How much does SOC 2 cost for a small startup?

A small startup with a narrow scope typically spends $15,000 to $50,000 for a Type I report. This includes the compliance platform ($10K to $20K), auditor fees ($8K to $15K), and internal team time. A Type II report adds another $10K to $25K in auditor fees plus six months of ongoing monitoring.

How much does SOC 2 cost for a mid-market company?

Mid-market companies typically spend $30,000 to $100,000+ for a Type II report. The range depends on employee count, number of systems in scope, and whether you need additional Trust Services Criteria beyond Security.

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. The platform fee usually pays for itself through reduced engineering and security hours.

What is the cheapest way to get SOC 2?

Narrow your scope to a single product and the Security criterion, use a budget platform like Thoropass, hire a mid-tier auditor, and leverage existing controls. This can bring a Type I report down toward $15,000 total.

Do I need a consultant for SOC 2?

No, but it helps if you have no compliance experience. Compliance automation platforms include built-in guidance that covers most of what a consultant provides. Consider a consultant only if your scope is complex or you need to move fast.

How much does a SOC 2 auditor cost?

Auditor fees range from $8,000 to $50,000+ depending on report type (Type I vs Type II), scope, and firm. Mid-tier firms charge $8,000 to $25,000 for Type I and $15,000 to $50,000 for Type II. Big 4 firms charge more.

How Much Does SOC 2 Cost? Full Breakdown (2026)

If you are evaluating SOC 2 compliance, the first question is almost always: how much will it cost? The answer depends on your company size, scope, and which Trust Services Criteria you choose, but most SaaS companies fall into one of two buckets.

A small startup with a narrow scope typically spends $15,000 to $50,000 total for a Type I report. A mid-market company with broader scope and Type II certification usually pays $30,000 to $100,000 or more. These ranges include software, auditor fees, consultancy, and the internal team time that is often overlooked.

Total cost ranges by company size

Small startup (up to 50 employees, single product, Security criterion only): $15,000 to $50,000. This covers a Type I report, which is the fastest and cheapest path. Many startups use this as a stepping stone before investing in Type II.

Mid-market (50 to 500 employees, multiple products, Security plus Availability or Confidentiality): $30,000 to $100,000+. Type II reports are the expectation for enterprise buyers, and they require six to twelve months of operational evidence, which adds cost.

Large enterprise (500+ employees, complex infrastructure, multiple criteria): $100,000+. These engagements often involve multiple business units, extensive custom controls, and larger auditor teams.

The biggest cost variable is scope. A narrow scope (one product, a few systems) keeps costs down. A broad scope (entire company, all products) multiplies the work.

Cost breakdown: software

Compliance automation platforms are the biggest recurring cost. Vanta, Drata, Secureframe, and Sprinto all use custom pricing based on employee count and scope, but typical annual costs are:

Small startup: $10,000 to $20,000 per year. These platforms typically start around $5,000 to $10,000 annually for small teams and scale with headcount.

Mid-market: $20,000 to $60,000 per year. As employee count and system count grow, the platform fee increases. Some platforms also charge per framework if you run multiple standards.

This is the one cost that automation platforms directly reduce. Without a platform, you spend far more on manual evidence collection and control monitoring. The platform pays for itself for most teams above 15 to 20 employees.

Cost breakdown: auditor fees

The auditor is a separate cost from the software platform. A licensed CPA firm conducts the audit and issues the SOC 2 report. Auditor fees depend on the scope, complexity, and whether you choose a Big 4 firm or a mid-tier boutique.

Small startup Type I: $8,000 to $15,000. The auditor reviews your control design at a point in time. This is a one-time fee.

Small startup Type II: $15,000 to $25,000. The auditor tests operating effectiveness over six to twelve months.

Mid-market Type II: $25,000 to $50,000+. More systems, more controls, and more evidence to review means higher fees. Big 4 firms (Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG) typically charge at the top of these ranges or above.

Tip: mid-tier firms like BDO, RSM, and Crowe often deliver comparable quality at lower fees. The SOC 2 standard is the same regardless of which licensed CPA firm issues the report.

Cost breakdown: consultancy

Consultancy is optional but common. Most companies do not have an in-house compliance expert, so they hire a consultant to help with scoping, gap analysis, and audit readiness.

Light touch (scoping review and gap analysis): $5,000 to $15,000. A consultant reviews your current state and produces a remediation plan.

Full engagement (end-to-end guidance through the audit): $15,000 to $40,000. The consultant stays involved through implementation and the audit itself.

If you use a compliance automation platform, the built-in guidance and support often reduce or eliminate the need for external consultancy. Drata and Vanta, for example, include dedicated customer success teams that walk you through the process.

Cost breakdown: internal time

This is the most overlooked cost. Even with a platform and a consultant, your engineering, security, and operations teams spend significant time implementing controls, collecting evidence, and responding to auditor requests.

Small startup: 200 to 400 hours over the first six months. That is roughly one person-quarter for a small team. The bulk of the time goes to technical control implementation (MFA, encryption, access reviews) and writing policies.

Mid-market: 500 to 1,000+ hours. More systems mean more controls to implement and monitor. Cross-functional coordination across engineering, HR, and operations adds overhead.

At an all-in cost of $150 to $250 per hour for engineering time, this internal effort can add $30,000 to $250,000 to the total cost. Automation platforms dramatically reduce this by collecting evidence automatically and providing guided workflows.

How to reduce SOC 2 costs

Narrow your scope. Only include systems and processes that are actually required by your customers. A focused scope is the single biggest cost reducer.

Choose a mid-tier auditor. The SOC 2 report means the same thing whether issued by a Big 4 firm or a regional CPA practice. Save $10,000 to $30,000 by going boutique.

Use a compliance automation platform. The upfront software cost is real, but the reduction in internal time and consultancy fees usually makes it the best ROI line item. Platforms like Vanta, Drata, Secureframe, and Sprinto automate evidence collection, control monitoring, and policy management.

Start with Type I. A Type I report proves your controls are designed correctly and can be shared with early buyers while you build toward Type II. It is faster, cheaper, and gets you revenue-generating deals sooner.

Leverage existing controls. If you already run ISO 27001, GDPR, or HIPAA programs, many of your controls already map to SOC 2. Do not start from scratch.

Do not over-invest in policies. SOC 2 auditors want to see written policies, but you do not need a 200-page security manual. Five to eight core policies cover the vast majority of requirements.

Software options by budget tier

Every compliance automation platform can deliver a SOC 2 report. The differences are in user experience, integrations, support quality, and pricing model. Here is how the main options compare:

Premium tier ($20K+ per year): Vanta and Drata. Both are market leaders with the broadest integrations and the most mature control libraries. Best for teams that want the smoothest experience and do not want to manage the process manually. Vanta has the strongest brand recognition among enterprise buyers.

Mid tier ($10K to $20K per year): Secureframe and Sprinto. Secureframe offers guided implementation with hands-on support, which is valuable for first-time compliance teams. Sprinto is popular with companies that want a modern platform with strong multi-framework support.

Budget tier ($5K to $10K per year): Thoropass. Thoropass positions itself as the affordable option, pairing automation with its own audit capability. Good for very small teams or startups that need SOC 2 on a tight budget.

All of these platforms reduce the total cost of compliance by cutting internal effort. The platform fee is almost always less than the internal time it would take to do the work manually.

How Much Does SOC 2 Cost? (2026 Breakdown)