In 2026, the shift from building an in-house Security Operations Center (SOC) to adopting SOC as a Service (SOCaaS) has become the standard for mid-market and enterprise organizations alike. With the global cybersecurity talent gap reaching nearly 5 million unfilled roles, the “build vs. buy” debate has largely been settled by the sheer math of operational costs.
This article provides a deep dive into the pricing structures, hidden costs, and ROI metrics of SOCaaS in the current market.
1. The Financial Reality: In-House vs. SOCaaS
To understand SOCaaS pricing, one must first look at the cost of the alternative. Building a 24/7 in-house SOC in 2026 requires a minimum of 8 to 12 full-time employees to cover shifts, holidays, and turnover.
| Expense Category | In-House SOC (Annual) | SOCaaS (Annual) |
| Personnel (Analysts/Managers) | $1,200,000 – $1,800,000 | Included in subscription |
| Technology Stack (SIEM/SOAR/EDR) | $200,000 – $500,000 | Included or Co-managed |
| Training & Certifications | $50,000 – $80,000 | Included |
| Facilities & Overhead | $100,000+ | $0 |
| Total Estimated Cost | $1.5M – $2.5M+ | $80,000 – $600,000 |
The Verdict: SOCaaS typically offers a 60-80% cost reduction compared to an equivalent in-house operation, with most organizations seeing a full ROI within 6 to 12 months.
2. Common SOCaaS Pricing Models
There is no “one-size-fits-all” price. Providers in 2026 generally use one of the following four models:
A. Per-User / Per-Employee Pricing
The most common and predictable model. You pay a flat fee for every employee in the organization.
- Average Cost: $175 – $400 per user/month (for advanced security packages).
- Best For: Organizations with a stable headcount that want a simple, “all-you-can-eat” security model.
B. Per-Endpoint / Per-Asset Pricing
Pricing is based on the number of devices (laptops, servers, cloud instances) being monitored.
- Average Cost: $11 – $75 per device/month.
- Best For: Companies with highly virtualized environments or a large number of servers relative to their staff size.
C. Data Ingestion (Volume-Based) Pricing
Charges are based on the amount of log data (GB/day or TB/month) sent to the SOC’s SIEM.
- Average Cost: $200 – $500 per GB/day.
- The Risk: This is the most unpredictable model. A sudden spike in network traffic or a misconfigured log source can lead to “bill shock.”
D. Tiered Subscription (Flat-Rate)
Providers offer “Small,” “Medium,” and “Enterprise” packages with fixed feature sets.
- Average Cost: * Small Business: $2,000 – $5,000 / month
- Mid-Market: $8,000 – $25,000 / month
- Large Enterprise: $50,000 – $150,000+ / month
3. The “Hidden” Costs of SOCaaS
While the base subscription looks attractive, several variables can inflate the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) by 40–70%:
- Onboarding & Implementation Fees: Expect a one-time setup fee ranging from 10% to 20% of the annual contract. This covers log integration, API configurations, and custom “playbook” development.
- Incident Response (IR) Surcharges: Many providers monitor alerts but charge extra for active remediation. IR hourly rates in 2026 range from $250 to $500/hour.
- Cloud Egress Fees: If you are sending massive amounts of telemetry from AWS or Azure to an external SOC, your cloud provider will charge you for the data leaving their network.
- Custom Detection Rules: If your business uses proprietary software, the provider may charge “Professional Services” fees to write custom detection logic.
4. How to Evaluate Value in a Quote
When comparing quotes from vendors like CrowdStrike, Arctic Wolf, or BlueVoyant, look for these “Value Multipliers”:
- MTTD & MTTR: Ask for their guaranteed Mean Time to Detect and Mean Time to Respond. In 2026, a top-tier SOC should detect critical threats in under 15 minutes.
- Threat Hunting: Is proactive hunting included, or are they only reacting to automated alerts?
- Co-Management: Does the price include access to the underlying tools (SIEM/EDR) so your internal team can also see the data, or is it a “black box” service?
Conclusion
SOC as a Service has moved from a luxury to a necessity. For most enterprises, the question is no longer if they can afford it, but rather which pricing model aligns best with their data growth and risk profile.