complyeah vs a traditional penetration test
An automated external pentest and a consultant-led engagement solve different problems. Here's an honest side-by-side - and when to pick each.
Side by side
| complyeah | Traditional pentest | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $50 per external pentest (flat) | Commonly $4,000-$30,000+ per engagement |
| Billing model | Per pentest, no subscription or seats | Consultant hours + scoping |
| Turnaround | Minutes to set up; most scans finish in hours | Weeks (scheduling + testing + report) |
| Scope | External surface: web apps, APIs, exposed services | External and/or internal, bespoke scope |
| Report | Auditor-ready, control-mapped (SOC 2 + ISO 27001), included | Hand-written, control mapping varies |
| Re-tests | Re-verify every fix, unlimited | Usually billed as extra time |
| Human sign-off | Optional reviewer attestation, +$50 | Included (it's a human engagement) |
| Source-code access | Never - external only | Sometimes (grey/white-box available) |
| Best for | Recurring SOC 2 / ISO 27001 evidence, fast + cheap | Deep, bespoke, or internal-network engagements |
When a traditional pentest is the right call
If you need a deep, bespoke engagement - internal-network testing, social engineering, grey/white-box work with source access, or a hands-on adversary simulation - a consultant-led pentest is the right tool, and worth the price. We're deliberately external-only.
When complyeah is the right call
If you need recurring, auditor-ready evidence for your external surface - a SOC 2 or ISO 27001 pentest report you can produce in an afternoon, re-run every time you deploy, and hand to an auditor - complyeah gives you the same audit-grade, control-mapped report at a fraction of the cost. Many teams use both: complyeah for the recurring evidence, a consultancy for the occasional deep engagement.
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