SOC 2 Cost in 2026: First-Year Total by Headcount
As of November 2026, a first SOC 2 with Agency Cybersecurity costs from $10,000 for a company of 1–10 people: Express Comply is a flat $7,500 for the year, and the independent audit adds from $2,500. Startups in Agency's startup program pay $2,500 to $12,500 all-in, audit and pen test included.
Key Takeaways
- •Express Comply for SOC 2 is a flat $7,500 to $20,000 by headcount for one year, observation period included.
- •The independent audit adds from $2,500 for companies with up to 20 employees and is quoted above that.
- •Agency's startup program is $2,500 to $12,500 all-in, with the audit and a penetration test included.
- •A web app penetration test is $5,000 fixed. A GRC platform is optional and priced by its vendor.
What does SOC 2 cost in the first year, by headcount?
Headcount sets the size of the program, so Agency publishes one flat rate per headcount band. The rate covers a full year of done-for-you work: policies written, controls configured, evidence collected, and the program kept running through the audit observation period.
| Company size | Express Comply, flat for one year | Independent audit add-on | First year with the audit | Market price for the same scope (Agency's opinion of the market) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–10 employees | $7,500 | From $2,500 | From $10,000 | About $35,000 | Express Comply pricing |
| 11–20 employees | $10,000 | From $2,500 | From $12,500 | About $43,750 | Express Comply pricing |
| 21–50 employees | $15,000 | Quoted | $15,000 plus the quoted audit | About $52,500 plus the audit | Express Comply pricing |
| 51–100 employees | $20,000 | Quoted | $20,000 plus the quoted audit | About $70,000 plus the audit | Express Comply pricing |
| 101 or more employees | Custom quote | Quoted | Custom quote | Not estimated | Quote |
Three lines sit outside the flat rate and are always stated separately: the independent audit, a GRC platform subscription if you want one, and penetration testing. The rate does not change with tooling. Agency runs the program in spreadsheets or on the platform you already use.
How long that year takes in practice is the other half of the budget. Across Agency's programs, the median time from kickoff to audit-ready is 3 weeks for companies with fewer than 20 employees, and the Type I report follows approximately 6 weeks after that.
What does each line cost for Type I and Type II?
A Type II takes more work than a Type I for one reason: time. The Journal of Accountancy describes a Type 2 report as one that "contains the same opinions as those in a type 1 report but also includes an opinion on whether the controls were operating effectively" (Journal of Accountancy). The auditor tests a period instead of a date, and your team operates controls for that whole period.
| First-year line | Type I | Type II | Agency's published price | Market prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Readiness and program work | Build the controls | Build, then operate through the observation period | Flat $7,500 to $20,000 by headcount, observation period included (Express Comply pricing) | About $26,250 to $70,000 by headcount (Agency's opinion of the market) |
| Independent audit | Opinion on design at a date | Opinion on design and operation over a period | From $2,500 for up to 20 employees; quoted above (Express Comply pricing) | $49,800 for a Type II audit of a state IT agency (Kentucky, 2024); $69,500 for a university computing center's Type 2 report (Illinois, 2022); from about $8,750 for a small company (Agency's opinion of the market) |
| Penetration test | One test | One test inside the period | $5,000 fixed for one web app (pen test pricing) | See penetration testing cost |
| GRC platform subscription (varies by vendor and headcount) | Optional | Optional | Not required | No figure |
| Client hours | About 16 hours, shared between Agency and the client (Agency median) | About 55 hours, shared between Agency and the client (Agency median) | Not priced | $62.11 an hour median wage for information security analysts, May 2025 (BLS) |
Read the public records as single examples, not as your quote. Both buyers are large public institutions, and neither notice states headcount. The figures marked as Agency's opinion of the market are Agency's own view of what the same scope costs elsewhere, not a published survey. Agency's audit add-on starts at $2,500 for both Type I and Type II (Express Comply pricing).
What does SOC 2 cost for a startup?
Startups can get a lower all-in price through a credits program instead of the headcount ladder. Agency's startup program runs from $2,500 to $12,500 for year one, depending on stage, with the SOC 2 audit and an independent penetration test included, according to Agency's startup pricing.
Two details decide where you land in that range:
- Stage. Pre-seed and bootstrapped companies sit closest to the floor. Later stages, with more infrastructure and data in scope, sit higher.
- Platform. The $2,500 starting price covers Agency services only, per the same page. A GRC platform is priced separately, so packages that include one land higher in the range.
If you are past the startup program, the headcount table above is your price.
Which SOC 2 costs are easy to miss?
Four, and none of them appears on an audit quote.
- Internal hours. Someone grants access, answers questions and approves policies. Under a done-for-you program that is the whole ask; under a do-it-yourself program it is the main cost. Price your own hours before comparing providers.
- Fixing what readiness finds. Missing device management, logging or single sign-on costs tool money and engineering time. A flat services rate does not buy tools you do not yet have.
- Year two. The audit, the penetration test and the operating work all recur. Agency's renewal audit offer starts at $2,500 for eligible companies (renewal offer). See SOC 2 renewal for the second-year lines and calendar.
- Scope changes. A second product, a new cloud environment or an added Trust Services Criterion changes the audit. Agree the scope in writing before the observation period starts.
How should you compare SOC 2 quotes?
Line by line, against the same scope. A low headline number usually leaves something out.
- Ask what is included. Readiness, the audit, the penetration test and the platform are four separate purchases unless the proposal says otherwise.
- Ask who does the work. A platform subscription does not write policies or collect evidence. A managed service does; Agency explains the difference in what managed compliance costs.
- Ask what happens when the period runs long. Hourly engagements grow with every finding. A flat rate that covers the observation period does not.
- Ask for the year-two price now. Renewal terms are easier to negotiate before you sign than after.
If you need more than one framework, or a security leader as well as a compliance program, compare Managed Comply pricing, and see what that costs against a hire in fractional CISO cost. Companies adding ISO 27001 can price it in ISO 27001 certification cost.
Related guides
- SOC 2 Renewal: Year-Two Cost, Timeline and Changes
A SOC 2 renewal audit through Agency starts at $2,500 in 2026. What repeats in year two, when to start, and a month-by-month calendar.
- Penetration Testing Cost in 2026: Prices by Scope
A web app pen test from Agency is $5,000 fixed in 2026. Add-on prices, delivery times, and what moves cost for API, network, cloud and mobile scopes.
- SOC 2 Audit Cost by Auditor Firm: Price Comparison Data
How SOC 2 auditor pricing varies by firm tier, what drives the differences, whether higher cost means better quality, and how to optimize spend.
- SOC 2 Penetration Test Costs: Scope and Budget (2026)
Compare penetration testing scope, methodology, reporting, and retest terms before budgeting for SOC 2 evidence.
- SOC 2 vs ISO 27001 Cost Comparison: Which Is Cheaper?
Compare SOC 2 and ISO 27001 using scoped implementation, assessment, and ongoing-operation quotes. Neither framework has a universal cost advantage.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does SOC 2 cost in 2026?
How much does a SOC 2 Type 1 cost compared with a Type 2?
What does SOC 2 cost for a startup?
Does the price include the audit?
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Do I need a GRC platform for SOC 2?
What does SOC 2 cost in the second year?
Tyler Carbone
Managing Director and Cofounder
Tyler Carbone is a Managing Director and Cofounder of Agency and one of the industry's leading voices on governance, risk, and compliance. He holds degrees from Harvard and a JD/MBA from the University of Virginia, and previously worked in cybersecurity at Deloitte. Tyler has helped hundreds of companies operate SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and GDPR programs.
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