Summary

For SaaS companies, security is the mandatory category. The others are optional and selected based on what your customers care about and what services you provide. A readiness assessment is an internal (or consultant-led) review that identifies gaps between your current controls and what SOC 2 requires. This is your roadmap for remediation.

SOC 2 for SaaS: How to Get Certified and What to Expect

If you run a SaaS company, your enterprise prospects are almost certainly going to ask for your SOC 2 report before signing a contract. It’s become the de facto security standard for cloud-based software vendors, and without it, you’re leaving deals on the table. This guide walks you through exactly how to get SOC 2 certified — from understanding what it is to closing out your first audit.

What Is SOC 2 and Why Does It Matter for SaaS?

SOC 2 (System and Organization Controls 2) is an auditing framework developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). It evaluates how a service organization manages customer data across five Trust Service Criteria (TSC):

Security (required)
Availability
Processing Integrity
Confidentiality
Privacy

For SaaS companies, security is the mandatory category. The others are optional and selected based on what your customers care about and what services you provide.

A SOC 2 report signals to prospects, customers, and partners that your organization has implemented rigorous controls around data protection. For enterprise sales cycles, it’s often a non-negotiable requirement.

SOC 2 Type I vs. Type II: Which One Do You Need?

Before you start the process, you need to understand the difference between the two report types.

SOC 2 Type I

A Type I report evaluates whether your controls are designed appropriately at a single point in time. Think of it as a snapshot. It’s faster to obtain (typically 4–8 weeks after readiness) and costs less than Type II.

Best for: Early-stage SaaS companies that need to unblock enterprise deals quickly.

SOC 2 Type II

A Type II report evaluates whether your controls are operating effectively over a defined observation period — typically 6 to 12 months. This is the gold standard that most enterprise buyers want to see.

Best for: Growth-stage and mature SaaS companies with established processes.

Many companies start with Type I to satisfy immediate customer requirements, then pursue Type II during the following audit window.

Step-by-Step: How to Get SOC 2 for Your SaaS Company

Step 1: Define Your Scope

Scoping is one of the most critical decisions you’ll make. Your scope defines which systems, people, processes, and data are included in the audit.

Ask yourself:

Which systems store or process customer data?
Which cloud infrastructure components are in scope (AWS, GCP, Azure)?
Which third-party vendors have access to in-scope systems?
Which internal teams are involved in data handling?

Keeping scope tight reduces cost and audit complexity — but be careful not to exclude systems your auditor or customers will expect to see included.

Step 2: Select the Right Trust Service Criteria

Work with your auditor or compliance consultant to determine which TSC categories to include. Most SaaS companies start with Security only. If your product has uptime SLAs or handles sensitive personal data, you may also want to add Availability and Confidentiality.

Step 3: Conduct a Readiness Assessment

A readiness assessment is an internal (or consultant-led) review that identifies gaps between your current controls and what SOC 2 requires. This is your roadmap for remediation.

Common gaps found in SaaS readiness assessments include:

No formal access control policy
Missing vulnerability management program
Lack of documented incident response procedures
No vendor risk management process
Insufficient logging and monitoring

Don’t skip this step. Going straight to an auditor without a readiness assessment almost always results in a failed or delayed audit.

Step 4: Remediate Gaps and Implement Controls

Once you know your gaps, you need to build or improve your controls. This involves:

Writing policies and procedures (information security policy, acceptable use, change management, etc.)
Configuring technical controls (MFA enforcement, encryption at rest and in transit, role-based access control)
Setting up monitoring (SIEM tools, log aggregation, alerting)
Establishing vendor management (third-party risk assessments, vendor contracts with security addendums)
Training employees (security awareness training, documented completion records)

This is typically the most time-intensive phase. Budget 2–4 months for remediation depending on your starting maturity level.

Step 5: Choose a Licensed CPA Auditor

SOC 2 audits must be conducted by a licensed CPA firm. You have a wide range of options, from Big Four firms to specialized boutique auditors that focus exclusively on tech companies.

What to look for in a SOC 2 auditor:

Experience auditing SaaS companies specifically
Transparent, fixed-fee pricing
Willingness to walk you through the process
Reasonable evidence request lists
Positive references from similar-sized companies

Costs typically range from $15,000 to $50,000 for a Type II audit, depending on scope and firm size.

Step 6: Collect and Organize Evidence

During the audit, your auditor will request evidence that your controls are in place and operating. This is where preparation pays off.

Evidence typically includes:

Access control lists and user provisioning/deprovisioning records
Penetration test reports
Vulnerability scan results
Security training completion logs
Change management tickets
Incident response logs
Vendor risk assessment documentation
Policy acknowledgment records

Using a compliance automation platform (like Vanta, Drata, or Secureframe) can significantly reduce evidence collection time by integrating directly with your tech stack.

Step 7: Complete the Audit and Receive Your Report

Once evidence is reviewed, your auditor will issue the SOC 2 report. For Type II, this includes:

The auditor’s opinion
A description of your system
A description of your controls and test results

If exceptions are found, they’ll be noted in the report. Minor exceptions don’t necessarily disqualify you — context matters, and your auditor will explain findings before the report is finalized.

How Long Does SOC 2 Take?

Here’s a realistic timeline for a SaaS company starting from scratch:

Phase	Duration
Readiness Assessment	2–4 weeks
Remediation	2–4 months
Type I Audit	4–8 weeks
Type II Observation Period	6–12 months
Type II Audit Fieldwork	4–8 weeks

Total time to Type I report: Approximately 3–6 months Total time to Type II report: Approximately 12–18 months from kickoff

How Much Does SOC 2 Cost?

Total costs vary widely based on your company size, scope, and tooling choices. Here’s a rough breakdown:

Readiness assessment: $5,000–$20,000 (or internal time)
Remediation and tooling: $10,000–$50,000
Compliance automation software: $10,000–$30,000/year
Audit fees: $15,000–$50,000
Internal staff time: Often the largest hidden cost

Budget $30,000–$100,000 for your first SOC 2 engagement when accounting for all costs.

Tips to Speed Up and Simplify the Process

Start with a policy library. Don’t write policies from scratch — use pre-built templates designed for SOC 2.
Use compliance automation. Tools like Vanta or Drata automate evidence collection and continuous monitoring.
Assign a dedicated owner. SOC 2 projects that lack internal ownership consistently stall.
Communicate with your auditor early. Align on evidence expectations before the observation period starts.
Don’t over-scope. Include what’s necessary, not everything you’ve ever built.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often do you need to renew SOC 2?

SOC 2 Type II reports cover a specific observation period, typically 12 months. Most companies renew annually to maintain continuous coverage and satisfy customer requirements year-round.

Can a startup get SOC 2 certified?

Yes. Many early-stage SaaS companies pursue SOC 2 as part of their enterprise go-to-market strategy. Starting with Type I is the most practical approach for startups with limited resources.

Do you need to use a compliance automation tool?

No, but it dramatically reduces the time and cost involved. Manual evidence collection for a Type II audit is extremely time-consuming and error-prone. Automation tools integrate with AWS, GitHub, Okta, and other systems to gather evidence automatically.

What happens if your auditor finds exceptions?

Exceptions are noted in the report but don’t automatically disqualify you. Customers evaluate the nature and severity of exceptions in context. A few minor exceptions with strong compensating controls are generally acceptable to enterprise buyers.

Is SOC 2 the same as ISO 27001?

No. SOC 2 is a U.S.-based auditing standard governed by the AICPA. ISO 27001 is an international certification standard. Many global SaaS companies eventually pursue both, but SOC 2 is typically the priority for selling to U.S. enterprise customers.

Start Your SOC 2 Journey the Right Way

The biggest mistake SaaS companies make when pursuing SOC 2 is trying to build everything from scratch. Writing security policies, procedures, and control documentation from a blank page wastes months of time and often produces documents that don’t hold up under auditor scrutiny.

Our ready-to-use SOC 2 compliance template library gives you everything you need to get audit-ready faster — including pre-written information security policies, risk assessment templates, vendor management frameworks, incident response plans, and evidence collection checklists. Every template is written by compliance professionals and formatted to meet auditor expectations.

Stop stalling on SOC 2. Download our SOC 2 template bundle today and cut your readiness timeline in half.