Cheapest Way to Get SOC 2 Certified in 2025

TL;DR: Quick Takeaways

•Traditional SOC 2 costs $25K-$50K, but you can do it for $5K-$10K with the right approach
•Automation reduces manual work by 80% and saves $15K-$30K in consulting fees
•Type 1 certification is 60% cheaper than Type 2 for initial market entry
•DIY approach is cheapest upfront but highest risk and hidden costs

Let's be honest: when you're quoted $28,000-$50,000 for SOC 2 certification, it feels like highway robbery—especially for an early-stage startup. You know you need it to close enterprise deals, but that price tag makes you wonder if there's a cheaper way.

Good news: there is. You can achieve legitimate SOC 2 certification for $5,000-$10,000 without compromising audit quality or your chances of passing. But you need to be strategic about where you spend money and where you don't.

This guide breaks down exactly where SOC 2 costs come from, which expenses are worth it, which aren't, and how to get certified for 60-80% less than traditional approaches.

Where Does SOC 2 Money Actually Go?

Before we talk about cutting costs, let's understand the typical SOC 2 budget breakdown:

Expense Category	Traditional Cost	Can You Cut?
Consulting services	$15,000-$30,000	Yes (mostly)
Auditor fees	$8,000-$15,000	Partially
Compliance software	$5,000-$15,000	Negotiate
Security tools	$3,000-$10,000	No (required)
Internal time	$5,000-$20,000	Yes (automate)
Total	$36,000-$90,000	Save 60-80%

💡 The Key Insight:

70-80% of traditional SOC 2 costs go to manual labor—consultants documenting policies and collecting evidence. This is exactly what modern automation replaces, allowing you to slash costs without compromising quality.

5 Proven Strategies to Cut SOC 2 Costs

1. Use an Automated Platform Instead of Consultants

Traditional consulting firms charge $150-$300/hour to manually document policies and collect evidence. Automated platforms do the same work for a fraction of the cost.

❌ Traditional Consulting

• Manual evidence collection
• 200+ hours of work
• Cost: $25,000-$40,000

✅ Automated Platform

• Automated evidence collection
• 20-40 hours of work
• Cost: $5,000-$10,000

💰 Savings: $15,000-$30,000

2. Start with Type 1, Then Upgrade to Type 2

Type 1 costs 40-60% less than Type 2 because it doesn't require a 3-12 month observation period. Start with Type 1 to unblock deals, then upgrade.

Smart Strategy: Get Type 1 certified in 30 days ($5K-$8K), start closing deals, then complete Type 2 during your observation period ($3K-$5K additional). Total: $8K-$13K vs. $25K-$40K for going straight to Type 2 with consultants.

💰 Savings: $12,000-$27,000

3. Choose the Right Auditor

Not all auditors charge the same. Shop around and negotiate. Auditor fees can vary 2-3x for the same work.

Big 4 firm$20K-$40K

Mid-tier firm$12K-$20K

Platform-recommended auditor$5K-$10K

Note: Many compliance platforms have negotiated rates with auditors due to volume. LowerPlane's auditor partners cost 50-60% less than going direct.

💰 Savings: $7,000-$30,000

4. Leverage Free and Open Source Tools

You don't need expensive enterprise tools for everything. Use free alternatives where possible:

• Password Manager: 1Password ($8/user/mo) vs. enterprise solutions ($20+/user/mo)
• SIEM: Elastic Stack (free) vs. Splunk ($$$)
• Vulnerability Scanning: Nuclei/OpenVAS (free) vs. Qualys ($$$)
• IDS/IPS: Suricata (free) vs. commercial solutions
• Security Training: Free resources vs. paid courses

💰 Savings: $5,000-$15,000/year

5. Get Your Team Audit-Ready First

Every hour the auditor spends waiting for information costs money. Being 100% prepared before the audit starts can cut audit time (and costs) in half.

❌ Unprepared

• Scrambling for evidence
• Multiple auditor visits
• Extended timeline
• Cost: $15K-$25K

✅ Fully Prepared

• All evidence organized
• Single efficient audit
• Quick completion
• Cost: $8K-$12K

💰 Savings: $7,000-$13,000

Get SOC 2 Certified for $4,995

LowerPlane combines all 5 cost-saving strategies into one affordable platform. Get certified in 30 days for less than $5,000.

✓Automated evidence collection (saves $15K-$30K)
✓Platform-negotiated auditor rates (saves $7K-$30K)
✓Type 1 fast track (saves $12K-$27K)
✓Free policy templates (saves $5K-$10K)

Start Saving Money See Pricing

What NOT to Cut: False Economy Traps

While you can save big on SOC 2, there are some areas where cutting corners will cost you more in the long run:

❌ Don't: Use the Cheapest Possible Auditor

While you should negotiate auditor fees, don't choose an auditor solely on price. A bad auditor can fail you unfairly, forcing you to re-audit ($$$) or give you a report that customers don't trust.

Better approach: Use a platform-recommended auditor who offers competitive rates but has experience with your industry and company size.

❌ Don't: Skip Required Security Controls

Some founders try to avoid implementing MFA, logging, or other security controls to save money. This guarantees audit failure and actually costs more.

Better approach: Use free or low-cost tools to implement required controls. Most controls can be met with tools you already have or free alternatives.

❌ Don't: Go 100% DIY Without Guidance

Attempting SOC 2 completely solo without any expert guidance has a 40-60% failure rate. Failed audits cost $10K-$20K to remediate and re-audit.

Better approach: Use a platform with included expert guidance ($5K-$10K) rather than pure DIY or expensive full-service consulting ($25K-$50K).

❌ Don't: Delay SOC 2 to Save Money

Waiting to start SOC 2 because of cost concerns usually costs more in lost revenue than the certification itself.

Reality check: If you lose even one $50K/year enterprise deal because you don't have SOC 2, that's 10x the cost of certification. Get certified now, cheaply.

Real Cost Comparison: Three Approaches

Here's what SOC 2 actually costs using three different approaches:

DIY Approach

$15K-25K

Auditor:$12K

Tools:$5K

Internal time:$8K

Success Rate:

50-60%

High failure risk

BEST VALUE

Platform + Advisor

$5K-10K

Platform:$5K

Auditor:Included

Internal time:$2K

Success Rate:

98.7%

Proven track record

Full Consulting

$25K-50K

Consulting:$20K

Auditor:$15K

Internal time:$5K

Success Rate:

95%+

High cost, high quality

💰 Bottom Line:

Platform + Advisor approach gives you 98.7% success rate at 60-80% lower cost than traditional consulting. You get expert guidance, automation, and auditor connections—without the $30K consulting fees.

Stop Overpaying for SOC 2

Get the same audit-quality certification that companies pay $30K-$50K for, but for $4,995. No catch, no compromises.

What You Get:

✓ Automated evidence collection
✓ Dedicated compliance advisor
✓ Pre-built policy templates
✓ Auditor coordination

What You Save:

✓ $15K-$30K in consulting
✓ $7K-$30K in auditor fees
✓ 180+ hours of work
✓ 60-90 days of time

Get Started for $4,995

Key Takeaways

1
SOC 2 doesn't have to cost $25K-$50K. With automation and the right approach, you can get certified for $5K-$10K.
2
70-80% of traditional costs go to manual labor. Automation eliminates this expense without compromising quality.
3
Pure DIY is risky (50-60% pass rate) while platform + advisor offers 98.7% success at a fraction of consulting costs.
4
Don't cut corners on auditor quality or required security controls—these false economies cost more than they save.
5
Delaying SOC 2 to save money usually costs more in lost deals than the certification itself—get certified now, affordably.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is cheap SOC 2 legitimate? Will customers accept it?

Yes! The audit standard is the same regardless of what you pay. Whether you spend $5K or $50K, you're getting the exact same SOC 2 Type 1 or Type 2 report from an AICPA-accredited auditor. Customers can't tell (and don't care) how much you spent—they only care that you have a valid SOC 2 report. The cost difference is in HOW you prepare for the audit, not the audit itself.

What's the catch with $5K SOC 2 platforms?

There's no catch. These platforms make money through volume and technology, not hourly consulting fees. They've automated the manual work that traditional consultants charge $150-$300/hour for, and they've negotiated bulk auditor rates due to volume. You still get expert guidance, just delivered more efficiently through software + advisors rather than armies of consultants.

Can I really do SOC 2 for under $5K total?

If you already have decent security practices in place (70%+ ready), you can achieve SOC 2 Type 1 for $4,995 with platforms like LowerPlane that include auditor fees in the platform cost. However, if you need to implement many new security controls or buy security tools you don't have, expect $7K-$10K total. Still, this is 60-80% cheaper than traditional approaches while maintaining the same audit quality.

Should I do DIY to save even more money?

We don't recommend pure DIY unless you have compliance expertise in-house. The 50-60% failure rate means you'll likely spend $10K-$20K on a failed audit, then another $10K-$20K to remediate and re-audit—totaling $20K-$40K for something that could have cost $5K-$10K with expert guidance. The small upfront savings isn't worth the huge risk and potential for much higher total costs.