Top 11AI made for AI

Alternatives to Cobalt

Cobalt ranks #1 on the Top 11 The 11 Best Penetration Testing Services. Below: the higher-ranked alternatives we’d steer you to instead, by use case.

Verified . No paid placement — see methodology.

  1. #2Synack

    9.1 / 9.4

    Elite crowdsourced researchers find unique vulnerabilities through a continuous testing platform.

    Best for: Crowdsourced continuous testing · Pricing: $$$$ ($50k to $250k+ /yr) · www.synack.com

  2. #3Bishop Fox

    8.9 / 9.4

    Elite consulting firm with deep research expertise for complex security assessments.

    Best for: Deep expertise for complex targets · Pricing: $$$$ ($30k to $200k+ /project) · bishopfox.com

  3. #4Rapid7

    8.6 / 9.4

    Solid pentesting services that integrate with Rapid7's popular security product suite.

    Best for: Integrated pentesting for Rapid7 users · Pricing: $$$ ($20k to $150k+ /project) · www.rapid7.com/services/penetration-testing/

  4. #5NCC Group

    8.4 / 9.4

    Global firm with a massive service portfolio ideal for complex enterprise needs.

    Best for: Global testing for large enterprises · Pricing: $$$$ ($25k to $300k+ /project) · www.nccgroup.com/us/our-services/cyber-security/penetration-testing/

  5. #6HackerOne

    8.1 / 9.4

    Leverages its massive hacker community for structured, compliance-focused pentests.

    Best for: Pentesting powered by ethical hackers · Pricing: $$$ ($15k to $80k+ /project) · www.hackerone.com/solutions/penetration-testing

  6. #7Secureworks

    7.9 / 9.4

    Pentesting informed by real-world threat intelligence from its Taegis platform.

    Best for: Threat intelligence-led pentesting · Pricing: $$$$ ($25k to $200k+ /project) · www.secureworks.com/services/penetration-testing

  7. #8NetSPI

    7.7 / 9.4

    Strong PtaaS platform for managing multiple, recurring tests at scale.

    Best for: Managing large-scale pentest programs · Pricing: $$$$ ($40k to $500k+ /yr) · www.netspi.com/

  8. #9Praetorian

    7.5 / 9.4

    Engineering-focused firm for deep security analysis of complex software and hardware.

    Best for: Adversarial engineering for products · Pricing: $$$$ ($30k to $250k+ /project) · www.praetorian.com/

  9. #10Intruder

    7.3 / 9.4

    An easy-to-use scanner with on-demand pentesting, great for startups.

    Best for: Vulnerability scanning plus pentesting · Pricing: $$ ($2k to $20k+ /yr) · www.intruder.io/

  10. #11Pentera

    7.1 / 9.4

    An automated platform, not a service, that continuously tests for exploitable flaws.

    Best for: Automated security validation platform · Pricing: $$$$ ($75k to $300k+ /yr) · www.pentera.io

See the full ranked list: The 11 Best Penetration Testing Services. Or compare any two: side-by-side.