⬢ Pricing Guide · Updated May 2026
Penetration Testing Cost in Australia Transparent 2026 Pricing Guide
Penetration testing in Australia typically costs between AUD $2,500 and $25,000 per engagement, with the median sitting around AUD $8,000 to $15,000 for a typical SaaS web application + API engagement. Larger multi-product engagements and APRA-grade FinTech testing can reach $40,000 or more.
Human-led penetration testing with audit-ready evidence
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Engagement snapshot
Scope, cost and evidence mapped upfront
A quick summary of what buyers usually compare before booking a scoping call.
- Penva Security Fixed Pricing Two Engagement Models
- Penva Security Fixed Pricing
- Two Engagement Models
- Fixed-Price Pentest From $2,500
- Fixed-Price Pentest
- From $2,500
- Pay-As-You-Go From $500 / wk
Quick Answer
Penetration testing cost in Australia, 2026
A typical Australian penetration test costs AUD $2,500 to $40,000 per engagement. Small single-application tests sit at the lower end; multi-product, multi-asset engagements (typical FinTech and HealthTech scopes) sit at the upper end.
Quick answer
Penetration testing cost in Australia, 2026
A typical Australian penetration test costs AUD $2,500 to $40,000 per engagement. Small single-application tests sit at the lower end; multi-product, multi-asset engagements (typical FinTech and HealthTech scopes) sit at the upper end.
Cost is driven by: number of assets tested, complexity of business logic, number of user roles, compliance framework requirements, retest inclusion, methodology depth (manual vs scanner-led), and tester credentials (CREST-certified testers cost more than non-credentialed).
Penva Security publishes fixed pricing from AUD $2,500 for small-scope engagements, with quotes returned within 24 hours of the scoping call. A 60-day free retest is included as standard — many providers charge separately for this, which can add AUD $1,500 to $5,000 to the total cost.
At-A-Glance
Australian Pentest Pricing — Quick View
Typical Australian pentest pricing by engagement size, May 2026.
At-A-Glance
Australian Pentest Pricing — Quick View
Typical Australian pentest pricing by engagement size, May 2026.
Small Scope
$2,500 – $8,000
Single web app, 1-2 user roles, defined scope, no integrations
Mid Scope
$8,000 – $20,000
Web + API + cloud config, 2-4 user roles, typical SaaS scope
Large Scope
$20,000 – $40,000
Multi-product, mobile + web + API + network, FinTech typical
Enterprise
$40,000+
Multi-week, large attack surface, APRA tripartite, multi-region
What Drives Pricing
What Drives Pentest Pricing
Quick answer
What Drives Pentest Pricing
Penetration testing pricing in Australia is driven by tester time, not software cost. A pentest is fundamentally a human-effort engagement — the price reflects how many days CREST-certified testers spend on your engagement, plus the time they spend writing the report.
Day rates for CREST-certified Australian penetration testers typically range from AUD $1,800 to $3,500 per day, depending on certification level (CRT vs CCT vs OSCE3) and provider. A 5-day small engagement at $2,000/day day rate plus 2 days reporting puts the base cost at AUD $14,000 — though most boutiques (including Penva Security) discount fixed-price engagements below pure day-rate maths because of efficiency and AI-accelerated reconnaissance.
Cheap pentests — anything below AUD $2,500 — are almost always scanner-led. The provider runs an automated tool (Burp Suite, OWASP ZAP, Nessus) and packages the output as a report. This is not real penetration testing. It produces high false-positive rates, misses business logic and authorisation flaws, and is generally not accepted by ISO 27001, SOC 2 or PCI DSS auditors as primary pentest evidence. The cost of a failed audit is many times the saving on a cheap scan.
Pricing by Type
Cost by Penetration Test Type
Typical Australian pricing by test type, May 2026. Penva Security quotes are fixed-price and returned within 24 hours of the scoping call.
Typical cost
Web Application
AUD $3,000 - $15,000
5-10 day test, 2-4 user roles · 1-2 weeks
Typical cost
API Penetration Test
AUD $2,500 - $15,000
REST or GraphQL, 30-100 endpoints · 5-10 days
Typical cost
External Network
AUD $3,000 - $12,000
5-50 internet-exposed hosts · 3-7 days
Typical cost
Internal Network
AUD $5,000 - $25,000
50-500 internal hosts, AD enabled · 7-15 days
Typical cost
Cloud (AWS/Azure/GCP)
AUD $3,000 - $18,000
Single account, IAM + storage + compute · 5-10 days
Typical cost
Mobile App (iOS or Android)
AUD $3,500 - $14,000
Single platform, single app · 5-10 days
Typical cost
Mobile App (iOS + Android)
AUD $6,000 - $22,000
Both platforms, parity testing · 8-15 days
Typical cost
AI / LLM Penetration Test
AUD $4,000 - $15,000
LLM-powered app, prompts + tools · 5-12 days
Typical cost
APRA CPS 234 / Multi-Product FinTech
AUD $10,000 - $20,000+
Web + API + mobile + segmentation · 3-6 weeks
Cost Factors
Nine Factors That Drive Pricing
Understanding the cost drivers helps you scope smartly and compare quotes apples-to-apples.
High impact
Number of Assets
Each in-scope application, API, network range, cloud account, or mobile app adds testing time. The biggest cost driver in most engagements.
High impact
Business Logic Complexity
Multi-tenant SaaS, complex permission models, financial transactions, and workflow-heavy apps require more manual testing time than simple CRUD apps.
High impact
Number of User Roles
More user roles = more authorisation paths to test. A typical SaaS has 2-4 roles (user, admin, owner); enterprise platforms can have 10+.
Medium impact
Compliance Framework
APRA CPS 234, PCI DSS v4.0.1 (CDE testing), HIPAA, and IRAP all impose specific methodology requirements that add time. ISO 27001 and SOC 2 are typically already covered by standard methodology.
Medium impact
Retest Inclusion
A free 60-day retest typically adds 1-2 days of testing time and is included by Penva Security as standard. Providers charging separately may add AUD $1,500-$5,000 to the total cost.
Medium impact
Reporting Depth
Standard report + executive summary is baseline. Board-ready presentations, regulator-formatted reports (APRA, IRAP) or multi-stakeholder briefings add report time.
Medium impact
Tester Credentials
CREST-certified tester day rates are higher than non-credentialed testers. Worth paying for: APRA, ISO, SOC 2 and PCI DSS expect CREST credentials.
Lower impact
Engagement Model
Fixed-price vs Pay-As-You-Go vs PTaaS subscription. PAYG is cheaper for short bursts; subscriptions break even around 3+ engagements per year on the same scope.
Lower impact
Geographic Premium
Onsite work in Sydney or Melbourne adds minimal cost (travel, accommodation for non-Melbourne testers). Pure remote engagements have no geographic premium.
Watch For
Hidden Costs to Watch For When Comparing Quotes
Quick answer
Three hidden-cost patterns to scrutinise
Cheap pentest quotes — anything below AUD $2,500 — are almost always scanner-led, not real penetration testing. The report is essentially a Burp Suite or Nessus output reformatted. Auditors increasingly reject these as primary pentest evidence under ISO 27001, SOC 2 and PCI DSS.
Add-on costs to verify before signing: retest cost (often AUD $1,500-$5,000 if not included), executive summary cost (some providers charge separately), letter of attestation (sometimes paid), expedited delivery surcharge, post-engagement consultation hours, and report-customisation fees. Penva Security includes all of these as standard.
Offshoring risk: some providers quote attractively low prices because the actual testing is performed offshore (typically South or Southeast Asia). For APRA-regulated entities, Australian Government suppliers, or HealthTech handling sensitive PHI, offshoring of findings may violate your own compliance obligations. Always verify where the testers are based and where data is handled.
Penva Security Pricing
Penva Security's Transparent Fixed Pricing
Penva Security publishes fixed pricing for transparency. Quotes are returned within 24 hours of the scoping call — no negotiation games, no surprise add-ons.
Most popular
Fixed-Price Pentest
- Human-led + AI-accelerated CREST-certified testing
- Audit-ready PDF report (ISO / SOC 2 / PCI DSS / APRA)
- Free 60-day retest included
- Letter of attestation for procurement
- 1:1 remediation walkthrough with engineering
- Australian jurisdiction for all findings
Flexible support
Pay-As-You-Go
- Ongoing human + AI testing capacity
- Real-time finding notifications (Slack / Teams)
- Test new features as they ship
- Pause or resume any time - no annual commitment
- Same CREST-certified testers across engagements
- No platform fee, no credit purchase
FAQ
Pentest Cost — Common Questions
Direct answers to the questions buyers ask most when budgeting. Updated May 2026.
How much does a typical penetration test cost in Australia?
A typical Australian penetration test costs between AUD $2,500 and $40,000 per engagement. The median engagement — a SaaS web application + API + cloud config — sits around AUD $8,000 to $15,000. Small single-app tests can be done from AUD $2,500; multi-product FinTech engagements with APRA-grade scope can reach AUD $40,000+. Penva Security provides fixed-price quotes within 24 hours of the scoping call.
Why is there such a wide cost range?
Because ‘penetration test’ covers everything from a single web app with two user roles to a multi-product FinTech engagement spanning web, API, mobile, network, segmentation testing and APRA-grade reporting. The cost difference reflects 5 days of one tester vs 60 days of a multi-tester team. The nine factors above explain the breakdown.
How do I get an accurate quote?
Book a 30-minute scoping call. We’ll ask about: the assets in scope (URLs, apps, networks, cloud accounts), the user roles and authentication mechanism, the compliance evidence you need, your timeline, and any specific testing constraints. Penva Security returns a fixed-price quote within 24 hours — no escalation games, no surprise add-ons.
Is cheap penetration testing worth it?
Almost never. Anything under AUD $2,500 is typically scanner-led — a provider running automated tools and reformatting the output. The report is usually 70-90% false positives, misses business logic and authorisation flaws, and is increasingly rejected by ISO 27001, SOC 2 and PCI DSS auditors as primary pentest evidence. The cost of a failed audit or missed vulnerability is many times the saving on a cheap scan.
Are CREST-certified testers worth the higher cost?
Yes, for any compliance-driven engagement. APRA-regulated entities, Australian Government suppliers, and most ISO 27001, SOC 2 and PCI DSS auditors expect CREST credentials as the baseline ‘qualified tester’ criterion. The day-rate premium for CREST testers (typically 20-40% above non-credentialed) is more than offset by audit acceptance and the broader skill depth CREST certification represents.
Should the retest be included in the original price?
Yes — and it’s a quote-shopping warning sign when it isn’t. The retest is what auditors actually need for closure evidence (ISO 27001 corrective action, SOC 2 CC7.1 remediation, PCI DSS Req 11.4 retest). Providers charging separately for retest (typically AUD $1,500-$5,000) are either using it as a margin lever or admitting they don’t expect to come back. Penva Security includes a 60-day free retest as standard.
How much does an APRA CPS 234 pentest cost?
APRA CPS 234-aligned pentesting typically runs AUD $20,000 to $40,000+ for FinTech engagements, depending on the breadth of products and the depth of segmentation testing required. The price premium over standard pentesting reflects: Australian-jurisdiction requirement, CREST-certified tester requirement, broader scope (typically web + API + mobile + network + segmentation), tripartite-ready reporting, and the regulatory-grade documentation depth APRA reviewers expect.
How can I budget for penetration testing across the year?
Most Australian SaaS / FinTech / HealthTech businesses budget 1-3% of revenue for security, of which pentest is typically 30-50%. A practical rule of thumb: budget for one annual fixed-price engagement (AUD $10,000-$20,000 typical) plus a contingency for one or two change-driven retests. High-velocity teams add Pay-As-You-Go (AUD $500-$2,000/week) for continuous coverage. Total annual security testing spend for a mid-size SaaS typically lands in the AUD $20,000-$40,000 range.
Does Penva Security publish fixed prices?
Yes. Penva Security is one of the few Australian pentest providers that publishes a starting price (AUD $2,500) and returns a fixed-price quote within 24 hours of the scoping call. The scope drives the price, the price is fixed once quoted, and the engagement includes a free 60-day retest. No surprise add-ons, no platform fee, no escalation.
Why don't most pentest providers publish prices?
Two reasons. Legitimate: real pentest scoping is genuinely complex and a single price would be misleading without knowing the scope. Less legitimate: opaque pricing allows price discrimination by company size and lets providers maximise margin per engagement. Penva Security’s view: we publish the starting price and ranges by test type so buyers can budget honestly, then we scope and quote each engagement individually for the precise price.
Is there a way to spread the cost over time?
Yes — the Pay-As-You-Go model (from AUD $500/week) lets you spread testing across a longer period without a large upfront engagement. Good for: SaaS teams shipping weekly, startups managing cash flow, businesses wanting continuous coverage rather than an annual deep-dive. You can pause and resume any time.
How does Australian pentest pricing compare internationally?
Australian CREST-certified pentest pricing is broadly comparable to UK and US equivalents in USD-converted terms, sometimes slightly lower. Where AU is cheaper, it’s usually because of the strong AUD-based local market and the absence of the largest US enterprise consulting premiums. Where AU is more expensive, it’s usually because of Australian-jurisdiction requirements (no offshoring) that some US/EU buyers don’t impose.
Next step
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Want a Fixed-Price Quote in 24 Hours?
Book a free 30-minute scoping call. We’ll quote your engagement at a fixed price within 24 hours. No surprise add-ons, free retest included, no obligation to proceed.