Compare 41 SOC 2 auditors with FinTech, payments, and banking industry experience. These firms understand the realities of sponsor-bank vendor management programs, PCI DSS overlap, and the specific controls that enterprise financial partners require before signing. Starting prices run from $12K+, with timelines of 1 to 12 months depending on scope and whether PCI evidence is bundled. Most FinTech companies operating in regulated environments need both SOC 2 and PCI DSS; an auditor who knows both frameworks saves you from running two disconnected engagements.
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Six picks for the FinTech audit scenarios buyers actually run: SOC 2 + PCI + ISO 27001 under one CPA, enterprise FedRAMP-adjacent payments, multi-framework, affordable PCI bundle, Vanta-native CSA STAR, and Bay Area insurtech. Each recommendation names one firm with the qualifier that earned the pick.
Thoropass is the pick for FinTech bundling SOC 2 with PCI DSS and ISO 27001 under one CPA. Owns the GRC platform, services FinTech as a primary industry, and shares PCI and SOC 2 evidence under a single engagement at fixed-fee pricing.
Schellman is the pick for enterprise FinTech, government-regulated payments, and sponsor-bank-facing vendors. Deep Financial Services practice, Top 50 CPA, DoD FCL, and a brand recognized by sponsor banks and regulators.
A-LIGN is the pick for multi-framework FinTech engagements that span SOC 2, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, and HITRUST. One of the highest-volume US SOC 2 practices runs every major framework under one engagement.
KirkpatrickPrice is the pick for affordable FinTech audits that need PCI DSS coverage alongside SOC 2. Licensed CPA, $12K floor, and SOC 1/2/3 plus PCI DSS and HITRUST under one roof.
Prescient Security is the pick for Series A and growth-stage FinTech on Vanta or Drata. Vanta-native partner, CSA STAR + SOC 2 + AI/ML options for embedded-finance and lending platforms.
Sensiba LLP is the pick for VC-backed insurtech and Bay Area FinTech that wants a B Corp CPA on the cover. Drata, Vanta, Secureframe, and Sprinto partnerships, with FinTech and Insurtech named in scope.
A generic auditor can issue a SOC 2 report. They cannot scope a cardholder data environment, map AML/KYC vendor chains, or structure evidence that satisfies a sponsor bank's vendor management team. That gap shows up as audit findings, delayed deals, and re-scoping conversations you pay for twice.
Sponsor banks treat SOC 2 Type 2 as the floor, not a differentiator. Their vendor management programs specify control categories, reporting periods, and sometimes the Trust Service Criteria they expect to see in scope. An auditor who has worked with BaaS programs knows how to structure the report so it passes the sponsor bank's review without a round of clarifying questions. Getting this wrong delays your launch, not your audit.
If you touch cardholder data, PCI DSS applies regardless of your SOC 2 status. The good news: roughly 40 to 60 percent of SOC 2 Security controls map directly to PCI DSS requirements. Access controls, encryption in transit, audit logging, and change management evidence collected for SOC 2 can satisfy PCI DSS control families when scoped correctly from the start. A FinTech-experienced auditor plans this overlap in advance; a generalist runs two disconnected engagements at full cost.
Payments environments carry specific encryption requirements that go beyond standard SOC 2 Security criteria. At-rest encryption of PANs, HSM key custody, key rotation schedules, and tokenization architecture all require documentation that maps to both PCI DSS and SOC 2 Confidentiality criteria. Auditors without payments experience often scope encryption controls too narrowly, producing a report that fails review by a processor or card brand.
Transaction monitoring systems, KYC vendor chains, and fraud detection workflows are not peripheral to your SOC 2 scope; they are part of it. Auditors who understand embedded finance treat AML/KYC vendors as subprocessors requiring their own risk documentation, and evaluate transaction monitoring as a processing integrity control. Getting this right means your SOC 2 report answers the questions that compliance officers at banking partners actually ask.
SOC 2 and PCI DSS address different risks and satisfy different audiences. The right answer for most FinTech companies is both. The question is how to sequence them and where the audit evidence overlaps.
| Dimension | SOC 2 | PCI DSS |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Operational security assurance for customers | Cardholder data protection for card brands |
| Scope | Systems that affect security, availability, or confidentiality | Systems that store, process, or transmit cardholder data |
| Required by | Enterprise buyers, sponsor banks, investors | Visa, Mastercard, processors, acquirers |
| Verification | Independent CPA auditor, third-party verified | QSA assessment or SAQ self-assessment |
| Cost range | $15K to $80K depending on scope and TSC count | $5K to $200K depending on SAQ level or QSA |
| When to choose | Customer data, enterprise sales, BaaS due diligence | You touch PANs or process card transactions directly |
Bottom line: If your system stores, processes, or transmits cardholder data, PCI DSS is mandatory regardless of any other certifications. If you handle customer data of any kind and sell to enterprise buyers or banking partners, SOC 2 is expected. Most FinTech companies operating in payments, BaaS, or embedded finance need both frameworks; an auditor who understands the evidence overlap can cut combined audit cost by 30 to 50 percent.
Sorted by editorial rank. All firms below have documented experience auditing FinTech, payments, banking, or insurtech organizations. For the complete list across all industries, see our full rankings.
New York, NY
Best For: First-time SOC 2 / ISO 27001 / HIPAA / PCI / HITRUST seekers (under 200 employees) who want one vendor handling both the GRC platform and the audit, eliminating the handoff between Vanta/Drata-style automation and a separate CPA firm. Companies pursuing multiple frameworks who want shared evidence across SOC 2 + ISO 27001 + HITRUST + PCI in a single audit cycle. Mid-market SaaS, fintech, and healthtech seeking 25-50% savings vs. traditional audit firms with fixed pricing.
New York, NY
Best For: B2B SaaS startups (Series A through growth stage) using Drata, Vanta, or Secureframe and prioritizing speed without sacrificing thoroughness. AI/ML companies needing SOC 2 + ISO 42001 together. CSPs pursuing FedRAMP authorization. DoD contractors needing a full C3PAO (newly authorized March 2026). Teams already using Slack who want same-day audit communication.
Colorado Springs, CO
Best For: First-time SOC 2 buyers. Pre-Series A through Series B SaaS startups already running Drata, Vanta, Secureframe, or Rippling who want a fixed-fee, 4-to-6-week audit from an accredited CPA firm that also issues ISO 27001 certifications, HIPAA assessments, and PCI DSS reports under one roof. Founders who prioritize speed and price transparency over a brand-name auditor.
Pleasanton, CA
Best For: VC-backed SaaS startups and Bay Area tech companies needing SOC 2 to unlock enterprise sales in 4-8 months. Cloud-native companies already using Drata, Vanta, Secureframe, or Sprinto. Companies combining SOC 2 + ISO 27001 (or SOC 2 + ISO 42001 for AI governance) in a single engagement. APAC-connected companies needing Essential 8, CDR, or GS 007 alongside US compliance. ESG-aware organizations that value B Corp status in their vendor chain.
Nashville, TN
Best For: Small-to-mid-sized organizations ($5M-$100M revenue) without enterprise budgets. First-time SOC seekers wanting bundled pricing transparency ($30K Year 1 package: Gap + Type I + Type II, then $25K annual renewals). MSPs and IT service providers. Healthcare organizations needing HITRUST + HIPAA. Budget-conscious buyers valuing long-term partnership over transactional audits
Cincinnati, OH
Best For: Companies that want a long-term audit relationship over a transactional, checkbox engagement — and need a firm that can start immediately and cover SOC 2 alongside ISO 27001, ISO 42001, NIST, or HITRUST without bringing in a second vendor.
Kansas City, MO
Best For: Cloud-native SaaS, IaaS, and PaaS companies (high-growth startups through Fortune 1000 enterprises) needing multi-framework attestation (SOC 2 + ISO 27001 + HITRUST + PCI DSS) in a single coordinated engagement. Healthcare technology pursuing HITRUST. Y Combinator-style SaaS startups already running Vanta who want a Vanta MSP partner that can attest. Companies that want boutique-feel partner attention with global-consulting-firm methodology.
Atlanta, GA
Best For: Middle-market companies needing consolidated compliance across multiple frameworks — SOC 2 + PCI + HIPAA + HITRUST, or CMMC + FedRAMP + ISO — under a single engagement team. Companies handling sensitive data facing multi-standard audit burdens who want one firm to streamline and de-duplicate evidence collection. Government contractors requiring CMMC/FedRAMP readiness alongside SOC 2. Healthcare and higher-education organizations pursuing HITRUST certification (FD's HITRUST practice leader has managed 300+ assessments). Companies with international operations needing dual AICPA/ISAE reporting. Growth companies that value a firm investing aggressively in scale, talent and technology.
St. Petersburg, FL
Best For: Enterprise IT Outsourcing Services, Managed Security, Customer Support, Healthcare Claims Management & Processing, and FinTech Services
Boston, MA
Best For: Nonprofit organizations, commercial companies, and wealthy individuals/estates seeking SOC 2 and LADMF certification
Los Angeles, CA
Best For: SaaS, FinTech, HealthTech, e-commerce, regulated industries, enterprises to fast-growing startups
San Diego, CA
Best For: Organizations seeking end-to-end SOC 2 support from readiness assessment through ongoing Type I/Type II compliance with hands-on consulting approach
Irvine, CA
Best For: Organizations requiring expert compliance and cybersecurity services across multiple frameworks with executive CISO-level support
Palo Alto, CA
Best For: Silicon Valley startups, VC-backed companies, and tech firms needing SOC and ISO 27001 on AWS, GCP, Azure, or Salesforce; companies wanting both SOC and ISO from one ANAB-accredited firm
Englewood, CO
Best For: Financial services companies — especially mortgage banking, hedge funds, and alternative investments — needing SOC 1/2 with deep industry expertise
Chicago, IL
Best For: Mid-market through enterprise companies needing multi-framework coverage (SOC 2 + FedRAMP, SOC 2 + PCI, SOC 2 + HITRUST). Cloud service providers pursuing FedRAMP authorization (Coalfire is a top-three 3PAO with 121+ FedRAMP assessments). Payment processors needing PCI DSS at Level 1 scale. Healthcare SaaS pursuing HITRUST + HIPAA. DoD contractors needing CMMC Level 2 via Coalfire Federal (operationally independent C3PAO entity).
USA
Best For: Technology-driven companies, SaaS platforms, cloud services, FinTech, HealthTech, IT service providers, and organizations managing multiple compliance frameworks seeking consolidated audits
Dresher, PA
Best For: Mid-market to enterprise organizations across regulated industries seeking comprehensive SOC 2, ISO 27001, HITRUST, and CMMC compliance
USA
Best For: B2B SaaS companies and startups needing rapid SOC 2 compliance for enterprise sales
San Jose, CA
Best For: High-growth B2B SaaS companies
Canada
Best For: SaaS companies, FinTech platforms, cloud providers, and healthcare organizations seeking customized SOC 2 Type 1 and Type 2 certification
Brisbane
Best For: Australian businesses and MSPs needing SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certification with guaranteed audit pass
Canada
Best For: Growing B2B SaaS companies moving upmarket requiring enterprise-grade SOC 2 with ISO 27001 and SWIFT compliance
Buffalo, NY
Best For: Fast-growing SaaS companies needing efficient SOC 2 via Drata automation; businesses wanting small-firm attention with broad tax and advisory services
Toronto, ON
Best For: Canadian and international companies needing SOC 1/2/3, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, GDPR, CCPA, PIPEDA, AML, or blockchain compliance from a dual CPA firm and ISO Certification Body
London
Best For: UK companies needing affordable fast compliance
London
Best For: UK and EU companies expanding to US market needing SOC 2
Vancouver
Best For: Small and medium sized businesses in Canada
Australia
Best For: SaaS, fintech, and cloud services companies seeking AICPA-aligned SOC 2 audits
Ann Arbor, MI
Best For: Tech-driven SaaS, cloud, and fintech companies needing SOC 2 and ISO 27001 audits with a responsive, CPA-led team.
Miramar, FL
Best For: Small to mid-sized SaaS and tech companies seeking SOC 2 compliance and cybersecurity audit readiness.
Las Vegas, NV
Best For: Fast-growing SaaS and fintech companies seeking specialist SOC 2 and cybersecurity audit expertise.
USA
Best For: Multi-sector technology and SaaS companies requiring structured SOC 2 Type I/II audits with transparent, evidence-based approach
USA
Best For: Startups and established service providers requiring comprehensive SOC 2 Type I and Type II certification
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Best For: SaaS platforms and fintech companies scaling globally with independent CPA-led SOC 2 and FedRAMP compliance.
Atlanta, GA
Best For: Tech startups and established companies seeking fixed-fee SOC 2 and compliance audits with GRC automation support.
New York, NY
Best For: SaaS and FinTech companies seeking fast-track SOC 2 certification with guaranteed timelines and enterprise-grade controls.
Reading, PA
Best For: Multistate businesses needing comprehensive accounting, tax, advisory, HR, and risk management services from an established CPA firm.
Boston, MA
Best For: Mid-market to enterprise organizations in regulated industries requiring senior-led audit expertise and industry-specific guidance.
Walnut Creek, CA
Best For: Multi-industry companies seeking integrated assurance, tax, and advisory services with emphasis on technology, financial services, and life sciences sectors.
India
Best For: Large enterprises and multinational organizations requiring Big Four audit credentials and global compliance reach.
Sponsor banks, PCI DSS overlap, NYDFS Part 500, and what specialist scoping changes. For payments-heavy or banking-only context, ask your champion which framework their counsel wants first.
Yes, and increasingly Type 2 is the default expectation rather than Type 1. Sponsor bank vendor management programs treat SOC 2 as the baseline requirement for FinTech partners that operate on their charter. The programs typically specify which Trust Service Criteria must be in scope, the minimum observation period (often 6 months), and how frequently the report must be renewed. Some programs add supplemental security questionnaires on top of the SOC 2 report, but a current Type 2 substantially reduces that burden. If you are in BaaS due diligence or preparing for a sponsor bank relationship, budget for Type 2 from the start. Type 1 buys time but rarely satisfies the vendor management requirement on its own.
It depends on whether your system directly stores, processes, or transmits cardholder data. If it does, PCI DSS is mandatory regardless of your SOC 2 status. Your PCI scope determines your SAQ level: companies that outsource all card processing to a tokenized gateway may qualify for a simple SAQ A; those that handle PANs directly face a full QSA assessment. SOC 2 does not satisfy PCI DSS, but the evidence overlaps significantly. Access controls, encryption, audit logging, and change management collected for SOC 2 can be structured to satisfy PCI DSS control families. A FinTech-specialized auditor plans this from the scoping conversation; running them separately without that planning means paying for duplicate evidence collection.
SOC 2 covers many but not all controls that these regulations require. NYDFS Part 500 mandates specific requirements around penetration testing frequency, multi-factor authentication, encryption of nonpublic information, and incident notification timelines that go beyond what SOC 2 criteria typically test. FFIEC guidance addresses governance, risk management, and audit committee oversight in ways SOC 2 does not directly assess. GLBA's Safeguards Rule requires documented information security programs with specific administrative and physical safeguards that may extend beyond your SOC 2 scope. The practical implication: SOC 2 evidence accelerates regulatory preparation but does not replace it. An auditor who knows these overlays helps you structure SOC 2 controls to satisfy both the report and the regulatory requirement, avoiding a full second implementation cycle.
Several things that a generalist auditor will either miss or handle incorrectly. Cardholder data environments require explicit boundary definition before fieldwork; the wrong scope boundary generates PCI-adjacent findings that card brands or processors will flag. Key custody and HSM architecture require documentation at a level of specificity that SOC 2's standard encryption controls do not dictate. Transaction monitoring and fraud detection systems need to appear as processing integrity controls, not as out-of-scope operational tools. AML and KYC vendor chains require subprocessor risk documentation that maps to both SOC 2 vendor risk criteria and regulatory expectations. A specialist auditor defines these scope boundaries correctly in the readiness phase, which means fewer findings in fieldwork and a report that holds up under review by banking partners and their counsel.
FinTech audits run higher than general SaaS audits because of the additional scope complexity. Expect $15K to $50K for a standard SOC 2 Type 2 from a FinTech-experienced firm based on our research estimates. If you bundle PCI DSS evidence collection with SOC 2, total engagement cost typically runs $20K to $70K but replaces two separate engagements that would cost more combined. Crypto and digital assets add complexity through wallet custody controls and blockchain transaction monitoring, pushing costs toward the higher end. Regulated payments processors and PayFacs that need full QSA assessments alongside SOC 2 can see combined costs above $100K. The primary cost drivers are the number of Trust Service Criteria in scope, whether the cardholder data environment is included, the size and complexity of the AML/KYC vendor chain, and the observation period length.
Full editorial rankings across all firm types, with verified pricing and timelines.
Sponsor bank programs and US regulatory overlays (NYDFS, FFIEC, GLBA) need a US-licensed CPA. See US firms.
Cost breakdown for SOC 2 alone, SOC 2 + PCI bundles, and crypto/payments-specific scoping factors.
Tell us your payments stack, sponsor bank context, and whether PCI DSS is in scope. We send it to FinTech-experienced firms that fit, and they reply with a ballpark, a timeline, and what makes them different. Your details stay private until you choose who to talk to.
Free. Side-by-side on price, timeline, and fit. Pick one firm. Have one call.
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