SOC 2 compliance software: what it does and how to choose
For a first SOC 2 Type I, a spreadsheet and a shared folder can be enough. For Type II, they rarely are. The auditor tests whether every control operated across the whole observation period, so evidence has to be collected all the time, not only before the audit. That is the job SOC 2 compliance software is built for.
Key takeaways
- SOC 2 compliance software maps your controls to the Trust Services Criteria and collects the evidence that shows they operated.
- It does not issue the report. A licensed CPA firm does, after testing your controls.
- The biggest value is continuous evidence across the observation period, so gaps show up while you can still fix them.
- The key selection questions: evidence from your tech stack, mapping to other frameworks, the system description and how the auditor works with it.
What the software does
- Control mapping: each control linked to the criteria it addresses, starting with the Security criteria that every SOC 2 report includes.
- Evidence collection: access reviews, change approvals, onboarding and offboarding, backups and monitoring, pulled from your tech stack on a schedule instead of screenshots before the audit.
- Policies: drafted, approved and linked to the controls they describe.
- System description: the narrative of your system that you write and the auditor tests.
- Vendor and risk management: subservice organisations, their own SOC reports and your risk assessment in one place.
- Audit collaboration: evidence the auditor can review per control and per sample.
When it pays off
The case for software grows with the length of the observation period and the number of controls you evidence by hand. It also grows when a second framework arrives. Most SOC 2 controls overlap with ISO 27001, and many with NIS2 or TISAX®. If each control is mapped once and reused, the second framework is mostly a mapping exercise. Our guide on SOC 2 vs ISO 27001 shows where they overlap.
What to check before you choose
- Evidence from your tech stack. Which systems connect, how often is evidence collected, and what still needs manual uploads?
- Gaps during the period. Does the tool flag a missing review or a failed check while there is still time to fix it?
- Other frameworks. Can the same control serve SOC 2, ISO 27001 and others with one set of evidence?
- System description. Does it help you write and maintain it, or is it a separate document?
- Your auditor. Can your CPA firm work with the evidence as it is exported or shared?
- Setup effort and support. How long until the first gap analysis, and who helps you prepare for the audit?
Where GetTeddy fits
GetTeddy maps your controls to the Trust Services Criteria and collects evidence from your tech stack across the observation period, supported by AI agents. Missing evidence is flagged while you can still act. The same controls serve ISO 27001, NIS2, TISAX® and other frameworks. A compliance engineer helps you prepare for the audit, and you stay in charge of every decision.
Planning the budget? Our guide on what a SOC 2 report costs explains the cost drivers, and our page on SOC 2 compliance shows how the agents support each step.
