How we rank compliance consultants

The method behind our "best consultants" guides: five factors, applied to what each firm publishes.

The five ranking factors

1. Delivery: does the firm take you from gap assessment to the certificate or report?
We look at whether a firm covers the whole journey: scoping, gap assessment, implementation, internal audit and support through the certification audit or attestation. Firms that only sell templates, software or a single step can still be a good fit, but they ask more of your own team.
2. Pricing transparency: does it publish prices, and do they include the audit?
We check whether a firm publishes its prices, and whether those prices include the certification body's or CPA firm's audit fee. Published, all-inclusive pricing makes it easier to budget and to compare quotes like for like.
3. Independence: is the auditor separate from the people who prepare you?
We check that the people who prepare you are not the people who certify or attest you. Certificates should come from accredited certification bodies, and SOC 2 reports from licensed CPA firms.
4. Framework coverage: can it map one control set across the frameworks you need?
Many companies need more than one framework. We look at whether a firm can map one control set across SOC 2, ISO 27001, ISO 42001, HIPAA, HITRUST, DPDP and others, so each control is built once.
5. Experience: what track record does it publish?
We look at the track record each firm publishes, such as engagement counts, client numbers, accreditations and years in business. Where a figure is the firm's own claim, we say so in the guide.

We review every list once a quarter, and sooner when a firm's published details change.

Last updated: November 2026