How much does a SOC 2 audit cost?
The honest answer: it depends on your size, scope, and readiness — but published ranges are narrower than most vendors admit. Start with the estimator, then see what drives the number.
Published 2025–2026 sources put a SOC 2 Type 2 audit fee between $7,000 and $100,000, with small-to-mid-size companies most often quoted $15,000–$60,000 (our synthesis of the cited sources below). First-year all-in costs — audit fee plus readiness work, compliance tooling, and staff time — typically run $30,000–$150,000. Every figure below is labeled with its source.
SOC 2 cost estimator
How this estimate is calculated (formula & assumptions)
Audit-fee bands by size are derived from published 2025–2026 ranges: Type 2 audit fees $7k–$100k (Secureframe), $12k–$30k for small SaaS (Ferrogate), $30k–$60k all-in for mid-size SaaS (Uproot). Type 1 = ~55–60% of Type 2. Each Trust Services Criterion beyond Security adds ~20%. Readiness: 40–60% of audit fee from scratch, 15–30% with partial controls. Tooling: $5k–$30k/yr (Hicomply). Internal staff time excluded (sources: $50k–$70k, often 5–8× the invoice).
Worked example (no JavaScript needed)
A 50-person SaaS company, Security + Availability in scope, with some controls already in place:
- Audit fee: $24,000–$48,000 (published planning-range band for this size)
- Readiness work: 15–30% of the audit fee → $3,600–$14,400
- Compliance tooling: $5,000–$30,000/year
- Total: roughly $33,000–$92,000, excluding internal staff time ($50k–$70k in year one per published sources).
Bands are derived from the published sources cited below — see the formula disclosure above for the exact math.
Your estimate is a starting point. Estimates use published planning ranges (sources: 2026 pricing report). A scoped quote is what a firm actually charges you — get 2–3 and compare.
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SOC 2 cost by company size
The single most-asked cost question is size-keyed: what does it cost for a company like ours? The table below gives planning estimates interpolated from the published ranges above — not quotes, and not measured averages. See the pricing report for every underlying source.
| Company size | Audit fee (Type 2) | Tooling | First year, all in |
|---|---|---|---|
| ~20 people (seed startup) | $7K–$15K | $5K–$10K | $20K–$60K |
| ~50 people (Series A) | $15K–$35K | $8K–$20K | $40K–$100K |
| ~150 people (growth stage) | $25K–$60K | $15K–$30K | $75K–$150K |
Estimate basis: audit-fee bands interpolate Secureframe's $7k–$100k range, Ferrogate's $12k–$30k small-SaaS band, and planning ranges in our auditor directory; tooling $5k–$30k/yr (Hicomply, 2025); all-in adds readiness ($10k–$17k, Eventus) and staff-time ($50k–$70k, Hicomply/Uproot) ranges. Your scope — especially added Trust Services Criteria — moves you within or beyond these bands.
Industry context changes scope: fintech and healthtech companies often add Confidentiality or Privacy criteria, while SaaS startups can often start Security-only.
What the published data says
| Source | Key figures | Source date |
|---|---|---|
| Uproot Security — “The Cost of an SOC 2 Audit” (updated Sept 2026) | Type 1: $5k–$25k (Security-only $5k–$12k) · Startups/mid-market audit fee: $10k–$50k · First-year total: $30k–$150k · Mid-size SaaS (100–500 staff) first Type 2 all-in: $30k–$60k | Updated Sept 2026 |
| Secureframe — “How Much Does a SOC 2 Audit Cost in 2025?” | Type 2 audit: $7k–$100k · Average quote: $5k–$60k · One AICPA-licensed firm charges $20k (Type I) / $30k (Type II) / $15k gap assessment | Published 2025 |
| ComplyJet — “SOC 2 Compliance Cost in 2026” | Type 1: $10k–$50k · Type 2 (scale-ups/enterprise): $75k–$150k, $200k+ in complex environments | Published 2026 |
| Eventus Security — SOC 2 cost breakdown | Type 1: $5k–$20k · Type 2: $7k–$150k · Readiness assessment: $10k–$17k | 2026 |
| Hicomply — “SOC 2 Costs in 2025: The Snapshot” | Audit fees: $5k–$60k · Internal staff time: $50k–$70k · Tooling: $5k–$30k/yr · First year total: $20k–$100k+ | Published 2025 |
| Ferrogate SOC 2 scoping guide (open-source, 2026) | Type I: $5k–$20k · Type II: $12k–$30k (small SaaS) · All-in first year: $20k–$60k · Year-two costs typically drop 30–50% | 2026 (open-source docs) |
What drives your price
- Company size. More employees means larger control samples and more interviews — the single biggest fee driver.
- Scope. Security is mandatory; each extra criterion (Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, Privacy) adds to the fee — ask firms for per-criterion pricing, since it varies by engagement.
- Complexity. Microservices, multiple cloud providers, and distributed teams all expand testing.
- Readiness. Walking in with documented controls and organized evidence is the cheapest lever you control.
- Auditor choice. Boutique firms often price below Big-4-style practices for the same report type — the report format is standardized by the AICPA either way. Get comparable quotes rather than assuming any fixed discount.
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The audit invoice is usually the smaller half. Published breakdowns add: internal staff time ($50k–$70k in year one), compliance tooling ($5k–$30k/year), readiness assessments ($10k–$17k), and remediation work. Budget the all-in number, not the quote.
Frequently asked
What is the average cost of a SOC 2 Type 2 audit?
Published sources cluster the audit fee between $7,000 and $100,000, with most quotes landing $15,000–$60,000 for small to mid-size companies. First-year all-in costs (audit + readiness + tooling + staff time) typically run $30,000–$150,000.
Is SOC 2 Type 1 cheaper than Type 2?
Yes — typically about 55–60% of the Type 2 fee, because Type 1 is a point-in-time design review with no observation period. But most enterprise customers ask for Type 2, so many companies skip Type 1 or do it only as a stepping stone.
What drives SOC 2 cost up the most?
Company size (more employees = more sampling), number of Trust Services Criteria in scope, system complexity, and how audit-ready you are on day one. Added criteria beyond Security add to the fee — ask firms for per-criterion pricing, since it varies by engagement.
How much does SOC 2 cost for a 20-person startup?
Planning estimate: roughly $20,000–$60,000 all-in for the first year (audit fee $7K–$15K plus tooling, readiness, and staff time). That is our estimate interpolated from published ranges — get scoped quotes for your actual situation.
How much does SOC 2 cost for a 150-person company?
Planning estimate: roughly $75,000–$150,000 all-in for the first year, with the audit fee alone typically $25K–$60K. Larger samples and usually broader scope push growth-stage companies up the range.
Do costs drop after the first year?
Yes. Open-source scoping guidance and vendor data suggest year-two costs fall 30–50% once policies, tooling, and evidence habits exist — the re-audit is mostly the annual fee plus tooling.
- Uproot Security — “The Cost of an SOC 2 Audit” (updated Sept 2026)
- Secureframe — “How Much Does a SOC 2 Audit Cost in 2025?”
- ComplyJet — “SOC 2 Compliance Cost in 2026”
- Eventus Security — SOC 2 cost breakdown
- Hicomply — “SOC 2 Costs in 2025: The Snapshot”
- Ferrogate SOC 2 scoping guide (open-source, 2026)
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