What is the difference between ISO 27001 and SOC 2?

ISO 27001 is a certifiable international standard with a certificate and Statement of Applicability as deliverables. SOC 2 is an attestation report produced by a CPA firm against the Trust Services Criteria. ISO 27001 is the global default; SOC 2 is most common with North American SaaS buyers.

Should I get ISO 27001 or SOC 2 first?

If you sell mainly to US SaaS companies, start with SOC 2. If you sell to European, UK, or global enterprises, start with ISO 27001. If you will need both, implement controls once and cross-map evidence to both frameworks from the start.

Can you do ISO 27001 and SOC 2 together?

Yes. The control sets overlap substantially, so with cross-framework mapping a single piece of evidence can satisfy both. Pursuing them together is far cheaper than doing them separately.

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ISO 27001

ISO 27001 vs SOC 2: Which Should You Get First? (2026)

June 24, 2026 · 8 min read

The honest comparison — what each proves, who demands them, and why you rarely have to choose.

ISO 27001 and SOC 2 are the two most-requested security attestations. They overlap heavily, but they are not the same thing — one is a certifiable international standard, the other an attestation report.

What each one is

ISO/IEC 27001 is an international standard you get certified against by an accredited body. The deliverable is a certificate plus a Statement of Applicability. SOC 2 is an attestation performed by a licensed CPA firm against the Trust Services Criteria; the deliverable is a report (Type I at a point in time, or Type II over a period).

Who asks for which

SOC 2 dominates with North American buyers, especially when selling SaaS to US companies. ISO 27001 is the global default — common with European, UK, APAC, and enterprise buyers. Many growing companies eventually need both.

How much they overlap

A large share of controls overlap — access control, change management, risk assessment, vendor management, incident response. With cross-framework mapping, one piece of evidence can satisfy both. That is why pursuing ISO 27001 compliance automation and SOC 2 compliance automation together is far cheaper than doing them separately.

Which should you get first?

Selling mostly to US SaaS buyers? Start with SOC 2.
Selling to European, UK, or global enterprises? Start with ISO 27001.
Need both eventually? Implement controls once and map evidence to both from day one.

Doing both at once

Because the control sets overlap, the marginal cost of the second framework is small when evidence is cross-mapped. Start with the ISO 27001 certification checklist, and review the ISO 27001 cost breakdown to plan budget.

Run ISO 27001 and SOC 2 from one platform

See ISO 27001 automation →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between ISO 27001 and SOC 2?: ISO 27001 is a certifiable international standard with a certificate and Statement of Applicability as deliverables. SOC 2 is an attestation report produced by a CPA firm against the Trust Services Criteria. ISO 27001 is the global default; SOC 2 is most common with North American SaaS buyers.
Should I get ISO 27001 or SOC 2 first?: If you sell mainly to US SaaS companies, start with SOC 2. If you sell to European, UK, or global enterprises, start with ISO 27001. If you will need both, implement controls once and cross-map evidence to both frameworks from the start.
Can you do ISO 27001 and SOC 2 together?: Yes. The control sets overlap substantially, so with cross-framework mapping a single piece of evidence can satisfy both. Pursuing them together is far cheaper than doing them separately.