How Much Does Penetration Testing Cost?

Transparent pricing for genuine security value, not compliance theater

Penetration Testing Cost Overview

Penetration testing costs typically range from $5,000 to over $100,000, but this investment pales in comparison to the $4.88 million average cost of a data breach that proper testing can help prevent.

$5,000 - $100,000+

Penetration Testing Cost Range

$4.88M

Average Data Breach Cost (2024)

12,100%

ROI for Quality Testing

What is the Return on Investment of Penetration Testing?

The Return on Investment (ROI) of genuine, expert-driven penetration testing is equal to the cost in damages of a single successful data breach, which averaged $4.88 million in 2024.

Investment

$40,000

Average penetration testing cost (SMB)

Potential Savings

$4,880,000

Average data breach cost avoided

ROI

12,100%

Return on Investment

Pricing Methodologies Reveal Fundamental Philosophy Differences

The clash between Count-Based Pricing (CBP) and diagnostic pricing models reflects two fundamentally different philosophies about the value of security.

Count-Based Pricing (CBP)

$500 per IP

Treats penetration testing as a transactional commodity, prioritizing speed and volume over depth.

  • Charges per IP address, application, or device
  • Incentivizes rushing through assessments
  • Results in superficial coverage
  • Creates false sense of security
Example: 10 IPs = $5,000 regardless of complexity

Diagnostic Pricing

Workload-Based

Aligns with real security goals by focusing on actual effort required for thorough assessment.

  • Based on actual human effort required
  • Ensures real security value
  • Full transparency into costs
  • Adapts to project complexity
Example: Pricing reflects actual work complexity

ROI Analysis Proves Quality Testing Prevents Million-Dollar Disasters

The economics of penetration testing become crystal clear when comparing the cost of prevention to the staggering expenses of a breach.

$4.88M

Average Global Data Breach Cost (2024)

$9.36M

U.S. Average Breach Cost

$9.77M

Healthcare Breach Cost

75%

Fewer Security Incidents with Testing

Manual Testing vs. Automation

Automated Scanners

  • 23-73% coverage rates
  • High false positive rates
  • Misses business logic flaws
  • No contextual analysis

Manual Testing

  • 90-95% coverage rates
  • Accurate vulnerability detection
  • Identifies complex attack chains
  • Contextual business understanding

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