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SOC 2 vs ISO 27001

Tell us about your customers, industry, and requirements to get a data-driven recommendation on which compliance framework to pursue first.

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SOC 2 and ISO 27001: Two Paths to Trust

SOC 2 is a US-centric attestation issued by licensed CPA firms. It evaluates your controls against the AICPA Trust Service Criteria and produces a report that is widely recognized by American enterprise buyers. ISO 27001 is a globally recognized certification issued by accredited certification bodies. It requires implementing a formal Information Security Management System (ISMS) and is the standard in Europe, Asia-Pacific, and international markets.

Both frameworks prove your organization takes security seriously, but they do so through different mechanisms and carry different weight depending on your buyer's geography and expectations.

The 73% Control Overlap

SOC 2 and ISO 27001 share approximately 73 percent of their control requirements. Organizations pursuing both frameworks can reuse the majority of their policies, procedures, and technical controls. This means the marginal effort of adding a second framework is significantly lower than the first.

Hicomply makes this efficient with cross-framework mapping that automatically identifies shared controls across SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI DSS, GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, NIST CSF, SOX IT controls, Cyber Essentials, and TX-RAMP. Write a control once and it satisfies multiple frameworks simultaneously.

Making the Right Choice

US-based SaaS companies selling primarily to American enterprise buyers should start with SOC 2. Companies with European or global customer bases often need ISO 27001 first because it is the expected standard in those markets. Many organizations ultimately need both, and starting with either one gives you a 73 percent head start on the second.

Hicomply plans start from $6,995 per year with unlimited users. The platform supports both frameworks natively, so you can pursue SOC 2 and ISO 27001 on a single platform without duplicating work. Organizations are typically audit-ready in 8-12 weeks.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Should I get SOC 2 or ISO 27001 first?

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