The Short Answer
HITRUST certification cost runs from about $27,000 for an e1 assessment to $160,000 or more for a full r2 assessment, in year one, all in. Unlike most frameworks on this site, your assessment type, not company size, is the primary driver, since e1, i1, and r2 require genuinely different depths of control testing.
This page assumes you know the difference between HITRUST's assessment types. If not, see our HITRUST certification guide for the full breakdown of e1, i1, and r2.
HITRUST Cost by Assessment Type
| Assessment type | Readiness & remediation | Assessment fee | Year-one total |
|---|---|---|---|
| e1 (Foundational, 1-year) | $15,000 – $30,000 | $12,000 – $20,000 | $27,000 – $50,000 |
| i1 (Implemented, 1-year) | $30,000 – $55,000 | $20,000 – $35,000 | $50,000 – $90,000 |
| r2 (Risk-based, 2-year with interim) | $55,000 – $100,000 | $35,000 – $60,000 | $90,000 – $160,000 |
e1 is the entry point, a foundational control set most smaller vendors can satisfy without extensive remediation. i1 covers substantially more controls and has become the common mid-market target for healthtech SaaS companies. r2, the most rigorous and expandable option, is what large health systems and payers typically require of their most critical vendors.
Assessment Fee vs Readiness: What Each Covers
The assessment fee goes to the external assessor firm conducting the review and to HITRUST itself for quality assurance and certification issuance, the same basic split as an audit fee in SOC 2 or ISO 27001. Readiness, the larger line at every tier, covers gap analysis, control implementation, evidence collection, and remediating whatever the gap analysis finds. As with every framework on this site, the assessment fee alone understates your real budget significantly.
Why Assessment Type Beats Company Size as a Cost Driver
A 30-person and a 300-person company both pursuing e1 face a similarly-scaled project, since e1's foundational control set doesn't expand dramatically with headcount. The same 30-person company pursuing r2 instead faces a materially larger project, because r2 tests far more controls in far greater depth, independent of how many employees you have. Confirm which assessment type your customer or contract actually requires before scoping a budget, this single decision matters more than any other input.
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Get a Free QuoteStarting at e1 and Stepping Up
Moving from e1 to i1 or r2 in a later cycle is a common, cost-effective path. Evidence and control work already in place from an e1 assessment carries forward and reduces the incremental lift needed to step up, rather than starting the next assessment type from a blank slate. If your immediate requirement is unclear, starting at e1 and confirming whether a customer actually needs more before investing further is usually the lower-risk sequence.
Certification Validity Affects the Budget Rhythm
An r2 certification is valid for two years with a required interim assessment at year one, spreading assessment cost slightly differently over the cycle. e1 and i1 are both one-year certifications, meaning a fresh assessment fee is due annually rather than every two years. Factor this into a multi-year budget rather than assuming the first-year figure repeats identically.
HITRUST Alongside SOC 2 or ISO 27001
There's meaningful control overlap between HITRUST and both SOC 2 and ISO 27001, which reduces incremental readiness cost if you already hold one. HITRUST itself, however, is a separate assessment with its own fee regardless of what else you have, since it's the specific credential many healthcare payers and health systems require by name. See our SOC 2 certification cost and ISO 27001 certification cost breakdowns for how those compare.
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Talk to an Avantcert ExpertFrequently asked questions about HITRUST certification cost
Why does assessment type matter more for HITRUST cost than company size?
Because HITRUST's assessment types, e1, i1, and r2, require fundamentally different depths of control testing regardless of headcount. A 30-person and a 300-person company both pursuing e1 face a similar-scale project, while the same 30-person company pursuing r2 instead faces a materially larger one, because r2 tests far more controls in far greater depth.
Is HITRUST more expensive than SOC 2 for a similar-size company?
Generally, yes, at the i1 and r2 levels. HITRUST's control testing is more prescriptive and detailed than SOC 2's Trust Services Criteria, and the HITRUST assessment fee itself is layered on top of the readiness work, similar in structure to SOC 2 but typically higher in absolute terms for a comparable company size.
Can a company start with e1 and move to i1 or r2 later without starting over?
Yes, this is a common and cost-effective path. e1 is designed as an entry point, and evidence and control work from an e1 assessment carries forward and reduces the incremental effort needed to step up to i1 or r2 in a later cycle, rather than starting each assessment type from a blank slate.
What does the HITRUST assessment fee cover versus readiness work?
The assessment fee is paid to the external assessor firm and to HITRUST itself for quality assurance and issuance of the certification. Readiness work, gap analysis, control implementation, evidence collection, and remediation, is a separate and usually larger line, similar in principle to how SOC 2 and ISO 27001 budgets split between audit fee and preparation.
How long is a HITRUST certification valid, and does that affect the budget?
An r2 certification is valid for two years with a required interim assessment at year one; e1 and i1 are one-year certifications. This means r2 spreads its assessment cost slightly differently over time, while e1 and i1 both require a fresh assessment fee every single year.
Do we need HITRUST if we already have SOC 2 or ISO 27001?
Only if a customer specifically requires it, most often large healthcare payers, health systems, or health-tech platforms with HITRUST written into vendor requirements. There is meaningful control overlap with SOC 2 and ISO 27001, which reduces incremental readiness cost, but HITRUST itself is a separate assessment and fee regardless of what you already hold.
What's the cheapest realistic path to a HITRUST assessment?
Starting with e1 rather than jumping straight to i1 or r2, provided e1 satisfies whatever your customer or contract actually requires. Confirm the required assessment type before committing budget, since pursuing r2 when a customer only needs e1 is the single most common way HITRUST budgets overshoot.
About Avantcert. Avantcert is a compliance consultancy that has guided 3,000+ organisations across 40+ markets through HITRUST readiness and assessment at every tier. See our HITRUST certification service or request a free quote.