SOC 2 Cost Calculator
Estimate your SOC 2 cost for 2026
A SOC 2 audit typically costs between $30,000 and $150,000 all-in for the first year, once you add readiness, tooling, and internal labor to the auditor's fee. Use the calculator to get an estimate tailored to your company size, report type, and scope, then see what a managed program would cost instead.
[01] Estimate Your Cost
Estimate Your SOC 2 Budget
Type II tests controls over 3-12 months and costs more than a point-in-time Type I.
Each criterion beyond Security adds testing scope and audit fees.
Immature programs need more remediation and internal hours before the audit.
Often requested by enterprise buyers alongside the SOC 2 report.
Estimated First-Year SOC 2 Cost
$95,400Typical range: $81,000 - $114,000
Includes roughly 224 hrs of internal effort.
Estimates are directional, based on 2025-2026 market benchmarks. Your actual cost depends on scope, existing controls, and auditor choice.
[02] What Drives Your SOC 2 Cost
Five line items make up almost every SOC 2 budget
Auditor fees
$5,000 - $50,000The fee the CPA firm charges to issue the report. A Type I (point-in-time) audit runs $5,000-20,000; a Type II, which tests controls over 3-12 months, runs $20,000-50,000. Company size, number of systems, and auditor brand move the number.
Readiness & gap assessment
$0 - $40,000A pre-audit review of your policies, controls, and evidence. A self-assessment costs nothing but your time; a consultant-led readiness project runs $10,000-40,000. Skipping it usually costs more later in remediation and extended observation periods.
Software & security tooling
$10,000 - $50,000/yrCompliance automation platforms subscribe at $10,000-50,000 per year and cut manual evidence work. Add per-seat tooling like MDM (~$48/user), vulnerability scanning ($800-5,000), and logging or SIEM ($5,000-25,000).
Penetration testing
$3,000 - $20,000Not strictly required by the SOC 2 standard, but enterprise buyers routinely ask for it alongside the report. Cost scales with the size and complexity of the environment under test.
Internal labor
100 - 500+ hoursThe hours your team spends writing policies, collecting evidence, mapping controls, and answering auditors. A project lead at half-time over six months is often $50,000-75,000 in loaded cost. Automation is where most teams recover this.
[03] SOC 2 Cost FAQ
Common questions about budgeting for SOC 2
How much does a SOC 2 audit cost in 2026?
Auditor fees typically range from $5,000 to $50,000 depending on report type and scope. All-in first-year cost, including readiness, tooling, and internal labor, usually lands between $30,000 and $150,000. Small startups often spend $30,000-50,000; large enterprises with multiple Trust Services Criteria exceed $100,000.
What is the cost difference between SOC 2 Type I and Type II?
A Type I report reviews the design of your controls at a single point in time and costs roughly $5,000-20,000. A Type II report tests whether those controls operated effectively over a 3-12 month window, which requires continuous evidence collection and costs roughly $20,000-50,000.
How can I reduce my SOC 2 cost?
The biggest levers are keeping scope tight (start with the Security criterion only), using a compliance automation platform to cut manual evidence hours, running an early readiness assessment to avoid remediation surprises, and choosing an independent auditor over a premium-brand firm. A managed provider like Konfirmity bundles readiness, tooling, and audit coordination to compress the total.
Does company size affect the cost of SOC 2?
Yes. Larger companies with more systems and employees pay more because auditors examine more controls and data sources, per-seat tooling scales with headcount, and evidence collection takes longer. Organizational size and complexity directly affect both the audit fee and internal labor.
What are the ongoing SOC 2 costs after the first year?
A SOC 2 report is valid for about one year, so renewal audits, platform subscriptions, vulnerability scans, penetration tests, and training recur annually. Renewals are usually cheaper than the first year because the readiness and remediation work is already done, but budget for continuous monitoring, especially for Type II.
Want a firm number for your environment?
Book a demo and we'll scope your SOC 2 program, quote it, and show you the fastest path to an audit-ready report.