SOC 2 cost calculator: audit cost and timeline for SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR and DORA
Estimate first-year cost, internal effort and calendar time as a low, likely and high range. These are estimates, not quotes.
How to verify this
Open your browser's network tab and change an input: nothing is sent. The page computes with the formulas and the dated price table below. Some entries in that table could not be checked against an official page and are labelled. The same engine answers the API and the MCP tool, so you can reproduce any scenario from code.
Expect $46,340 to $151,680 (likely $86,200) and about 45 weeks to receive a SOC 2 Type 2 report.
- Heads-up:Ranges are heuristic estimates, not quotes or audit advice.
- Heads-up:The dataset has low confidence: its ranges are heuristics built by hand from published cost guides, not price lists or quotes.
- Note:Not checked against an official source: SOC 2 Type 2, hours per control, automation software prices, penetration test prices, low and high hours multipliers, engineering scale, timeline model. They were derived from published guides; see the data table for each row's basis.
First-year cost, likely
$86,200
Range $46,340 to $151,680. A heuristic estimate, not a quote.
Internal effort
262 hours
Range 183 to 367 hours
Time to the last deliverable
45 weeks
Range 37 to 56 weeks, to receive a SOC 2 Type 2 report
Readiness today
8%
1 of 12 controls in place
First-year cost by line, low to high
Pale bar: low to high. Dark mark: likely. Total $86,200 likely ($46,340 to $151,680).
Timeline, phase by phase
- Shared readiness work
- Critical-path phases (outlined)
- Other audits (run in parallel)
Likely 45 weeks; low 37 weeks, high 56 weeks. The low and high cases stretch the readiness phase only. Audits for several frameworks run in parallel, so the longest chain sets the date.
Longer than your window The likely 45 weeks is 19 weeks longer than 3 to 6 months (up to 26 weeks).
Where the effort goes: readiness gaps
Readiness 8% 11 of 12 controls are missing. The largest, by estimated hours, are below.
6 more missing controls are counted in the total. The full list is in the CSV export.
Hours are scaled by your engineering headcount (factor 1) and by whether you use automation. Dataset hours per control are unverified estimates.
| Framework | Deliverable | A certification? | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| SOC 2 Type 2 | SOC 2 Type 2 report | No | An attestation report issued by a CPA firm on how your controls operated over an observation window. It is not a certification, and it covers a period, so it is renewed about every 12 months. |
| Item | Low | Likely | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renewal audits and software, per year | $23,000 | $50,000 | $100,000 |
| Annual penetration test (separate, not in the line above) | $5,000 | $10,000 | $15,000 |
| Change | Weeks saved | First-year cost change |
|---|---|---|
| Use a 3-month SOC 2 Type 2 observation window (check that your buyers accept it) | 13 | No change |
| Have the 3 largest gaps closed before the audit clock starts (written security policies, central logging and monitoring, vendor risk management) | 2 | -$7,400 |
First-year cost or timeline as one input changes
Calculating the range…
How it is calculated
Size band and readiness
band = bracket(headcount): up to 10, 11 to 50, 51 to 150, 151 to 500, over 500 readiness score = controls present ÷ 12 gap list = missing controls, largest dataset effort first
Internal effort
H = (Σ e_g × s + Σ b_f × (1 − o_f)) × m C_internal = H × hourly cost e_g = dataset hours for each missing control g s = scale for the engineering headcount (1.0 at about 20 engineers) b_f = base hours for framework f; o_f = its overlap with the first selected framework (0 for the first) m = 1 with automation, the no-automation multiplier without it low and high use the dataset's hours multipliers (default 0.7 and 1.4)
First-year cost
external = Σ fees per framework (auditor, certification body, assessor, legal)
× (1 + rush %) when the audit is needed as soon as possible
+ automation software (if used) + one penetration test a year (if a framework expects it)
first year = external + C_internal
Each part is a [low, likely, high] range for the size band; the totals add the lows, the likelies and the highs.Timeline
readiness = (base weeks + 1 week per missing control) × 0.7 with automation SOC 2 Type 2 path = readiness + observation window + fieldwork and report ISO 27001 path = readiness + stage 1 + gap + stage 2 + certification decision Other paths = readiness + assessment and report Frameworks share readiness and run their audits in parallel; the longest path is the critical path.
Recurring cost after year one
recurring = Σ annual renewal or surveillance fees per framework (SOC 2 counted once) + automation software The annual penetration test is shown separately.
Assumptions
- Every figure is a heuristic range built by hand from published cost and timeline guides by compliance vendors, auditors and certification bodies. There are no official price lists, and none of the cost data is verified against one.
- Low and high take the ends of the published ranges nearest your size band; likely is a judgement between them. The data table shows each row's basis and sources.
- Estimates exclude taxes, travel and expenses, retests, remediation tooling beyond the software line, legal fees beyond the framework rows, and cyber insurance.
- One penetration test a year is included when any selected framework expects one, even if you already ticked "penetration test completed": the test is annual. The tick still removes its effort hours from the gap list.
- The first selected framework (in the order SOC 2 Type 1, SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR, DORA) carries its full base hours; each later one is discounted by its overlap with the first.
- All 12 controls count as gaps for every framework. The model does not map controls to frameworks one by one.
- Internal hours are for a team of about 20 engineers and scale with the engineering headcount you enter. The cost of an internal hour is the loaded rate you enter.
- The observation window changes the timeline only, not the cost. Cloud stack is recorded but does not change any number.
- Timelines are weeks from kickoff. The page converts them to a calendar date from today's date.
The data behind it
| Framework | Fee | Up to 10 people (low / likely / high) | 11 to 50 people (low / likely / high) | 51 to 150 people (low / likely / high) | 151 to 500 people (low / likely / high) | Over 500 people (low / likely / high) | Checked against an official price list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOC 2 Type 1 | SOC 2 auditor (CPA firm) fee | $5,000 / $8,000 / $12,000 | $5,000 / $10,000 / $15,000 | $8,000 / $15,000 / $25,000 | $20,000 / $30,000 / $60,000 | $30,000 / $60,000 / $120,000 | No |
| SOC 2 Type 2 | SOC 2 auditor (CPA firm) fee | $7,000 / $12,000 / $20,000 | $10,000 / $17,000 / $30,000 | $15,000 / $25,000 / $50,000 | $30,000 / $50,000 / $100,000 | $60,000 / $120,000 / $250,000 | No |
| ISO 27001 | ISO 27001 certification body fee | $5,600 / $10,000 / $15,000 | $8,000 / $13,000 / $17,000 | $12,000 / $20,000 / $30,000 | $20,000 / $30,000 / $50,000 | $30,000 / $50,000 / $80,000 | No |
| HIPAA | HIPAA risk analysis and assessor fee | $3,000 / $6,000 / $12,000 | $4,000 / $8,000 / $15,000 | $6,000 / $12,000 / $20,000 | $10,000 / $20,000 / $40,000 | $20,000 / $40,000 / $60,000 | No |
| GDPR | GDPR legal, DPO and advisory support | $5,000 / $16,900 / $22,500 | $11,300 / $22,500 / $39,400 | $22,500 / $39,400 / $56,300 | $39,400 / $56,300 / $75,000 | $56,300 / $150,000 / $450,000 * | No |
| DORA | DORA assessor, advisory and legal support | $11,300 / $22,500 / $33,800 | $11,300 / $22,500 / $33,800 | $33,800 / $73,200 / $112,700 | $33,800 / $73,200 / $112,700 * | $112,700 / $225,400 / $1,126,700 * | No |
| Framework | Up to 10 people (low / likely / high) | 11 to 50 people (low / likely / high) | 51 to 150 people (low / likely / high) | 151 to 500 people (low / likely / high) | Over 500 people (low / likely / high) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOC 2 Type 1 | $7,000 / $12,000 / $20,000 | $10,000 / $17,000 / $30,000 | $15,000 / $25,000 / $50,000 | $30,000 / $50,000 / $100,000 | $60,000 / $120,000 / $250,000 |
| SOC 2 Type 2 | $7,000 / $12,000 / $20,000 | $10,000 / $17,000 / $30,000 | $15,000 / $25,000 / $50,000 | $30,000 / $50,000 / $100,000 | $60,000 / $120,000 / $250,000 |
| ISO 27001 | $2,000 / $3,500 / $5,000 | $2,500 / $4,500 / $6,000 | $3,500 / $5,500 / $9,000 | $6,000 / $9,000 / $15,000 | $9,000 / $15,000 / $24,000 |
| HIPAA | $900.00 / $2,400 / $6,000 | $1,200 / $3,200 / $7,500 | $1,800 / $4,800 / $10,000 | $3,000 / $8,000 / $20,000 | $6,000 / $16,000 / $30,000 |
| GDPR | $1,000 / $5,100 / $9,000 | $2,300 / $6,800 / $15,800 | $4,500 / $11,800 / $22,500 | $7,900 / $16,900 / $30,000 | $11,300 / $45,000 / $180,000 * |
| DORA | $11,300 / $28,200 / $45,100 | $11,300 / $28,200 / $45,100 | $33,800 / $73,200 / $112,700 | $33,800 / $73,200 / $112,700 * | $112,700 / $225,400 / $1,126,700 * |
| Item | Up to 10 people (low / likely / high) | 11 to 50 people (low / likely / high) | 51 to 150 people (low / likely / high) | 151 to 500 people (low / likely / high) | Over 500 people (low / likely / high) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automation platform subscription | $4,000 / $10,000 / $20,000 | $5,000 / $15,000 / $28,000 | $8,000 / $25,000 / $50,000 | $15,000 / $40,000 / $80,000 | $55,000 / $100,000 / $250,000 |
| Scope | Low / likely / high |
|---|---|
| Single product | $5,000 / $10,000 / $15,000 |
| Multiple products | $8,000 / $20,000 / $30,000 |
| Multi-region platform | $25,000 / $50,000 / $100,000 |
| Framework | Deliverable | A certification? | Label checked | Base effort (hours) | Weeks: readiness / audit phases |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOC 2 Type 1 | SOC 2 Type 1 report | No | No | 40 | 8 / 6 |
| SOC 2 Type 2 | SOC 2 Type 2 report | No | No | 80 | 8 / 6 |
| ISO 27001 | ISO 27001 certificate (3-year cycle, annual surveillance) | Yes | No | 120 | 12 / 12 |
| HIPAA | HIPAA risk analysis and documented safeguards (no official certification) | No | Yes (official source) | 60 | 6 / 5 |
| GDPR | GDPR compliance program with assessment (no mandatory certificate) | No | Yes (official source) | 80 | 6 / 4 |
| DORA | DORA compliance program with assessment (no certificate) | No | No | 120 | 12 / 6 |
| Control | Hours | Checked against an official source |
|---|---|---|
| Single sign-on and multi-factor authentication | 12 | No |
| Device management and endpoint protection | 16 | No |
| Vulnerability scanning and patching | 14 | No |
| Central logging and monitoring | 24 | No |
| Written security policies | 30 | No |
| Background checks | 6 | No |
| Vendor risk management | 20 | No |
| Incident response plan | 16 | No |
| Penetration test completed | 10 | No |
| Backups and disaster recovery tested | 20 | No |
| Security awareness training | 8 | No |
| Periodic access reviews | 18 | No |
| First | Second | Overlap | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| SOC 2 Type 1 | SOC 2 Type 2 | 80% | No |
| SOC 2 Type 1 | ISO 27001 | 55% | No |
| SOC 2 Type 2 | ISO 27001 | 55% | No |
| SOC 2 Type 1 | HIPAA | 60% | No |
| SOC 2 Type 2 | HIPAA | 60% | No |
| SOC 2 Type 1 | GDPR | 40% | No |
| SOC 2 Type 2 | GDPR | 40% | No |
| SOC 2 Type 1 | DORA | 30% | No |
| SOC 2 Type 2 | DORA | 30% | No |
| ISO 27001 | HIPAA | 50% | No |
| ISO 27001 | GDPR | 40% | No |
| ISO 27001 | DORA | 40% | No |
| HIPAA | GDPR | 30% | No |
| HIPAA | DORA | 20% | No |
| GDPR | DORA | 20% | No |
| Parameter | Value | Checked against an official source |
|---|---|---|
| Rush premium on auditor and advisory fees when the audit is wanted as soon as possible | 20% | No |
| Effort multiplier without automation software | 1.5x | No |
| Low and high effort multipliers | 0.7x / 1.4x | No |
| Engineering headcount scale (engineers: factor) | 0: 0.6, 5: 0.8, 20: 1, 50: 1.3, 150: 1.8, 500: 2.2 | No |
| Readiness weeks per missing control | 1 | No |
| Readiness time with automation software | 0.7x | No |
| Low and high readiness time | 0.35x / 1.8x | No |
| Longest wanted timeline (weeks): asap / 3 to 6 months / 6 to 12 months | 13 / 26 / 52 | Assumption |
| EUR to USD (ECB reference rate, used for euro-denominated sources) | 1.1267 on 2026-11-04 | Yes |
| Publisher | Kind | Used for | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secureframe | compliance_vendor | SOC 2 auditor fee ranges (Type 1 $5-20k, Type 2 $7-100k, Big 4 from $150k), penetration test about $15k, Type 2 observation window 3-12 months, report validity 12 months. | https://secureframe.com/hub/soc-2/audit-cost |
| Vanta | compliance_vendor | SOC 2 audit fee typically $10k-$50k, preparation one to five months, observation window three to twelve months. | https://www.vanta.com/collection/soc-2/audit/soc-2-audit-cost |
| Sprinto | compliance_vendor | Auditor fees by firm type, platform subscription by headcount, penetration test $1k-$15k, Type 1 report 4-8 weeks from kickoff, Type 2 timelines. | https://sprinto.com/blog/soc-2-compliance-cost/ |
| Drata | compliance_vendor | Type 1 and Type 2 auditor fees for small to midsize and large organisations, Type 2 costs 30-50% more than Type 1, penetration test $5k-$15k, first-year totals by company size, Type 1 1-3 months, Type 2 6-12 months. | https://drata.com/blog/soc-2-audit-cost |
| Thoropass | compliance_vendor | Auditor fee ranges for a startup, a 150-person fintech and a 1,000+ person healthcare enterprise; required penetration testing $8k-$30k (fintech) and $25k-$200k+ (healthcare enterprise); timelines by scenario. | https://www.thoropass.com/blog/soc-2-audit-cost-a-guide |
| Scrut | compliance_vendor | Engineering effort: 180-250 hours for implementation in small teams, 250-500 hours for mid-size engineering organisations, 40-80 hours of evidence preparation, 60-250 hours per year for annual audits. | https://www.scrut.io/post/how-much-engineering-time-does-soc-2-compliance-cost |
| Drata | compliance_vendor | ISO 27001 Stage 1 and 2 audit about $15,000 for smaller businesses, at least $20,000 for larger ones, up to $50,000+; surveillance about $5,000 a year; three-year cycle; as little as six months to 12-18 months. | https://drata.com/blog/iso-27001-certification-cost |
| Skypher | compliance_vendor | Certification audit by an accredited body EUR 5,000-15,000; surveillance audits about 30% of the initial fee annually; recertification 60-70% of the original investment. | https://blog.skypher.co/blog/iso-27001-certification-cost-guide |
| Bastion | compliance_vendor | ISO 27001 implementation 6-12 weeks by size, Stage 1 to Stage 2 gap 2-4 weeks, audit end to certificate 2-6 weeks, adding ISO 27001 to an existing SOC 2 takes 6-8 more weeks. | https://bastion.tech/learn/iso27001/how-long-does-iso-27001-take |
| Bastion | compliance_vendor | Audit days: Stage 1 1-3 days, Stage 2 2-5 days, surveillance 1-2 days (50-70% of initial); three-year certificate; 4-8 weeks scheduling lead time. | https://bastion.tech/learn/iso27001/external-audits |
| Drata | compliance_vendor | HIPAA readiness assessments $10k-$15k, full readiness project $10k-$40k+, onsite audits $40k+, third-party certification on top $10k-$40k+; no official HHS certification. | https://drata.com/blog/hipaa-certification-cost |
| Accountable HQ | compliance_vendor | Third-party HIPAA risk analysis $3k-$15k, gap assessment $3k-$20k, onsite $15k-$60k for complex environments, reassessment 30-50% of the initial engagement, initial and annual costs by organisation size. | https://www.accountablehq.com/post/how-much-does-it-cost-to-get-hipaa-certified-real-costs-for-compliance-and-training |
| U.S. Department of Health and Human Services | official | HHS FAQ 2003: no requirement to certify Security Rule compliance; HHS does not endorse or recognize private organisations' certifications. | https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/faq/2003/are-we-required-to-certify-our-organizations-compliance-with-the-standards/ |
| Thoropass | compliance_vendor | GDPR assessment and initial compliance cost ranges for small companies, outsourced DPO about $12,000 a year (example), legal reviews and DPAs for a mid-market example, timelines by company size. | https://www.thoropass.com/blog/gdpr-audit-cost-a-guide |
| Bastion | compliance_vendor | GDPR initial cost by size in euros (under 20 staff 10-20k, 20-100 staff 20-35k, 100+ staff 35-50k+), fractional DPO EUR 2-10k a year, ongoing EUR 5-20k a year. | https://bastion.tech/learn/gdpr/gdpr-compliance-costs |
| Captain Compliance | compliance_vendor | Annual DPO cost by headcount: under 50 $40-80k, 50-250 $60-120k, over 250 $80-150k. | https://captaincompliance.com/data-protection-officer-costs |
| European Data Protection Board | official | EDPB: GDPR certification is a voluntary tool; the register lists approved mechanisms, seals and marks. | https://www.edpb.europa.eu/registers/register-of-consistency-and-of-accountability-tools/certification-mechanisms-and-data_en |
| Bastion | compliance_vendor | DORA cost tables for small firms and mid-sized financial entities (implementation, ongoing compliance, testing, external support, gap assessment, audit support, legal review). Currency is not printed in the tables; the page text speaks of euros. | https://bastion.tech/learn/dora/dora-compliance-cost |
| Centraleyes | compliance_vendor | DORA fully applicable from 17 January 2025; large-institution programme budgets; more than EUR 1 million spent by 38-47% of surveyed CISOs; no certification scheme described. | https://www.centraleyes.com/how-much-does-a-dora-certification-cost/ |
| EUR-Lex | official | Regulation (EU) 2022/2554 of 14 December 2022 on digital operational resilience for the financial sector; only the page metadata (title, dates) could be read. | https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32022R2554 |
| Bright Defense | compliance_vendor | Penetration test price ranges by scope: single web application $5k-$15k (up to $30k), mid-range manual engagements $15k-$50k, large enterprise engagements above $100k. | https://www.brightdefense.com/resources/penetration-testing-pricing |
| Vendr | marketplace | Vanta annual contract values by company size (observed purchases, February 2026). | https://vendr.com/marketplace/vanta |
| Vendr | marketplace | Drata annual contract values by company size (observed purchases, February 2026). | https://www.vendr.com/marketplace/Drata |
| Vendr | marketplace | Secureframe annual contract values by company size (observed purchases, February 2026). | https://vendr.com/marketplace/secureframe |
| Secureframe | compliance_vendor | Vendor claim of 90%+ overlap between SOC 2 and ISO 27001 controls and 80%+ between HIPAA and SOC 2 (control mapping, not effort). | https://secureframe.com/newsroom/secureframe-custom-controls-and-frameworks.md |
| Tallyfy (A. Kothari) | practitioner | Roughly 65% overlap between SOC 2 and HIPAA control requirements, from the author's own control matrix. | https://amitkoth.com/soc-2-hipaa-overlap/ |
| The Art of Service | practitioner | SOC 2 covers about 93% of GDPR controls by mapping (directional, mapping-based). | https://signals.theartofservice.com/compare/soc-2/gdpr/ |
| European Central Bank | official | Euro reference rate 1.1267 USD per EUR on 2026-11-04, used to convert euro figures to USD. | https://www.ecb.europa.eu/stats/policy_and_exchange_rates/euro_reference_exchange_rates/html/eurofxref-graph-usd.en.html |
| Topic | What catches people out |
|---|---|
| SOC 2 | A SOC 2 report is an attestation by a CPA firm, not a certification. It covers a point in time (Type 1) or a period (Type 2), and buyers usually expect a new report about every 12 months. |
| Type 2 window | A Type 2 report needs an observation window of three to twelve months before the audit can finish, so it can never be done in a few weeks. |
| Scope | Every system, product and environment in scope adds evidence work and can add to the penetration test. |
| ISO 27001 | ISO 27001 recurs: a certificate lasts three years, with an annual surveillance audit in years two and three and a full recertification after that. |
| HIPAA | There is no official HIPAA certificate. HHS does not endorse or recognize private certifications; the deliverable is a risk analysis and documented safeguards. |
| Automation tools | Automation tools collect evidence and track controls. They do not pass the audit for you, and the auditor is still a separate bill. |
| Auditor choice | Auditor choice decides whether enterprise buyers accept the report. A cheap report that a key customer rejects costs more than a better-known firm. |
Last updated 2026-11-05 (dataset 2026-Q4, refreshed quarterly). Entries marked unverified or modelled could not be checked against an official page.
- https://secureframe.com/hub/soc-2/audit-cost
- https://www.vanta.com/collection/soc-2/audit/soc-2-audit-cost
- https://sprinto.com/blog/soc-2-compliance-cost/
- https://drata.com/blog/soc-2-audit-cost
- https://www.thoropass.com/blog/soc-2-audit-cost-a-guide
- https://www.scrut.io/post/how-much-engineering-time-does-soc-2-compliance-cost
- https://drata.com/blog/iso-27001-certification-cost
- https://blog.skypher.co/blog/iso-27001-certification-cost-guide
- https://bastion.tech/learn/iso27001/how-long-does-iso-27001-take
- https://bastion.tech/learn/iso27001/external-audits
- https://drata.com/blog/hipaa-certification-cost
- https://www.accountablehq.com/post/how-much-does-it-cost-to-get-hipaa-certified-real-costs-for-compliance-and-training
- https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/faq/2003/are-we-required-to-certify-our-organizations-compliance-with-the-standards/
- https://www.thoropass.com/blog/gdpr-audit-cost-a-guide
- https://bastion.tech/learn/gdpr/gdpr-compliance-costs
- https://captaincompliance.com/data-protection-officer-costs
- https://www.edpb.europa.eu/registers/register-of-consistency-and-of-accountability-tools/certification-mechanisms-and-data_en
- https://bastion.tech/learn/dora/dora-compliance-cost
- https://www.centraleyes.com/how-much-does-a-dora-certification-cost/
- https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32022R2554
- https://www.brightdefense.com/resources/penetration-testing-pricing
- https://vendr.com/marketplace/vanta
- https://www.vendr.com/marketplace/Drata
- https://vendr.com/marketplace/secureframe
- https://secureframe.com/newsroom/secureframe-custom-controls-and-frameworks.md
- https://amitkoth.com/soc-2-hipaa-overlap/
- https://signals.theartofservice.com/compare/soc-2/gdpr/
- https://www.ecb.europa.eu/stats/policy_and_exchange_rates/euro_reference_exchange_rates/html/eurofxref-graph-usd.en.html
Three ways to reduce this number
- Narrow the scope to one product and one environment before the audit starts.
- Bundle frameworks that share controls instead of running them one after another.
- Run the penetration test once and reuse the report across frameworks.
Use it from code
The same engine is available as a REST endpoint and as an MCP tool named calc_compliance_audit_cost_timeline_estimator. Your scenario as an API call:
curl -X POST 'https://api.x12i.com/v1/calc/compliance-audit-cost-timeline-estimator' \
-H 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY' \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{
"input": {
"frameworks": [
"soc2_type2"
],
"headcount": 60,
"engineering_headcount": 20,
"cloud_stack": "aws",
"product_scope": "single_product",
"controls_present": [
"sso_mfa"
],
"audit_urgency": "3_6_months",
"observation_months": 6,
"use_compliance_automation": true,
"handles_phi": false,
"eu_data_subjects": false,
"internal_hourly_cost_usd": 100
},
"options": {
"explain": false
}
}' Schema: GET /v1/calc/compliance-audit-cost-timeline-estimator/schema
Frequently asked questions
How much does SOC 2 cost?
It depends on company size and scope. Published guides put the auditor's fee for a small or mid-size company's Type 2 report at roughly $12,000 to $20,000 and for large organizations at $30,000 to $100,000 or more, and first-year totals from about $25,000 for a small startup to over $200,000 for a large enterprise. This calculator adds software, a penetration test and your own time, and shows a low, likely and high range. They are estimates, not quotes: ask several auditors for written quotes.
How long does SOC 2 Type 2 take?
Preparation takes weeks to months depending on how many controls are missing (guides cite one to five months), then the observation window runs three to twelve months, then fieldwork and the report take a few weeks. With a six-month window, plan roughly seven to nine months from signing an auditor to the report. The calculator sums these phases and marks the longest path.
What is the difference between SOC 2 and ISO 27001?
SOC 2 is an attestation report written by a CPA firm. Type 1 covers the design of your controls at one point in time and Type 2 covers how they operated over a period. ISO 27001 is a certificate issued by an accredited certification body for your information security management system. It lasts three years, with annual surveillance audits. Many controls overlap, so doing both together costs less effort than doing them one after the other, but they are different deliverables and buyers ask for one or the other.