Menu
01Compare firms you would actually hire
If a customer accepts any qualified independent CPA firm, ask smaller specialists as well as familiar names. Choose Big Four here only when you are considering that purchase.
SOC 2 audit cost calculator
Start with your team and scope. The default is a small, audit-ready SaaS company shopping for a lower-cost specialist: $7,000 to $10,000 for Type 2. Change the answers below, then use the budget to compare written quotes. Free, no signup.
Planning tool
Tell us what needs auditing
Start with an example, then change anything that does not match your company.
Planning estimate
Your audit-fee budget
Shopping budget for a lower-cost specialist, assuming controls and evidence are ready for testing. Audit fee only, in USD. Individual quotes can fall outside this range.
Planning range $7,000–$10,000
How this estimate was built
Specialist budgets use rounded planning allowances checked against anonymized quote patterns and scoped pricing guides. They assume you compare firms on price. A required full-service CPA or Big Four firm needs its own quote. See the references and calculation. Model reviewed: August 31, 2026.
See the calculation details
- Starting point
- Small startup · lower-cost specialist · $7,000–$10,000
- Scope
- 1–10 people, Security only, one simple system, controls ready.
For Type 2, agree the observation dates with the firm. This calculator does not price a particular report period or include preparation work.
What else belongs in your budget?
Add your actual software quote, any preparation or testing you hire out, and your team's time. Existing tools and work already done do not become new purchases just because you need SOC 2.
Build an all-in budget or check the small-startup assumptions.
Wider-market add-on references
These spans cover different suppliers and scopes. They are not extra charges calculated for your team, and are not added to the audit estimate.
| Budget item | Reference span |
|---|---|
| GRC platform, annual | $3.6K–$78.1K |
| Internal labor | $25K–$90K |
| Control remediation | $5K–$50K |
| Optional penetration test | $8K–$30K |
Internal labor is opportunity cost, not an invoice. Remediation depends on the gaps found. Check each source and date.
Take these details to an auditor
Copy your answers or use the quote button below. You can edit the summary before sending it.
Turn this scope into comparable quotes
We send one anonymized brief to matching firms and bring back 3–10 ballpark quotes.
Free and anonymous. 3–10 quotes in 48 hours. One call, not five.
Selection method
What should you do with this number?
Use it to decide which firms to approach and what to ask them. The written proposal still needs a system boundary, report period, and list of inclusions.
02Check what the price buys
Ask whether readiness review, report-writing support, re-testing, travel, and extra criteria are included. For Type 2, put the observation dates in the proposal.
03Keep preparation on its own line
A team still building access controls or collecting evidence needs a preparation plan before fieldwork. The audit estimate assumes that work is done; it does not fund it.
FAQ
Calculator questions
How the estimate is calculated, what moves it, and when to use the cost guide instead.
Is this a formal quote?
⌄
No. It is an estimate for planning. A CPA firm must scope your systems, criteria, readiness, and timeline before giving a quote.
Why does the small-startup estimate start lower?
⌄
The $7,000 to $10,000 Type 2 scenario assumes a simple system, Security only, controls ready for testing, and a buyer comparing lower-cost specialists. Anonymized quote patterns help check that starting budget. It is not a market average or a promise that every firm will quote within the range. Preparation, software, and testing are separate.
How is the estimate calculated?
⌄
Specialist estimates use a lower-cost starting range and rounded allowances for team size and scope. Anonymized quote patterns and scoped pricing guides help check the model; its percentages are planning assumptions, not measured premiums. Complexity, vendors, and locations share one allowance. A required full-service CPA, Big Four firm, or unusually large or complex scope needs a firm-specific quote.
Does low readiness increase the audit fee?
⌄
The calculator keeps the audit estimate unchanged and flags preparation work separately. That estimate assumes your controls and evidence will be ready when testing starts. Ask the firm to price gap assessment, implementation help, and re-testing separately; an unprepared engagement can still cost more than the estimate.
Does the Type 2 estimate assume a three-month report?
⌄
No. The reference does not establish one observation period, and the calculator does not apply a short-period discount. Agree the exact dates with the auditor and confirm that your customer will accept that period. A three-month report and a twelve-month report are different scopes.
When should I use the cost guide?
⌄
Use this calculator to work through your own scope. Use the cost guide to compare firm types, see the sources behind the reference bands, and work out which preparation, software, testing, and staff costs belong in your total budget.
Next comparison
Related tools and directories
One call, not five
Ready to ask firms for a price?
Your calculator answers come with you. Check the scope, add your deadline, and edit anything you need before sending.