How Much Does ISO 27001 Certification Cost?
ISO 27001 Stage 1 + Stage 2 certification audits together start from $5,000 for companies with 1–20 employees/FTEs. Larger-company tiers below are illustrative planning examples. Scope and the certification body's final quote control the price; surveillance, readiness, internal audits, and tooling are separate.
ISO 27001 Stage 1 + Stage 2 Planning Schedule
ISO 27001 Stage 1 + Stage 2 certification audits together start from $5,000 for companies with 1–20 employees/FTEs.
| Company size | Stage 1 + Stage 2 together |
|---|---|
| 1-20 employees/FTEs | $5,000 |
| 21-50 employees/FTEs | $7,500 |
| 51-100 employees/FTEs | $10,000 |
| 101-200 employees/FTEs | $15,000 |
| 201-500 employees/FTEs | $25,000 |
| 501+ employees/FTEs | Custom quote |
Prices depend on scope and final quote. Higher tiers are illustrative planning examples, not observed market statistics or confirmed certification-body rates. Platform fees are included; surveillance, readiness, internal audits and tooling are separate. This is not a fixed-price checkout offer or the full three-year lifecycle cost.
Machine-Readable ISO 27001 Prices
AuditNex publishes a Markdown (.md) file containing our latest ISO 27001 prices. Buyers, AI crawlers, and bots can use it as a direct price reference, including the qualifications that apply to each tier.
First-Party Medians & Percentiles
Where our own marketplace data supports it, we publish the median and 25th–75th percentile range for each segment. Any segment with fewer than 5 underlying data points is withheld, not estimated — the row says so explicitly. ISO 27001 transaction and review figures are historical observations, not the current public planning schedule or a promised quote.
| Segment | Median & percentile range |
|---|---|
| ISO 27001 historical completed transactions | Withheld — 0 samples, below our 5-sample minimum |
| ISO 27001 historical self-reported prices (auditor reviews) | Withheld — 0 samples, below our 5-sample minimum |
| Auditor tier (Big 4 / national / boutique) | Withheld — not yet enough verified tier data to publish tier-level medians |
Data as of September 20, 2026 (live view — first quarterly snapshot pending).
Methodology: computed only from AuditNex marketplace records (test and internal traffic excluded), refreshed by quarterly snapshot. See our methodology and how we use pricing data.
What Drives Your ISO 27001 Price
No two engagements cost the same. These are the factors auditors weigh most when scoping a ISO 27001 price.
| Factor | Why it affects price | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Headcount in scope | Certification bodies calculate audit days from your in-scope employee count using ISO/IEC 27006 tables. More people, more days. | High |
| Number of sites | Each physical location can add sampling and audit days. Multi-site and global footprints raise the fee sharply. | High |
| ISMS scope | A tightly drawn scope (one product, one cloud) audits far faster than an enterprise-wide ISMS spanning many systems. | High |
| Readiness path | In-house implementation can reduce external spend but takes more internal time; consultant support is scoped and quoted separately. | Medium |
| Certification-body quote | Each accredited body confirms required audit effort, availability, travel, and final fees for the defined scope. | Medium |
What's Included — and What's Not
Usually included in the audit fee
- ✓Stage 1 documentation review by an accredited certification body
- ✓Stage 2 on-site/remote assessment of your ISMS in operation
- ✓Audit planning, reporting, and the ISO 27001 certificate
Often priced separately
- –Gap analysis and readiness assessment
- –ISMS implementation — consultant support or internal time
- –Required annual internal audit
- –Compliance automation tooling (platform fees for the audit marketplace itself are included)
- –Annual surveillance audits and three-year recertification
Timeline & Renewal
ISO 27001 Cost FAQ
How much does ISO 27001 certification cost in 2026?
ISO 27001 Stage 1 and Stage 2 certification audits together start from $5,000 for companies with 1–20 employees/FTEs. Illustrative planning tiers are $7,500 for 21–50, $10,000 for 51–100, $15,000 for 101–200, and $25,000 for 201–500; companies with 501+ need a custom quote. Scope and final quote apply, and surveillance, readiness, internal audits, and tooling are separate.
Why can ISO 27001 cost more than the starting price?
ISO 27001 is a formal certification. An accredited certification body scopes Stage 1 and Stage 2 based on factors such as in-scope headcount, sites, and ISMS complexity. The $5,000 starting price applies to the 1–20 employee/FTE tier, while larger tiers are illustrative and the final quote controls. Annual surveillance and other lifecycle work are separate.
What is the difference between Stage 1 and Stage 2?
Stage 1 is a documentation readiness review — the auditor confirms your ISMS policies, procedures, and records exist. Stage 2 is the deeper evaluation that tests whether those controls actually operate effectively. They're usually quoted together as a single certification fee.
Are there ongoing ISO 27001 costs after the first audit?
Yes. Annual internal audits, external surveillance, recertification, readiness support, and tooling are separate from the Stage 1 + Stage 2 planning schedule. Their cost depends on scope and provider, so obtain a lifecycle quote rather than treating an illustrative certification tier as a three-year total.
How can I reduce my ISO 27001 cost?
Keep your ISMS scope tight, consolidate to fewer cloud platforms and sites, do as much readiness work in-house as your team can handle, and use a GRC platform to automate evidence collection. Getting competitive quotes from multiple accredited bodies also matters — each one prices independently.
Sources & methodology: Figures are publicly reported industry ranges drawn from AuditNex ISO 27001 public planning schedule (higher tiers are illustrative); ISO/IEC 27006 audit-day guidance. AuditNex is a marketplace and does not set audit fees — each accredited firm prices independently. Ranges are estimates for planning only, not quotes.
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