SOC 2 and ISO 27001 are the two most-requested security compliance frameworks for B2B vendors. They overlap in substance but differ significantly in form, audience, and effort. This guide helps you choose.
SOC 2 is an audit report (Type I or Type II) produced by an AICPA-affiliated auditor. It is primarily requested by US enterprise customers and tells them how your security controls operate over time.
ISO 27001 is a certification awarded by an accredited certification body against an international standard. It is primarily requested by UK, EU, and global enterprise customers and tells them you have a working Information Security Management System (ISMS).
If your buyers are in the US, lead with SOC 2. If your buyers are in the UK, EU, or global, lead with ISO 27001. Many companies eventually pursue both.
| Dimension | SOC 2 | ISO 27001 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Audit report | Certification |
| Issuing body | AICPA-affiliated CPA firm | Accredited certification body (UKAS-accredited in UK) |
| Geographic preference | US-led, increasing global | UK / EU / global |
| Output | Type I (point-in-time) or Type II (period of time) report | Certificate (3-year cycle with annual surveillance) |
| Scope flexibility | You choose Trust Services Criteria (security, availability, confidentiality, processing integrity, privacy) | Annex A controls + ISMS scope you define |
| Audit frequency | Annual | Annual surveillance, full recertification every 3 years |
| Effort (first time) | 3-6 months readiness + audit window | 6-12 months from kickoff to certification |
| Public proof | Report shared under NDA | Public certificate, listed on certification body register |
SOC 2 is an attestation against criteria you scope. Auditor judgement matters. Two SOC 2 reports for similar companies can look very different depending on scope and auditor.
ISO 27001 is a certification against a fixed standard. The bar is more uniform across certification bodies. The certificate itself is binary, you either hold it or you do not.
SOC 2 reports describe how controls operated. ISO 27001 certifies that an ISMS exists and works. The first is descriptive, the second is structural. This explains why mature security teams often prefer ISO 27001 as a long-term programme and SOC 2 as customer-facing evidence.
Your customers are US-based and asking specifically for SOC 2. You are selling into US tech buyers (other SaaS companies, US enterprise). You need customer-facing evidence quickly. Your investors expect SOC 2 as a milestone.
Your customers are UK, EU, or global enterprise. Procurement frameworks (UK government, EU public sector) ask for ISO 27001. You want a structural programme that scales with the company. You expect to pursue multiple frameworks over time and want a strong foundation.
You sell globally to enterprise. Your customers come from both the US and Europe. You are scaling fast and want one foundational ISMS with multiple attestation layers on top.
We deliver readiness, gap analysis, and assessment for SOC 2 and ISO 27001. For SOC 2 we work alongside your CPA auditor, scoping criteria and delivering the security testing the audit will require. For ISO 27001 we lead the ISMS build, internal audit, and Stage 1/Stage 2 preparation for your certification body.
For companies pursuing both, we build a single underlying control set that satisfies both frameworks. This is significantly more efficient than running two parallel programmes.
Yes. A well-scoped penetration test produces evidence accepted by SOC 2 auditors and ISO 27001 certification bodies. The report format is the same, the audit body just reads it differently.
Initially yes. SOC 2 Type I can be ready in 3-6 months with focused effort. ISO 27001 typically takes 6-12 months because of the ISMS structural work. Over time, ISO 27001 maintenance is lighter because the structure is in place.
Largely yes. Penetration test reports, risk assessments, policies, and incident records are accepted by both, with format differences. The underlying security work is the same.
Combined readiness is typically 30-40% cheaper than running both programmes independently. The shared ISMS, policies, and testing reduce duplicated effort considerably.
A 30-minute scoping call covers your specific context and lets us recommend the right approach. We will tell you honestly if our service is not the right fit.
Book a scoping callRelated: SOC 2 Compliance & Certification →