How Much Does SOC 2 Certification Cost, a Line-by-Line Budget

How much does SOC 2 certification cost? The honest answer is "it depends," but it depends on a short list of things you can control. I read the most detailed public cost breakdown I could find and pulled the numbers apart, so you can see which part of the bill is the audit and which part is everything else.

Scrut estimates for a 50 to 100 person SaaS company. Get real auditor quotes before you budget.

Quick answer

• For a 50 to 100 person SaaS company, Scrut puts a first SOC 2 Type 2 at about $30,000 to $100,000 all-in (Scrut, read Nov 12, 2026).
• A Type 1 is cheaper. Scrut lists $15,000 to $40,000 all-in.
• The CPA audit fee is only one line. Tools, pen testing, and staff time often cost more than the audit itself.
• It repeats every year. Scrut estimates $20,000 to $50,000 per year to stay current without automation.
• These are vendor estimates, not price lists. Get two or three auditor quotes before you budget.

First, SOC 2 is not really a "certification"

People search for "SOC 2 certification," so I use the phrase too. But nobody hands you a certificate.

SOC 2 is an attestation. An independent CPA firm examines your controls and writes a report with its opinion. That matters for cost, because there is no fixed fee. Each firm quotes based on your scope.

If you are still deciding which report to get, read my guide on SOC 2 Type 1 vs Type 2 first. The report type is the biggest single cost lever.

How much does SOC 2 Type 1 and Type 2 cost?

Here are the ranges Scrut published in its 2026 breakdown. Scrut sells compliance software, so keep that in mind.

Cost type	Type 1	Type 2
US audit fee only	about $5,000 to $25,000	about $7,000 to $50,000
All-in, first year	$15,000 to $40,000	$30,000 to $80,000+
Yearly re-audit	$15,000 to $25,000	$20,000 to $40,000

Source: Scrut, "How much does SOC 2 compliance cost in 2026?", read Nov 12, 2026. Scrut's own page gives slightly different Type 2 ranges in different sections ($30,000 to $80,000 and $30,000 to $100,000), so I show the overlap.

For a second view, Drata's SOC 2 cost page is summarized in search results as Type 1 at $7,500 to $15,000 and Type 2 at $12,000 to over $100,000. I could not open that page myself, so treat it as unverified.

What you actually pay for

The audit fee is the line everyone asks about. In Scrut's breakdown, it is rarely the biggest one. Here is where the money goes.

1. Readiness or gap assessment

Someone checks your controls before the auditor does. Scrut lists $5,000 to $15,000 for a consultant-led readiness check, and up to $15,000 to $25,000 in its full cost table.

2. The CPA audit fee

Firm size changes the price a lot. Scrut says a Big Four Type 2 for a 100-person company can cost $50,000 or more for the audit alone. A boutique CPA firm is often $20,000 to $50,000 for a similar scope.

Before you shortlist a firm, Scrut suggests checking its peer review status on the AICPA website.

3. Security tools you may be missing

• Device management (MDM): $5,000 to $10,000 in Scrut's estimate
• Endpoint protection (EDR or XDR): priced per user, so it varies
• Security awareness training: $2,000 to $5,000 if bought on its own

If you do not have basics like two-factor authentication for your business accounts, add them before the audit. They are cheap, and auditors look for them.

4. Penetration testing

Scrut treats pen testing as a core budget line. It cites one real quote of $14,000 for a mid-size company with two products. Its table shows $10,000 to $20,000.

5. Consultant or automation platform

You usually pick one of these to run the project. Scrut estimates a consultant at about 160 hours minimum, which is $16,000 to $20,000 at $100 to $125 per hour. A compliance automation platform runs $10,000 to $30,000 per year in the same source.

6. Your team's time

This one never shows up as an invoice. Engineers collect evidence, write policies, and answer auditor questions. Scrut puts it at $5,000 to $30,000 depending on how much is automated.

Full first-year budget, two ways

Scrut adds every line together in two scenarios.

Approach	Estimated first Type 2 total
Manual, consultant-led	$78,000 to $170,000+
With an automation platform	$50,000 to $110,000

Remember, the source sells automation. The direction makes sense to me, since less manual work means fewer billable hours. But I would not treat the exact gap as proven.

Scrut sells automation, so treat the exact gap as an estimate, not proof.

What makes SOC 2 cost more or less

• Report type. Type 2 covers a period of time, so it takes more auditor work than Type 1.
• Scope. More Trust Services Criteria means more testing. Scrut notes that processing integrity and privacy are usually added only when you do large batch processing or handle personal data.
• Headcount. Auditors sample people who joined and left. More people means more samples and more hours, per Scrut.
• Auditor tier. Big Four costs more than a boutique firm.
• How ready you are. Gaps found mid-audit mean rework and delays.

How to lower your SOC 2 cost without cutting corners

1. Ask your buyer what they need. Some will accept a Type 1 for now. Others, like many finance and healthcare buyers, want Type 2.
2. Keep scope tight. Add extra criteria only when a customer asks for them.
3. Get two or three auditor quotes with the same scope written down.
4. Do not overbuy tools. Scrut gives an example of a $6,500 scanner license where $1,500 testing would have done the job.
5. Do not shrink the pen test to save a few thousand. A weak test can cost more later.
6. Budget for year two now. The re-audit is not optional if you want a current report.

If you also take card payments, your PCI DSS checklist overlaps with some SOC 2 controls. Doing both together can save duplicate work.

This is general information, not legal, audit, or financial advice. Prices change, so confirm every number with your auditor and vendors.

A quick checklist drawn from the steps in this guide.

FAQ

How much does SOC 2 Type 2 certification cost?

Scrut estimates a first Type 2 at about $30,000 to $100,000 all-in for a 50 to 100 person SaaS company, as of Nov 12, 2026. The audit fee alone is a smaller part of that.

How much does it cost to get SOC 2 certification for a small startup?

Smaller companies usually land at the low end, because fewer people and systems mean fewer audit samples. A Type 1 at $15,000 to $40,000 all-in (Scrut) is a common first step. Get real quotes, since no public price list exists.

Who does SOC 2 certification?

A licensed CPA firm performs the SOC 2 examination and signs the report. Software vendors and consultants can help you prepare, but they cannot issue the report.

How long does SOC 2 certification last?

There is no formal expiry date, but most buyers treat a report as current for about 12 months, according to Scrut. That is why companies budget for a yearly audit.

Is the SOC 2 audit fee the biggest cost?

Often not. In Scrut's breakdown, tooling, pen testing, consultants, and staff time together can exceed the audit fee.

Sources

• Scrut, "How much does SOC 2 compliance cost in 2026? A practitioner's breakdown" (vendor blog), read Nov 12, 2026
• Drata, SOC 2 cost page (vendor), figures from search result summary only, page not opened, Nov 12, 2026

Last updated: November 12, 2026