Synack alternatives: five pentest providers compared
Synack lists starting prices per test ($5,085 to $27,120) and bills a platform separately. Alternatives from the dataset are Cobalt (credits and a $3,500 autonomous test), HackerOne, Bugcrowd and BreachLock (quote-only hybrid platforms) and Horizon3 (autonomous, per-asset prices). Synack and NetSPI completed their merger on 5 October 2026. Checked 9 November 2026.
Synack alternatives fall into three groups: hybrid platforms that sell on quote, a credit-based platform with one published test price, and an autonomous product priced per asset. This page compares five providers from the provider dataset against Synack, using vendor pages checked on 9 November 2026.
Why do teams look for Synack alternatives?#
The reasons in the sources are about price units and a corporate change. Synack's starting prices are per test, but the Synack Platform is required for any test and is billed separately with no published price, so the all-in cost is not visible. Credits expire one year after purchase. NetSPI and Synack announced a merger on 2 September 2026, and Synack's notice says it closed on 5 October 2026 with no unified pricing announced. Synack's offerings may change.
How does Synack sell?#
Synack is a crowdsourced platform that combines Sara, an autonomous AI agent, with the Synack Red Team of vetted researchers. The pricing page lists three starting prices, each per test.
| Product | Starting price | Window | Scope of one test |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sara Pentest | $5,085 | 4 to 5 business days | External web or host only |
| SynackST (compliance) | $10,283 | 5 days | Single tester, one framework; up to 25 unauthenticated web apps, or 1 low-complexity authenticated web app, or 100 host IPs |
| Synack14 | $27,120 | 14 days | Team; up to 50 unauthenticated web apps, or 1 authenticated web app, or 250 host IPs |
Source: Synack pricing, checked 9 November 2026. Enterprise is custom. See also Synack pricing.
Which alternatives fit which delivery type?#
| Delivery type | Providers | How testing is done |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid platform, vetted testers | Cobalt, HackerOne, Bugcrowd, BreachLock | Human testers with AI help; HackerOne also sells an agentic tier with human review of each agent finding |
| Hybrid, in-house team | BreachLock | In-house team described as expert-led and AI-accelerated, plus a separate autonomous product |
| Autonomous | Horizon3 (NodeZero) | Software runs the attacks; no human pentesters described on the pages checked |
Choose the type before you compare prices. A per-asset autonomous product and a per-test human-led product answer different questions.
How do the alternatives compare side by side?#
| Provider | Delivery | Pricing model | Published price | Sample report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synack | Hybrid | Mixed | $5,085, $10,283, $27,120 per test (starting) | Not published |
| Cobalt | Hybrid | Mixed | $3,500 per Autonomous Pentest (to 31 Dec 2026); tiers none | On request |
| HackerOne | Hybrid | Custom quote | None | Not published |
| Bugcrowd | Hybrid | Custom quote | None | Public (Standard web app test) |
| BreachLock | Hybrid | Custom quote | None | On request |
| Horizon3 | Automated | Published | $15 to $85 per asset; $10,000 per app per test | Not published |
Sources: each vendor's pricing page, checked 9 November 2026.
Which alternatives publish prices?#
Two do. Horizon3 lists Flex at $15 per asset per test (12-month term), Core at $50, Pro at $65 and Elite at $85 per asset on annual subscriptions, and WebApp Flex at $10,000 per app per test. The unit is a discovered asset, so the total depends on an asset count you may not know in advance. Support tiers cost extra (Enhanced 10 percent of subscription, minimum $7,500 a year; Premier 20 percent, minimum $25,000 a year).
Cobalt lists one figure, $3,500 per Autonomous Pentest, a web application test with findings in 24 hours that must start and finish before 31 December 2026. Its Standard, Premium and Enterprise tiers are annual credit packages (one credit is 8 hours of testing) with no published price.
HackerOne, Bugcrowd and BreachLock route to sales. Bugcrowd names subscription, flat-rate or pay-for-impact purchase options, and says external web app and network tests can be bought through AWS Marketplace.
Which alternatives offer a sample report?#
Bugcrowd links a sample report for the Standard web app test from its PTaaS page. Cobalt and BreachLock give one on request. HackerOne, Horizon3 and Synack do not publish one. Ask for a sample before you pay, and read it with the sample report guide.
How do retest and turnaround terms differ?#
| Provider | Turnaround claim | What it measures | Retest terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Synack | Windows of 4 to 5 days, 5 days, 14 days | Length of testing | Patch verification included in each product |
| Cobalt | 24 hours (autonomous); start in 3 / 2 / 1 business days (tiers) | First findings, or start | Two statements: 6 or 12 months, or unlimited during contract |
| HackerOne | Docs: report 3 to 5 business days after testing | Report delivery | Unlimited during the remediation period, typically 30 or 90 days |
| Bugcrowd | Launch in under 72 hours | Time to launch | One year of retesting with one report revision on Standard |
| BreachLock | Scoped and started in 24 to 48 hours | Time to start | 1 (Standard), 2 (Extended) or custom (Extensive) free retests |
| Horizon3 | Not published | Not stated | Verify actions included; Flex terms not stated |
Turnaround numbers measure different things, so do not rank vendors on them.
How do you choose by scope and budget?#
- Write the scope: number of web apps, APIs, host IPs and user roles.
- Pick the delivery type from the table above.
- Convert each price to your scope. For Horizon3 count assets; for Synack check the app and IP limits of each test; for credit and quote vendors, get a written quote.
- Add the line items outside the headline price: Synack's platform, Horizon3's support tiers, Cobalt's per-credit rate.
- Compare retest terms and ask for a sample report.
For a head-to-head, see Synack vs Cobalt. For general cost ranges, read the pentest cost guide.
What are the sources and check dates?#
Every figure above comes from the vendor pages listed under Sources, all checked on 9 November 2026. Prices change, so confirm them with the vendor. Found an error? Send a correction.
Questions
Which Synack alternative publishes prices?
Horizon3 publishes per-asset prices ($15 per asset per test on Flex, $50 to $85 per asset per year on subscriptions, $10,000 per app per test for WebApp Flex). Cobalt publishes one figure, $3,500 per Autonomous Pentest until 31 December 2026. HackerOne, Bugcrowd and BreachLock are quote-only on the pages checked.
Did the NetSPI merger change Synack's prices?
Synack's notice says the merger closed on 5 October 2026 and that no unified platform, contract, pricing or partner program has been announced. The pricing page we read on 9 November 2026 still showed the standalone starting prices. Offerings may change, so confirm at quote time.
Is Horizon3 a like-for-like replacement for a Synack test?
No. Horizon3's NodeZero is software that runs the attacks itself, and its unit is a discovered asset, not a test. Synack's prices are per test and combine AI with human researchers. Compare the scope of one test, not the headline price.
Sources
- Synack pricing (checked 9 November 2026)
- NetSPI and Synack merger notice (checked 9 November 2026)
- Cobalt pricing (checked 9 November 2026)
- HackerOne pricing (checked 9 November 2026)
- Bugcrowd pen test as a service (checked 9 November 2026)
- BreachLock pentest pricing (checked 9 November 2026)
- Horizon3.ai pricing (checked 9 November 2026)
Compare like with like
An automated scan, a manual test and annual credits are different units. Check scope, delivery and retest terms before price.