SOC 2 Costs: Understanding Your Investment

Key Takeaways

Point	Summary
Typical range	€10,000-50,000 for SOC 2 Type 2, depending on scope, company size, and technical complexity
Key cost drivers	Scope of certification, company size, and technical setup complexity
What's included	Varies by provider (audit, pen test, platform, policies, and support are core components)
Annual renewal	SOC 2 is renewed annually, with costs typically similar to Year 1
Approach matters	Managed services often provide better value by ensuring things are done right the first time

Quick Answer: SOC 2 costs typically range from €10,000 to €50,000, depending on your company's size, scope of certification, and technical setup complexity. A comprehensive engagement should include audit, penetration testing, documentation, and compliance platform.

Understanding the Investment Range

The cost of SOC 2 varies based on several key factors:

Factor	Impact on Cost
Scope of certification	More Trust Services Criteria = higher complexity
Company size	Larger organizations have more systems and people to include
Technical setup	Complex multi-cloud or legacy environments require more effort
Approach	Managed service vs. DIY with platform

A comprehensive engagement ("all-in") should include: compliance platform, auditor fees, penetration testing, security tools, policy documentation, and expert support.

What Should Be Included

When evaluating SOC 2 options, a comprehensive engagement typically includes:

Component	What It Provides
Compliance platform	Evidence collection, control monitoring, documentation management
External audit	The formal audit by a licensed CPA firm
Penetration testing	Security testing to identify vulnerabilities
Security tooling	MDM, vulnerability scanning, and related tools
Policy documentation	Policies tailored to your organization
Expert support	Guidance throughout the process
Security awareness training	Training for your team
Trust Center	A way to share your compliance status with customers

When these components are purchased separately, costs can add up quickly. Bundled approaches through managed services often provide better value.

What's Typically Your Responsibility

Regardless of provider, certain work requires your team's involvement:

Your Responsibility	Why
Engineering fixes	Only your team can modify your codebase
Environment separation	Infrastructure changes require your engineers
Access control cleanup	You determine who has access to what
Security tool deployment	Tools need to be installed on your devices
Policy review and approval	You sign off on your company's policies

A managed service approach can minimize the burden by handling as much as possible on your behalf, but some involvement from your team is always necessary.

Understanding Ongoing Costs

Annual Renewal

SOC 2 is renewed annually. The renewal process involves:

Component	What's Involved
Annual audit	Re-examination of controls by auditors
Annual pen test	Fresh security testing
Platform & tools	Continued access and monitoring
Ongoing support	Continued guidance and coordination

The renewal effort is typically less intensive than Year 1 since controls are already established and evidence collection is ongoing.

Considering Self-Managed vs. Managed Service

A common question: "Can we use a platform and manage the process ourselves?"

This approach is certainly possible, but it's worth understanding what's involved:

When self-managing with a platform, you'll typically need:

• Platform subscription
• Separate audit engagement
• Separate penetration test vendor
• Time to learn the framework and manage the process
• Potentially consulting support when questions arise

The self-managed approach can make sense for organizations with existing compliance expertise. However, it often results in a longer timeline and higher total cost when all components are factored in.

The value of managed services:

• Additional hands to do the heavy lifting
• Ensuring things are done correctly the first time
• Avoiding costly iterations and rework
• Coordinated engagement with all vendors

What Drives the Price Range?

Factor	Impact
Company size	Larger organizations have more systems, users, and complexity
Infrastructure complexity	Multi-cloud, legacy systems, or complex architectures require more effort
Scope	More Trust Services Criteria or multiple frameworks increases complexity
Current security posture	Organizations with more to remediate require more implementation work

Smaller organizations (under 50 employees) with straightforward, modern cloud setups tend toward the lower end of the range. Larger organizations with complex environments tend toward the higher end.

Things to Watch For in Pricing

Platform Pricing Considerations

Factor	What to Check
Per-user pricing	Understand how costs scale as your team grows
Per-control pricing	Some models can become expensive at scale
Module add-ons	Verify whether key components like pen testing are included
Year-over-year pricing	Understand how pricing may change at renewal

Service Pricing Considerations

Factor	What to Check
Support model	Is support included or billed separately?
Implementation fees	Are there separate onboarding costs?
Audit coordination	Is auditor management included?
Scope changes	How are changes to scope handled?

Evaluating Total Investment

When comparing options, consider the full picture:

• Platform or service fees
• Audit fees
• Penetration testing
• Implementation support
• Ongoing support
• Any usage-based components

Understanding the complete investment helps avoid surprises and enables apples-to-apples comparisons.

How Organization Profile Affects Cost

Smaller Organizations (Under 50 employees)

Typically at the lower end of the cost range when they have:

• Modern, cloud-native infrastructure
• Focused scope (Security criterion, perhaps Availability)
• Straightforward technical setup

Growing Organizations (50-150 employees)

Often in the middle of the range, with factors like:

• More systems and integrations to scope
• Cross-team coordination requirements
• Potentially multiple products or services

Larger Organizations (150+ employees)

Tend toward the higher end due to:

• Complex infrastructure spanning multiple cloud providers or on-premises
• Extensive scope with multiple Trust Services Criteria
• Many stakeholders and systems to coordinate
• Potentially legacy systems requiring attention

Payment Flexibility

Many providers offer options to help with budget and cash flow:

• Standard payment - Full payment at engagement start
• Monthly payment - Spread costs across the engagement period
• Deferred start - Begin planning now, start formal engagement later

Different options work better for different organizations depending on budget cycles and funding situations.

Considering the Business Case

Enterprise Sales Impact

For organizations selling to enterprises, SOC 2 often becomes a prerequisite for meaningful deals. The investment can pay for itself through:

• Deal enablement - Access to contracts that require SOC 2
• Reduced friction - Shorter security review cycles
• Competitive positioning - Meeting the same bar as larger competitors

Operational Benefits

Beyond sales, SOC 2 can provide:

Benefit	Value
Streamlined security reviews	Less time on repetitive questionnaires
Faster sales cycles	Reduced back-and-forth during due diligence
Insurance benefits	Some cyber insurance providers offer better terms
Actual security improvement	The process often identifies real improvements

Budget Planning Guidance

Plan Ahead

The observation period means SOC 2 requires time, typically 4.5-6 months from start to finish. Planning ahead helps avoid situations where a deal is waiting on certification that can't be rushed.

Budget for Ongoing Renewal

SOC 2 is renewed annually. When budgeting, plan for:

• Year 1 investment
• Ongoing annual renewal at similar cost levels

The renewal process is typically less intensive than Year 1, but the core costs (audit, penetration testing) recur.

Start Focused

Starting with a focused scope (Security criterion, potentially Availability) tends to work well for first-time audits. Additional criteria can be added in subsequent years based on customer requirements.

The Bastion Approach

Comprehensive, All-In Pricing

Our pricing includes:

• Compliance platform
• Security tooling (MDM, training, scanning)
• Dedicated security engineer
• Penetration testing
• External audit coordination and costs
• Customized policy documentation
• Trust Center
• Ongoing support

Managed Service Value

We bring additional hands to handle the compliance work, ensuring things are done correctly the first time and avoiding the costly iterations and rework that can extend timelines and budgets.

Transparent Pricing

• No per-user fees
• No module add-ons
• No hidden implementation fees
• No surprise audit costs

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Have questions about what SOC 2 would cost for your organization? Talk to our team