SOC 2 Costs & Budget Planning
Understand the true cost of SOC 2 compliance. From auditor fees to hidden expenses, plan your budget accurately and learn strategies to reduce costs without compromising quality.
The ROI of SOC 2 Compliance
SOC 2 is an investment that pays for itself through enterprise deals
of enterprise buyers require SOC 2 before purchase
faster sales cycles with SOC 2 certification
deal size increase when selling to enterprise
reduction in security questionnaire time
Type I vs Type II Cost Breakdown
Type I Audit
Point-in-time assessment
Auditor Fees
Depends on scope and firm
Compliance Platform
Optional but recommended
Gap Remediation
Policies, tools, training
Internal Time
Team preparation effort
Best for: Startups needing quick compliance proof for sales deals
Type II Audit
Operating effectiveness over time
Auditor Fees
More testing required
Compliance Platform
Continuous monitoring
Gap Remediation
Full implementation
Observation Period
Operating controls
Internal Time
Ongoing evidence collection
Best for: Enterprise sales, regulated industries, mature startups
Cost by Company Size
Your costs will vary based on company size, complexity, and existing security posture. Use these estimates as a starting point.
Seed Stage
1-10 employees
Type I
$15,000 - $25,000
Type II
$35,000 - $60,000
Series A
11-50 employees
Type I
$20,000 - $40,000
Type II
$50,000 - $100,000
Series B+
51-200 employees
Type I
$30,000 - $50,000
Type II
$75,000 - $150,000
Enterprise
200+ employees
Type I
$40,000 - $75,000
Type II
$100,000 - $250,000+
Hidden Costs to Budget For
Don't forget these often-overlooked expenses
Employee Time
Engineering, IT, HR, and leadership hours spent on compliance activities
💡 Track time spent to budget accurately for renewals
Tool Upgrades
MDM, SSO, endpoint protection, logging tools you may need to add
💡 Audit your current stack before starting
Training Programs
Security awareness training for all employees
💡 Required annually, budget ongoing costs
Penetration Testing
Annual third-party security assessment
💡 Required for most SOC 2 scopes
Policy Development
Legal review and policy documentation
💡 Use templates to reduce legal costs
Remediation Rush
Last-minute fixes discovered during audit prep
💡 Start early to avoid emergency spending
Strategies to Reduce Costs
Smart approaches to achieve compliance without breaking the bank
Use Automation Platform
LowerPlane and similar tools reduce manual effort by automating evidence collection
Start with Type I
Get certified faster, upgrade to Type II after initial deal closes
Limit Initial Scope
Start with Security only, add criteria as customer requirements grow
Use Policy Templates
Pre-built policies reduce legal review and writing time
Bundle with Auditor
Multi-year contracts or multi-framework bundles offer discounts
Internal Readiness First
Complete self-assessment before engaging auditor to reduce billable hours
Get a Custom Cost Estimate
LowerPlane can provide a personalized cost estimate based on your company size, tech stack, and compliance goals. See how automation can reduce your total cost by 40-60%.
Quick Estimate
* First year Type II estimates including platform and auditor