ISO 27001 + SOC 2 Without a Consultant (2026): The Cheapest Honest Path
You can do most of the ISO 27001 and SOC 2 documentation yourself without a consultant — and because the two frameworks share many controls, one security program mapped to both is cheaper than documenting each separately. For the documentation layer, an editable dual toolkit is a one-time $149, versus illustrative consultant fees of $1,250+ or monitoring platforms at $7,000+/yr. This guide lays out the honest cheapest path. The one thing you cannot DIY: the SOC 2 report comes only from a licensed CPA firm, and ISO 27001 certification only from an accredited body after a Stage 1 and Stage 2 audit. No purchase skips those.
Why one program covers both frameworks
ISO 27001 and SOC 2 overlap heavily. Both expect access control, change management, incident response, risk assessment, vendor management and similar controls; the difference is mostly in framing and the final report. So the cheapest sane approach is not to build two programs — it is to run one security program and map its controls to both the ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A controls and the AICPA Trust Services Criteria using a crosswalk. You write a policy once (say, access control) and show how it satisfies both frameworks. That is where the cost savings come from, and it is exactly what a dual documentation set is built to do.
The cost reality for the documentation layer
For the documents specifically — the policies, procedures, registers and crosswalk — the routes compare like this. The audit and certification are always separate and always priced by the CPA firm and the certification body.
| Route | What you get | Cost (documentation layer) |
|---|---|---|
| Editable dual toolkit (ISO 27001 + SOC 2) | 47 documents across both frameworks with a control crosswalk; you tailor them | $149 one-time |
| Compliance consultant | Tailored drafting and hands-on readiness for both frameworks | $1,250 – $2,750+ |
| Continuous-monitoring platform | Policy generation plus automated evidence, by subscription | $7,000+/yr |
ComplianceDocs' $149 is our published one-time price for the dual toolkit. Consultant and platform figures are illustrative estimates based on publicly available pricing; they vary by scope and are not quotes.
What you can DIY vs. what always needs a professional
Doing it "without a consultant" does not mean doing it without anyone. It means you handle the documentation and operation yourself, and pay only for the parts that legally require an external party. Here is the honest split:
| Step | DIY? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Write the policies, procedures and registers | Yes | An editable dual toolkit gives you the full set to tailor; this is the slow part you can buy back. |
| Build the Statement of Applicability + risk assessment | Yes | The toolkit includes the 93-control SoA and a risk register; you populate them for your scope. |
| Operate the controls and gather evidence | Yes | This is the real work — and the part no template or consultant can do for you. |
| SOC 2 report | No | Only a licensed CPA firm can examine your controls and issue the SOC 2 report. |
| ISO 27001 certification | No | Only an accredited certification body can certify you, after a Stage 1 and Stage 2 audit. |
You can remove the consultant from the documentation and readiness work; you cannot remove the CPA firm or the accredited body. Budget for those separately.
Where ComplianceDocs fits
ComplianceDocs is the documentation half of this path. The ISO 27001 + SOC 2 Dual Toolkit is $149 as a one-time purchase: 47 editable documents across both frameworks, with the control crosswalk that lets one policy support both, the 93-control Statement of Applicability, and the registers — in Word and Excel under a single-organization licence, with free previews of the real content. It is roughly a tenth of a typical consultant engagement for the documentation layer and you own the files outright rather than renting a subscription. What it does not do — and we will not pretend otherwise — is operate your controls, gather your evidence, or stand in for the CPA firm and the accredited body. The cheapest honest path is: buy the documentation, do the operating work yourself, and pay only the external parties the standards actually require.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I get ISO 27001 and SOC 2 without a consultant?
- Yes, for the documentation and readiness work. Because the frameworks share many controls, you can run one security program mapped to both and use an editable dual toolkit instead of paying a consultant to draft from scratch. What you cannot DIY is the SOC 2 report (a licensed CPA firm) and ISO 27001 certification (an accredited body after Stage 1 and Stage 2 audits).
- What is the cheapest way to get ISO 27001 and SOC 2?
- For the documentation layer, the cheapest route is one editable dual toolkit mapped to both frameworks — about $149 one-time — instead of an illustrative $1,250+ consultant engagement or a $7,000+/yr platform (those competitor figures are estimates, not quotes). You then operate the controls yourself and pay only the CPA firm and accredited body, which the standards require.
- Can one set of policies cover both ISO 27001 and SOC 2?
- Often yes. ISO 27001 and SOC 2 share many controls — access control, incident response, change management — so one well-written policy can support both with a control crosswalk that maps it to the Annex A controls and the Trust Services Criteria. Running a single program mapped to both is usually cheaper than documenting each separately.
- Does buying a dual toolkit make me ISO 27001 and SOC 2 compliant?
- No. The toolkit gives you the policies, the Statement of Applicability and the registers, which removes the drafting. You still operate the controls and gather evidence, and the outcomes come only from external parties: a licensed CPA firm issues the SOC 2 report, and an accredited certification body certifies ISO 27001 after Stage 1 and Stage 2 audits.
Related guides: ISO/IEC 27001 · SOC 2
Toolkits that help
ISO 27001 + SOC 2 Dual Toolkit
47 documents covering both frameworks plus a control crosswalk, risk register, Statement of Applicability and TSC mapping — run one security program, pass two audits.
ISO 27001 Complete Toolkit
All 24 policies and procedures plus the risk register, 93-control Statement of Applicability and audit evidence checklist — audit-ready from day one.
SOC 2 Complete Toolkit
22 policies plus the risk register, full Trust Services Criteria mapping and audit evidence checklist — built for startups facing their first SOC 2.