SOC 2 Auditors: 12 Audit Firms Compared, and How to Check One

Not every audit firm on the market. How we rank Not ranked: Sage Audits (no record in the AICPA peer review public file search on October 24, 2026); Tempo (a UK company, not a CPA firm; its SOC 2 reports are issued by partner CPA firms it doesn’t name).

We ranked firms only on evidence anyone can check. First come firms whose latest peer review report is open in the AICPA public file, then firms whose review is on file without a public rating. Within each group, a firm that publishes a SOC 2 price ranks first, then firms offering more of the five attest and certification services. Peer review dates are when the AICPA accepted each firm’s latest review. We never rank on audit quality, which we can’t measure. Referral programs never change a position; most of these firms have none.

Who can perform a SOC 2 audit?

Only a licensed CPA firm can perform a SOC 2 audit: SOC reports are examinations performed by CPAs under the AICPA’s attestation standards, the Journal of Accountancy notes. The AICPA describes SOC as a suite of services “CPAs may provide” and says it assists regulators on unlicensed firms.

Compliance software doesn’t change that. Most compliance tool providers are not CPA firms and “cannot attest” that controls work, the Journal of Accountancy reported in February 2026. When a platform says it includes the audit, ask which CPA firm signs the report (compliance platforms compared shows which ones list an audit line).

The 12 SOC 2 audit firms

Each firm below shows the CPA entity that signs its reports, its peer review result and what it offers, in rank order. Prices are “quote only” unless stated.

1. Thoropass

Thoropass is the only firm here with a published SOC 2 audit price: its audit subscription lists from $5,800 a year on AWS Marketplace, “performed by in-house auditors” at Laika Compliance, LLC dba Thoropass Assurance. Its peer review rating is Pass. Thoropass also sells compliance software, listed from $8,700, and is on the HITRUST and PCI QSA lists.

• Best for: a startup that wants software and audit on one contract and a price before a call.
• Skip it if: your customers want an auditor with no business tie to your compliance tool.

2. A-LIGN (tie)

A-LIGN’s CPA firm, Price and Associates CPAs, LLC dba A-LIGN, holds a Pass peer review rating. A-LIGN offers all five services; its ISO 27001 certification body is accredited by ANAB and UKAS, A-LIGN says. Its partner page lists Vanta, Drata and Secureframe.

• Best for: a company that wants SOC 2, ISO 27001, HITRUST and PCI from one firm.

2. BARR Advisory (tie)

BARR Advisory, P.A. has the most recent public peer review here, accepted June 6, 2026, with a Pass rating. BARR offers all five services, with ISO certification through its ANAB-accredited BARR Certifications. It says it works with clients “from scaling startups to growing enterprises.”

• Best for: a growing SaaS company that uses Vanta, Drata or Secureframe, all on BARR’s partner list.

2. Linford & Co (tie)

Linford & Company LLP, a Denver CPA firm, holds a Pass peer review rating and offers all five services. Linford calls itself an ANAB-accredited certification body for ISO 27001; we could confirm that only on its own site. Its clients range from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies, Linford says.

• Best for: a company that wants SOC 2, HITRUST and PCI from one mid-sized firm.

2. Prescient Security (tie)

Prescient’s CPA firm, Prescient Assurance LLC, has a public peer review rated Pass with deficiencies (accepted March 30, 2026). Its sister company Prescient Security LLC is the ISO certification body (IAS-accredited) and is on the HITRUST and PCI QSA lists. SGS bought a majority stake in Prescient Security on October 2, 2026.

• Best for: a team that wants several frameworks audited by one group.
• Before you sign: read the peer review report and the firm’s letter of response in the public file.

2. Schellman (tie)

Schellman & Company, LLC (Florida license AD62941) holds a Pass peer review rating and offers all five services; its PCI work runs through Schellman Compliance, LLC. Schellman calls itself “the only Top 50 CPA firm focused exclusively on IT Compliance and Cybersecurity.”

• Best for: a company that wants a large IT-focused CPA firm for several frameworks.

7. Baker Tilly (tie)

Baker Tilly US, LLP, which combined with Moss Adams in 2025, holds a Pass peer review rating. It offers SOC 1, SOC 2 and HITRUST, and its advisory arm, Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP, is on the PCI QSA list. We found no named ISO 27001 certification body.

• Best for: mid-market and larger companies that want a national CPA firm.

7. KirkpatrickPrice (tie)

Kirkpatrick Price Inc. holds a Pass peer review rating (accepted March 25, 2026). It offers SOC 1, SOC 2, HITRUST and PCI assessments. It audits against ISO 27001 but says it is “not a certifying body,” so it can’t issue the certificate.

• Skip it if: you need an ISO 27001 certificate from the same firm.

7. Sensiba (tie)

Sensiba LLP holds a Pass peer review rating (accepted February 18, 2026). It offers SOC 1, SOC 2, ISO 27001 certification (ANAB) and HITRUST, but isn’t on the PCI QSA list. It runs a Startup Navigator program for early-stage companies.

• Skip it if: you also need a PCI DSS assessment.

10. Advantage Partners

Advantage Partners, a Seattle firm, holds a Pass peer review rating. It offers SOC 2, ISO 27001 certification (IAS) and HITRUST, but not SOC 1 or PCI. It focuses on “small and start-up technology companies” and appears in Vanta’s audit partner directory.

• Best for: a small tech company that needs SOC 2 only.

11. Insight Assurance

Insight Compliance LLC dba Insight Assurance, in Tampa, has an accepted peer review on file, but the public file shows no rating or report. It offers all five services, including ISO 27001 certification (IAS) and PCI assessments.

• Before you sign: ask the firm for its latest peer review report.

12. Johanson Group

Johanson Group LLP, in Colorado Springs, has an accepted peer review on file without a public rating or report. It offers SOC 1, SOC 2, ISO 27001 certification (IAS) and PCI assessments, but isn’t on HITRUST’s assessor list. Its platform partners include Drata, Secureframe, Sprinto and Vanta.

• Before you sign: ask the firm for its latest peer review report.

How much a SOC 2 audit costs

A SOC 2 audit costs $10,000–$50,000 for the CPA firm’s fee alone, according to Vanta, but almost no US audit firm publishes a price.

The audit fee is one line. Software, readiness work and a penetration test add to it; our SOC 2 audit and compliance cost guide adds them up.

How to check a SOC 2 auditor in 3 minutes

You can check any SOC 2 auditor in a few minutes with free public records:

1. Get the legal name of the CPA firm that will sign the report. Brand names often differ (A-LIGN’s CPA firm is Price and Associates CPAs, LLC).
2. Search the AICPA peer review public file by that name. Look for the acceptance date, the rating (Pass, Pass with deficiencies or Fail) and the report.
3. Confirm the licence with the state board of accountancy in the firm’s home state.
4. Ask who did your readiness work. The firm that designs your controls shouldn’t be the one that audits them.
5. Ask for a redacted sample report and how many samples they test per control.

Red flags: the 2026 “fast SOC 2” warnings

The AICPA spent 2026 warning buyers and auditors about cheap, fast SOC 2 reports. Three points matter for buyers:

• Template reports. The AICPA told peer reviewers to treat engagements with “identical reports, risk assessments, sample sizes, and testing procedures” as nonconforming, the Journal of Accountancy reported in May 2026.
• Tool tie-ups. The AICPA’s ethics staff said in April 2026 that CPA firms’ business arrangements with SOC tool providers can raise significant threats to compliance with its code.
• Unlicensed providers. The AICPA says it is looking into allegations about a compliance vendor offering SOC services and assists regulators on unlicensed firms.

A report promised in days, a price far below the ranges above, or an auditor you never speak to are reasons to ask more questions.

Types of SOC 2 auditors: boutique, full-service or platform-bundled

The right type of SOC 2 auditor depends on how many frameworks you need and how much your customers care about independence.

Type 1 or Type 2 first?

Drata says most organizations get a SOC 2 Type 1 first for speed, then a Type 2 once controls have run for an observation window of usually three to twelve months. Ask your biggest prospect which report it accepts before you book an auditor; see SOC 2 Type 1 vs Type 2 for the cost and timeline of each, and how SOC 2 certification works for the full process.