Tools · Last updated 31 July 2026 · 3 min read

SOC 2 cost calculator

Pick a path and every line shows its arithmetic. The numbers are published prices, so the total is an invoice rather than an estimate.

A SOC 2 Type 1 is $4,000 one time, and that covers the first examination and the fee for the independent partner auditor. A Type 2 year is $7,200, which is $600 per month on a 12-month term. Each Type 2 examination is $5,000.

A range is not a price. The calculator adds up that published list for the path you pick, shows every line it used, and asks for no email. Change a control and the total moves.

What do you need?

Type 1 first, always. A Type 2 opinion covers how controls operated across a period,¹ so the 3-month observation window needs controls that already exist. We do not sell Type 2 as a first purchase.

$4,000Year one

$0Year two

$4,000Two years, all in

SOC 2 Type 1: $4,000. One time. First examination and the auditor engagement fee included.
Year two: $0. A Type 1 is a point in time report. Nothing renews, so nothing is owed.

What this number does and does not cover

Inside the figure are the platform, thirteen policies written from your own stack, an evidence binder mapped to the trust services criteria,² and the examinations. The Type 1 figure includes the engagement fee for the independent partner auditor, so no second invoice arrives from the CPA firm. Where that fee sits is broken out here.

A penetration test is not in there. Some buyers require one, some never ask. Nor are the infrastructure changes you make to close a gap. Neither has a number we could publish and stand behind. Inventing one is the exact habit this page was built to avoid.

For comparison

Vanta and Drata both publish what they think a SOC 2 should cost you. Neither publishes what it charges. Both halves are below, each one a click from its source. None of these figures is a two year total, so read them against year one above rather than the two year line.

Vanta states that the fees for a SOC 2 audit range between $10K and $50K. Source, checked 2026-07-30.
Vanta lists four plans on its pricing page and no dollar figure. The call to action is to request personalized pricing. 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.
Drata has no public pricing page. The URL serves the homepage, where the calls to action are to contact sales or book a demo. Source, checked 2026-07-30.

The full breakdown, including why the auditor fee and the platform fee get bundled together so often, is on what SOC 2 actually costs. If you are still deciding which report you need, Type 1 versus Type 2 covers the sequencing.

One thing no platform can do

Sign its own report. The engagement fee for the independent partner auditor is inside the Type 1 figure, and the opinion is that firm’s to give or withhold. Polara Labs is not a CPA firm. SOC 2 examinations are performed by independent licensed U.S. CPA firms.³

Questions

Is this an estimate or the actual price?

It is the actual price. Every figure comes from the published price list, so the total is what you would pay rather than a range derived from somebody else.

Does the total include the auditor fee?

Yes. The Type 1 figure includes the first examination and the engagement fee for the independent partner auditor. There is no separate invoice from the CPA firm.

Why does year two look different from year one?

Year one carries the Type 1, which is a one time cost. If you paid the first year of Type 2 on a single invoice, that invoice does not repeat, so year two returns to the monthly rate and can come out higher than year one.

What is not included in this number?

A penetration test if your buyer requires one, and any infrastructure changes you need to make to close a gap. Those vary too much to put a number on honestly.

Sources

SOC 2 Report AICPA. What a SOC 2 report is and who may issue one. Checked 1 August 2026.
TSP Section 100, Trust Services Criteria for Security, Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, and Privacy AICPA. The criteria themselves, including the common criteria every SOC 2 report covers. Checked 1 August 2026.
State Boards of Accountancy directory NASBA. Where to confirm a CPA firm holds an active license in its state. Checked 1 August 2026.

Get audit-ready without a compliance team.

$4,000 one time for SOC 2 Type 1, with the first examination and the auditor engagement fee included. audit-ready starting at about a week.

Get started

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