The verdict in three sentences
an application security audit costs 4,000 to 12,000 EUR in Berlin in 2026, a grey-box pentest covering the OWASP Top 10 6,000 to 18,000 EUR, delivered in 1 to 3 weeks. Remediation of the vulnerabilities then represents 3,000 to 15,000 EUR depending on security debt, and sovereign EU hosting (OVH, Scaleway, Hetzner) 80 to 400 EUR/month. The ROI math is blunt: an exploited flaw can cost up to 4 % of revenue in a GDPR fine, on top of lost investor confidence.
The services and their 2026 ranges
Before a funding round, technical due diligence demands proof: an audit report, a dated pentest, a remediation plan. Here is what each service covers.
| Service | Scope | 2026 price (EUR) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Code / configuration audit | Static review, dependencies, secrets | 4,000 - 8,000 | 1 - 2 weeks |
| Full application security audit | Architecture, permissions, encryption, logs | 6,000 - 12,000 | 2 - 3 weeks |
| Grey-box OWASP Top 10 pentest | Intrusion testing with a user account | 6,000 - 18,000 | 1 - 3 weeks |
| Remediation | Fixing prioritised flaws | 3,000 - 15,000 | 1 - 4 weeks |
| Post-remediation re-test | Verifying the fixes | 1,500 - 4,000 | 3 - 5 days |
A grey-box pentest (with a supplied user account) offers the best cost/coverage ratio for a SaaS: it simulates an already-authenticated attacker and reveals authorisation flaws, often the most severe.
The cost of risk: why the audit pays off
A security budget is always compared to the cost of an incident. Here are the 2026 orders of magnitude for a Berlin SME with 3M EUR revenue.
| Scenario | Estimated direct cost | Business impact |
|---|---|---|
| Audit + pentest + remediation | 13,000 - 45,000 EUR | Compliance, investor confidence |
| Customer data breach | Up to 4 % of revenue (120,000 EUR) | GDPR fine + notification |
| Service outage (ransomware) | 20,000 - 150,000 EUR | Lost revenue + restoration |
| Lost funding round | 100,000 EUR+ | Damaged valuation or blown deal |
| Sovereign EU hosting | 80 - 400 EUR/month | Compliance and data-residency argument |
Spending 13,000 to 45,000 EUR to avoid a risk quantified in the hundreds of thousands is a rational insurance decision, especially when a warranty clause in the shareholders' agreement is at stake.
Mini case study
Nathalie, CFO of a B2B SaaS SME in Berlin (3M EUR revenue, 28 staff), is preparing a Series A. The investor requires a pentest and proof of GDPR compliance. Chosen quote: 9,000 EUR for a grey-box pentest, 7,500 EUR remediation (two critical authorisation flaws, unencrypted log storage), 2,500 EUR re-test, totalling 19,000 EUR. Against that, a GDPR fine capped at 4 % of revenue would be 120,000 EUR, and a six-month delay on the round would mean several hundred thousand euros of runway. The cost/risk ratio is around 1 to 6 on the fine alone.
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FAQ
Audit or pentest: what's the difference?
The audit examines code, configuration and architecture from the inside; the pentest attacks the application from the outside to prove exploitability. Both are complementary: budget 6,000 to 12,000 EUR for the audit, 6,000 to 18,000 EUR for the pentest.
How long does a pentest stay valid?
In practice 12 months, or less if the application evolves fast. A sound rule: re-test after any major architecture or authentication change, and at least once a year.
Is sovereign hosting mandatory for GDPR?
No, but hosting in the EU (OVH, Scaleway, Hetzner, 80-400 EUR/month) simplifies compliance and reassures investors and enterprise clients on data residency. It is often required in public tenders.
What does the OWASP Top 10 cover?
The ten most critical vulnerability categories: injections, authentication failures, misconfigurations, broken access control, and so on. A grey-box pentest covers them systematically, with a report prioritised by severity.
Do I need ongoing security maintenance after the audit?
Recommended: 500 to 1,100 EUR/month for dependency monitoring, security updates and monitoring. Security is a continuous process, not a one-off event.
Let's scope your project. Tell us the nature of your application, the deadline (funding, review, tender) and the compliance target: we'll price audit + pentest + remediation, a 2026 order of magnitude of 13,000 to 45,000 EUR. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
