Penetration Testing Cost
Pen Test Pricing by Type, AI and LLM Penetration Testing, and How to Buy
A single pen test usually costs $5,000 to $50,000, and a red team engagement $40,000 to $200,000. Send us your scope once: we take it to the testers that fit and negotiate the price.
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Penetration testing cost for a single test usually runs $5,000 to $50,000, set mostly by the type of test and how much is in scope. eSecurity Planet's average of 10 published sources puts network tests at $9,900 to $53,700 and application tests at $8,900 to $34,600, while red team engagements run $40,000 to $200,000 or more. Testers bill about $157 an hour at the median of more than 400 penetration tester rates on federal GSA schedules (MCA calculation from GSA CALC). This page prices each test type with sources, shows what an annual testing program costs a 500-person and a 1,000-person company, covers AI and LLM penetration testing, and gives the scoping questions buyers put in an RFP. We source and negotiate penetration testing and the managed security services around it for mid-size and large companies, and the provider you choose pays us. See how we work.
Sources: planning ranges published by US testing firms Blaze Information Security, Compass IT Compliance and CyCognito (2025 to 2026), and SecurityWall for AI and LLM tests; cross-checked against eSecurity Planet's 10-source averages and Vendr buyer data, which sets the red team upper bound. Each range is the span the published sources share for a moderate scope; very large estates price above it. Figures as of October 2026. Free to cite with a link to this page.
Send what needs testing: IP counts, applications and APIs, cloud accounts, the compliance driver and when the report is due. You'll hear back within 24 hours. From there, we work out what the test should cost at your scope and which testers fit. Send it before you request quotes: once a testing firm has priced you directly, it will not register an advisor, and you negotiate alone.
Penetration Testing Cost by Type of Test
Each test type is priced by its own unit: IP addresses for networks, roles and pages for applications, endpoints for APIs, accounts for cloud, people for social engineering. The table gives the typical range, what drives it, and how long the testing usually takes.
| Test type | Typical cost per test | Priced by | Testing time |
|---|---|---|---|
| External networkinternet-facing hosts, VPN, mail, firewalls | $5,000 to $20,000; up to about $30,000 past 100 IPs | Live IP addresses and exposed services | About one week |
| Internal networkassumed breach inside the office or data center | $7,000 to $35,000 | Sites, network segments, Active Directory size | About one week |
| Web application | $5,000 to $30,000 per application | User roles, pages and functions, authentication | One to three weeks |
| APIREST, GraphQL, partner integrations | $5,000 to $20,000 | Endpoints and roles; documentation supplied | One to two weeks |
| CloudAWS, Azure, Google Cloud configuration and attack paths | $10,000 to $40,000 | Accounts or subscriptions, services in use, identity setup | One to three weeks |
| Mobile applicationiOS, Android and their back end | $5,000 to $30,000 | Platforms, app complexity, back-end APIs | One to two weeks |
| Social engineeringphishing, phone pretexting, physical | $4,000 to $10,000 for phishing and phone campaigns | Number of people, campaigns, sites | Set by the campaigns |
| AI and LLM applicationchatbots, RAG, agents with tools | $6,000 to $50,000 | Model integrations, tools and data the model can reach | One to four weeks |
| Red teamgoal-based, stealthy, full organization | $40,000 to $200,000 | Objectives, duration, techniques allowed | Two to eight weeks or more |
Ranges and durations as in the chart sources above. CISA's no-cost Risk and Vulnerability Assessment runs one week of external and one week of internal testing, a useful benchmark for network test length.
What penetration testing costs per hour and per day
Most quotes are built from tester-days, even when the price is fixed. Two government price sources show the rate underneath:
US federal schedules
$126 to $195an hour for the middle half of more than 400 penetration tester labor rates on GSA schedules, median about $157, full range about $57 to $321. Most sit on the HACS cybersecurity SIN, where penetration testing is its own subgroup. MCA calculation from GSA CALC ceiling rates.
UK government G-Cloud
£900 to £1,500a tester-day in supplier price documents: £1,200 for most test types and £1,500 for hardware at one supplier; £900 to £1,100 at another. Excluding VAT.
What a tester-day costs
$1,253at the GSA median: $156.62 x 8 hours (MCA calculation). A 10-day test is about $12,530 and a 20-day test about $25,060 before travel, reporting extras or retests, which is why most tests land inside the ranges above.
Penetration Testing Pricing Models
Fixed price per test
The most common model: one price for a defined scope and a report. Vendr's data puts project-based tests at $15,000 to $75,000 (Vendr). Fixed bids carry contingency, so a tight scope gets a better price.
Time and materials
Billed by the tester-day or hour at the rates above. Suits open-ended work such as a red team or a complex internal estate. Put a cap on days in writing.
Pen testing as a service
A yearly subscription or credit bank for repeat testing. Vendr estimates credits at $800 to $1,500 each, with a web application test using 10 to 20 (Vendr), and annual programs at $50,000 to $200,000 or more.
Automated testing
Software that runs network attack paths on a schedule, priced by IP or host: £12 per external IP and £8 per internal IP on G-Cloud 15; $4,000 to $10,000 a year for 1 to 150 external hosts on AWS Marketplace. It adds frequency; it does not replace a tester for applications.
What buyers pay testing platforms
| Testing platform | Median per year | Range in buyer data | Purchases |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cobaltcredit-based pen testing as a service | $30,000 | $8,937 to $87,840 | 194 (Vendr) |
| NetSPIproject tests and pen testing as a service | $37,688 | $13,200 to $156,443 | 47 (Vendr) |
| Bugcrowdmanaged pen tests and bug bounty | $39,196 | $10,000 to $80,563 | 192 (Vendr) |
| HackerOnepen tests and bug bounty | $41,000 | $19,904 to $129,802 | 319 (Vendr) |
Median deal size reflects each buyer set's size and scope, not a like-for-like price. Platform totals often include bug bounty and attack surface services alongside pen testing.
What Drives Pen Test Pricing
IP addresses and sites
Network tests price by live hosts and services, not total address space. Count what responds, and list each site and segment that internal testing must reach.
Applications and roles
Each application is priced separately, and each user role adds testing: an admin, a customer and a partner role is three sets of permissions to try to break.
Black, gray or white box
Giving testers credentials, documentation or source code costs more per day but finds more per day. Gray box, with test accounts, is the usual middle ground.
Retest
A retest confirms your fixes. Some suppliers include it: one G-Cloud price document retests high and critical findings free up to one day's effort (G-Cloud 15). Get it in the quote.
Timing
Out-of-hours testing costs more: 1.5 times the day rate on weekday evenings and 2 times on weekends in the same price document. Rush dates before an audit narrow your choice of testers.
Compliance reporting
A report written for a PCI assessor, a federal authorization or a CMMC assessor needs specific evidence and attestation, which adds days to the engagement.
Which Rules Require Annual Penetration Testing
Most companies buy a pen test because a regulator, an auditor, a customer or an insurer asked for one. The requirement sets the frequency and often the scope, so it belongs at the top of the scoping document.
| Driver | What it requires | Frequency | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCI DSS v4.0.1Requirement 11.4 | Internal and external penetration testing, by a qualified internal or external tester with organizational independence; segmentation testing where segmentation limits scope | At least every 12 months and after significant change; segmentation every 6 months for service providers | PCI SSC |
| NYDFS 23 NYCRR 500.5New York financial services | Penetration testing from inside and outside the system boundaries by a qualified internal or external party | At least annually | NY DFS |
| CMMC Level 3CA.L3-3.12.1e | Penetration testing using automated scanning tools and ad hoc tests by subject matter experts | At least annually or after significant security changes | 32 CFR 170.14 |
| FedRAMPcloud services sold to federal agencies | Third-party assessor test across six mandatory attack vectors | Before authorization, then at least every 12 months | FedRAMP guidance |
| HIPAA Security Ruleproposed update | Proposed: penetration testing and vulnerability scanning for covered entities and business associates; final action now projected for July 2027 (McDermott) | Proposed: test every 12 months, scan every 6 months | Federal Register |
| SOC 2 | No explicit requirement in the criteria, but a test is widely used as evidence for monitoring criteria such as CC4.1 and customers ask for it | Usually annual, by customer or auditor expectation | Cloud Security Alliance |
| Cyber insurance and customers | Set by each insurer's application or each customer's security review | As asked; keep the latest report and retest letter ready | Your policy and contracts |
Testing in a regulated environment usually travels with the hosting decision. Cardholder, health and defense data often sit in compliance colocation, a GCC High tenant or a CMMC enclave, and the pen test scope should follow those boundaries. Healthcare teams can see how the same rules shape HIPAA colocation, and NYDFS-covered firms how they shape financial services colocation.
What an Annual Testing Program Costs at 500 and 1,000 Employees
The table builds a typical yearly program from the per-test ranges above. The 500-employee company has one main site, two customer-facing web applications, one public API and one cloud environment. The 1,000-employee company has two sites, four web applications, two APIs, one cloud environment, a mobile app and one AI assistant in production.
| Test | Per test | 500 employees | 1,000 employees |
|---|---|---|---|
| External network | $5,000 to $20,000 | 1 test: $5,000 to $20,000 | 1 test: $5,000 to $20,000 |
| Internal network | $7,000 to $35,000 | 1 site: $7,000 to $35,000 | 2 sites: $14,000 to $70,000 |
| Web application | $5,000 to $30,000 | 2 apps: $10,000 to $60,000 | 4 apps: $20,000 to $120,000 |
| API | $5,000 to $20,000 | 1 API: $5,000 to $20,000 | 2 APIs: $10,000 to $40,000 |
| Cloud | $10,000 to $40,000 | 1 test: $10,000 to $40,000 | 1 test: $10,000 to $40,000 |
| Mobile application | $5,000 to $30,000 | None | 1 app: $5,000 to $30,000 |
| Social engineering | $4,000 to $10,000 | 1 campaign: $4,000 to $10,000 | 1 campaign: $4,000 to $10,000 |
| AI and LLM application | $6,000 to $50,000 | None | 1 app: $6,000 to $50,000 |
| Annual programmidpoint in brackets | $41,000 to $185,000 ($113,000) | $74,000 to $380,000 ($227,000) |
MCA calculation: number of tests x the per-test range, summed. 500 employees: $5,000 + $7,000 + $10,000 + $5,000 + $10,000 + $4,000 = $41,000 low; $20,000 + $35,000 + $60,000 + $20,000 + $40,000 + $10,000 = $185,000 high. 1,000 employees: $5,000 + $14,000 + $20,000 + $10,000 + $10,000 + $5,000 + $4,000 + $6,000 = $74,000 low; $20,000 + $70,000 + $120,000 + $40,000 + $40,000 + $30,000 + $10,000 + $50,000 = $380,000 high. Retests and a red team are extra.
Send us the list of what must be tested and why, and we price the whole program across the testers that fit, not one test at a time. The provider you choose pays us, so it costs you nothing. If you have already spoken to one testing firm, tell us which; we can still run the rest of the market.
Why Buyers Come to Us First
No cost to you
The provider you choose pays us, so the scoping help and the negotiation cost you nothing. You pay the tester's price, and our job is to make that price lower.
One scope, the testers that fit
You write the scope once. We take it to the testing firms that fit your test types and compliance driver, instead of you running separate scoping calls with each.
Price leverage
We know what each test type should cost from the ranges on this page, and we negotiate tester-days, day rate, retests and a multi-test program price, not just the headline number.
Not tied to one firm
We are not tied to any one testing firm or platform, and we recommend on fit for your scope and your auditor. If it isn't a fit, we will say so.
Timing
Once you ask a testing firm for pricing directly, it will not register an advisor on the deal, and you negotiate alone. Send the scope first and we can run every firm that fits.
AI Penetration Testing and LLM Penetration Testing
AI penetration testing, also called LLM penetration testing, attacks an application built on a large language model the way a user, a document or a connected system could. It tests the model's instructions, the data it can retrieve, the tools it can call and what it does with its output. The checklist most testers work from is the OWASP Top 10 for LLM Applications (2025 edition):
What an AI pen test covers
Prompt injection
Direct attempts to override the system's instructions, and indirect injection hidden in web pages, emails or documents the model reads. This is the first item on the OWASP list for a reason: it is how most other failures start.
Data exposure
Whether the model leaks its system prompt, other users' data, or documents from a retrieval (RAG) store that the user should not see, and whether access controls hold at the vector database.
Agents and tools
What happens when the model can send email, query systems or run code: privilege bypass, actions taken without approval, and chains from one tool to another. This is where excessive agency shows up.
The application around it
The web front end, APIs, identity and cloud hosting still get tested the usual way. Many AI findings are ordinary application flaws reached through a new interface.
What AI and LLM penetration testing costs
Published ranges run about $6,000 for a single chatbot with no tools to $50,000 or more for an agent system with retrieval, tools and compliance reporting, with 5 to 25 tester-days of work across that span (planning ranges from testing firm SecurityWall, 2026). Government rate cards show the premium: one UK supplier's G-Cloud 15 price document lists AI penetration testing at £1,600 a day against £1,200 for its standard CREST testing, about a third more. On AWS Marketplace, a manual AI and LLM test is quoted privately with engagements of one to two weeks, an annual AI testing platform lists at $100,000 for 12 months, and automated AI red teaming tools start at $500 a month for 5 million tokens of attacks.
AI red teaming services
AI red teaming goes past a scoped test: a team pursues a goal, such as getting the assistant to move money or reveal a client file, using any path, and often tests harmful-output and bias behavior alongside security. UK G-Cloud lists AI red teaming within AI security testing services, and it is priced like a red team: by days and objectives. Buy an AI pen test first, then red team once the obvious holes are closed. Data the model can reach is the bigger exposure, which is where a DSPM review of what sits in your retrieval stores pays off.
Tell us what the model can read, which tools it can call and who uses it. We put the scope to the testers that fit AI work and negotiate the one you choose. If an ordinary application test covers it, we will say so.
Vulnerability Scan vs Penetration Test vs Red Team
| Vulnerability scan | Penetration test | Red team | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it does | Automated check for known weaknesses | Testers exploit weaknesses in a defined scope to show real impact | Goal-based attack on the whole organization, testing detection and response |
| Who knows | Everyone | IT and security teams | A small control group only |
| How often | Continuous to quarterly | Annually and after major change | Every one to two years, once basics are strong |
| Typical cost | Low; CISA offers vulnerability scanning as a service | $5,000 to $50,000 per test | $40,000 to $200,000 |
| Satisfies | Scanning rules, not pen test rules | PCI 11.4, NYDFS 500.5, CMMC Level 3, FedRAMP | Board and regulator questions on detection |
Red team services: cost and when you need one
Red team services run $40,000 to $200,000 or more, with Vendr placing large-firm engagements at $75,000 to $200,000 or more (Vendr), and UK G-Cloud listing red team days at £1,800 against £1,200 for standard testing at the same supplier. A red team answers a different question from a pen test: not "what is broken" but "would we notice, and how fast." That makes it a test of your SOC or MDR provider as much as your systems, and the best time to run one is after a new detection service is in place. If you are still choosing that service, the MDR vs EDR vs XDR comparison comes first.
The findings that recur are rarely exotic. In a two-week CISA assessment of a large healthcare organization, testers reached domain administrator through weak passwords, default credentials on a printer and other web interfaces, and an unpatched server, even though phishing payloads were blocked by the organization's defenses (CISA AA23-349A). That is why internal testing is worth its price even when the perimeter tests clean.
Choosing Penetration Testing Services
Penetration testing services differ less in price than in who does the work and what you get back. These are the checks that separate quotes:
Named testers
Who will test, their certifications (OSCP, CREST, GIAC and similar) and experience with your test type. Ask whether any work is subcontracted or offshore.
Manual versus automated
The share of tester-days spent on manual exploitation. A scan with a cover letter is not a pen test, and an auditor will know the difference.
The report
A sample report, with an executive summary, reproducible steps, risk ratings and fix guidance, plus an attestation letter you can hand customers.
Insurance and terms
Professional liability coverage, rules of engagement, data handling and how findings are stored and destroyed after the engagement.
Ten Things to Put in the Scope
Send the same scope to every tester, in writing, so the quotes compare line for line and nobody prices a different job.
A pen test scope works best when it comes from a written inventory of what you run and where, the same discipline as an infrastructure RFP. If a test is part of buying or investing in a company, the scope belongs inside cybersecurity due diligence, which we run as paid consulting with fixed fees from $45,000.
Send us the scope instead and we will run it across the testers that fit, then negotiate days, rate and retests. The provider you choose pays us, so it costs you nothing.
How We Source Penetration Testing
You send the scope
What must be tested, why, and by when, using the ten points above as a guide. You'll hear back within 24 hours.
We tell you what it should cost
The price range for each test from the sourced figures on this page, and which testers fit your test types and compliance driver.
We run the testers that fit
One scope goes to each, with tester-days, rates and retest terms requested in the same format, so quotes compare line for line.
We negotiate the one you choose
Days, day rate, retests, program pricing across tests and multi-year terms. The provider you choose pays us, so it costs you nothing.
Testing rarely stands alone. Findings feed the managed firewall rules and SASE policy that close external exposure, the detection service that should have caught the tester, and the backup and DRaaS plans that limit the damage when something gets through. Teams reworking network, security and hosting together can bring us in on a paid basis through IT infrastructure consulting, with engagements from $45,000.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a penetration test cost?
A single penetration test usually costs $5,000 to $50,000, depending on the type of test and how much is in scope. eSecurity Planet's average of 10 sources puts network tests at $9,900 to $53,700 and application tests at $8,900 to $34,600. Red team engagements run $40,000 to $200,000 or more.
How much does penetration testing cost per hour?
The median of more than 400 penetration tester rates on US federal GSA schedules is about $157 an hour, with the middle half between about $126 and $195 (MCA calculation from GSA CALC). UK G-Cloud price documents show £900 to £1,500 per tester-day.
How much does an external or internal network penetration test cost?
External network tests typically cost $5,000 to $20,000, rising toward $30,000 past about 100 live IPs. Internal network tests typically cost $7,000 to $35,000, priced by sites, network segments and the size of the directory. Each usually takes about a week of testing.
How much does a web application penetration test cost?
A web application test typically costs $5,000 to $30,000 per application, driven by user roles, functions and authentication. Vendr estimates $8,000 to $25,000 for a standard web application test on a credit-based testing platform.
How much does AI penetration testing cost?
AI and LLM penetration testing typically costs $6,000 for a single chatbot without tools to $50,000 or more for an agent system with retrieval, tools and compliance reporting, over 5 to 25 tester-days. One UK G-Cloud supplier prices AI testing at £1,600 a day against £1,200 for its standard testing.
What is LLM penetration testing?
LLM penetration testing attacks an application built on a large language model to find prompt injection, data leakage, system prompt exposure, unsafe tool use and the other risks in the OWASP Top 10 for LLM Applications, alongside the usual web, API and cloud tests of the application around the model.
How much do red team services cost?
Red team services typically cost $40,000 to $200,000 or more, with Vendr placing large-firm engagements at $75,000 to $200,000 or more. UK G-Cloud lists red team days at £1,800 against £1,200 for standard testing at the same supplier. Duration and objectives set the price.
How often is penetration testing required?
PCI DSS, NYDFS, CMMC Level 3 and FedRAMP all require testing at least every 12 months, and PCI and CMMC also after significant changes. PCI requires segmentation testing every six months for service providers. The proposed HIPAA Security Rule update would require a test every 12 months.
Does SOC 2 require a penetration test?
No. The SOC 2 criteria do not explicitly require penetration testing, but a test is widely used as evidence for monitoring criteria such as CC4.1, and many customers and auditors expect an annual report.
What is the difference between a vulnerability scan and a penetration test?
A vulnerability scan is an automated check for known weaknesses, run continuously or quarterly at low cost. A penetration test uses skilled testers to exploit weaknesses in a defined scope and show real impact, and it is what PCI DSS, NYDFS, CMMC Level 3 and FedRAMP require.
Is a retest included in the price?
Often, but not always. Some suppliers include a retest of high and critical findings, for example free up to one day's effort in one G-Cloud price document. Ask for the retest, its window and its price in writing before you sign.
What should a penetration testing RFP include?
The compliance driver and deadline, the test types, network counts, each application and API with roles and endpoints, cloud accounts and AI systems, black, gray or white box access, testing windows, pricing in tester-days with overrun rates, retest and reporting terms, and multi-year pricing.
Send the Scope Before You Request Quotes
If you have a test due for PCI, NYDFS, CMMC, SOC 2 or a customer, or you are testing an AI system for the first time, send what needs testing and when the report is due. You'll hear back within 24 hours. From there, we work out what the testing should cost and which testers fit. The provider you choose pays us, so it costs you nothing. If it isn't a fit, we will say so.
One scope, the testers that fit, and a negotiated price on the one you choose. Send it before any testing firm has priced you directly.
Security services: managed security services, SOC as a service, MDR, MDR vs EDR vs XDR, managed firewall and DSPM.
Compliance: CMMC enclave, GCC High, compliance colocation and HIPAA colocation.
Network and cloud: SASE and SD-WAN, cloud migration, private cloud, backup as a service and DRaaS.
Planning and diligence: cybersecurity due diligence, IT infrastructure consulting, data center consulting, cloud repatriation, data center cost and colocation pricing guide.
