DataSecureThere is no standard SOC 2 price. Your budget includes the CPA firm’s examination fee and may also include readiness work, security improvements, tools, staff time and ongoing maintenance. Get a written quote for your actual scope.
What do published estimates show?
Estimates are directional, not a quote or a representative market survey. They can describe different company sizes, report types and included services:
- Drata’s 2026 guide estimates Type I audit fees of $7,500–$15,000 for small to midsize companies and Type II fees of $12,000–$20,000 for that segment, with higher figures for larger organizations.
- Vanta’s audit-cost guide describes a first-year total of $10,000–$80,000 or more including preparation and the audit.
- Secureframe’s 2025 guide publishes a much wider range and separately identifies preparation and maintenance costs.
These ranges come from compliance vendors, use different assumptions and are not DataSecure365 pricing. The only reliable way to budget your engagement is to obtain comparable, current proposals.
Build a complete SOC 2 budget
| Cost area | What to include | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Readiness and planning | Scoping, gap assessment and optional external advisory support. | Are follow-up reviews and remediation guidance included? |
| Remediation | Engineering and IT work, policy updates, training and any required security improvements. | Which actions are already planned, and which require new spend? |
| Tools and testing | Relevant security software, monitoring, and independent testing where needed. | Are implementation, usage and renewal charges included? |
| Independent examination | The CPA firm’s work, report preparation and agreed evidence review. | What are the scope, period, deliverables and out-of-scope rates? |
| Internal time | Time from engineering, IT, security, operations, HR and management. | Who will own evidence requests and remediation? |
| Ongoing maintenance | Recurring control operation, evidence retention, tool renewals and future examinations. | What should we budget after the first report? |
What changes the price?
- Report type and period. Type II includes operating-effectiveness testing over a period, while Type I addresses a specified date. Compare their different purposes with what your customers require.
- Scope and complexity. More services, systems, locations, vendors or applicable criteria can require more work. The details matter more than headcount alone.
- Current readiness. Existing processes, documentation and retrievable records can affect preparation effort; missing controls and evidence can create additional work.
- Firm and engagement terms. Experience, timing, deliverables, travel, changes of scope and follow-up support can affect the proposal.
How to compare SOC 2 proposals
- Give each firm the same description of the service, in-scope systems, requested report type, criteria, period and deadline.
- Ask for separate fees for readiness services, the examination and any optional work. Clarify assumptions and what happens if the scope changes.
- Confirm who performs the independent CPA examination, who owns remediation and whether any readiness work affects independence.
- Ask what evidence formats, response times, communication, report delivery and post-report support are included.
- Estimate your internal team’s workload and recurring costs, then compare the complete budgets rather than the headline fees alone.
Before seeking quotes, our readiness assessment guide can help you identify the information firms will need.
Common questions
Is Type II always more expensive than Type I?
Type II includes testing control operation over a period and often involves more examination work, but fees depend on the actual scope and firm. Compare quotes for the report your customers accept.
Does the audit fee include fixing security gaps?
Not necessarily. Remediation, tools, advisory work and independent testing may be separate. Ask for an itemized proposal and clarify responsibilities.
Is SOC 2 a one-time expense?
Preparing for an initial report is only part of the budget. If customers need current reports, plan for ongoing control operation and subsequent examinations.
Educational guidance; published estimates were accessed in November 2026 and may change. They are not quotes, guarantees or DataSecure365 pricing.
Build a budget around your actual scope.
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