PTaaS platform
Invadel vs Cobalt: fixed-price pentesting without credits
Cobalt sells penetration testing as a service: you buy credits in an annual package, the platform matches pentesters from its freelance community, and findings land in a shared workspace. Invadel sells the engagement itself at a published fixed price, tested by the same senior in-house team every time.
The models
How each one works
Cobalt
As of Sep 2026, Cobalt sells testing in annual Standard, Premium, and Enterprise packages paid in Cobalt Credits, where one credit is 8 hours of testing. Credits are specific to each contract year and do not roll over. Tests are run by the Cobalt Core, its community of vetted freelance pentesters, and Cobalt also sells autonomous pentests that pair AI with Core pentester direction.
Invadel
You buy a defined engagement at a published price: web application from $5,200, API from $4,000, external network from $4,200. Our own testers run it, the findings platform is included, and the retest is free.
Side by side
Invadel compared with Cobalt
| Dimension | Cobalt | Invadel |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Credits sold in annual packages, with package prices by quote | Fixed price per engagement, published on the pricing page before you talk to anyone |
| Who tests | Vetted freelance pentesters from the Cobalt Core, matched to your stack by the platform | Senior in-house testers, manual-first, the same people on every engagement |
| Continuity | You can ask for Core pentesters who tested your assets before | The same team returns by default, so year two starts where year one ended |
| Retest | Unlimited on-demand retesting during the contract term | Free retest of remediated findings on every penetration test |
| Unused budget | Credits do not roll over into the next contract year | Nothing expires: you buy a test, you get a test |
| Start time | One to three business days, depending on the package | Onboarding within 24 hours of a signed proposal |
| Platform | The platform is central to the product | Live findings platform included with every engagement at no extra cost |
Facts about Cobalt checked in against its own website. Spot something out of date? Tell us.
An honest read
Which one should you pick
We would rather you choose correctly than choose us. Here is where each option genuinely wins.
Choose Cobalt when
- You run many small tests across a large application portfolio and want one workflow to manage all of them.
- Your security program is already built around a PTaaS subscription and procurement prefers renewing it.
- You want autonomous AI pentests and human-led tests under one annual contract.
Choose Invadel when
- You want the price before the sales call, not after it.
- You want in-house testers, with the same team back by default, rather than a freelance community.
- You need audit-ready evidence for SOC 2 or PCI DSS more than you need a subscription.
Where to start
The engagements buyers compare here
Web Application Penetration Testing
Manual testing of your web application across the OWASP Top 10, business logic, and all user roles, with a free retest included, from $5,200.
From $5,200
API Penetration Testing Services
REST, GraphQL, and SOAP testing for broken authorization, token flaws, and data exposure, with every endpoint in scope, from $4,000.
From $4,000
Penetration Testing as a Service
Recurring senior-led testing and validated scanning, run as one ongoing program with every finding tracked live on the platform.
What drives each price: Web App cost guide, API cost guide.
01Is Invadel a PTaaS platform?
We deliver what platforms promise, including live findings and one-click retests, without the subscription model. Our platform is included with every engagement rather than being the thing you buy. If you want recurring coverage, our testing program is priced as a fixed annual plan with no credits or seats.
02How does our pricing compare with Cobalt credits?
We publish ours: a web application test from $5,200 and an API test from $4,000, each fixed in writing before work starts, with the retest included. Cobalt prices through credits of 8 hours each, sold in annual packages. To compare like for like, ask how many credits your scope needs and what that package costs, then set it against a fixed engagement for the same scope. Every Invadel price is on the pricing page.
03How do we switch from Cobalt at renewal?
Plan around the renewal date, because Cobalt credits are specific to each contract year and do not roll over. A short checklist: (1) list the assets tested this term and any credits still unused, (2) keep the latest reports and note which findings are still open, (3) send us that scope for a fixed quote, and (4) book our first test for after your last credits are spent. Your earlier reports become the baseline for our first engagement.
04Is Cobalt the same as Cobalt Strike?
No. Cobalt (cobalt.io) is the PTaaS company compared on this page. Cobalt Strike is adversary simulation and red team software sold by Fortra, a separate company. It is a tool testers operate during engagements such as red team assessments, not a testing service you buy.
05Which other Cobalt alternatives should we compare?
It depends on the model you want. BreachLock suits teams that want automation and human testing on one platform. Sprocket Security suits teams that want continuous testing under one subscription with unlimited retests. Software Secured focuses on SaaS teams working through SOC 2. HackerOne suits mature teams that want a bug bounty beside their pentests. NetSPI and Synack, which announced a merger on September 2, 2026, suit large enterprise programs.
06Do your reports satisfy the same auditors?
Yes. Findings are mapped to SOC 2, PCI DSS, HIPAA, and ISO 27001 controls, and the reports upload cleanly into Vanta, Drata, and Secureframe.
Compare us on your actual scope
Tell us what you need tested and we will price it against whatever quote you are holding. Fixed scope, fixed price, free retest.
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