SOC 2 audit cost in 2026: $10K–$430K across firm tiers.

Type 1 runs $10K–$150K. Type 2 runs $15K–$430K. Both ranges are aggregated from 181 CPA firms in our directory — not vendor estimates, not survey averages.

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Updated June 3, 2026

Firms in data set

181

Type 1 range

$10K–$150K

Type 2 range

$15K–$430K

SOC 2 Audit Cost Calculator

Estimate your audit cost based on your specific requirements

Company Size

Audit Type

Type 1

Point-in-time

Type 2

6-12 months

Auditor Tier Preference

Trust Service Criteria

System Complexity

Simple SaaS Microservices Distributed Highly Complex

Critical Third-Party Vendors

Readiness Level

Number of Locations/Data Centers

Estimated Audit Cost

$30K - $90K

Based on your selections

Cost Breakdown

Remember: Total cost includes more than just the audit fee

• GRC Platform: $12K-$60K/year
• Internal labor: $25K-$90K
• Control remediation: $5K-$150K+
• Optional penetration testing: $15K-$50K

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Pricing by firm tier

Firm tier sets your price floor.

The table shows p10–p90 ranges by tier. Your final fee shifts from there based on scope, criteria count, system complexity, and how ready your controls are before fieldwork starts.

See /soc-2-audit-cost/sources/ for source records and assumptions behind the ranges.

Factor	Type 1	Type 2
Specialist	$10K–$50K	$15K–$70K
Regional	$13K–$45K	$18K–$60K
Mid-tier / national	$15K–$80K	$25K–$110K
Big Four	$25K–$150K	$45K–$430K
Penetration test add-on	$8K–$30K	$8K–$30K
GRC platform add-on	$7.5K–$60K	$7.5K–$60K

Selection method

How to control SOC 2 audit cost

Three decisions made before you issue an RFP have more impact on final price than anything you negotiate afterward.

01Lock the Trust Services Criteria first

Security-only scopes are the cheapest and fastest path to a report. Add Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, or Privacy only if customers are actually requiring them — each additional criterion adds audit hours and cost.

02Match firm tier to what your buyers actually need

A specialist firm satisfies most SaaS procurement reviews at materially lower cost. Big Four letterhead is expensive; buy it when a specific enterprise customer's procurement team requires it, not by default.

03Fix control gaps before fieldwork starts

A gap discovered during audit fieldwork costs more to remediate than one found during readiness — auditors bill for the extra time, and you may need a re-test. Run a readiness check before engaging an auditor if evidence ownership or control coverage is unclear.

FAQ

SOC 2 audit cost: common questions

Answers to the pricing questions that come up before most buyers issue an RFP.

How much does a SOC 2 audit cost?

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A SOC 2 Type 1 audit costs $10K–$150K depending on firm tier. Type 2 costs $15K–$430K. Specialist firms quote $15K–$70K for Type 2; Big Four firms quote $45K–$430K. These ranges come from 181 CPA firms in our directory — see /soc-2-audit-cost/sources/ for methodology.

What factors affect SOC 2 audit pricing?

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The biggest lever is firm tier — a specialist charges a fraction of what a Big Four office does for the same scope. After that: number of trust service criteria (Security-only is cheapest), system complexity, company headcount, and how audit-ready your controls already are. Adding criteria mid-engagement also triggers change orders.

How long does a SOC 2 audit take?

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Type 1 takes 3–8 months from kickoff to report. Type 2 takes 6–20 months, mostly because you need a minimum observation period — typically 6–12 months — before the auditor can test controls over time. The audit fieldwork itself is a fraction of that; most of the time is the observation window.

How much does the annual SOC 2 renewal cost?

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Annual Type 2 renewals run roughly 75–90% of the initial audit fee. Readiness work and policy drafting are one-time costs; renewals just re-test controls over a new observation period. If scope hasn't changed, some specialist firms offer a lower repeat rate.

Can we do a SOC 2 audit ourselves?

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No. A SOC 2 report must be issued by a licensed CPA firm. Self-assessments have no standing in vendor security reviews and are rejected on sight. Any provider that issues a 'SOC 2 report' without a CPA license is not issuing a valid report.

How long is an auditor's SOC 2 quote valid?

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Most SOC 2 proposals expire in 30–90 days. Pricing is based on your current scope, headcount, and system inventory. If any of those change, the quote gets recalculated. Lock scope before shopping proposals.

Is penetration testing included in SOC 2 audit cost?

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No. Pen testing is a separate line item — $8K–$30K for a standard external test scoped to your application and infrastructure. Some auditors bundle it as a package add-on; most quote it separately. Pen test scope (web app, external network, internal, red team) drives the price more than the auditor choice does.

How much does a SOC 2 audit cost for a startup?

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Most startups using a specialist firm pay $15K–$70K for a Type 2 audit. The low end of that range assumes a single trust service criterion (Security), under 50 employees, and one primary product. See soc2auditors.org/soc-2-auditors-startups/ for specialist firms that offer fixed-fee startup packages.

Is a SOC 2 Type 1 cheaper than Type 2?

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Yes, always. Type 1 is a point-in-time snapshot that costs $10K–$150K across all firm tiers. Type 2 requires a 6–12 month observation period and costs $15K–$430K. The price difference reflects audit hours: Type 2 fieldwork takes 2–4x longer because auditors test controls over time, not just at a single date.

What's the cheapest legitimate SOC 2 audit?

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Around $10,000–$15,000 for a Type 1 with a single trust service criterion at a specialist firm. Below that, ask the provider to confirm their CPA license before you sign anything — the AICPA's directory lists licensed firms. Providers without CPA licensure cannot issue a valid SOC 2 report.

Does SOC 2 cost include the readiness assessment?

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No. Readiness is a separate engagement, typically $5,000–$25,000, billed before fieldwork begins. Some auditors bundle it into a single contract at a blended price, but it is still a distinct phase with its own deliverables. See soc2auditors.org/soc-2-readiness-assessment/ for what a readiness engagement covers.

How much does SOC 2 certification cost?

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There is no separate certification fee, because SOC 2 is an attestation rather than a certification. The cost is the audit itself: $10K–$150K for Type 1 and $15K–$430K for Type 2, plus readiness and any add-ons. Anyone pricing "SOC 2 certification" is pricing the Type 2 audit.

Does a SOC 2 audit cost more in Australia or the UK?

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The audit fee is similar to the US, because SOC 2 is a US attestation standard and most fieldwork is remote. Local firms invoice in AUD or GBP and may price 10 to 20% above US specialists for time-zone coverage. Currency and readiness, not the standard, drive the regional difference.

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