How Much Does a Penetration Test Cost?

A penetration test can cost anywhere from $2,000 for a basic check-up to over $100,000 for a deep dive into a complex corporate network. That huge range is all about the scope and complexity of the job. As an MSP or vCISO, understanding what drives these numbers is key to showing your clients that real security is well within their reach.

Your Guide to Penetration Testing Costs

When a client asks "how much does a penetration test cost," what they're really asking is how they can budget for something that sounds so expensive. The answer isn't a flat number; it's a conversation. For resellers like MSPs, vCISOs, and GRC firms, having some ballpark figures helps shift that conversation from price to value. It lets you introduce affordable, high-quality manual pentesting as a real-world solution.

Our goal is to demystify pricing and show that a proper security assessment is an achievable investment, not an impossible expense. This is especially true when you partner with a channel-only firm built for speed and affordability. You can give your clients access to certified pros with credentials like OSCP, CEH, and CREST, but without the inflated price tag. A solid pentest is a core part of any modern data breach prevention strategies.

Understanding Penetration Test Cost Breakdowns

To help your clients plan, you need to understand the cost brackets for different types of tests. The price tag for a pentest changes depending on what you're asking the testers to do.

• An internal network test will often land in the $7,000 to $35,000 range.
• An external penetration test usually costs between $5,000 and $20,000.
• Web application penetration tests typically run from $5,000 to $30,000.

Of course, for a massive, intricate environment, those numbers can easily climb past $100,000. This chart gives you a quick visual of how those costs break down by test type.

As you can see, external tests are usually the most budget-friendly starting point, while internal tests demand a bigger investment because they are more involved.

To give you a clearer picture, here’s a breakdown of how costs might look based on the size of your client's network. This table lays out common cost ranges for different pentests. It's a great tool for helping you and your clients get a rough idea of the potential investment based on their digital footprint.

Remember, these are just estimates. The final cost will always depend on the specifics of the engagement, but this gives you a solid foundation for initial budget talks. By partnering with a white-label provider, you can offer these essential services without high overhead, making compliance frameworks like SOC 2, HIPAA, and PCI DSS more attainable for your clients.

A good risk assessment defines the scope of the test, making sure the client's investment lines up with their security and compliance needs. With this knowledge, you can steer clients toward smart and effective security decisions. If you're ready to see how affordable a high-quality manual test can be, you can easily get a pentest quote that fits your client’s budget.

Why Penetration Testing Prices Fluctuate So Much

Ever gotten two quotes for a penetration test that were thousands of dollars apart? You're not alone. The price for a test isn't just pulled out of a hat—it’s directly tied to the effort involved. Think of it like hiring someone to inspect a building. A small retail shop is a quick job, but a massive warehouse with complex systems will cost more to inspect thoroughly.

The same logic applies to a risk assessment. A basic external scan is one thing, but testing a custom-built web application with a dozen different user roles is a completely different beast. The size and complexity of the target environment are the biggest price drivers. A larger digital footprint simply takes more time for our certified experts to dig into.

Key factors that push the scope and price up are the number of assets like IPs and servers, the environment type (cloud vs. internal), and custom code. Custom applications require deep manual pentesting because automated tools often miss unique business logic flaws that a human attacker would spot. Another huge factor is the testing method. A shockingly cheap quote is likely just an automated vulnerability scan, which is very different from a real penetration test.

Automated tools have their place, but they can't match the creativity and persistence of a human attacker. Our pentesters—who hold certs like OSCP, CEH, and CREST—perform the deep-dive manual analysis needed to find critical flaws that scanners miss. You can learn more about the difference in our guide to automated and AI pentesting.

Finally, compliance needs often expand the scope and price. Frameworks like PCI DSS, HIPAA, and SOC 2 have very specific testing rules. A test designed to satisfy an auditor for an ISO 27001 certification will be more rigorous than a general security check-up. As a reseller partner for an MSP or vCISO, understanding these variables helps you explain the value of a real, human-led assessment to your clients.

The Hidden Costs of Cheap Penetration Testing

When you're trying to figure out how much does a penetration test cost, a rock-bottom price can look pretty tempting. But be careful. That "bargain" test almost always comes with a steep, hidden price tag down the road. It's a classic case of getting what you pay for, and in cybersecurity, that can be a disaster for you and your clients.

The biggest danger with cheap tests is that they're usually just automated vulnerability scans dressed up as a real penetration testing service. These tools find known, common weaknesses, but they completely miss the creative, business-specific flaws a real attacker would hunt for. This creates a dangerous false sense of security.

Imagine an automated tool gives your client’s app a clean bill of health. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief. But the scan missed a critical flaw in the application's business logic—something only a human would think to test. A 'clean' report from an automated scan isn't a sign of strong security; it's often a sign of an incomplete test. This gap is what leads to failed compliance audits and unexpected data breaches.

When a cheap test fails, the consequences are always expensive. For your clients, it could mean failing a critical compliance audit for frameworks like SOC 2 or ISO 27001, leading to lost contracts and reputational damage. Even worse, it could lead to the very breach the "pentest" was supposed to prevent. The cost of incident response and regulatory fines will always dwarf whatever you saved on that cheap test. As a reseller, your reputation is right there on the line, too.

That's why investing in a proper, manual pentesting engagement is the smarter and more affordable choice in the long run. Our team of certified pentesters—holding credentials like OSCP, CEH, and CREST—provides the in-depth, hands-on analysis needed to find the vulnerabilities that actually matter. We deliver a fast, thorough, and cost-effective solution that protects your clients and your business.

How We Make Manual Pentesting Affordable

Ever wonder how you can offer clients enterprise-grade penetration testing without the ridiculous price tag? The secret isn't cutting corners—it's having a smarter business model. We built our entire operation around one simple rule: we are a channel-only partner. This focus makes high-quality, manual pentesting actually affordable for you and your clients.

Most pentesting firms spend a fortune on huge sales teams and flashy marketing to chase down direct clients. We don't. Our costs are lower because we only work through partners like you—the MSPs, vCISOs, and GRC experts who are already your clients' trusted advisors. We don't have that massive overhead, so we pass those savings straight to you.

Our channel-only commitment means one very important thing: we will never compete with you. We don't chase your clients or try to upsell them on other services. Our success is directly tied to yours, making this a genuine partnership. This approach cuts out friction and lets us focus on delivering fast, thorough, and effective penetration tests.

This model is a game-changer when you use our white label pentesting services. You can plug our team’s expertise directly into your offerings and present a unified front. Our certified pentesters—holding credentials like OSCP, CEH, and CREST—become a seamless extension of your team, all under your brand. Our efficiency means we can provide the detailed assessments needed for compliance frameworks like SOC 2, HIPAA, and PCI DSS without bloated costs. Your clients get the tough, methodical testing they need for a real risk assessment, and you get a profitable service that makes your client relationships stronger.

The real value is getting a deep, manual analysis that automated scanners miss, but at a price that makes sense for small and mid-sized businesses. This is how we make real security accessible. By ditching the traditional costs of a direct sales model, we’ve built a system that puts speed, quality, and affordability first. To see exactly how this works, check out our detailed overview of manual white-labeled pentesting.

Budgeting for Compliance-Driven Pentesting

For many of your clients, penetration testing isn't just a "nice-to-have." It's a non-negotiable part of staying in business. When compliance is on the line, a pentest becomes a recurring, critical operational expense. As an MSP or vCISO, helping your clients budget for this is a massive value-add that cements your role as a trusted advisor.

Frameworks like SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI DSS, and ISO 27001 don't just "suggest" security testing—they require it. Auditors want proof that an organization is actively testing its own defenses. This means your clients need a predictable, repeatable plan for their security assessments, not a last-minute scramble to check a box.

This is where you can flip the script from "cost" to "investment." A well-planned penetration test is a cornerstone of any real risk assessment. It’s the difference between hoping you're secure and knowing where the cracks are. By working with a channel-only partner, you can help clients build an ongoing testing program that lines up with their fiscal year and audit schedules. This approach smooths out the expense into a predictable line item.

The most important conversation you can have with a client is this: compare the cost of a thorough, manual pentest to the astronomical cost of a data breach or a failed audit. The test is always the cheaper option. The financial argument gets even more compelling when you look at the real numbers. The average cost of a data breach has skyrocketed to a record high of $4.4 million. Suddenly, the price of even a comprehensive pentest looks like a bargain.

Some compliance frameworks carry their own hefty price tags for testing. A moderate-scope penetration test for FedRAMP can run anywhere from $25,000 to $45,000. These figures show how critical it is to budget properly for compliance-driven security. To get a better sense of how these requirements impact pricing, you can explore detailed breakdowns of pentesting costs. By helping your clients budget for regular, manual testing, you stop being just a reseller and become a strategic partner.

Choosing the Right Pentesting Partner

Finding the right provider is about way more than just getting the lowest number on a quote. For an MSP or vCISO, this is about finding a true partner who helps you grow your business without ever becoming your competition. The right partner makes you look good, secures your clients, and helps you build a profitable security practice. When evaluating a firm, you have to think beyond the price tag and look at the real value they bring.

The quality of a penetration test always comes down to the skill of the person doing the work. You need a team with industry-respected certifications. These credentials are a clear signal that the pentesters have the hands-on skills to find the vulnerabilities that actually matter. Key certifications to look for include Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP), Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), and CREST Registered Penetration Tester. A partner's choice of leading penetration testing tools can also tell you a lot about their assessment quality.

This is the single most critical factor for any reseller: you need a partner who is 100% committed to your success and will never go behind your back to poach clients. A true white label pentesting provider works for you, not against you. A channel-only model is the ultimate sign of trust. It ensures the provider's sole focus is on delivering high-quality, affordable tests that you can resell, reinforcing your value as a trusted security advisor. This partnership approach allows for fast turnarounds, clear communication, and pricing that actually works for your business.

Your Pentesting Questions Answered Here

We get a lot of the same questions from our MSP and vCISO partners when they're trying to figure out how much a penetration test costs. Here are the quick, no-fluff answers to the most common ones. Most of our penetration testing projects are wrapped up within one to three weeks. That includes everything from the first kickoff call to handing over the final report. We’ve deliberately built our process for speed so your clients get actionable insights without long waits.

Think of a vulnerability scan as an automated checklist. It finds known security weaknesses. A manual pentest, on the other hand, is a real-world attack simulation where a certified expert actively tries to break in. A real pentest finds complex flaws and is necessary for strict compliance standards like SOC 2 or PCI DSS.

We always provide clear, fixed-price quotes based on a scope we define together. There are no surprises. As a channel-only partner, we work with you to nail down what your client needs. This ensures there are no hidden fees. Our entire model is designed to make penetration testing costs predictable and affordable for both you and your clients.

Ready to give your clients the fast, affordable, and thorough manual penetration testing they need? MSP Pentesting is your dedicated channel-only partner, here to deliver the expertise you need under your brand.

Contact us today for a reseller-friendly quote!