SOC 2 vs ISO 27001

Key Differences

ISO 27001 produces a globally recognised certificate issued by an IAF-accredited certification body, covering the entire organisation's ISMS, valid for three years with annual surveillance audits. It is the dominant assurance framework for enterprise buyers in Europe, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, and increasingly North America — and is directly accepted as NIS2 Article 21 compliance evidence.

SOC 2, defined by the AICPA, produces a report (not a certificate) prepared by a licensed US CPA firm — it covers a specific defined service or system boundary, not the whole organisation, and is primarily recognised by US enterprise buyers and SaaS procurement teams. ISO 27001 certification requires passing a two-stage third-party audit; SOC 2 Type II requires a readiness assessment and a Type II period audit.

Organisations selling into both US and global markets typically need both — and 76 of SOC 2's Common Criteria map to ISO 27001:2022 Annex A controls, making dual certification significantly more efficient with automated crosswalk management than pursuing them independently.

Explore each framework in depth: SOC 2 Compliance · ISO 27001 Compliance