ISO 27001 vs SOC 2: Which Do You Need?
A clear comparison of ISO 27001 and SOC 2 — key differences, when to choose which, where they overlap, and whether you should pursue both.
Two frameworks, different philosophies
ISO 27001 and SOC 2 are the two most common information security frameworks that B2B companies pursue, but they approach security from different angles.
ISO 27001 is an international standard published by ISO/IEC. It specifies requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving an Information Security Management System (ISMS). It’s prescriptive — it tells you what controls exist and asks you to map your risks against them.
SOC 2 is a reporting framework developed by the AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants). It evaluates your controls against five Trust Services Criteria. It’s more flexible — you define your own controls, and the auditor evaluates whether they’re designed and operating effectively.
Key differences at a glance
| Dimension | ISO 27001 | SOC 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | International (ISO/IEC) | United States (AICPA) |
| Output | Certificate (pass/fail) | Audit report (opinion + details) |
| Scope | Management system + Annex A controls | Trust Services Criteria |
| Flexibility | 93 controls to address | You define controls per criteria |
| Audit cycle | 3-year certificate, annual surveillance | Annual report (Type 2) |
| Primary market | Europe, Asia, global enterprises | North America, US SaaS |
| Cost range | $15,000-$100,000+ | $20,000-$80,000+ |
| Timeline | 3-12 months | 2-9 months |
When to choose ISO 27001
ISO 27001 is typically the right choice when:
- Your customers are in Europe or Asia. ISO 27001 is the globally recognized standard for information security. European enterprises overwhelmingly prefer it.
- You want a certificate to show. ISO 27001 results in a certificate you can display. SOC 2 produces a report that’s shared under NDA.
- You need a management system. If your goal is building a comprehensive, long-term security program, ISO 27001’s ISMS approach provides the framework for continuous improvement.
- You’re in a regulated industry. ISO 27001 aligns well with GDPR, NIS2, and other regulatory requirements.
When to choose SOC 2
SOC 2 is typically the right choice when:
- Your customers are in the US. American enterprise buyers are trained to ask for SOC 2 reports. It’s the standard expectation for SaaS vendors.
- You need to unblock deals quickly. A SOC 2 Type 1 can be achieved in 1 to 3 months. ISO 27001 typically takes longer.
- You want flexibility in control design. SOC 2 lets you define your own controls, which can work well for cloud-native companies with non-traditional architectures.
- Your buyers want to see detailed findings. The SOC 2 report includes the auditor’s detailed testing results, which sophisticated security teams prefer to review.
Where they overlap
The good news: ISO 27001 and SOC 2 cover substantially similar ground. Both require:
- Access control — managing who can access what
- Risk management — identifying and treating security risks
- Incident response — detecting, responding to, and recovering from security events
- Change management — controlling changes to systems and code
- Vendor management — assessing third-party risk
- Encryption — protecting data at rest and in transit
- Monitoring and logging — maintaining visibility into system activity
- Business continuity — ensuring operational resilience
If you implement controls for one framework, you’ll cover roughly 70 to 80 percent of the other. The work is not wasted.
Doing both: when and how
Many growing companies eventually pursue both, especially those selling globally. Here’s the practical approach:
Start with one
Choose based on your current market. US-focused? Start with SOC 2. Europe-focused? Start with ISO 27001. Global from day one? ISO 27001 gives you the broader foundation.
Build a unified control set
Instead of maintaining separate control documentation, create a single set of controls that maps to both frameworks. Your access control policy should satisfy both ISO 27001 Annex A and SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria.
Use the first to accelerate the second
Once you have one framework in place, the second is incremental work, not a greenfield project. ISO 27001 to SOC 2 typically adds 2 to 3 months. SOC 2 to ISO 27001 may take a bit longer because of the ISMS documentation requirements.
Track everything in one place
The biggest risk of doing both is maintaining duplicate evidence and documentation. Use a tool like AuditFront to centralize your compliance posture across frameworks, map overlapping controls, and avoid redundant work.
The bottom line
Neither framework is objectively “better.” The right choice depends on your market, your customers, and your growth trajectory.
If you’re a US SaaS startup selling to American enterprises, SOC 2 is the pragmatic first step. If you’re selling into European markets or want a comprehensive management system, ISO 27001 is the stronger foundation. And if you’re scaling globally, plan for both — the overlap makes it manageable.
Run a free gap analysis for both frameworks with AuditFront’s self-assessment templates and see how your current practices stack up.