---
title: "SOC 2 with AuditBadger — DIY certification platform for startups"
canonical: "https://auditbadger.com/soc2/"
last-updated: "2026-09-22"
---

# SOC 2 with AuditBadger — DIY certification platform for startups

AuditBadger is an AI-powered compliance platform built to take a software startup from zero to **SOC 2 Type I** in a few weeks and to **SOC 2 Type II** over the following observation window, without hiring an external consultant.

## SOC 2 in 60 seconds

- **SOC 2** = AICPA-defined audit framework based on the Trust Services Criteria (TSC). It is *not* a certification but an attestation issued by a licensed CPA firm.
- **Type I** evaluates control *design* at a point in time. Typical preparation: 4–8 weeks. Faster to achieve and usually enough to unblock first enterprise sales conversations.
- **Type II** evaluates control *effectiveness* over an observation window of 3–12 months. Required by most large enterprise buyers.
- **Trust Services Criteria:** Security (always required), plus optional Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, and Privacy.

## What AuditBadger handles for SOC 2

| Area | What you get |
|---|---|
| **System Description Builder** | Guided builder for the 8 standard TSP sections — Company Overview, System Boundaries, Subservice Orgs (with carve-out vs inclusive method support), Principal Service Commitments, System Components, Internal Controls, CSOCs, CUECs |
| **Trust Services Criteria coverage** | Pre-built control hierarchy for Common Criteria CC1–CC9 and the four optional categories; per-control implementation tracking (Not Started → In Progress → Implemented → Exception) |
| **AI policy generation** | Tailored to your stack and team — Information Security, Access Control, Change Management, Incident Response, Vendor Management, BCP, and 20+ more |
| **Automated evidence collection** | Native integrations with AWS, GCP, Azure, DigitalOcean, Scaleway, GitHub, Cloudflare, Linear, Shortcut, Slack, Google Workspace, and FleetDM with configurable schedules |
| **Risk assessment** | Multi-dimensional risk register, treatment plans, risk-to-control mapping |
| **Incident management** | Full lifecycle with SLA tracking, severity classification, post-incident review, regulatory breach workflows |
| **Business continuity** | BCP documentation with RTO/RPO tracking — required for the Availability TSC |
| **Vendor management** | Templated security questionnaires, subservice org tracking, carve-out documentation |
| **Audit trail** | Every change to every control timestamped and attributed; full version history |
| **Auditor workspace** | Read-only views and exports designed for the CPA firm performing the attestation |

## Automated evidence integrations (detail)

### AWS — 22 evidence types
- IAM password policy and MFA enforcement status
- CloudTrail configuration, GuardDuty findings
- S3, RDS, EBS encryption status
- VPC configuration and security groups

### Google Cloud — 15 evidence types
- IAM policies and MFA status
- Cloud Audit Logs, Security Command Center findings
- Storage, Cloud SQL, and Compute Engine encryption
- VPC Flow Logs and firewall rules

### GitHub — 12 evidence types
- Organization 2FA enforcement
- Branch protection rules
- Secret scanning, Dependabot configuration
- Audit log collection

### Cloudflare — 11 evidence types
- SSL/TLS and HSTS configuration
- WAF and DDoS protection settings
- Bot protection and rate limiting
- DNSSEC status

## Trust Services Criteria — what to pick

| Criterion | Required? | When to include |
|---|---|---|
| **Security** (CC1–CC9) | Yes (always) | Default for every SOC 2 engagement |
| **Availability** | Optional | If you offer uptime SLAs to customers |
| **Processing Integrity** | Optional | If you process financial or other critical data |
| **Confidentiality** | Optional | If you handle sensitive non-public business data |
| **Privacy** | Optional | If you collect or process personal information (PII) |

Most B2B SaaS startups start with Security only, then add Confidentiality (and sometimes Availability) for Type II.

## Type I vs Type II — which to start with

| | Type I | Type II |
|---|---|---|
| Evaluates | Control *design* at a point in time | Control *effectiveness* over time |
| Observation window | None (point in time) | 3–12 months (most start with 6) |
| Typical preparation time | 4–8 weeks | Continuous after Type I |
| Cost driver | Lower audit fees | Higher audit fees + ongoing evidence |
| Buyer signal | "We have a security program" | "Our controls actually work" |
| Best for | First SOC 2; sales-blocked startups | Companies whose customers explicitly require Type II |

AuditBadger supports both. Most startups achieve Type I first to unblock deals, then continuously collect evidence inside AuditBadger until they are ready to enter a Type II observation window.

## Pricing

- **$250 / month** flat — full SOC 2 module, all integrations, unlimited users
- No per-seat charges. No add-on cost for integrations — AWS, GCP, Azure, DigitalOcean, Scaleway, GitHub, Cloudflare, FleetDM, and more
- Third-party audit fees are paid directly to your CPA firm (not via AuditBadger)
- Typical CPA fees: $10k–25k for Type I, $20k–50k for Type II — independent of platform cost

## Comparison vs traditional path

| | Consultant + spreadsheets | AuditBadger |
|---|---|---|
| Interpretation of controls | $15k–50k consultant fees | Built-in plain-language guidance |
| Policies | Generic templates | AI-generated for your actual stack |
| Evidence collection | Manual screenshots, weekly | Recurring evidence collection |
| Time to first audit | 3–6 months typical | Under one week to readiness, then 4–8 weeks to Type I |
| Per-month cost | Variable, often $5k+ | $250 flat |

## Useful links

- Sign up: [auth.auditbadger.com/signup](https://auth.auditbadger.com/signup)
- Free policy generator (no signup): [/free-compliance-policies-generator](/free-compliance-policies-generator)
- Compare to Vanta: [/compare/vanta](/compare/vanta)
- Compare to Drata: [/compare/drata](/compare/drata)
- Companion guide for ISO 27001: [/compliance/iso27001](/compliance/iso27001)
- Automated evidence detail: [/features/automated-evidence-collection](/features/automated-evidence-collection)
- Risk assessment detail: [/features/risk-assessment](/features/risk-assessment)
- Incident management detail: [/features/incident-management](/features/incident-management)
- Contact: hello@auditbadger.com