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    ·By Budget Security

    Mobile App Penetration Testing Cost: 2026 Pricing for iOS and Android

    A mobile app penetration test in 2026 typically costs between EUR 2,550 and EUR 11,900 (roughly USD 2,750 to USD 12,900). The three questions that set the price: one platform or both, is the backend API in scope, and how sensitive are the features. At Budget Security the basis is a transparent day rate from EUR 849/day: a single-platform app runs 3 to 4 days, both platforms plus the API 7 to 10. You can scope your own in minutes.

    The spread exists because "mobile app" covers a content viewer with no login as well as a banking app with biometrics, offline storage, and payments. Below are the variables that move the price, real 2026 ranges by scope, and why the backend API belongs in almost every mobile test. For your exact figure, the pricing calculator scopes it live in about a minute.

    What Drives the Price of a Mobile App Pentest

    1. One platform or two

    iOS and Android each need their own device-level work: local data storage, keychain and keystore usage, certificate pinning, reverse engineering of the binary, and platform permission handling. The good news for the budget: the second platform adds 2 to 3 days, not double, because the shared backend and business logic are tested once.

    2. Whether the backend API is in scope

    The app on the phone is half the attack surface. Every request it makes lands on your API, and an attacker can talk to that API directly, skipping the app and its client-side protections entirely. A mobile test that includes the backend covers authorization flaws, excessive data exposure, and rate limiting where they actually live. Skipping the API saves 2 to 3 days and is almost never worth it for an app that handles accounts or payments.

    3. Feature sensitivity

    Payments, biometric login, offline data storage, chat, file sharing, and device-management features each add checks: transaction logic, secure enclave usage, encryption of data at rest, sync conflict handling. A feature-heavy fintech or health app justifiably takes twice the days of a catalog app of the same size.

    2026 Mobile App Pentest Price Ranges by Scope

    Use this as a sizing guide, not a quote. The ranges assume an authenticated test billed on a transparent day rate from EUR 849/day.

    ScopeWhat is testedDaysPrice (EUR)Price (USD approx.)
    Single platform, simple appiOS or Android, login, standard features3 to 4EUR 2,550 to 3,400USD 2,750 to 3,700
    Single platform + backend APIOne app plus the API it talks to5 to 7EUR 4,250 to 5,950USD 4,600 to 6,400
    Both platforms + backend APIiOS and Android plus shared API7 to 10EUR 5,950 to 8,500USD 6,400 to 9,200
    Feature-heavy (payments, offline data, biometrics)Both platforms, API, sensitive flows, deep exploitation10 to 14EUR 8,500 to 11,900USD 9,200 to 12,900

    USD figures are approximate conversions for buyers budgeting in dollars and move with the exchange rate. The day rate, not the table, is the source of truth.

    The most common serious scope is both platforms plus the API: 7 to 10 days, around EUR 5,950 to 8,500. These numbers sit inside the wider penetration testing cost picture alongside web, API, and network scopes. To pin your own figure, the calculator turns your scope into a fixed price in about a minute.

    Ready to scope your mobile app test? Register your app and API, pick your goal, and get a fixed price with the tradeoffs shown live.

    Scope and price your mobile app pentest

    What a Thorough Mobile Pentest Actually Covers

    • Local data storage: what the app writes to disk, and whether it is encrypted at rest.
    • Credential and token handling: keychain and keystore usage, session persistence, biometric bypass.
    • Transport security: TLS configuration, certificate pinning, downgrade resistance.
    • Reverse engineering resistance: what an attacker learns from the binary: secrets, endpoints, logic.
    • Backend API authorization: can one user reach another user's data by calling the API directly?
    • Business logic flaws: payment flows, subscription checks, offline-online sync abuse.
    • Platform misconfiguration: exported components, deep links, clipboard and log leakage.

    Automated mobile scanners cover a fraction of this list. The day count on a real test buys the API authorization and business-logic work that produces findings an auditor accepts for SOC 2, ISO 27001, and HIPAA evidence.

    Get Your Exact Number

    You do not have to guess where your app falls in the ranges above. Register your app, pick your goal, and the scoping engine builds the plan and the price in minutes.

    Mobile App Pentest Cost FAQ

    How much does a mobile app penetration test cost in 2026?
    Most mobile app pentests cost between EUR 2,550 and EUR 11,900 (around USD 2,750 to 12,900) in 2026. The price is set by the number of platforms (iOS, Android, or both), whether the backend API is in scope, and the sensitivity of the features, billed on a transparent day rate from EUR 849/day.
    How much does a pentest cost for a mobile app on iOS and Android?
    Testing both platforms plus the backend API, the most common serious scope, typically runs 7 to 10 days, around EUR 5,950 to 8,500 (USD 6,400 to 9,200). The two apps share a backend, so the API work is done once, but each platform has its own storage, platform-security, and reverse-engineering checks.
    Should the backend API be part of a mobile app pentest?
    Almost always yes. The app on the phone is only half the attack surface; every serious mobile finding chain ends at the API. A mobile test that skips the backend misses authorization flaws, data exposure, and rate-limiting issues that attackers reach by talking to your API directly, bypassing the app entirely.
    Is testing one platform cheaper than testing both?
    Yes. A single-platform test of a straightforward app runs 3 to 4 days. Adding the second platform typically adds 2 to 3 days rather than doubling the price, because the shared backend and business logic only need to be tested once.
    How long does a mobile app penetration test take?
    The test runs 3 to 4 days for a simple single-platform app, 5 to 7 days with the backend API in scope, and 7 to 14 days for both platforms or feature-heavy apps with payments and offline storage. A tester starts within 24 to 48 hours of booking.