SOC 2 (Service Organization Control 2) is an audit framework created by the AICPA that evaluates how organisations manage customer data. It is based on the Trust Services Criteria (TSC): Security, Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, and Privacy. You do not get a certificate, you get an audit report from a licensed CPA firm.

Is SOC 2 a certification?

No. SOC 2 is an audit report, not a certification. A licensed CPA firm produces the report after evaluating your controls against the Trust Services Criteria. Buyers request the report, not a certificate.

What is the difference between SOC 2 Type I and Type II?

Type I evaluates whether your controls are suitably designed at a point in time. Type II evaluates whether your controls are operating effectively over a period, typically 6 to 12 months. Buyers almost always want Type II.

How long does SOC 2 take?

A Type I report can be completed in 4 to 8 weeks. A Type II report requires at least 6 months of operational evidence, so plan for 8 to 12 months total from start to finish.

How much does SOC 2 cost?

Total cost typically ranges from $15,000 to $50,000+ for a Type I report and $25,000 to $100,000+ for Type II, depending on company size, scope, and auditor. Compliance automation platforms reduce internal effort significantly.

Can I do SOC 2 without a compliance platform?

Yes, but it is significantly more expensive in internal time. Without a platform, your team manually collects evidence, monitors controls, and manages policies. Platforms like Vanta, Drata, Secureframe, and Sprinto automate most of this work.

SOC 2 Compliance

SOC 2 Compliance: What It Is, Requirements, and How to Get Audit-Ready

Q: Does SOC 2 replace ISO 27001?

No. SOC 2 and ISO 27001 serve different audiences. SOC 2 is widely demanded by US SaaS buyers; ISO 27001 is an international certification often required by government and enterprise procurement. Many companies pursue both.

SOC 2 is the trust report that most enterprise SaaS buyers require before they sign. It is not a certification, it is an audit report based on the AICPA Trust Services Criteria. This guide covers everything: the five criteria, Type I vs Type II, step-by-step implementation, typical cost, and the best software to automate the process.

SOC 2 requirements ->Trust Services Criteria ->Implementation steps ->Policy templates ->Best SOC 2 software ->

SOC 2 starter pack

Build the Trust Services evidence set buyers expect.

Use this path when procurement asks for SOC 2 and you need to move from policies to operating evidence.

Open Markdown pack ->

Start

Readiness check

Confirm scope, criteria, owners, and observation-period readiness.

Docs

SOC 2 templates

Access, data handling, suppliers, incidents, secure development, backups.

Policies

IT policy templates

Reusable policies mapped to ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI DSS, and ISO 42001.

Map

Control-to-policy map

Connect Trust Services Criteria to policy templates, evidence, and owners.

Criteria

Trust Services Criteria

Security, Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, and Privacy pages.

Controls

Implementation checklist

Step-by-step route from scoping to Type I and Type II evidence.

Tools

SOC 2 software

Compare platforms for control mapping, integrations, and auditor workflow.

Decision

Compare frameworks

Decide when SOC 2 should be paired with ISO 27001 or PCI DSS.

What is SOC 2?

SOC 2 (Service Organization Control 2) is an audit framework created by the AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants). It evaluates how organisations manage customer data against five Trust Services Criteria (TSC).

Unlike ISO 27001, SOC 2 is tailored to what you tell your customers. You select which criteria apply, and your report covers only those. Most SaaS companies start with Security (mandatory) plus Availability.

You do not get a certificate. You get a report from a licensed CPA firm stating whether your controls are suitably designed (Type I) and operating effectively over a period (Type II). Buyers almost always want Type II.

Security

Protection of system resources against unauthorized access. Mandatory for all SOC 2 reports.

Mandatory A

Availability

System availability for operation and use as committed. Required for SaaS with uptime SLAs.

Processing Integrity

System processing is complete, valid, accurate, and timely. Relevant for data-processing platforms.

Confidentiality

Designated information is protected by confidentiality commitments. Needed when handling sensitive data.

Privacy

Personal information is collected, used, retained, and disposed of in compliance with commitments.

SOC 2 policy templates

Use these starting documents to turn the control into evidence. Adapt each template to your scope, systems, legal obligations and actual operating process.

Incident response policyUse for ISO 27001 A.5.24 to A.5.28, SOC 2 incident response, PCI DSS 12.10, and security event handling.Access control policyUse for ISO 27001 A.5.15, A.5.16, A.5.17, A.5.18, A.8.2, SOC 2 Security, and PCI DSS requirements 7 and 8.AI use and governance policyUse for ISO 42001, AI governance, employee AI use, data handling, human review, and AI supplier risk.Backup and continuity policyUse for ISO 27001 A.5.29, A.5.30, A.8.13, A.8.14, SOC 2 Availability, and resilience controls.

Open the control-to-policy map

SOC 2 vs ISO 27001 vs PCI DSS

These three compliance frameworks serve different purposes and audiences. SOC 2 is a US-origin audit report focused on trust and data handling, widely demanded by SaaS buyers. ISO 27001 is an international certification for information security management systems. PCI DSS is a payment-card-industry requirement for anyone handling cardholder data.

Many companies end up pursuing all three because they serve different buyers and different regulatory contexts.

Aspect	SOC 2	ISO 27001	PCI DSS
What it is	Audit report from a CPA firm	International certification	Industry compliance standard
Who requires it	SaaS buyers, enterprise procurement	Government, large enterprises	Payment processors, card brands
Scope	Custom (selected TSC)	Entire ISMS	Cardholder data environment
Outcome	Type I / Type II report	Certificate	Attestation of Compliance
Cost range	$15K-$100K+	$10K-$80K+	$5K-$50K+
Best for	SaaS companies selling to enterprises	Organisations needing international recognition	Any company processing payments

Swipe sideways to compare columns

Detailed comparison: SOC 2 vs ISO 27001

SOC 2 Requirements

SOC 2 requirements are defined by the Trust Services Criteria. Security is mandatory for every report. The other four criteria, Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, and Privacy, are optional and selected based on your service commitments.

Type I: Design

Evaluates whether your controls are suitably designed at a point in time.

->Written policies and procedures documenting each control
->Technical controls implemented (access management, encryption, logging)
->Control design mapped to selected Trust Services Criteria
->Assessed at a specific date, no operational history required

Typical timeline: 4-8 weeks

Type II: Operational Effectiveness

Evaluates whether your controls are operating effectively over a period.

->All Type I requirements plus operational evidence
->Minimum observation period of 6 months
->Continuous monitoring and automated evidence collection
->Any control failures or exceptions are reported in the auditor's opinion

Typical timeline: 8-12 months total

How to Get SOC 2 Audit-Ready

Going from zero to audit-ready involves seven key steps. Most SaaS companies complete the process in 6 to 12 months, depending on scope and existing controls.

Decide scope and criteria

Pick the service or product in scope and select which Trust Services Criteria apply. Most SaaS companies start with Security plus Availability.

Gap assessment

Compare your current controls against the TSC requirements. Identify what exists, what is missing, and what needs to be built.

Implement controls

Put in place the technical and organisational controls: access management, encryption, logging, incident response, policies, and more.

Select an auditor

Choose a licensed CPA firm. Mid-tier auditors cost $8K-$25K for Type I; Big 4 firms charge more but carry brand recognition.

Type I audit

The auditor evaluates whether your controls are suitably designed. This is a point-in-time assessment, typically 4-8 weeks.

Remediation period

Address any findings from the Type I report. Implement corrective actions for any control gaps identified.

Type II audit

The auditor evaluates operational effectiveness over 6-12 months. This is the report buyers actually request.

Detailed implementation guide: SOC 2 Implementation Checklist

SOC 2 Cost

SOC 2 costs vary significantly based on company size, scope, auditor selection, and whether you use a compliance automation platform. Here is the typical breakdown:

Startup (Type I)

$15K-$35K

Narrow scope, single product, mid-tier auditor

Mid-market (Type II)

$40K-$80K

Multiple systems, 6+ month observation period

Enterprise (Type II)

$80K-$150K+

Large scope, Big 4 auditor, multiple criteria

Cost breakdown

Compliance platform (annual)$10K-$25K

Auditor: Type I$8K-$25K

Auditor: Type II (annual)$15K-$50K

Internal team time$20K-$100K+

Consultant (optional)$5K-$30K

Remediation tools & training$2K-$10K

Read our detailed cost analysis: SOC 2 Implementation Checklist

Software to automate SOC 2

Compliance automation platforms map the Trust Services Criteria controls, collect evidence automatically, and keep you audit-ready. Here are the top four platforms:

compliance