What Does HITRUST Certification Actually Cost?
HITRUST is one of the more expensive frameworks due to mandatory assessor fees and HITRUST's own platform fees. However, the introduction of the e1 and i1 assessment types in recent years created a genuinely cheaper path.
| Assessment Type | Estimated Cost | Timeline | Controls |
|---|---|---|---|
| e1 (Essentials) | $20,000 – $35,000 | 2 – 4 months | 44 |
| i1 (Implemented) | $30,000 – $60,000 | 3 – 6 months | 182 |
| r2 (Risk-based) | $50,000 – $150,000+ | 6 – 18 months | 300+ |
Costs include the HITRUST MyCSF platform subscription ($4,000 – $10,000/year), external assessor fees ($15,000 – $80,000+), and HITRUST QA review fees.
Budget Tier Recommendations
Startup budget (under $30,000): Pursue the e1 assessment. With only 44 controls, it is achievable for smaller organizations and still carries the HITRUST brand.
Mid-market ($30,000 – $60,000): The i1 assessment covers 182 controls and is valid for one year. Pair an automation platform with a mid-tier assessor.
Enterprise ($60,000+): The r2 assessment is the gold standard, valid for two years. Budget for a large assessor firm and significant internal preparation.
Our Recommendation
For the cheapest path, we recommend LowerPlane — starting at $4,000/year, it pre-maps your controls to HITRUST CSF requirements, automates evidence collection, and generates assessment-ready documentation. Customers typically reduce assessor fees by up to 40% because evidence is organized and validated before the assessor arrives.
Where to Cut Costs
- Start with e1. The essentials assessment costs a fraction of r2 and proves your baseline security posture.
- Automate evidence collection. Assessors charge by the hour. Pre-organized evidence means less assessor time.
- Leverage inheritance. HITRUST allows control inheritance from cloud providers. If you run on AWS or Azure, many controls are already addressed.
- Get multiple assessor quotes. Assessor pricing varies significantly. Get at least three bids.
Where Not to Cut Costs
- The MyCSF platform. It is mandatory — there is no alternative.
- Assessor quality. A poor assessor leads to HITRUST QA rejections, which cost additional rounds of review.
- Corrective Action Plans. If gaps are found, resolving them promptly avoids costly re-assessment.
Get Started
Try LowerPlane → and minimize your HITRUST certification costs.