The Budget Security Alternative to Astra
Astra Security sells a vulnerability scanner, an autonomous pentest and a manual pentest, each as a subscription with the price on its website. If you want continuous scanning plus a yearly manual test on one target, bundled and billed once, that is a sound product. Budget Security sells manual pentests by the tester-day, scoped by you, at $985 per day for US clients.
This page compares the two on what each company publishes. Astra facts come from getastra.com, checked 6 October 2026. Budget Security facts come from our own pricing and process pages.
At a glance
| Astra Security | Budget Security | |
|---|---|---|
| Core model | Subscription platform: DAST scanner, "Pentest Auto" (autonomous) and "Pentest Expert" (manual), per target per year | Manual penetration testing bought per tester-day, scoped and booked online |
| Published price | Yes. Pentest Expert $5,999/yr per target. Pentest Auto $199/mo or $2,999/yr. Scanner from $69/mo. Enterprise from $9,999/yr | Yes. $985 per tester-day for US clients (€849 per day for EU clients) |
| Best for | One or a few web targets that need scanning all year plus a manual test on a fixed annual budget | A defined scope that needs a manual test now, sized to the asset, with the price known before you book |
| Testers stated | "Manual Pentest by certified experts in OWASP, APTS, SANS, PTES standards". Individual certifications not published | OSCP-certified testers |
| Audit evidence | "Pentest report for SOC2, ISO27001, HIPAA"; "CREST, PCI-ASV, CERT-IN compliant reports" on Pentest Expert | Manual report with exploitation evidence, mapped to SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI DSS and NIS2 |
| Delivery | Platform dashboard; location of the testing team not published on the pages checked | Remote, from The Hague, Netherlands, during US business hours. No US office. Findings land in your dashboard |
| Turnaround | Pentest Auto: "First report on the same day". Manual pentest duration: not published | Testing starts within 7 days of booking. Report within 48 hours after the test ends |
| Retest | 1 human re-scan (Pentest Auto), 2 expert re-scans (Pentest Expert) | Retests booked from the dashboard |
| Booking | Self-serve sign-up; "Get started in 3 minutes" | Self-serve scoping and sign-up; no sales call. You pay after the report is delivered |
When Astra is the better choice
Be honest with yourself about what you are buying. Astra wins in three situations.
- You want scanning every week and a manual test once a year, in one bill. Pentest Expert bundles "Unlimited web DAST scans" with the manual test and two expert re-scans for $5,999 per year per target. That is one vendor and one renewal.
- You have one target and a fixed annual budget. A flat yearly price per target is easy to approve and easy to forecast.
- You want automated depth between manual tests. Pentest Auto is described as "Autonomous pentest with depth equal of a 2-week human pentest" with a same-day first report. If that output satisfies your auditor, it is quick.
If you are already on Astra and it meets your audit requirement, there is no reason to leave because of this page.
When Budget Security is the better choice
- Your scope is not one web target. A network segment, three APIs, a mobile app and a cloud account do not fit a per-target subscription neatly. Tester-days scale to the scope, not to a target count.
- You need a person on it, with proof. Every Budget Security engagement is done by OSCP-certified testers who exploit what they find and show the evidence. Auditors asking for "manual penetration testing" get exactly that.
- You want to know the price before you commit, for this scope. You pick the assets and the goal in our scoping tool, see the tester-days, and see the number. No annual contract.
- You do not want to pay up front. Payment is after report delivery.
- You need it to start soon, once. Testing starts within 7 days of booking. A 24-hour start is not guaranteed; it depends on tester availability and carries an urgency fee.
Switching or combining
Most teams do not have to choose. A common setup:
- Keep a scanner running on your public web surface. Astra's Scanner tier starts at $69 per month for one target.
- Book a manual pentest on the scope that carries audit risk: the authenticated app, the API, the internal network.
- Fix, then book the retest from the dashboard and attach the retest report to your audit evidence.
If you are moving from Astra's manual pentest to Budget Security, export your last report, list the assets it covered, and enter those assets in our scoping tool. The output is a day count and a price. If your auditor accepted Astra's report format, ask them to confirm ours before the test starts. We map findings to the control you are being audited against.
If you are moving the other way, note that Astra's manual tier is per target per year. Count your targets before you compare totals.
Other comparisons
Budget Security vs Intruder and Budget Security vs Cobalt.
Astra Security is a trademark of its owner. This page uses the name only to identify the product being compared. Spotted an error? Email info@budgetsecurity.com and we will correct it.
FAQ
Astra alternative: questions we get
What is the best alternative to Astra Security for penetration testing?
Is Astra's pentest manual or automated?
How does Budget Security pricing compare to Astra?
Does Budget Security include scanning?
Can I use a Budget Security report for SOC 2, ISO 27001 or HIPAA?
Can I switch from Astra to Budget Security mid-subscription?
See the price for your scope before you book.
$985 per tester-day for US clients (€849 per day for EU clients). Start within 7 days of booking. Report within 48 hours after testing ends. Pay after delivery.