The verdict in three sentences
For a New York SaaS SME whose enterprise prospect demands a security report, a grey-box pentest of 5 to 10 days at $10,000 to $30,000 satisfies most private procurement checklists. SOC 2 Type II is a separate, larger project (often $30,000 to $80,000 with tooling and auditor) that uses the pentest as evidence. Plan a total of $16,000 to $44,000 including fixes and retest.
Black, grey or white box: what you are actually buying
Grey-box testing gives the tester user accounts for every role (customer, admin, support) without source code. It is the best cost-to-coverage ratio for a multi-tenant app: it checks isolation between customers, the core risk of a B2B SaaS.
| Test type | Access provided | Typical duration | 2026 New York price | Relevance for B2B SaaS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black box | URL only | 3 to 5 days | $6,000 to $12,000 | Low, external surface only |
| Grey box | Accounts per role | 5 to 10 days | $10,000 to $30,000 | High, tests tenant isolation |
| White box | Code and architecture | 10 to 15 days | $25,000 to $50,000 | Very high, longer |
| Grey box by a CREST-accredited firm | Accounts per role | 8 to 15 days | $20,000 to $40,000 | Asked for by some regulated buyers |
| Automated scan only | URL | 1 day | $800 to $3,000 | Not enough for an enterprise buyer |
| Private bug bounty | Ongoing programme | Continuous | $10,000 to $40,000 a year | Complement, not an audit report |
New York tester day rates sit between $1,600 and $2,500 in 2026. For comparison, a Paris grey-box test runs €6,000 to €12,000, and €15,000 to €30,000 with an ANSSI PASSI-qualified firm.
The full budget, beyond the report
The report is only the first line. A first pentest on a never-audited app surfaces 8 to 15 vulnerabilities on average, 1 to 3 of them critical or high (broken access control, IDOR, injection, session handling).
| Item | 2026 range | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping and rules of engagement | included or $750 | Scope, test windows, written authorisation |
| Grey-box pentest | $10,000 to $30,000 | 5 to 10 days depending on roles and APIs |
| Fixes by the dev team | $4,000 to $12,000 | 5 to 15 developer days |
| Retest of findings | about $2,000 | 1 to 2 days, remediation letter |
| Attestation letter for the customer | often included | Non-technical summary to share |
| SOC 2 readiness and audit | $30,000 to $80,000 | Separate project, pentest used as evidence |
How to write the test brief
List user roles, exposed APIs (REST, GraphQL, webhooks), sensitive functions (data export, billing, permission management) and the target environment. Test preferably on a staging environment that mirrors production with anonymised data. Require a report with CVSS 3.1 or 4.0 scores, proof of exploitation, prioritised recommendations and a 2-page executive summary.
Mini case study
Maya, fractional CISO of a New York SaaS SME with 2,000 customers, must provide a pentest report to close a $200,000-a-year contract with a Fortune 500 company. She orders an 8-day grey-box test at $18,000. The report shows 11 vulnerabilities, 2 of them high on tenant isolation. Fixes take 9 developer days, or $7,200, then the retest costs $2,000.
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Total cost: $27,200, about 14% of the contract's first year. Without the report the deal would not have closed. The same report then supports 3 more security questionnaires that year.
FAQ
Is a pentest enough to pass vendor security reviews?
For many mid-market buyers, yes, together with a completed questionnaire. Larger enterprises increasingly require SOC 2 Type II, which costs $30,000 to $80,000 in year one and takes 6 to 12 months.
How often should we retest?
Once a year and after each major change (new payment module, permissions overhaul). For a SaaS shipping weekly, an annual 5 to 8 day test plus a monthly automated scan is a sound compromise.
How long until we get the report?
Expect 2 to 4 weeks of booking lead time at a New York firm, then 5 to 10 test days and 5 days of writing. Allow 5 to 7 weeks before the contract signing date.
Can a pentest break production?
The risk exists for injection and load tests. That is why about 90% of testing happens on staging, under signed rules of engagement that fix hours and forbidden actions.
Must every finding be fixed before sharing the report?
Critical and high findings, yes, with a retest letter. Medium and low findings can sit in a dated remediation plan over 3 to 6 months, which most buyers accept.
Let's scope your project. Tell us about your app, its roles and your customer's requirement: we scope the test, price the fixes and organise the retest, for a budget of $16,000 to $44,000 over 5 to 7 weeks. 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.
