How Much Does Penetration Testing Cost In 2025? Full Transparency

Penetration testing is no longer a “nice-to-have” service. For many organizations in 2025, it’s a vital part of maintaining security, meeting compliance requirements, and demonstrating due diligence to leadership, customers, and regulators. But despite its growing importance, many IT and security leaders still find themselves asking the same question: What should we actually expect to pay for penetration testing today?

The answer? It depends—but we’ll break it down. This post offers a detailed, transparent look at real-world penetration testing costs in 2025, based on current industry standards and what security teams are actually paying. Whether you're evaluating a new provider or planning your annual security budget, this guide is designed to give you clarity.

Why Penetration Testing Prices Can Vary So Widely

There’s a reason pen test pricing doesn’t come with a one-size-fits-all answer. A good penetration test is tailored to your specific environment, risks, and objectives—not just a generic scan with a report attached. That’s why pricing often reflects the depth and scope of the engagement.

Here are the most common factors that influence price:

• Scope and size (e.g., number of IPs, systems, locations, or apps in scope)
• Testing approach (black-box vs. gray-box vs. white-box)
• Technical complexity (on-premise, hybrid, cloud-native, etc.)
• Compliance and regulatory requirements (e.g., PCI DSS, SOC 2, HIPAA)
• Manual vs. automated testing balance
• Level of reporting detail and follow-up support

Now, let’s take a closer look at specific types of penetration testing and what each one typically costs in 2025.

How Much Does an External Network Penetration Test Cost in 2025?

External network testing focuses on your internet-facing systems—think firewalls, VPNs, email servers, and other perimeter services. The goal is to find weaknesses that could be exploited by an outside attacker with no access to your network.

Typical Price Range:

• Small business (1–25 IPs): $5,000 – $10,000
• Mid-size organization (25–50 IPs): $10,000 – $15,000
• Enterprise-level (50–100+ IPs): $15,000 – $30,000+

What Affects External Network Penetration Test Costs:

• The number and responsiveness of public IPs in scope
• Complexity of exposed services (e.g., Citrix, Exchange, remote access portals)
• Whether phishing or social engineering is included in the scope

Automated vulnerability scans are common at lower price points, but meaningful testing should include manual verification and actual exploitation attempts to demonstrate real risk.

How Much Does an Internal Network Penetration Test Cost in 2025?

Internal network testing assumes an attacker has already breached the perimeter (or is acting as a malicious insider). The objective is to simulate lateral movement, privilege escalation, and exploitation of internal systems—particularly Active Directory environments.

Typical Price Range:

• Small/local environment (1–2 VLANs): $7,500 – $12,000
• Mid-sized environment (3–5 VLANs, 100–300 devices): $12,000 – $20,000
• Large/enterprise network (multi-location, 300+ devices): $20,000 – $40,000+

What Affects Internal Network Penetration Test Costs:

• Number of systems and network segments
• Active Directory size and trust relationships
• Whether the testing is done onsite or remotely
• Geographic distribution of offices or data centers

Many internal network issues—like misconfigurations, credential reuse, or weak Kerberos settings—require manual exploration, not just scanning. That’s what distinguishes a real pen test from a routine IT health check.

How Much Does a Web Application Penetration Test Cost in 2025?

Web application testing is one of the most varied types of pen testing, since every app is different. These tests focus on finding vulnerabilities in your web-based software, including user portals, e-commerce systems, customer login areas, and admin consoles.

Typical Price Range:

• Simple static website (1–5 pages): $3,500 – $6,000
• Moderate dynamic site with login/auth (e.g., customer portal): $8,000 – $15,000
• Complex custom application (multiple roles, APIs, integrations): $15,000 – $35,000+

What Affects Web Application Penetration Test Costs:

• Number of unique pages, forms, and input fields
• Whether authenticated and role-based access is in scope
• API and backend integrations (especially mobile and cloud)
• Use of frameworks, third-party libraries, or legacy code

Secure code reviews, CI/CD pipeline testing, or DevSecOps advisory work may increase the cost by $5,000–$15,000, depending on how deeply integrated the application is within your environment.

How Much Does a Wireless Penetration Test Cost in 2025?

Wireless testing evaluates the security of your organization’s Wi-Fi networks and infrastructure. This includes testing WPA2/WPA3 encryption, rogue access point detection, and guest network isolation.

Typical Price Range:

• Single office location: $4,000 – $7,000
• Campus or multi-site environment: $8,000 – $15,000+

Wireless testing is often bundled with internal or physical security testing, especially when simulating an attacker attempting to gain access from the parking lot or adjacent building.

How Much Does a Red Team Engagement Cost in 2025?

Red team engagements go beyond traditional penetration testing. They simulate long-term, stealthy attackers (often referred to as Advanced Persistent Threats or APTs) and test your organization’s ability to detect and respond to real-world attacks.

Typical Price Range:

• Foundational red team (2–4 weeks): $40,000 – $65,000
• Advanced APT simulation (6–8+ weeks): $70,000 – $120,000+
• Add-on purple team collaboration: +$10,000 – $20,000

Red team exercises often include social engineering, physical entry attempts, and custom malware deployment. These are best suited for organizations with mature SOCs, endpoint detection systems, and incident response teams.

Other Specialized Penetration Testing Costs

These tests are often added to larger security assessments or compliance-driven engagements.

What About Retesting?

Most reputable vendors include no-cost limited retesting of previously identified vulnerabilities—typically within 30 to 90 days of the initial engagement. If you’re undergoing a compliance audit, you’ll almost always want a retest to demonstrate that issues have been remediated.

• Standalone retest: $2,000 – $5,000
• Annual testing contracts: Often include retesting at no additional cost
• vCISO or advisory hours: $250 – $400/hour for remediation planning and consulting

Penetration Testing for Compliance Requirements

Some industries require penetration testing as part of regulatory compliance. Others strongly recommend it to validate technical safeguards.

• PCI DSS 4.0 requires annual internal and external testing, along with segmentation testing for cardholder environments.
• HIPAA mandates that covered entities regularly test and evaluate security procedures.
• SOC 2 assessments benefit from penetration testing as evidence of CC5 (control implementation effectiveness).
• CMMC / NIST 800-171 includes specific controls requiring security testing and exploitation of vulnerabilities.

When reporting requirements are higher (e.g., for an auditor or regulator), pricing may increase by 10–25% to reflect the added documentation and evidence handling.

How Much Should You Budget for Penetration Testing in 2025?

Here’s a general idea of what organizations are budgeting annually for penetration testing in 2025:

This may include multiple assessments, retesting, and compliance support across several environments or business units.

How to Get an Accurate Penetration Testing Quote

If you're planning to engage a testing provider, here’s how to streamline the process:

1. Clearly define your goals—are you focused on compliance, visibility, or incident response validation?
2. Identify what’s in scope—how many IPs, web apps, internal networks, and user roles need testing?
3. Share any relevant deadlines—especially for audits or board reporting cycles.
4. Ask to see sample deliverables—this helps you evaluate report quality before committing.
5. Confirm that the vendor performs hands-on testing—not just automated scans.

Final Thoughts

Penetration testing is more than just a technical checkbox—it’s a strategic activity that helps your organization understand how attackers think, how strong your defenses are, and where to invest in better protection. In 2025, testing has evolved to meet modern threats, and the costs reflect the value of skilled, experienced testers who go beyond surface-level analysis.

If you're budgeting for penetration testing this year, understanding the market rates—and what goes into them—is key. The goal is not to find the cheapest vendor, but to find a reliable partner who delivers real, actionable insights.

Compass is a trusted partner for organizations seeking thorough, manual, and standards-based penetration testing. Whether you need external, internal, application-layer, or red team testing, our engagements are conducted by certified professionals and tailored to your goals—compliance-driven or security-focused. We work across industries including finance, healthcare, education, retail, and government, with a strong track record of helping clients meet regulatory requirements while improving their real-world security posture.

To learn more or request a tailored quote, reach out to our team today.