# Cobalt alternatives for penetration testing

Source: https://pentestcompare.com/compare/cobalt-alternatives/
Publisher: Excession Labs (pentestcompare.com)
Last updated: 2026-11-09

Cobalt.io alternatives for pentesting, grouped by need: published per-test prices, human-led testing, fast automated tests. Sources checked 9 November 2026.

> **Short answer:** Cobalt sells its human-led tiers as annual credit packages with no published price, and its pricing page states the retest window two ways. This page groups six other providers from our dataset by need: published per-test prices, human-led testing, and fast automated tests. Excession Labs, the publisher, is a seventh, labeled row. Each fact carries a vendor source checked on 9 November 2026.

Cobalt is a pentest platform that connects buyers with vetted freelance testers and also sells an autonomous pentest. This page groups other providers from the [provider dataset](/providers/) by what a buyer needs. It gives no ratings and picks no winner. Excession Labs, the publisher of this site, appears once, marked as such.

## Why look for Cobalt alternatives?

Three facts on Cobalt's own pricing page, which we read on 9 November 2026, can send a buyer to other providers.

Standard, Premium and Enterprise are annual credit packages, and one credit equals 8 hours of testing. None of the three tiers shows a price. The credits debited for a test also vary with your contracted per-credit rate, so a buyer who wants a figure for the human-led tiers has to ask sales.

The one published price is $3,500 per test for the Autonomous Pentest, a limited-time offer. The test must start and finish before 31 December 2026. It is a web application test with findings in 24 hours, a different product from a credit package.

The retest wording differs inside the page. The comparison table gives free retesting for 6 months (Standard) or 12 months (Premium and Enterprise). The FAQ says unlimited on-demand retesting during the contract term. Ask Cobalt in writing which statement applies to your contract.

Cobalt also holds SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 and a CREST accreditation, per its [Trust Center](https://www.cobalt.io/trust-center), and lists a sample report as available on request.

## Which alternatives publish a price per test?

Synack and Secure Ideas publish dollar figures for single tests, and Aikido does too (see the automated group below). The units differ, so the figures do not cover equal scope.

Synack lists starting prices per test: $5,085 for a Sara Pentest (AI-led, external web or host, 4 to 5 business days), $10,283 for SynackST (one human tester, one framework) and $27,120 for Synack14 (a team, 14 days). Credits expire one year after purchase. Any test requires the Synack Platform, which is billed as a separate line with no published price, so the all-in cost is not visible. Each product includes patch verification. See the [Synack and Cobalt head-to-head](/compare/synack-vs-cobalt/).

Secure Ideas is a human-led consultancy. Its flat starting prices for the smallest scope are $13,600 for a web application test, $10,880 for an API test and $8,160 for an external network test. The homepage says most tests cost $10K to $45K. It also sells a prepaid credit plan (PETaaS) at $2,520 per credit with a 25-credit minimum. Credits are a pool of effort-days, so they cannot be compared directly with a per-test price. Testing usually starts two to four weeks after contracting. It has a public sample report and a CREST accreditation listed on its homepage.

## Which alternatives are human-led with set retest terms?

BreachLock is a PTaaS platform with an in-house human team, and its homepage claims CREST accreditation. It publishes no prices; each tier links to a quote or discovery call. The pricing page lists free manual retests: one for Standard, two for Extended and a custom number for Extensive. The product text also promises unlimited retesting, so BreachLock states its retest terms two ways as well. It says tests can be scoped and started within 24 to 48 hours. That figure is the time to start. The page gives no report time. A sample report is available on request.

Pen Test Partners is a UK and US consultancy with NCSC CHECK, CREST member, ISO 27001 and PCI QSA badges on its homepage. We read those from badges and links, so confirm them with the firm. It publishes no prices, no retest terms and no sample report. Its PTaaS service sells blocks of time in half-day units. See its [profile](/providers/pen-test-partners/).

## Which alternatives run fast automated tests?

Two providers sell automated tests. Aikido publishes prices and Parameter does not.

Aikido lists a TYPICAL Pentest at $4,000 per assessment and a Rightsized Pentest from $50 to $30,000+ per assessment. Its AI agents map, attack and verify findings, and a human-led CREST pentest is available on request. Its turnaround statements conflict: results on the day of the run on the pricing page, and on the AI pentest page a few hours, minutes, and in one place a report in days. Ask which applies to your scope. Retesting is free for up to 6 months. A public sample exists, but the samples we found cover network, mobile and AI, not web or API.

Parameter runs autonomous AI agents that pause for customer approval before chaining or escalating. It publishes no price for its three tiers. It does publish a [sample pentest report](https://www.parameter.ai/parameter-assets/sample-pentest-report.pdf), claims first findings in 24 hours, and lists free re-testing from the Single App tier. Its security page shows a SOC 2 Type I report, with the Type II period still in progress.

## Is there an option for web app and API testing with a free pilot? (publisher of this site)

Excession Labs (publisher of this site) tests web applications, APIs and multi-tenant SaaS with Incursion, its own AI testing agent. Excession Labs checks the evidence for each finding and writes the report. It offers a free pilot with a small written scope. It publishes no prices, turnaround or credentials, and quotes follow a scoping call. The public sample report covers a made-up app and is not a customer report. Its pages do not describe network, cloud or mobile testing. See its [profile](/providers/excession-labs/); it is compared on the same fields as every other row.

## How do the options compare at a glance?

| Provider | Delivery | Published price | Unit | Retest terms published | Sample report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cobalt | Freelance testers plus AI | $3,500 (autonomous, to 31 Dec 2026) | per test; tiers are annual credit packages | Yes, two versions | On request |
| Synack | AI agent plus vetted researchers | $5,085 / $10,283 / $27,120 (starting) | per test; platform billed separately | Patch verification included | Not published |
| Secure Ideas | Human consultants | $13,600 / $10,880 / $8,160 (starting) | per test, smallest scope | Not included by default | Public |
| BreachLock | In-house team, AI-accelerated | Not published | Not published | 1 / 2 / custom free retests | On request |
| Aikido | AI agents, human option on request | $4,000; $50 to $30,000+ | per assessment | Free for up to 6 months | Public (not web or API) |
| Parameter | Autonomous AI agents | Not published | Not published | Free re-testing from Single App | Public |
| Excession Labs (publisher) | Incursion plus human evidence check | Not published | Not published | Offered; terms in each quote | Public (made-up app) |

Sources: the dataset rows linked above, each checked against the vendor pages listed under Sources on 9 November 2026.

## How should you shortlist?

Pick your unit first: one web app, one API, or an annual number of testing hours. Convert every quote to that unit. Ask each provider for the retest window in writing, the date the quote expires, and what its turnaround figure measures. The [questions to ask a pentest provider](/guides/questions-to-ask-a-pentest-provider/) list has more, and the [pentest cost guide](/guides/penetration-testing-cost/) explains pricing models.

Found an error or a missing fact? [Send a correction](/methodology/#corrections).

## Questions

### Can I compare Cobalt credits with a per-test price?

Only after you convert them. Cobalt says one credit equals 8 hours of testing, and the credits debited for a test depend on your contracted per-credit rate. A $3,500 test and a credit package use different units. Ask Cobalt for the per-credit rate first.

### Does Cobalt publish a price for its human-led pentests?

Not on the pricing page we read on 9 November 2026. Standard, Premium and Enterprise are quote-only annual credit packages. The only dollar figure is $3,500 per test for the Autonomous Pentest, a limited-time offer that must start and finish before 31 December 2026.

### Which alternative keeps a platform with human testers?

In our dataset, Synack and BreachLock both pair a platform with human testers. Synack publishes starting prices per test. BreachLock publishes none but lists the number of free manual retests per tier. Their scope and units differ. Read each profile before you shortlist.

## Sources

- [Cobalt pricing](https://www.cobalt.io/pricing)
- [Cobalt Trust Center](https://www.cobalt.io/trust-center)
- [Synack pricing](https://www.synack.com/pricing/)
- [Secure Ideas pricing](https://secureideas.com/pricing)
- [BreachLock penetration testing pricing](https://www.breachlock.com/pricing/penetration-testing-pricing/)
- [Aikido pricing](https://www.aikido.dev/pricing)
- [Aikido AI pentest](https://www.aikido.dev/attack/aipentest)
- [Parameter pentesting](https://www.parameter.ai/pentesting)
- [Excession Labs pricing and scope (publisher of this site)](https://penetrationtestservices.com/pricing/)