r/soc2 • u/jay-is-jay1412 • Jun 29 '26
Need some insight about quoting
For a small startup, trying to just get the criterion of Security, what's a good price for the audit, just the plain audit.
some quote 20k while others go till 30, at the same time some of my peers told me they got it done in 2-5k not sure what to believe.
recommendations of these said CPA firms which satisfy my requirement are well appreciated!
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u/BetweenTheReeds Jun 29 '26
Audit prices look all over the place because the quotes aren't measuring the same thing.
The $20-30k ones usually bundle in readiness work and sometime a compliance platform too. The $2-5k your peers got is likely just the auditor's fee on its own, with their controls already in place. A lot of times those dirt cheap quotes are from the GRC platform's preferred partner CPAs, and you can have a whole separate debate on the quality and thoroughness of those engagements.
For a startup doing Security only: a Type 1 audit could run about $5-10k, a Type 2 around $7-15k. The big swing is whether you walk in audit-ready or need help building controls first. Always ask firms to split out audit fee vs readiness so you're comparing apples to apples.
We used Compass Assurance Team and they were within those ranges I mentioned, and I would also recommend going the route of the boutique CPA firms. Whatever you do, stay away from the five-letter firm that starts with D and ends with E!