How Much Does Penetration Testing Cost?

On average, pen testing costs between $5,000 and $30,000, though prices can rise to $60,000 or more depending on scope, methodology, and compliance needs.  

In this guide, you’ll learn the average costs by test type, the key factors that influence pricing, and why penetration testing is vital for protecting your systems, data, and reputation. You’ll also explore different types of tests (like web, mobile, and cloud), how often testing should be done, and why investing in proactive cybersecurity is always more cost-effective than recovering from a breach.  Read on to see what affects penetration testing costs and how to choose the right approach for your business.

If you’re looking to uncover security weaknesses, understanding what is penetration testing can help—it’s a proven method for evaluating the security of your IT environment.

Generally, you can expect penetration testing pricing to cost between $5,000 and $30,000. However, depending on the breadth of vulnerability scanning and the types of penetration tests you require, you could see costs escalate to $60,000 or higher.

It’s always wise to plan ahead for the cost of penetration testing service! In this guide, we’ll take you through what can affect the average pen test cost, and why it’s worth investing in high-quality support.

How Much Does Penetration Testing Cost?

Based on VikingCloud’s extensive experience and industry research, most organizations can expect penetration testing to cost between $5,000 and $30,000, depending on scope, systems, and methodology. Some large-scale or specialized tests—like cloud or web app assessments—can reach $60,000 or more. Pricing structures vary (hourly, flat-rate, or subscription), so transparent communication with your testing provider is key. VikingCloud helps clients clearly understand cost drivers and build a tailored, efficient testing plan that maximizes security value.

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Keep in mind that a penetration testing company may charge an hourly rate, an upfront fee, or a subscription fee, so clear communication with your chosen provider is essential for aligning expectations on information security assessments.

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Remember, when evaluating penetration testing pricing, it helps to see it in context. Industry variance can play a role, while geographic variance also impacts pricing. For example, tests conducted in North America and Western Europe tend to cost more than those in APAC regions, reflecting differences in labor rates, data protection laws, and regional cybersecurity expectations. By understanding these factors, businesses can benchmark penetration testing as a high-value, preventive investment rather than a discretionary expense.

VikingCloud uses clear pricing models to match your environment and budget, and every engagement includes actionable reporting that prioritizes remediation. We also help clients phase their security programs—starting with core network or cloud tests, then layering on API or mobile assessments as systems evolve. Our transparent scoping process ensures no hidden fees, just measurable risk reduction and stronger compliance confidence.

Penetration Testing Cost Comparison by Industry

Penetration testing costs vary widely by industry due to differences in data sensitivity, compliance demands, and system complexity. Sectors like finance, healthcare, and e-commerce typically invest more to meet strict regulatory standards and protect high-value data, while tech and manufacturing may see more flexible pricing based on scope and system architecture.

Having worked with clients across numerous industries, VikingCloud is well-aware that industry-specific risks and compliance frameworks are a big determining factor in calculating penetration testing costs. Organizations handling sensitive financial, personal, or healthcare data often require deeper, more frequent testing—driving higher costs. Meanwhile, industries with moderate risk profiles or smaller infrastructures may pay less but still benefit from routine testing to maintain resilience and trust.

Pen Testing Costs - Methodology and Testing Approach

Penetration testing costs vary by how much access testers have and how deeply they analyze your systems. Black-box tests simulate real attackers and are time-intensive, gray-box tests balance realism with efficiency, and white-box tests offer full visibility for the most thorough results. Costs rise with manual testing, environment complexity, and advanced analysis like business logic or code review—but so does the quality of insight and assurance you gain.

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Additional Factors That Influence Methodology Cost

• Tools Used: Automated scans cost less; manual testing or exploit development costs more.
• Environment Complexity: Hybrid or multi-layered systems require more time and expertise.
• Security Maturity: Stronger defenses can take longer to test and validate.
• Business Logic Flaws: Manual checks for workflow or access errors add to labor.
• Coordination Needs: Testing under strict SLAs or with live systems increases cost.

Remediation, Retesting, and Hidden Pen Testing Costs

While most penetration testing quotes cover the main assessment, it’s important to account for additional or hidden costs that can arise once vulnerabilities are found. These often include remediation support, retesting, and expenses related to scope changes or ongoing monitoring. Understanding these factors upfront helps organizations build a realistic budget and avoid unexpected invoices later.

After an initial test, you’ll typically receive a vulnerability report detailing weaknesses and recommendations. If your internal team or external vendor fixes the issues, a remediation retest or rescan is often required to verify that vulnerabilities were successfully closed. These follow-up tests may incur extra fees, especially if they fall outside a fixed-cost contract or service level agreement (SLA).

Some organizations also engage providers on retainer contracts for continued support, product security assessments, or emergency rescans—ideal for maintaining protection between major tests. To manage these add-ons effectively, setting aside a contingency budget (around 10–20% of your pen testing spend) ensures flexibility for follow-up work or unexpected findings.

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What Impacts the Cost of a Penetration Test?

Penetration testing costs depend on scope, depth, and expertise. Larger or more complex environments, in-depth white box tests, and longer durations increase pricing. Experienced testers, onsite testing, and manual methods cost more than automated scans. Adding remediation support or meeting compliance standards also raises the total. In short, the more detailed and customized your test, the higher the price—but the stronger your protection.

Below, we look at the factors that impact the cost of a pen test in more detail:

• Size and Complexity (Scope of the Test): Do you have specific testing needs that you’d like your pen testing team to address? The more devices you need to be tested, and the more tools and expertise you require from penetration testers, the more you can expect to pay.
• Depth of Testing and Retesting: You can also expect penetration testing costs to increase if you expect your testers to perform in-depth testing. For instance, a white box penetration testing plan which involves researching and understanding your complete setup might cost more than the average black box penetration testing.
• Duration: Penetration testers need to account for labor and timescales. It’s especially likely when you’re paying testers by the hour, for example, that costs will increase if you need your team to spend longer hacking your network.
• Functionality and Methodology: Think carefully about the how. What exactly do you need your test to achieve? For example, with an automated vulnerability scanning assessment will cost less than a deeper, manual dive. If a tester needs to use advanced tools, it’s likely you will pay more for the privilege.
• Experience: The more experienced the professional you hire, the more informed and reliable a testing service they can provide. That’s going to mean you investing more in their talent and expertise, but potentially less on timescales. Testers with certifications such as an Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP) will command more money, too.
• External/Internal Testing: By this, we mean onsite or offsite checks – external and internal penetration testing are two different types of tests. If you require a security team to run tests in-house, you might expect to pay them more for labor and travel time.
• Remediation/Report: Not all penetration testing services offer remediation alongside reports. That means some might deliver a report of your potential vulnerabilities and how to fix them – and nothing else. You’ll pay more for companies that can fix said vulnerabilities, too.
• Regulatory and Compliance Needs: Though some tests are tailored to compliance needs, you shouldn’t really pay more for penetration testers who help you keep in line with compliance standards such as those set by PCI DSS, the GDPR, ISO 27001, SOC 2, and HIPAA.  

The Importance of Penetration Testing

Penetration testing is a thorough, reliable, and cost-effective way to ensure the cybersecurity of your infrastructure, web application, or other IT setup is fighting fit. Penetration testers work as ethical hackers to explore ways your network can be breached and suggest how to fix any glaring vulnerabilities.

Penetration testing offers business owners and operators incredible insight into the techniques and mindsets of legitimate hackers. Ultimately, while you might have a robust cybersecurity strategy and protect your data with the best intent, there’s a chance your security posture is weaker than you think.

Cybercrime is costing US companies an average of around $15.4 million every year. Hacking and data breaches not only affect reputation and customer safety, but also profit, revenue, and expense.

Therefore, more and more companies based in North America and abroad are using penetration testing to gain extra insight into how secure they really are. For many, pen testing services also help companies to navigate regulatory demands and practices.

Failure to meet regulatory requirements and compliance expectations, too, can be costly and damaging to even the most robust and successful brands.

Whether an external or internal penetration test, this type of cybersecurity assessment can ensure your infrastructure is extra protected against evolving threats.

Be they social engineering, code entry via forms and iOS / Android mobile apps, or traditional cyberattacks, penetration testing is an investment against the nastiest vectors.

Which Type of Penetration Test Should I Choose?

The right penetration test depends on your specific security risks. External tests target outside threats like hackers, while internal tests uncover insider or network vulnerabilities. Options include web, mobile, cloud, and IoT testing, plus specialized methods like white box, black box, and gray box approaches. Advanced red and blue team exercises simulate real-world attacks and defenses. Unsure where to start? A trusted provider like VikingCloud can assess your environment and guide you to the most effective testing strategy.

The types and associated costs of your penetration test will be tied to your individual cybersecurity needs. For example, if you’re concerned about external hackers breaching your web app or mobile apps, you might invest in external penetration testing.

Internal penetration testing, meanwhile, is recommended alongside. This type of pen testing assesses how secure your infrastructure is in-house—can you be sure that your team is doing enough to protect sensitive data? What if there are bad actors inside your organization?

Penetration tests can also split into the following categories, with brief use cases:

• Mobile application penetration testing: This type of test helps you find weaknesses in the security of apps developed for smartphones and tablets—specifically, those affecting APIs and their backends.
• Cloud penetration testing: Cloud testing involves digging deep into server functionality, data storage and applications used within an offsite cloud facility.
• SaaS / Web application penetration testing: This testing standard focuses specifically on SaaS apps and programs that face the public—and costs can differ depending on specific frameworks.
• IoT penetration testing: If you use any networked devices that communicate with each other through machine learning and automation, IoT testing can help you find firmware weaknesses.

Do also consider white box, black box, and gray box penetration testing. White box gives hackers full details on your infrastructure, while black box tests mimic a “blind” scenario. Gray box walks the line between the two.

Then, there are also red team and blue team exercises. These are creative scenarios where a red team of hackers actively attacks a client, while a blue team defends them.

All these types of penetration testing and methodologies can affect the average cost of your action plan and operation. However, you don’t have to know which option is right for you straight away.

The more effective penetration testing specialists out there communicate carefully with clients. With VikingCloud, for example, you can expect a thorough examination of your cybersecurity needs and careful guidance to a package that’s genuinely valuable to your operation.

How Frequently Should Penetration Testing Be Done?

Penetration testing should be done at least once a year, or more often if you handle sensitive data or frequently update systems. Factors like compliance, infrastructure changes, and past results influence timing. Regular testing keeps your defenses strong and your business protected against evolving threats.

While once a year should be considered the minimum frequency for pen testing, we recommend you arrange several tests across the year to ensure you’re protected against the latest threats. However, the costs of penetration testing may make this difficult depending on the size of your company. As an alternative, it might be more appropriate for you to set up ongoing automated vulnerability scanning – through a service such as VikingCloud’s – and run manual tests less frequently.

Regardless of your needs, we will look carefully at whether regular, in-depth testing is more beneficial to you. Factors that could affect the frequency of penetration testing (that we recommend) include:

• Your data’s sensitivity
• Your team’s training needs
• The results of your initial penetration test(s) – were there any false positives, for example?
• Whether or not your hardware and software need regular patches
• Your company’s likelihood to grow, evolve, or change in any way in the short term
• Your compliance requirements
• How many devices and IP addresses you support
• Your current standing in the industry and with customers
• How and where you store, protect, and maintain your data

Crucially, just having a reputable firewall and all the right security integrations might not be enough to protect your service provider and your customers. We will never suggest you should ever run pen tests for the sake of it—but it is always better to be safe than sorry.

Budgeting Penetration Testing Costs and ROI Considerations

Penetration testing is a smart investment that protects against costly breaches. By comparing testing expenses to the potential cost of a breach, organizations can gauge clear ROI. Factors like company size, pricing model, test environment, and whether testing is in-house or outsourced all affect budgeting. Pen tests also uncover business logic flaws, improve cyber insurance eligibility, and strengthen risk mitigation—making them an essential part of a well-planned security budget.

Penetration testing isn’t just an expense—it’s an investment in risk reduction, compliance, and long-term cost savings. Understanding how to budget effectively and calculate ROI (return on investment) helps organizations justify testing spend and optimize their cybersecurity strategy. To make informed budgeting decisions, it’s essential to evaluate not just the upfront testing costs, but also the cost of potential breaches, internal labor, insurance implications, and the overall value of risk mitigation.

At its core, the ROI of penetration testing can be estimated by comparing the cost of a potential data breach (including downtime, lost revenue, reputation damage, and regulatory penalties) against the investment in proactive security testing. According to IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report, the global average cost of a breach is $4.4 million—making even a $30,000 test a fraction of what you could lose from a single incident.

Conclusion

The overall cost of pen testing services will vary depending on what you need, who you hire, and the data you protect. Regardless, we advise our clients to avoid focusing on penetration testing cost—and instead on the potential loss they could incur if they don’t take action.

Penetration testing mimics hackers’ activities to help you understand how secure you look from the outside—and, in many cases, the inside. VikingCloud helps take the guesswork out of cybersecurity with a flexible, scalable, ethical hacking action plan.

Get in touch with our team now to learn more, and to start discussing your network’s security needs in an ever-evolving world of threats.