Tools · Last updated 28 September 2026 · 3 min read

SOC 2 cost calculator

Two questions, then year one side by side: doing it yourself, a platform, or a consultant.

What does a first year of SOC 2 cost? It depends mostly on who does the work. This SOC 2 cost calculator puts three routes side by side for year one: doing it yourself on cybersoftware, buying a compliance platform and a separate audit, or hiring a consultant and a separate audit.

Do you need a SOC 2 Type 1 report this year?
How would you pay for the software?
$2,388 + auditcybersoftware, year one
$29,000 to $36,500A compliance platform, year one
$42,500 to $50,000A consultant, year one
cybersoftware
Software: $199 per month x 12 = $2,388, cancel any time. Type 1 audit: through our preferred pricing program, with the price shown in your account before you book. Audits unlock after four paid months on monthly, or right away on yearly.
A compliance platform
Platform: $21,500, the average reported contract across the three large platforms. Type 1 audit, billed separately: $7,500 to $15,000.
A consultant
Prep engagement: $35,000, the midpoint of a published range. Type 1 audit, billed separately: $7,500 to $15,000.

Where the other two columns come from

We did not make these up, and we did not pick the scariest numbers we could find. The platform figure averages what buyers reported paying for the three largest platforms. The audit range is the Type 1 estimate one of those platforms publishes itself. The consultant figure is the middle of a published range. Here is each source.

  • Vendr reports a median annual contract value of $20,000 for Vanta, based on purchases completed through its marketplace. Source, checked 2026-07-30.
  • Vendr reports a median annual contract value of $24,601 for Drata, based on purchases completed through its marketplace. Source, checked 2026-07-30.
  • Vendr reports a median annual contract value of $20,000 for Secureframe, based on purchases completed through its marketplace. Source, checked 2026-07-30.
  • Drata estimates a SOC 2 Type 1 audit at $7,500 to $15,000 and a Type 2 at $12,000 to $20,000, and puts a small startup first-year total at $25,000 or more. Source, checked 2026-07-30.
  • Comp AI states that a vCISO or compliance consultant might charge $150 to $400 an hour, which can total $20,000 to $50,000 for a full SOC 2 prep engagement. Source, checked 2026-07-30.

Contract values are averages across customers of every size, so a very small team may be quoted below them. Read the comparison as a sense of scale, not a quote.

What no column includes

A penetration test, if a buyer requires one. The engineering time to close your gaps. And any Type 2 audit: a Type 2 reports on how controls ran over a period,1 which comes after the 3-month observation window. Audits go through our preferred pricing program, and we negotiate the fee on your behalf, so we print no number for it.

The full picture, fee by fee, is on what SOC 2 costs. Every plan is on the pricing page. The number this calculator cannot know is how much work is left at your company, and the free readiness assessment counts that.

Who signs the report

On every route, the opinion comes from a licensed CPA firm. cybersoftware is not a CPA firm. SOC 2 examinations are performed by independent licensed U.S. CPA firms.2

Questions

Where do the comparison figures come from?
The platform figure is the average of the median annual contract values Vendr reports for Vanta, Drata and Secureframe. The audit range is Drata's own published estimate for a Type 1 audit. The consultant figure is the midpoint of the prep engagement range Comp AI publishes. Each source is linked on the page.
Does the cybersoftware total include the auditor fee?
No. The cybersoftware total is the software. Audits go through our preferred pricing program, and we negotiate the fee on your behalf, and the price is shown in your account before you book, so the calculator shows no number for it. The software does most of the work, so the auditor only has to verify evidence that arrives prepared. We negotiate the fee on your behalf.
Why does the calculator stop at year one?
Year one is where the published figures are strongest. After that, every path depends on a Type 2 audit, and we publish no Type 2 figure because audits go through our preferred pricing program and are priced per engagement in your account. Adding a guessed number would make the comparison look precise and be wrong.
What is left out of every column?
A penetration test if your buyer asks for one, and the engineering time to close gaps. Both vary too much by company to put a fair number on.

Sources

  1. SOC 2 Report AICPA. What a SOC 2 report is and who may issue one. Checked 1 August 2026.
  2. State Boards of Accountancy directory NASBA. Where to confirm a CPA firm holds an active license in its state. Checked 1 August 2026.

Related

Get audit-ready without a compliance team

The readiness assessment is free, with no payment and no card. When you are ready, the software is $199 a month, cancel any time, and audits go through our preferred pricing program. You can be audit-ready starting at about a week.

Start with a free readiness assessment

cybersoftware is not a CPA firm. SOC 2 examinations are performed by independent licensed U.S. CPA firms.