Build or buy
Invadel vs building an in-house team
At some point every growing company asks whether to hire an application security engineer instead of paying for testing. It is a fair question, and the answer is usually "eventually, but not instead."
The models
How each one works
an in-house team
An in-house security hire gives you continuous attention, institutional knowledge, and someone accountable inside the building. A senior application security engineer in New York is a six-figure commitment before tooling.
Invadel
A fixed-price engagement gives you a specialist team, current offensive tradecraft, and the independence auditors require, for a fraction of a salary line.
Side by side
Invadel compared with an in-house team
| Dimension | an in-house team | Invadel |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cost | Six figures fully loaded, plus tooling licences | From $1,500 per scan, $5,200 for a web application test |
| Independence for audit | Not independent; auditors will not accept self-testing | Independent third party by definition |
| Breadth of skills | One person cannot cover web, cloud, mobile, hardware, and AD | A team with specialists across all of them |
| Continuity | Deep institutional knowledge, until they leave | The same senior team returns each engagement |
| Availability | Full time on your problems | Scheduled windows, onboarding within 24 hours |
| Ramp time | Months to hire, weeks to onboard | Onboarding within 24 hours of a signed proposal |
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 an in-house team when
- You need security involved in design decisions daily, not a few times a year.
- Your product is complex enough that outside testers spend real time just learning it.
- You are large enough to keep a specialist genuinely busy and to retain them.
Choose Invadel when
- You need an independent test for SOC 2, PCI DSS, HIPAA, or NYDFS 500. Internal testing does not qualify.
- You need breadth across disciplines that one hire cannot cover.
- You need results this month rather than after a hiring cycle.
Where to start
The engagements buyers compare here
External Network Penetration Testing
Testing of your internet-facing perimeter: exposed services, remote access, mail, and cloud edges, from $4,200.
From $4,200
Web Application Penetration Testing
Manual testing of your web app across the OWASP Top 10, business logic, and every user role, from $5,200.
From $5,200
Penetration Testing as a Service
Recurring senior-led testing and validated scanning, delivered as one ongoing program.
What drives each price: External Network cost guide, Web App cost guide.
01Can our internal test satisfy an auditor?
02Does hiring mean we stop testing externally?
Most mature teams do both: internal security owns the program day to day, and an external firm provides the independent annual test.
03How do we start small?
A validated vulnerability assessment at a flat $1,500 or an external test from $4,200 is the usual first engagement.
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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