We track 54 verified CPA firms that issue SOC 2 Type 2 reports, with pricing estimates starting at $12K+ and the fastest observation periods beginning in as little as 1 month after controls are in place. Type 2 is the report enterprise buyers actually require: where Type 1 documents that your controls were designed correctly at a point in time, Type 2 proves they operated effectively across a defined observation period of 3 to 12 months. That distinction makes Type 2 the standard for vendor security reviews, enterprise procurement gates, and annual renewal cycles.
Free. Side-by-side on price, timeline, and fit. Pick one firm. Have one call.
Six picks for the Type 2 scenarios buyers actually run: GRC-bundled first-time Type 2, enterprise multi-framework, fastest Type 1-to-Type 2 transition, FedRAMP and HITRUST optionality, best value under $20K, and Big 4 letterhead. Each recommendation names one firm with the qualifier that earned the pick.
Thoropass is the typical pick for a first-time Type 2 that wants the GRC platform and the CPA audit on a single contract. Evidence is shared across SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and PCI under one engagement, with fixed-fee pricing 25 to 50 percent below traditional firms.
A-LIGN is the default pick when enterprise procurement wants SOC 2 Type 2 alongside HITRUST, FedRAMP, or PCI. One of the highest-volume US SOC 2 practices bundles every major framework under one engagement, and procurement teams know the brand on the cover of the report.
Johanson Group is the pick when an enterprise prospect is gating the contract on SOC 2 and the Type 2 observation has to start immediately. Fixed-fee Type 1 in 1 to 3 weeks from an accredited CPA, with the Type 2 observation period beginning in parallel so the upgrade arrives in a single cycle.
Schellman is the pick for enterprise Type 2 buyers who need FedRAMP or HITRUST optionality without retaining a separate firm. Top 50 CPA, in-house HITRUST and FedRAMP assessors, and reports that satisfy Fortune 500 procurement.
KirkpatrickPrice is the pick for verified Type 2 at the low end of the credentialed-CPA range. A $12K floor, broad framework coverage including SOC 1/2/3, HIPAA, and PCI, and a published methodology that survives enterprise security review.
Deloitte is the default when procurement explicitly requires Big 4 letterhead on the SOC 2 Type 2 report. Used by pre-IPO companies and public-company controls programs where the issuing firm name on the cover is part of the buyer requirement.
A SOC 2 Type 2 audit requires sustained evidence collection, operational control testing, and careful observation period scoping. It is not just a controls design review. The auditor you choose determines how defensible your report is when enterprise buyers read it closely.
The AICPA permits observation periods from 3 to 12 months, but the choice has real consequences. A 3-month window gets you to market faster; a 12-month period signals maturity to enterprise and regulated-industry buyers. Most organizations default to 6 months as a defensible middle ground. A specialist auditor helps you set the window based on what your customers will actually accept, not what is easiest to audit.
Type 1 asks whether your controls were designed correctly. Type 2 asks whether they ran correctly, consistently, across the entire observation period. That requires evidence sampling, fieldwork, and control testing at multiple points in time. Auditors who are light on Type 2 volume produce reports that enterprise security teams identify immediately as thin. Look for firms that describe their sampling methodology before you sign.
SOC 2 Type 2 reports are not renewed in the ISO sense; a fresh attestation is issued each year. Year 2 audit fees typically run 60 to 80 percent of year-one audit fees, since implementation work is largely behind you but the fieldwork itself does not shrink dramatically. Firms with automated evidence collection workflows can reduce internal effort materially. Choosing a Type 2-focused auditor from the start pays off in Year 2 and Year 3, when the cost of switching is high and the process should be routine.
If your product relies on cloud infrastructure or third-party processors, the audit must address those subservice organizations. Under a carve-out method, your report notes their existence and responsibility but excludes them from testing. Under an inclusive method, their controls are tested as part of your engagement. Enterprise buyers increasingly ask which method was used. A specialist auditor explains the trade-offs and scopes accordingly from day one.
The two report types serve different purposes and satisfy different buyer requirements. Knowing which one your customers require before you start the engagement saves time, money, and a second audit.
| Dimension | Type 1 | Type 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Documents controls were designed correctly | Proves controls operated effectively over time |
| Attestation | Point-in-time design assessment | Operating effectiveness across observation period |
| Observation period | None required | 3 to 12 months (6 months is most common) |
| Buyer acceptance | Accepted by some; most enterprise buyers ask for Type 2 | The standard for enterprise procurement |
| Cost range | Lower; typically 40 to 60 percent of Type 2 | $15K to $50K specialists; $60K to $400K Big 4 |
| When to choose | Closing a deal fast or establishing a baseline | Enterprise contracts, regulated industries, annual renewal |
Bottom line: If you have an enterprise prospect gating a contract on SOC 2, ask which type they require before scoping. Most will accept Type 1 as a bridge only if a Type 2 observation period is already running. See our Type 1 auditor directory when the deal needs to close in 30 days.
Sorted by editorial rank based on Type 2 volume, AICPA peer review status, and documented client outcomes. For the complete list across all firm types, 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.
Tampa, FL
Best For: Defense contractors needing CMMC + FedRAMP, federal agencies requiring top-tier FedRAMP 3PAO, classified systems operators (ONLY auditor with DoD Facility Security Clearance), healthcare organizations needing HITRUST + SOC 2 bundles, companies wanting Top 50 CPA brand with multi-framework expertise
Tampa, FL
Best For: Mid-market to enterprise companies that need multiple compliance frameworks (SOC 2 + ISO 27001 + HITRUST + FedRAMP + PCI) under one roof. CSPs pursuing FedRAMP authorization. Companies that want a top-three FedRAMP 3PAO and #1 SOC 2 issuer on the cover of the report.
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.
San Ramon, CA
Best For: Mid-market tech companies ($10M-$500M revenue) prioritizing speed and technology integration. Private equity-backed companies needing bundled audit, tax, and compliance services. Bay Area & West Coast startups wanting local presence and tech industry fluency. Companies expanding internationally requiring both SOC 2 and ISO 27001/27701. Organizations valuing efficiency over brand prestige alone
New York, NY
Best For: Mid-market to enterprise companies, organizations requiring multiple locations/subsidiaries, companies needing Big Four quality without Big Four pricing
New York, NY
Best For: Large enterprises and public companies with complex environments
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.
Des Moines, IA
Best For: Tech startups and SaaS companies wanting a SOC-specialist CPA firm with fixed-fee pricing
West Bloomfield, MI
Best For: Small to mid-sized SaaS and healthcare companies needing SOC 1/2/3 or HIPAA on a tight timeline, with optional penetration testing
Nashville, TN
Best For: Healthcare and PE-backed mid-market organizations needing SOC reports plus parallel HITRUST, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, NIST, or CMMC assessments under one roof
Kansas City, KS
Best For: Service organizations throughout US, companies seeking long-term compliance partnerships, organizations using Tentacle platform
Westminster, CO
Best For: Early-stage to mid-market SaaS and cloud-native companies needing SOC 1, SOC 2, or SOC 3 reports with hands-on partner involvement
Atlanta, GA
Best For: Southeast US companies and Atlanta tech corridor startups
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.
Minneapolis, MN
Best For: Midwest companies, ESOP-owned businesses, organizations seeking established regional firm with 90+ years experience
Tampa, FL
Best For: Organizations across North America, Europe, and Asia; companies needing SOC readiness assessments before full audit
Global
Best For: International businesses with multi-country operations
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.
Pittsburgh, PA
Best For: Mid-Atlantic and Rust Belt companies with manufacturing components
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
Chicago, IL
Best For: International companies with US subsidiaries needing compliance
New York, NY
Best For: Private companies and middle market organizations
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
Fairfax, VA
Best For: Enterprises needing compliance across 60+ frameworks through a single consolidated audit; organizations managing multiple annual compliance programs
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).
Chicago, IL
Best For: Healthcare and financial services companies needing data analytics
Toronto
Best For: Large Canadian organizations
Toronto
Best For: Multinational corporations with Canadian operations
Toronto
Best For: Canadian financial services and large organizations
Toronto
Best For: Canadian enterprises and regulated industries
Sydney
Best For: Large Australian enterprises
USA
Best For: Technology-driven companies, SaaS platforms, cloud services, FinTech, HealthTech, IT service providers, and organizations managing multiple compliance frameworks seeking consolidated audits
Sydney
Best For: Tech and digital businesses in Australia
Dresher, PA
Best For: Mid-market to enterprise organizations across regulated industries seeking comprehensive SOC 2, ISO 27001, HITRUST, and CMMC compliance
Sydney
Best For: Australian financial services firms
Sydney
Best For: Australian enterprises and government
London, UK
Best For: Global enterprises needing SOC 1/2/3, ISAE 3402, ISAE 3000, or DORA compliance from an internationally recognized, independent assurance provider
New York, NY
Best For: Regulated industries and companies with international operations
New York, NY
Best For: High-growth tech companies preparing for IPO
New York, NY
Best For: IPO-track companies and Fortune 500 enterprises
Munich
Best For: Large German organizations
Stuttgart
Best For: German tech and manufacturing companies
Berlin
Best For: German financial services and automotive companies
Frankfurt
Best For: German enterprises and DAX companies
Observation periods, parallel Type 1/Type 2, renewal economics, and when Big 4 letterhead matters. For Type 1-specific scenarios, see our Type 1 directory.
A SOC 2 Type 1 report is a point-in-time assessment: the auditor reviews your controls, confirms they were designed to meet the relevant Trust Services Criteria, and issues an opinion as of a single date. No evidence of ongoing operation is required. A SOC 2 Type 2 report covers an observation period, typically 3 to 12 months, during which the auditor tests whether those controls actually operated effectively through evidence sampling and fieldwork. Type 1 asks whether your controls are built correctly. Type 2 asks whether they ran correctly, every day, across the period. Enterprise buyers require Type 2 because it demonstrates sustained operational security, not a snapshot taken on audit day. Regulated industries including financial services, healthcare, and government contracting generally mandate Type 2 as a contract prerequisite. If a customer security review or enterprise procurement checklist asks for SOC 2, confirm they want Type 2 before you start the observation clock.
The AICPA's AT-C 205 standard requires a minimum observation period but does not specify a fixed length. In practice, most Type 2 engagements use 3, 6, or 12 months. Three months is the minimum most auditors will accept and gets organizations to a report faster, but some enterprise buyers view it as insufficient evidence of maturity. Six months is the most common choice, balancing speed with credibility across a broad range of buyers. Twelve months is the standard for enterprise deals, regulated-industry contracts, and situations where the buyer's security team reviews SOC 2 reports closely. Your auditor should help you select the window based on your target customer base, not default to what is easiest for their scheduling. A specialist firm will also help you time the observation window so it ends close to when you need the report issued, avoiding a gap where your attestation is expired during procurement.
Based on our public-records estimates, specialist CPA firms typically charge $15,000 to $50,000 for a SOC 2 Type 2 audit, depending on scope, number of Trust Services Criteria included, company size, and observation period length. Big 4 and national firms run materially higher, with our estimates ranging from $60,000 to $400,000 for complex or multi-framework engagements. Those are our internal estimates, not numbers the firms have confirmed directly. Annual renewal audits generally run 80 to 90 percent of initial-year fees. Firms with automated evidence collection workflows can reduce that further. Key cost drivers include the number of in-scope systems, the number of Trust Services Criteria you select beyond the mandatory Security criterion, and how much evidence preparation work your team can complete before fieldwork begins. Starting with a GRC platform integrated with your auditor's workflow reduces internal hours significantly in Year 1 and nearly eliminates manual evidence collection in Year 2.
Yes, and this is a common pattern for organizations that need a report quickly to close a deal while still working toward a full Type 2. The approach: engage a CPA firm for a Type 1 audit, which can be completed in as little as 4 to 8 weeks for organizations with controls already in place. At the same time, start the Type 2 observation period running. By the time the observation window closes 3 to 6 months later, the auditor already knows your controls and your environment, which compresses fieldwork and reduces the additional cost of the Type 2 engagement. This works best when the same CPA firm handles both reports. Switching auditors mid-cycle means the new firm repeats scoping work and the observation period credit may not transfer cleanly. The pattern is particularly effective for companies where an enterprise deal is contingent on SOC 2 but the buyer will accept a Type 1 bridge while the Type 2 observation runs.
SOC 2 Type 2 reports cover a defined observation period, and most enterprise buyers expect an updated report annually. A report more than 12 months old will trigger questions in security reviews and may delay procurement at large customers. The annual renewal is a new audit engagement covering a new observation period, typically the 12 months following your previous report window. Renewal audits run 80 to 90 percent of initial-year fees on average, reflecting the auditor's familiarity with your environment and the reduced scoping work required in subsequent years. Organizations that collect evidence continuously through a GRC platform integrated with their auditor reduce internal labor on renewals by 50 to 70 percent compared to manual evidence runs. One practical tip: time your observation period so the renewal report issues before your largest contract renewal dates, avoiding a window where enterprise buyers see an expired attestation during their annual vendor review.
Need a report in 30 days to close a deal? Type 1 attestation is the fast path. See firms with 1 to 3 week Type 1 timelines.
Evaluation criteria, scoping questions to ask before you sign, and what separates a Type 2-experienced firm from a generalist.
Detailed pricing breakdown for Type 1, Type 2, and annual renewals across firm size and scope.
Tell us your observation window, in-scope criteria, and company size. We send it to Type 2-experienced firms that fit, and they reply with a ballpark and timeline. Your details stay anonymous until you decide who to talk to.
Free. Side-by-side on price, timeline, and fit. Pick one firm. Have one call.
Menu