Penetration Testing Cost in 2026: What You Should Actually Pay
An independent pricing reference for IT managers, CISOs, and procurement teams. Get a scoped cost estimate instantly — no sales call required.
Cost Estimator
Estimated Cost Range
£8K – £18K
Based on 5–10 days at £1,000–£1,800/consultant day
Boutique firm · Mid-market scope
Already have a quote? Evaluate itRanges represent boutique security firm pricing. Freelancers may be 30–50% lower; Big 4 / enterprise consultancies may be 2–3× higher. See provider tiers →
We do not sell penetration testing services. This site is not affiliated with any pentest vendor or security firm. All prices are independently researched from publicly available quotes, industry surveys, and published rate cards.
Cost at a Glance — All Test Types
| Test Type | GBP Range | USD Range | Duration | Best For | Compliance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Web Application | £4K–£30K | $5K–$38K | 5–10 days | OWASP Top 10, SOC 2 evidence | PCI DSS, SOC 2, ISO 27001 |
| Network (Ext+Int) | £4K–£25K | $5K–$32K | 3–5 days | Perimeter + AD assessment | PCI DSS, ISO 27001, NIS2 |
| Cloud Infrastructure | £5K–£40K | $6K–$51K | 5–10 days | AWS/Azure/GCP IAM + config | SOC 2, ISO 27001, NIS2 |
| Mobile Application | £5K–£28K | $6K–$36K | 5–8 days | iOS/Android MASTG | PCI DSS, HIPAA |
| API Pentest | £3.5K–£22K | $4.5K–$28K | 3–6 days | REST/GraphQL auth + logic | PCI DSS, SOC 2 |
| Red Team | £15K–£100K+ | $19K–$127K+ | 2–8 weeks | APT simulation, DORA TLPT | DORA, NIS2 |
| Social Engineering | £2.5K–£18K | $3K–$23K | 1–3 weeks | Phishing, vishing, pretexting | ISO 27001, SOC 2 |
Ranges cover boutique firm pricing across SMB to enterprise. Wide ranges reflect scope variation. Full breakdown by test type →
7 Factors That Determine Your Pentest Cost
Understanding these variables helps you scope accurately and challenge quotes that don't add up.
Test Type
The single biggest cost driver. A social engineering exercise starts at £2.5K; a full red team engagement can exceed £100K. Choose your test type based on compliance requirements and what you're trying to validate.
Switching from a web app test to a red team engagement typically increases cost 5–10×.
Scope & Asset Count
The number of IP addresses, application endpoints, or user accounts in scope directly determines consultant days needed. A web app with 5 pages costs far less than one with 200 endpoints, custom APIs, and admin portals.
Doubling the scope typically adds 60–80% to cost, not 100% — some fixed costs are shared.
Company Size
Larger organisations have more complex environments, require more consultant days, and often mandate more detailed reporting. Enterprise contracts also carry higher overhead costs for the provider.
Enterprise pricing is typically 2–3× the equivalent SMB engagement for the same test type.
Compliance Requirement
PCI DSS, DORA, and CBEST engagements require specific tester certifications, formal evidence packages, and methodology documentation. This adds 15–35% to the base engagement cost.
A PCI DSS web app test adds 20–35% over a standard test for CDE scoping and evidence collection.
Provider Tier
Freelancers, boutique firms, and Big 4 consultancies operate at very different day rates. The right tier depends on your compliance requirements, report audience, and budget.
A boutique firm charges £1,000–£1,800/day; a Big 4 firm charges £1,800–£3,500+/day for the same scope.
Engagement Model
Black-box (no credentials) tests more real-world attack paths but finds fewer vulnerabilities. White-box (full access + code review) costs 30–70% more but gives deeper coverage.
Adding code review to a grey-box web app test typically adds 2–3 consultant days (£2K–£4K).
Urgency & Travel
Expedited timelines (within 2 weeks) often carry a 15–25% premium. On-site testing adds travel and accommodation costs — budget £500–£1,500/day for UK regional visits, more for international.
An on-site internal network test in a remote UK location may add £1,500–£3,000 in expenses.
Provider Tier Comparison
Freelancer
£600–£1,200/day
$800–$1,500/day
Certifications
OSCP, CEH, GPEN (individual)
Report quality
Variable — may lack executive summary, CVSS scoring, or formal methodology section
Audit acceptance
Rarely accepted for PCI DSS or SOC 2 without additional documentation
Best for
Startups, narrow scope, first pentest on tight budget
Watch for: No scoping call, no methodology document, sub-3-day delivery for complex scope
Boutique Firm
£1,000–£1,800/day
$1,200–$2,500/day
Certifications
CREST, CHECK, OSCP, GPEN — organisation-level accreditation
Report quality
Professional — CVSS-scored, executive + technical sections, remediation guidance, re-test included
Audit acceptance
Yes — accepted for PCI DSS, SOC 2, ISO 27001
Best for
SMB to enterprise, compliance-driven engagements, most organisations
Watch for: Unwilling to share methodology doc, re-test priced separately at full rate
Big 4 / Enterprise
£1,800–£3,500+/day
$2,500–$5,000+/day
Certifications
All above + CREST STAR, TIBER-EU qualified for DORA engagements
Report quality
Highest formal standard — audit-ready, board-level executive reporting, tailored evidence packages
Audit acceptance
Yes — all frameworks including DORA TLPT, CBEST, board-level reporting
Best for
Regulated enterprises, DORA TLPT, financial institutions requiring board credibility
Watch for: Cost may not justify complexity for standard web app test
The ROI Case for Penetration Testing
$4.88M
IBM Cost of a Data Breach 2024 — global average cost per incident
$9.36M
Average in the United States specifically
£8K–£30K
Mid-market web app + network test at a boutique firm
50–500× ROI
If a single breach is prevented
The arithmetic is straightforward. A £15,000 annual penetration testing programme that prevents a single data breach delivers a positive return even if that breach would only cost £1M in direct remediation, regulatory fines, and reputational damage. For organisations subject to GDPR, PCI DSS, or HIPAA, regulatory fines alone can exceed £10M for a serious incident.
Is penetration testing worth it for small business?Explore the Full Guide
Cost by Test Type
Web app, network, cloud, mobile, API, red team — with day-rate breakdowns
Compliance Requirements
PCI DSS, SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, NIS2, DORA — what each framework demands
Choose a Provider
Freelancer vs boutique vs Big 4 — a certification and tier decision framework
Evaluate Your Quote
Already have a proposal? Use our day-rate calculator to check if it's fair
Pentest vs VA
Decision guide for when you need a full pentest vs a vulnerability assessment
Small Business Guide
Minimum viable pentest, PTaaS options, and a first-timer checklist