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01Screen for CPA and peer-review credibility
SOC 2 reports must be issued by a licensed CPA firm. We filter for evidence that the firm can issue attestation reports buyers will accept.
Best SOC 2 auditors in 2026: verified firms ranked by fit, cost, and timing.
We scored 182 firms on price floors, timelines, AICPA peer-review status, and GRC platform fit. The first screen is the short list; the rest of the page shows when to choose a specialist, national firm, or Big Four practice.
Firms tracked
182
Ranked shortlist
10top picks
Pricing floor
$8K+observed
Independent directory. Not owned by any audit firm or compliance platform; we take no cut of audit fees and charge nothing per lead. A sponsored firm pays a flat fee for its labeled placement — but payment never decides who's listed, how we match buyers to firms, or a firm's rating. How we choose →
Auditor shortlist
The top SOC 2 auditors, compared
The firms we recommend by use case on the Type 1 and Type 2 pages, rounded out with other AICPA peer-reviewed firms — every firm here carries a current peer review. Sort by price or timeline to fit your constraint. The sponsored firm is shown first and clearly marked; payment buys that placement and the label, never a firm's rating or your buyer match.
| Accreditations | Request a quote | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thoropass Sponsored New York, NY · USA | Specialist | $12K–$30K | 2–6 wk | Pass | AICPACPA FirmAICPA Peer ReviewPCI DSS QSA | |
| Johanson Group Colorado Springs, CO · USA | Specialist | $15K–$30K | 1–3 wk | Enrolled | AICPACPA FirmAICPA Peer ReviewISO 27001 Certification Body | |
| A-LIGN Tampa, FL · USA | Specialist | $15K–$50K | 3–12 wk | Pass | AICPACPA FirmISO 27001ISO 27701 | |
| Prescient Security Nashville, TN · USA | Specialist | $10K–$75K | 2–6 wk | Enrolled | AICPACPA FirmCRESTCSA STAR | |
| MJD Advisors Des Moines, IA · USA | Specialist | $15K–$35K | 2–6 wk | Pass | AICPACPA Firm | |
| Schellman Tampa, FL · USA | Specialist | $20K–$100K | 3–12 wk | Pass | AICPACPA FirmPCAOBISO 27001 Certification Body | |
| KirkpatrickPrice Nashville, TN · USA | Specialist | $12K–$45K | 3–8 wk | Pass | AICPACPA FirmPCAOBPCI DSS QSA | |
| Deloitte New York, NY · USA | Big 4 | $60K–$400K | 6–18 wk | Pass | AICPABig FourGlobal Network | |
| BARR Advisory Kansas City, MO · USA | Specialist | $15K–$50K | 8–16 wk | Pass | AICPACPA FirmISO 27001 Certification BodyISO 27701 | |
| Armanino LLP San Ramon, CA · USA | National | $15K–$40K | 3–12 wk | Pass | AICPACPA FirmISO 27001 Certification BodyISO 27701 |
Type 2 figures reflect a mix of firm-confirmed numbers, public sources, and our own estimates, refreshed periodically — not live quotes. Verify AICPA peer-review status before signing.
Firm type
Specialist, national, or Big Four? Start with the buying constraint.
The best auditor is usually the narrowest credible firm your customer will accept. Big-name letterhead only earns its premium when procurement explicitly asks for it.
| Factor | Specialist | National | Big Four |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best fit | First SOC 2, SaaS, startup sales deadlines | Multi-framework or larger US teams | Public-company, bank, or board-driven requirement |
| Typical cost posture | Lowest fixed-fee range | Middle of market | Highest premium |
| Speed | Fastest scheduling | Moderate scheduling | Slowest scheduling |
| Tradeoff | Less brand recognition | Less boutique attention | More process and higher fees |
Ranking method
How we built the short list
The ranking favors practical buying outcomes over brand size. A firm moves up when it can issue a credible report quickly, price predictably, and fit the buyer's procurement reality.
02Score price, timeline, and platform fit
A lower audit fee is only useful when the firm can also meet your timeline and work cleanly with your GRC stack.
03Separate brand premium from buyer requirement
Big-name firms stay on the list, but only rank first when the buyer has a real procurement reason to pay the premium.
FAQ
Choosing among the best SOC 2 auditors
Short answers on brand value, verification, and the cost of choosing poorly.
Does the auditor's brand name matter?
⌄
Yes, but mostly for enterprise deals. If you sell to banks or Fortune 500s, a Big 4 name (Deloitte, PwC, etc.) helps. For 99% of B2B SaaS startups, a respected mid-market firm is perfectly acceptable and costs 50% less.
What if I choose a bad auditor?
⌄
The risks are: 1) Your customers reject the report, forcing you to pay for a re-audit. 2) The auditor is slow or unresponsive, delaying your sales deals. 3) They nickel-and-dime you with hourly fees.
How do I verify an auditor?
⌄
Ensure they are licensed CPAs and have a valid AICPA peer review. All auditors listed on SOC2Auditors.org have been manually verified against these criteria.
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