Why the price varies so much
Pentest pricing isn't a fixed table because the cost depends on real variables: scope (one specific API is very different from your entire infrastructure), depth (automated vs. manual), execution time, delivery format (technical report or an executive presentation to the board), and the experience of whoever runs it.
Common price ranges in the market
- Express diagnostic or initial triage: usually a few hundred dollars, a short conversation to identify the most critical points.
- Pentest of a specific web application or API: typically a few thousand dollars, depending on the size of the surface tested.
- Full maturity assessment (like CIS Controls v8): generally in the low thousands, including a prioritized action plan.
- Full Red Team engagement: tends to cost significantly more, since it involves multiple fronts (people, process, and technology), not just one isolated system.
- Fractional CISO: not a one-time price, it's a recurring monthly engagement, comparable to a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire.
What lowers the price without lowering quality
Having a well-defined scope before requesting the quote, and having architecture documentation already organized, reduces reconnaissance time and therefore cost, without cutting into the depth of the test itself.
What shouldn't influence your choice
A price far below market usually means one of two things: a scope too shallow to look cheap, or an automated scanner sold as if it were a manual pentest. Both produce a nice-looking report and a false sense of security.
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