secureleap.
Secureleap does not issue SOC 2 reports. We prepare you for the audit and introduce boutique and mid-market CPA firms priced for your stage. Contact us if you want a shortlist.
Bundle strategically
- Type 1 + Type 2 bundles save 10-15% on auditor fees
Smart planning in the first 90 days can easily save 25-50% of avoidable SOC 2-related costs over the first two years.
Two real client examples
12-person SaaS, Type 1, Security-only scope. One of our recent clients, a 12-person SaaS team, completed a SOC 2 Type 1 with the Security TSC only. Their costs broke down as follows:
This is the realistic floor for an early-stage SaaS in 2026.
50-person SaaS, Type 2, Security-only scope. A 50-person SaaS company went straight to a SOC 2 Type 2, evidencing controls manually rather than through a compliance platform. Their costs:
Two things stand out across both. The audit fee was 30% and 37% of the total, in line with the 30-40% share above. And a Type 2 at four times the headcount cost less than $10,000 more than a Type 1 at 12 people, because the scope stayed at Security only and the company ran the project with an existing engineer plus outside guidance rather than a dedicated hire.
SOC 2 cost for UK and EU companies
SOC 2 costs the same in Porto or London as it does in Austin. The report must be issued under AICPA standards by a CPA firm, so UK and EU companies engage the same US firms (or a UK firm such as Tempo Audits that issues AICPA SOC 2 reports), are quoted in US dollars, and pay the same fee bands. What changes is the currency you budget in, the tax treatment, and how SOC 2 overlaps with ISO 27001 and GDPR, which most EU buyers ask about first.
Converted at the ECB reference rate of 9 September 2026 (1 EUR = 1.1652 USD, 1 EUR = 0.859 GBP), the bands above look like this:
EU companies (euros)
- US CPA firms invoice without VAT; your accountant applies the reverse charge on the service. Budget the EUR figure, not the EUR figure plus 23%.
- If your buyers are European, ISO 27001 is often asked for first and SOC 2 second. The two share most of their controls, and running them together costs far less than running them a year apart; the ISO 27001 cost guide has the certification-cycle numbers.
- SOC 2 does not cover GDPR. The Privacy criterion overlaps with some GDPR obligations, but adding it raises the audit fee by 30-50% and most EU startups leave it out of scope in year 1.
- Timing, buyer expectations and when to start are covered in SOC 2 for European startups.
UK companies (pounds)
- The same US-dollar bands apply, and a UK-based audit firm is a second option. Tempo Audits, which issues AICPA SOC 2 reports from the UK, publishes audit-only fees of £5,000–£15,000 for a Type 1 and £10,000–£20,000 for a Type 2 at a small to mid-sized company, with new security tooling at £4,000–£20,000 and training around £4,000 on top.
- Their published totals (£56,000 and up) also include £38,000–£53,000 of internal staff time. Strip that out to compare payable costs like for like and a UK Type 2 lands at roughly £18,000–£44,000, which brackets the £14,700–£25,800 all-in band above; the gap is their broader tooling assumption and a mid-market firm tier.
- Cyber Essentials is not a substitute. US buyers do not recognise it, and it tests a fixed control set rather than your own control design.
Is SOC 2 certification worth the cost?
SOC 2 is both a security investment and a go-to-market requirement for B2B cloud and SaaS providers. If you are selling to enterprises that handle sensitive customer data, the question is not whether to get SOC 2, it is when.
The ROI comes from multiple angles:
Sales acceleration
- Faster vendor security reviews with a ready-to-share report
- Fewer custom questionnaires eating up your team's time
- Eligibility for enterprise deals that explicitly require current SOC 2 Type 2
Risk management
- Better security posture through formalized controls
- Reduced breach risk from continuous monitoring and regular reviews
- Insurance benefits from demonstrated data security practices
Operational efficiency
- SOC 2 evidence supports other frameworks (ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR)
- Compliance reporting becomes systematized rather than reactive
- Your service organization operates with documented, repeatable processes
Many enterprise buyers now make SOC 2 a prerequisite in their vendor evaluation. Without it, you are not even in the conversation for deals that could represent significant revenue.
The math often looks like this: If SOC 2 unlocks even one enterprise deal worth $100,000+ annually, the $20,000–$35,000 first-year investment pays for itself. When that report also replaces 10-15 custom security audits from different customers, the ongoing costs become clearly worthwhile.
Your customers trust you with their data. SOC 2 proves you take that responsibility seriously.
Where SecureLeap fits in your SOC 2 budget
SecureLeap covers the consulting line in the tables above: fixed-fee readiness, policies, evidence collection and audit support, delivered as a SOC 2 consultant or a vCISO retainer for teams without a full-time security lead. We coordinate the CPA firm and the penetration test so you deal with one engagement, and we supply Vanta, Drata or Secureframe licences at partner rates when a platform is worth adding. We do not issue the report; a licensed CPA firm does.
Book a free 30-minute readiness call and you will leave with a scope recommendation, a timeline built around your deal deadlines, and a budget range for your specific situation.
SOC 2 cost FAQ
What is the total first-year cost of SOC 2?
For small to mid-size companies, the all-in first-year cost is $20,000 to $35,000. The audit fee is $5,000 to $12,000 for a Type 1 and $8,000 to $18,000 for a Type 2; the rest is readiness work, a penetration test, tooling and internal time.
What is the price difference between SOC 2 Type 1 and Type 2?
Type 2 costs more because it covers a 3 to 12 month observation period rather than a single point in time. For a small SaaS company, Type 1 audit fees run $5,000 to $12,000 and Type 2 audit fees run $8,000 to $18,000. Buying both from the same firm saves 10-15% on the combined fee.
What hidden costs should I budget for SOC 2?
Audit fees are typically only 30-40% of the total. Budget for a readiness assessment ($3,000 to $5,000), a penetration test ($4,000 to $8,000), security tooling, legal review of contracts and policies, and 40 to 150 hours of internal engineering and leadership time.
Does SOC 2 cost less after the first year?
Yes. Total costs typically drop 30-50% in year two and ongoing spend runs 40-70% of year one. If year one cost $20,000, budget $14,000 to $18,000 a year for the re-audit, subscriptions and continuous monitoring.
Is getting SOC 2 certified worth the expense?
Yes, when you sell to enterprises or handle sensitive customer data. It is often required to enter procurement at all and it shortens security reviews. One enterprise deal worth $100,000 a year covers the $20,000 to $35,000 first-year investment.
How much does SOC 2 cost for a UK or EU company?
The same as in the US, because the report is issued under AICPA standards by a CPA firm quoting in US dollars. At the September 2026 ECB rate, first-year spend for a company under 50 people is €17,200 to €30,000 or £14,700 to £25,800, invoiced without VAT under the reverse charge. A UK audit firm is an alternative for the audit fee itself.
Do SOC 1 and SOC 3 cost the same as SOC 2?
SOC 1 fees follow the same drivers (scope, systems, firm tier); Linford & Co quotes one $20,000 to $150,000 range across both SOC 1 and SOC 2. A SOC 3 is a public summary derived from a completed Type 2, so it is priced as an add-on to that engagement rather than a separate audit; ask your firm to quote it with the Type 2.
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