Can I get SOC 2 certified without a consultant?

Yes. AuditBadger is designed specifically for founders and small teams who want to handle SOC 2 themselves. We translate auditor-speak into plain language, guide you through each requirement, and automate evidence collection from your existing tools. The product was rebuilt around the SOC 2 work our own team went through.

What is included in SOC 2 compliance with AuditBadger?

AuditBadger includes a System Description builder, Trust Service Criteria control mapping, automated evidence collection from AWS, GCP, GitHub, Cloudflare, Azure, Linear, Shortcut, Slack, and Google Workspace, CSOC/CUEC management, carve-out method documentation, risk assessment, incident management, and policy generation tailored to your tech stack.

How long does SOC 2 Type I take with AuditBadger?

Most startups using AuditBadger are audit-ready in 4-8 weeks, depending on existing security maturity. The platform guides you through each step with clear priorities, so you know exactly what to work on next. There's no guesswork about what auditors actually need.

What's the difference between SOC 2 Type I and Type II?

SOC 2 Type I evaluates if your controls are properly designed at a specific point in time. Type II evaluates if those controls operated effectively over a period (typically 3-12 months). Most startups begin with Type I to prove their security program exists, then progress to Type II. AuditBadger supports both with continuous evidence collection and control monitoring.

Which Trust Service Criteria should I choose?

Security (Common Criteria) is required for all SOC 2 audits. Beyond that, choose based on your customers' needs: Availability if you offer SLAs or uptime guarantees, Confidentiality if you handle sensitive data, Processing Integrity if data accuracy matters, and Privacy if you process personal information. AuditBadger helps you understand which criteria apply to your specific situation.

SOC 2 Compliance Platform

SOC 2 Certification
Without the Consultant

Finally, a SOC 2 tool that assumes you're smart enough to do this yourself. Plain-language guidance, policies for YOUR stack, and automated evidence from AWS, Google Cloud, GitHub & Cloudflare.

See how it works

Founder-validated

Recurring automated evidence

No consultant required

Why SOC 2 Feels Impossible

And how AuditBadger makes it approachable

The Traditional Way

• Cryptic requirements written in auditor-speak
• $15k-50k consultant fees just to interpret them
• Generic templates that don't match your stack
• Manual evidence collection takes weeks
• No idea what actually applies to YOUR company

The AuditBadger Way

• Plain-language explanations for every control
• $250/mo with no consultant dependency
• Policies generated for YOUR tech stack
• Automated evidence from AWS, Google Cloud, GitHub, Cloudflare
• Guided workflow shows exactly what's relevant

The Hard Part Made Easy

System Description Builder

The System Description is where most teams get stuck. AuditBadger guides you through all 8 TSP sections with clear prompts and examples from real audits.

Section 1

Company Overview

Services, organizational structure, and business context

Section 2

System Boundaries

Infrastructure, data flows, and scope definition

Section 3

Subservice Orgs

Third-party dependencies with carve-out reasoning

Section 4

Commitments

Principal service commitments and SLAs

Section 5

System Components

Infrastructure, software, people, procedures, data

Section 6

Internal Controls

Control activities mapped to Trust Criteria

Section 7

CSOCs

Complementary Subservice Organization Controls

Section 8

CUECs

Complementary User Entity Controls

Carve-out method support: Document your reasoning for each subservice organization. Choose inclusive or carve-out method with guided prompts that explain the implications.

Trust Service Criteria Coverage

Pre-built control frameworks with implementation tracking. Know exactly what you need for each Trust Service Criteria — and what you can skip.

Security

Required

Common Criteria (CC1-CC9). Protection against unauthorized access, both physical and logical.

• Access controls & authentication
• Network security & encryption
• Change management
• Incident response

Availability

Optional

System uptime and performance commitments. Choose this if you offer SLAs.

• Capacity planning
• Disaster recovery
• Business continuity
• Performance monitoring

Processing Integrity

Optional

Data accuracy and completeness. Choose this if you process financial or critical data.

• Data validation
• Error handling
• Processing accuracy
• Output completeness

Confidentiality

Optional

Protection of confidential information. Choose this if you handle sensitive business data.

• Data classification
• Encryption at rest/transit
• Access restrictions
• Secure disposal

Privacy

Optional

Personal information handling. Choose this if you collect/process PII.

• Notice & consent
• Data subject rights
• Retention policies
• Third-party disclosure

Implementation Tracking

Track every control's status across your selected criteria.

Not Started In Progress Implemented Exception

Recurring Evidence

Automated Evidence Collection

Connect your infrastructure and let AuditBadger collect evidence automatically. No more screenshots or manual exports before audits.

AWS

22 evidence types

IAM password policy & MFA status
CloudTrail & GuardDuty findings
S3/RDS/EBS encryption status
VPC config & security groups

Google Cloud

15 evidence types

IAM policies & MFA status
Cloud Audit Logs & Security Command Center
Storage/SQL/Compute encryption
VPC Flow Logs & firewall rules

GitHub

12 evidence types

Organization 2FA enforcement
Branch protection rules
Secret scanning & Dependabot
Audit log collection

Cloudflare

11 evidence types

SSL/TLS & HSTS configuration
WAF & DDoS protection
Bot protection & rate limiting
DNSSEC status

Collection schedules: Continuous, daily, weekly, monthly, or on-demand

Learn more about automated evidence

Everything Else You Need

SOC 2 isn't just about controls. AuditBadger covers the full scope of what auditors expect.

Policy Generation

AI-generated policies tailored to your tech stack. Version control and acknowledgment tracking.

Risk Assessment

Complete risk lifecycle from identification to treatment. Risk-to-control mapping.

Incident Management

Full incident lifecycle with SLA tracking. Severity classification and lessons learned.

Business Continuity

Document critical processes, create recovery plans. Required for Availability criteria.

Vendor Management

Template-driven vendor assessments. Track subservice organizations and carve-out decisions.

Audit Trail

Every change timestamped and attributed. Full version history for controls and evidence.

Type I vs Type II: Which Do You Need?

AuditBadger supports both, and helps you understand which path makes sense for your stage.

Start Here

SOC 2 Type I

Evaluates control design at a point in time. Proves your security program exists and is properly designed.

Faster to achieve (4-8 weeks typical)
Unblocks sales deals that require SOC 2
Foundation for Type II

Best for: Startups getting their first SOC 2, or companies that need compliance quickly.

Level Up

SOC 2 Type II

Evaluates control effectiveness over time (3-12 months). Proves your controls actually work consistently.

Stronger assurance for enterprise customers
Required by many larger customers
Continuous evidence collection essential

Best for: Companies with Type I looking to upgrade, or those whose customers specifically require Type II.

Ready to Handle SOC 2 Yourself?

Join founders who got SOC 2 certified without expensive consultants. Plain-language guidance, policies for your stack, automated evidence.

Start Your SOC 2 Journey — $250/mo Compare to Vanta & Drata

No long-term contracts.

Related Resources

ISO 27001 Compliance Automated Evidence Risk Assessment Incident Management Free Policy Generator

SOC 2 Certification Without the Consultant

Why SOC 2 Feels Impossible

The Traditional Way

The AuditBadger Way

System Description Builder

Company Overview

System Boundaries

Subservice Orgs

Commitments

System Components

Internal Controls

CSOCs

CUECs

Trust Service Criteria Coverage

Security

Availability

Processing Integrity

Confidentiality

Privacy

Implementation Tracking

Automated Evidence Collection

AWS

Google Cloud

GitHub

Cloudflare

Everything Else You Need

Policy Generation

Risk Assessment

Incident Management

Business Continuity

Vendor Management

Audit Trail

Type I vs Type II: Which Do You Need?

SOC 2 Type I

SOC 2 Type II

Ready to Handle SOC 2 Yourself?

Related Resources

SOC 2 Certification
Without the Consultant