Comparison

SOC 2 Type 1 vs Type 2: Which Do You Need?

Pick the right certification path for your stage and customer demands.

Enterprise customers often ask for "SOC 2 compliance" but rarely specify Type 1 or Type 2 — and the difference matters enormously for your timeline and budget. Type 1 is a point-in-time snapshot of your controls; Type 2 is a period-of-time evaluation showing those controls actually operated effectively. This guide helps you figure out which one your customers actually need, which one you can realistically get, and how to sequence them if you need both.