Cybersecurity Advice
Read this blog to get the detailed information you need to pick the best pen testing vendor for your unique needs.
If you’ve had a penetration test performed for your business, you likely know that not all pentesting vendors are created equal. It can be difficult to find the best vendor for your specific business type, delivery speed needs, and one whose strengths fit your environment.
This is why I’ve compiled this list of the top penetration testing vendors and what each of their strengths are, who they’re the best fit for, and how fast they can deliver your report.
Green Flags You Should Look For When Choosing a Pen Test Vendor
Green Flag #1: An In-Depth Scoping Call
Some penetration testing vendors don’t take the initial scoping process seriously, which ends up costing you more money and more time.
Remember, your penetration test is paid for by an allotment of hours or days; you don’t want to eat up that time discussing what should have been discussed in your initial scoping call.
A green flag would be a vendor who asks about where your sensitive data lives so they can prioritize those attack vectors instead of just casting a wide net on your network.
Green Flag #2: Proof of Manual Exploitation
Some penetration testing vendors use clever marketing speech to hide that they actually only offer an automated test (e.g., vulnerability scan). You might be tempted to choose an automated test; they are, after all, much cheaper, but this is because they lack human intelligence and decision-making.
Manual pen testers think creatively, reducing false positives and finding complex business logic flaws. Automated tools may produce high false positives and miss unique, complex scenarios. Since your business is up against actual hackers, having a pen tester that knows how they think and what to look for can make a massive difference.
A green flag when choosing a pen testing vendor would be a vendor who isn’t afraid to share past examples (redacted of sensitive information) that show manual exploitation of environments similar to yours.
Green Flag #3: Detailed Remediation Advice and Reporting
Your pen test is only as valuable as the report it produces, so you want to make sure that your vendor gives you all the nitty-gritty details of how they exploited your environment. In addition to how they were exploited, you will want detailed advice on how to fix your vulnerabilities. Screenshots, curl commands, and code snippets can make the whole remediation process much easier for you.
Ask your pentesting vendor for an example of their typical report to make sure it’s as precise as you want. See if they offer a complimentary retest within a 30 to 90-day window, so you can see if you’ve actually improved your security.
A green flag when choosing a pen tester is one who gives comprehensive reports and complementary retests.
Top Penetration Testing Vendors: Pros and Costs
Every pentest vendor is going to have specific things they excel at, and of course, their own pricing model.
It’s important to understand that many vendors offer a credit-based model, meaning they charge by the day. Other vendors that specialize in large and high security environments are less clear about their pricing because they only offer customized quotes.
1. SecurityMetrics
- Best For: Mid-size retail, e-commerce, healthcare, and financial service providers. They offer a wide variety of tests and adapt to varying organization sizes and the complexity of environments.
Pros:
- Competitive pricing: Expert testers with competitive pricing
- Prioritized recommendations: To remediate and prevent additional vulnerabilities
- System-friendly test: From testers who go above and beyond to reduce business impact
- Bundled packages: For assessments and testing needed for compliance
- Free retesting: Unlimited, 90 days of retesting included in the initial price
- Detailed reporting: Expert, tailored remediation advice
Estimated Cost: $5,000 — $25,000 (depending on size and complexity)
2. Cobalt:
Best For: Agile SaaS teams and startups that need speed and DevOps integration.
Pros:
- Rapid Kickoff: Often starts within 24–48 hours
- Direct Access: Developers can chat directly with researchers via the platform
- Integration: Native Jira/GitHub integrations push vulnerabilities directly into dev workflows
Cost Model: Credit-based (approx. $8,500 — $25,000 per engagement)
3. Rapid7
Best For: Large enterprises already using the InsightVM or Metasploit ecosystem
Pros:
- Elite Research: Backed by the team behind Metasploit; exceptional manual exploit depth
- Holistic View: Findings integrate with their broader vulnerability management platform
- Adversary Simulation: Stronger focus on “Red Teaming” than standard compliance vendors
Cost Model: Premium/Custom (approx. $25,000 — $75,000+)
4. Bishop Fox
Best For: High-security environments (FinTech, Crypto, Defense) requiring deep manual analysis
Pros:
- Unrivaled Depth: Known for finding “unfindable” logic flaws in complex architectures
- Continuous Offensive Security: Offers “Cosmos,” a platform for continuous attack surface management
- Custom Scoping: Highly tailored engagements for non-standard tech stacks (IoT, Blockchain)
Cost Model: High-end boutique pricing (custom quotes, typically $30,000+)
5. NetSPI
Best For: Fortune 500 companies needing a “white-glove” managed service.
Pros:
- In-House Talent: Unlike crowdsourced models, they use 350+ full-time expert testers
- The Resolve Platform: A world-class dashboard for tracking remediation and retesting
- Specialized Testing: Industry leaders in Mainframe, ATM, and thick-client testing
Cost Model: Enterprise-scale (custom quotes, varies by asset count)
TL;DR Who To Choose?
If you’re still not sure who’s the best fit for you, here’s how I view each vendor:
- Choose SecurityMetrics if: You need an expert, affordable test that fits your budget and compliance needs.
- Choose Cobalt if: Your developers are shipping code weekly and need a real-time feedback loop.
- Choose Bishop Fox or Rapid7 if: You are a primary target for nation-state actors.
Ready to talk to a SecurityMetrics penetration test expert? Start here.
Comparing The Top 5 Penetration Test Companies was originally published in OSINT Team on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.