What does penetration testing cost in the UAE?
It depends on how much there is to test, which decides how many days of testing your scope needs. Here's what drives the price, what a quote should include, and how to get an accurate fixed quote.
The short answer
A penetration test is priced by effort. The more applications, user roles, API endpoints, IP addresses or cloud accounts in scope, the more testing days it takes, and the higher the price. We estimate the days your scope needs and send a fixed quote after a 20-minute scope call, so the price doesn't change once testing starts.
What drives the cost
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Type of test | Web applications, APIs, networks, cloud and mobile apps each need different work. Combining related systems in one engagement saves repeated set-up and reporting. |
| Size of the scope | The number of pages and features, API endpoints, IP addresses, cloud accounts or app platforms (iOS, Android). |
| User roles | Each role, such as customer, staff and admin, has to be tested for what it can and can't reach. More roles, more testing. |
| Logged in or not | Testing as a logged-in user finds far more than testing from outside, and takes longer. |
| Environment | A staging copy can be tested faster and more freely than production, which needs tighter test windows. |
| Reporting needs | A report for a specific client, auditor or standard can need extra mapping and evidence. |
| Timing | Urgent deadlines and out-of-hours test windows take more planning. |
Example scopes
Three common shapes of engagement, to show how scope changes the work. Your quote depends on your own systems.
- Focused: one customer web application with two user roles, tested in a staging environment. This is the typical one-to-two-week engagement.
- Combined: a web application, the API behind it and its iOS and Android apps, with three user roles. More testing days, but one report and one retest instead of three.
- Infrastructure: your internet-facing servers and services, plus a review of one AWS or Azure account. The number of IP addresses, services and cloud resources sets the effort.
How a quote is built
Most penetration testing quotes are built from tester-days: the time needed to cover your scope properly, plus reporting. A quote that looks very low for a large scope usually means fewer days, and fewer days means less hands-on testing.
What a quote should include
Whoever you choose, check that the quote spells out:
- The exact scope: which applications, environments, IP ranges or cloud accounts.
- Whether testing is hands-on or scanner-only.
- What the report contains: an executive summary, proof for each finding, severity ratings and fix guidance.
- Whether a retest is included, and an attestation letter if your client or auditor needs one.
- The timeline from kickoff to report.
How to compare two quotes
Compare the scope and the testing days, not just the price. Two quotes for "a web application pentest" can cover very different work: a day of scanning, or a week of logged-in testing across every user role. Ask each provider how many days they've allowed and what they'll do in them, and ask for a sample report. You can see ours on the home page.
How to keep the cost down
- Start with the systems that matter most: internet-facing apps that hold customer data.
- Have test accounts for each user role ready before testing starts.
- Test a staging environment that mirrors production, where you can.
- Fix the issues you already know about before the test.
- Test related systems together, such as an app and its API, in one engagement.
What to prepare for an accurate quote
Before the scope call, list the applications, APIs, networks or cloud accounts you want tested; the user roles; whether testing happens in production or staging; any deadline; and why you need the test, such as a client, an auditor, a tender or your own assurance. That's enough for us to send a fixed quote.
Cost questions
Something else on your mind? Ask us on the scope call.
How much does a VAPT cost?
The same factors apply: the scope, the user roles and the number of testing days. A VAPT adds automated scanning across the whole scope to the hands-on testing. See what our VAPT includes.
Is a vulnerability scan cheaper than a penetration test?
Yes, because it's automated. A scan finds known issues such as outdated software. It doesn't find access-control or business-logic flaws, or prove what an attacker could do. Scans are useful between tests, but they don't replace one.
How long does a penetration test take?
Most single-application or external network tests take one to two weeks from kickoff to report. Larger scopes take longer, and you get a firm timeline with the quote.
Is the retest included?
Yes. Once you've fixed the findings, we retest them and issue an attestation letter confirming what's closed.
Know where you're exposed.
Book a 20-minute scope call. We'll ask what you run, recommend what to test, and send a fixed quote.