Software Secured
VS. Cobalt

Which Application Security Testing Partner Is Right for Your Team?

Book a Demo to See the Difference

How Software Secured and Cobalt Compare

Software Secured and Cobalt both provide penetration testing for web applications, APIs, cloud environments, and compliance-driven security programs.

While their service offerings overlap significantly, the way testing is delivered, how teams collaborate with testers, and how remediation is managed are fundamentally different. Understanding those differences will help you choose the right application security partner for your organization.

Cobalt

Platform-first security testing

  • Testing delivered through a global community of vetted freelance pentesters
  • Platform-driven workflow with real-time vulnerabilities and broad integrations
  • Credit-based purchasing model designed for recurring testing

Software Secured

Expert-led security testing

  • Full-time in-house pentesters assigned across engagements
  • Fully manual gray-box testing with business logic validation
  • Fixed-scope pricing with unlimited retesting available through PTaaS subscriptions
Six Factors That Matter Most

How to Evaluate a Penetration Testing Provider

When comparing penetration testing providers, pricing is only one factor. The way engagements are staffed, vulnerabilities are validated, developers collaborate with testers, and remediation is supported can have a significant impact on the effectiveness of your security program. These are some of the most important considerations when evaluating a long-term application security partner.

Tester Continuity

If your applications are tested repeatedly over time, working with the same testers can reduce onboarding, preserve application knowledge, and make it easier to identify security regressions between releases. Organizations with complex business logic or recurring compliance requirements often benefit from greater continuity throughout the testing lifecycle.

Pricing and Budget Predictability

Different pricing models affect how security teams budget for testing. Credit-based systems can provide flexibility for organizations managing many applications, while fixed-scope pricing offers greater cost predictability for individual engagements. The right model depends on how frequently you test and how your security budget is managed.

Testing Methodology

The effectiveness of a penetration test depends on more than the tools being used. Factors such as manual business logic testing, peer review, tester experience, and collaboration during the engagement often have a greater impact on the quality of vulnerabilities than automation alone.

Compliance and Audit Readiness

Organizations pursuing SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, or HIPAA often need more than a list of vulnerabilities. Audit-ready reports, documented remediation, and evidence of retesting can reduce the effort required during security reviews and compliance assessments.

Developer Collaboration

How easily developers can communicate with testers, clarify vulnerabilities, and verify remediation often influences how quickly vulnerabilities are resolved. Some organizations prioritize self-service workflows, while others prefer direct collaboration throughout the engagement.

Retesting and Remediation Support

Finding vulnerabilities is only part of the engagement. Consider how retesting is handled, whether vulnerabilities remain visible over time, how reports integrate into developer workflows, and what support is available after the initial assessment.

The Core Difference

Choosing the Right Penetration Testing Delivery Model

Modern penetration testing is delivered through two primary models: platform-based testing and dedicated security teams. While both can uncover critical vulnerabilities, they differ in how testers are assigned, how engagements are managed, and how organizations collaborate throughout the testing lifecycle. Understanding these differences can help you choose the right approach for your security program.

Cobalt is an example of a marketplace-driven platform, while Software Secured follows a dedicated team model.
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Marketplace-Based Testing

Marketplace-based penetration testing platforms connect organizations with a vetted network of independent security researchers. The platform manages activities such as scoping, tester assignment, collaboration, reporting, and remediation, allowing organizations to schedule and manage testing through a centralized interface.

This method is usually best for organizations that prefer a self-service platform experience with centralized program management.
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Dedicated Pentesting Teams

Dedicated penetration testing providers assign full-time security professionals to your engagements, often keeping the same testers involved across multiple assessments. Many intentionally rotate the lead pentester between annual assessments to combine the benefits of fresh perspectives with the continuity of an internal team that understands your application's architecture, previous vulnerabilities, and remediation history. Rather than starting from scratch each year, new testers can build on prior knowledge while bringing different techniques and attack approaches to uncover issues that might otherwise be overlooked.

This model is often preferred by organizations seeking deeper collaboration, long-term security partnerships, or recurring compliance testing.
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Not sure which testing model is right for your team?  Talk to a pentesting expert about your application, security goals, and compliance requirements.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Both Software Secured and Cobalt provide penetration testing, but they differ in how engagements are staffed, delivered, and managed. The comparison below highlights some of the most important differences to consider when evaluating a penetration testing partner.


Comparison Criteria
Software Secured
Cobalt
Best For

Growing SaaS companies, healthcare, fintech, and compliance-driven teams

Organizations seeking a platform-centric experience

How are engagements delivered?

Dedicated in-house full-time pentesters (OSCP, OSWE, GWAPT certified) with access to Portal

PTaaS platform with the Cobalt Core tester community

Who performs the testing?

Full-time North American pentesters (same testers across engagement for  retained institutional knowledge)

Vetted pentester community with rotating talent pool where depth depends on which testers are assigned

Can you work directly with testers?

Yes

Yes

How is pricing structured?

Fixed-scope pricing based on application size, complexity, and testing objectives.

Credit-based pricing where testing capacity is purchased and consumed over time. Credits expire at the (standard) contract end.

How is retesting handled?

Multiple rounds included

Available (varies by plan and credit allocation)

Compliance & audit support

SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, HIPAA with audit-ready reporting

Compliance testing integrated into an ongoing PTaaS program

Remediation Support

Portal, Slack, retesting, evidence support

Platform workflow and retesting support

Reporting & visibility

Report each project component's security status separately for auditors

Asset-level vulnerabilities; component grouping is less granular by default

Customer-facing documentation

Executive summaries, customer-facing letters, and remediation evidence for security questionnaires

Standard report + attestation

Ideal Buying Priority

Deep manual testing and long-term tester relationships

Fast program management across many assets and engagements

Software Secured
Best For

Growing SaaS companies, healthcare, fintech, and compliance-driven teams

TESTING TEAM

Full-time North American pentesters

Pricing Model

Scope-based - fixed pricing

Retesting

Multiple rounds Included

Direct Tester Access

Yes

Direct Tester Access

Portal, Slack, retesting, evidence support

Cobalt
Best For

Organizations seeking a platform-centric experience

TESTING TEAM

Vetted pentester community - depth depends on which testers are assigned

Pricing Model

Multiple rounds Included

Retesting

Multiple rounds Included

Direct Tester Access

Yes

Direct Tester Access

Platform workflow and retesting support

Which Penetration Testing Approach Is Right for You?

Both platform-based and dedicated penetration testing models can strengthen your organization's security posture, but they're designed to support different operating models. The best choice depends on how your team manages application security, collaborates with testers, and plans for ongoing testing. Rather than asking which provider is "better," consider which approach best aligns with your organization's priorities.

The biggest difference isn't what gets tested but rather who performs the testing, how the engagement is managed, and how your team works with testers over time.

If you value:
BeST SUITED FOR:

Launching security testing quickly across many applications

Marketplace-Based Testing

Working with the same testers over multiple engagements

Dedicated manual team

Deep manual business logic testing

Dedicated manual team

Self-service program management

Marketplace-Based Testing

Managing security testing across many applications

Either (depending on other needs)

Long-term security partnership

Dedicated manual team

Budget predictability

Dedicated manual team

Supporting compliance and customer security reviews

Either (depending on reporting needs)

Developer Collaboration

Dedicated manual team

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Software Secured and Cobalt?

The core difference is staffing. Software Secured assigns a dedicated, full-time team to your account; Cobalt draws testers from its Cobalt Core marketplace on an engagement-by-engagement basis. That one choice is what drives the pricing model, tester continuity, and how much of the process runs through a self-service platform versus a person you already know.

Is Software Secured or Cobalt better for SOC 2 compliance?

Both satisfy SOC 2 Type II testing requirements. The distinction shows up across multiple audit cycles: Software Secured keeps the same testers and an evidence-mapped reporting format year over year, which is easier for auditors to follow across a testing history. Cobalt is worth prioritizing if your constraint is calendar time rather than year-over-year continuity.

Is Software Secured or Cobalt better for enterprise security reviews?

Enterprise buyers often request more than a pentest report. They may ask for executive summaries, remediation evidence, customer-facing security letters, and clarification on testing scope. Organizations that frequently undergo customer security reviews often benefit from providers that offer additional deal-support documentation alongside the technical report.

Software Secured builds executive summaries, customer-facing letters, and remediation evidence into standard delivery, which matters if your team regularly answers vendor security questionnaires. Cobalt's baseline deliverable is the report plus an attestation so ask about the plan tier if you need more than that.

How does pricing actually differ?

Software Secured prices per engagement after a scoping call, so there's one number and nothing to track afterward. They typically quote about 20% less than Cobalt with more days for testing. Cobalt sells annual credit packages drawn down per test, which suits teams testing many assets on an unpredictable schedule better than it suits teams wanting a single predictable line item.