The short answer
AvalonX and Cobalt are tools from different categories. They overlap on Penetration testing. Neither has a clear edge on the figures we track (entry price, review ratings, integrations, frameworks, customers). Best fit: AvalonX for small and midsize businesses needing recurring testing without an in-house red team and Cobalt for security teams running recurring application and infrastructure penetration tests. Shortlist on fit, then compare quotes for the same scope.
Which should you choose?
Choose AvalonX if…
- you're among small and midsize businesses needing recurring testing without an in-house red team
- you're among security teams wanting verified findings and retesting rather than raw scanner output
- you're among companies preparing SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS or HIPAA/HITECH evidence
- this Cobalt drawback matters to you: pricing is quote-based, with no public numeric entry price
Choose Cobalt if…
- you're among security teams running recurring application and infrastructure penetration tests
- you're among organizations that need live tester collaboration instead of a report-only engagement
- you're among development teams connecting remediation work to Jira or GitHub
- this AvalonX drawback matters to you: public plans cap included coverage at 10 targets
At a glance
| Attribute | AvalonX | Cobalt |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $249/mopricing as of Nov 2026 | From $3,500/testpricing as of Oct 2026 |
| Pricing model | Monthly subscription, published tiers | Annual credit packages or per-test promotional pricing |
| Free trial | Free external read-only test; no paid-plan trial is publicly specified. | No free trial is listed. |
| Founded | Not published | 2013 |
| Headquarters | Alpharetta, GA | San Francisco, CA |
| Funding | Up to $10M committed facility from Ridown Capital | $37M raised |
| Frameworks | SOC 2 Type II, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, PCI DSS v4.0, HIPAA/HITECH | SOC 2, PCI DSS, and other compliance reporting use cases |
| Coverage | Continuous penetration testing and vulnerability scanning for up to 10 targets per plan | Web, API, mobile, cloud, internal and external network |
| Integrations | Not published | Jira, GitHub, Slack, and platform workflow |
| Customers | Not published | Hundreds of organizations |
| Rating | Not published | 4.5/5 on G2 (178 reviews) |
| Focus | Continuous penetration testing | Penetration testing as a service |
Figures are as published by each vendor or review site on the verification date. "Leads" marks the stronger published figure; it isn't a recommendation on its own.
Where each one leads
Neither tool has a clear edge on the figures we can compare directly (entry price, review rating, integrations, frameworks, customers, free trial).
Pricing compared
AvalonX pricing
From $249/mo · pricing as of Nov 2026
- Essentials$249/mo
Quarterly testing, up to 10 targets, scanning, verified findings, remediation guidance, AAA Tested badge
- Monthly testing$599/mo
Monthly testing, up to 10 targets, scanning, verified findings, remediation guidance, AAA Tested badge
- 360$899/mo
Weekly testing, up to 10 targets, scanning, verified findings, remediation guidance, AAA Tested badge
Published plans start at $249 per month and cover up to 10 targets. All plans combine scheduled penetration testing with continuous vulnerability scanning, verified findings and remediation guidance.
Free trial: Free external read-only test; no paid-plan trial is publicly specified.
Cobalt pricing
From $3,500/test · pricing as of Oct 2026
- StandardCustom quote
SAML SSO, access controls, detailed findings, Slack collaboration, insights dashboard, start within 3 business days, 6-month free retesting, email onboarding, 1 DAST target
- PremiumCustom quote
Standard features, start within 2 business days, 12-month free retesting, named customer-success manager, live onboarding, annual planning, native integrations, customizable reports
- EnterpriseCustom quote
Premium features, start within 1 business day, quarterly planning, custom pentester requests, credit rollover up to 10 percent
- Autonomous Pentest$3,500/test
Promotional price; testing must start and finish before December 31, 2026.
Web application testing, human oversight, findings in 24 hours, exploit evidence, remediation guidance, structured report
Standard, Premium, and Enterprise packages use custom annual credit pricing. Cobalt also advertises Autonomous Pentest at $3,500 per web application test for new and existing customers, provided testing starts and finishes before December 31, 2026. One Cobalt Credit represents eight hours of offensive security testing.
Free trial: No free trial is listed.
Key capabilities
AvalonX
- Autonomous penetration testing. Artemis coordinates agents across reconnaissance, enumeration, exploitation, lateral movement and reporting.
- Attack-surface discovery. The platform continuously discovers external assets and shows how the authorised attack surface changes.
- Attack-path reasoning. Aether connects weaknesses to model realistic routes an attacker could use to compromise a business.
- Validated findings. Testing validates exploitability and provides evidence, reproduction steps, impact and remediation guidance.
- Remediation and retesting. Teams can request retests after fixes and verify whether vulnerabilities have closed.
- Compliance evidence mapping. Findings map to SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001:2022, PCI DSS v4.0 and HIPAA/HITECH requirements.
- Controlled engagement workflow. Customers define scope, exclusions, windows and escalation contacts, with pause controls and audit trails.
Cobalt
- Human-led pentesting. Vetted security testers assess scoped applications and infrastructure and provide evidence-backed findings.
- Live findings workflow. Teams can review findings as testing proceeds and collaborate with testers through the platform and Slack.
- Remediation guidance. Reports include detailed vulnerability analysis, recommended fixes, and support for validation and retesting.
- Application testing. Coverage includes web applications, APIs, mobile applications, and dynamic application security testing.
- Cloud and network testing. Security teams can scope cloud, internal-network, and external-network assessments.
- Attack-surface monitoring. The plan comparison includes attack-surface monitoring alongside penetration-testing services.
- Developer integrations. Native integrations listed for higher plans include Jira and GitHub.
Pros and cons
AvalonX
Pros
- Published pricing starts at $249 per month.
- Autonomous testing is paired with human verification.
- Same-day findings, remediation guidance and retesting shorten the fix-and-verify loop.
- Explicit scope boundaries, testing windows, pause controls and audit trails support safer testing.
Cons
- Public plans cap included coverage at 10 targets.
- The service supports compliance evidence but does not certify an organization.
- Publicly documented integrations and API access are limited.
- Penetration testing is quarterly, monthly or weekly by plan; only vulnerability scanning runs continuously.
Cobalt
Pros
- Live findings and Slack collaboration shorten the feedback loop with testers.
- The scope spans web, API, mobile, cloud, and network assessments.
- Plan descriptions include retesting and detailed remediation guidance.
- G2 users rate Cobalt 4.5/5 across 178 reviews.
Cons
- Pricing is quote-based, with no public numeric entry price.
- There is no free trial for buyers wanting to evaluate the service self-serve.
- Human-led engagements require scoping and coordination rather than instant scanning.
- A G2 review notes that credit and pricing structures can be confusing.
How they're similar
- Both list Penetration testing.
How they differ
- Focus
- AvalonX: Continuous penetration testing
- Cobalt: Penetration testing as a service
- Pricing model
- AvalonX: Monthly subscription, published tiers
- Cobalt: Annual credit packages or per-test promotional pricing
- Starting price
- AvalonX: From $249/mo
- Cobalt: From $3,500/test
- Headquarters
- AvalonX: Alpharetta, GA
- Cobalt: San Francisco, CA
- Funding
- AvalonX: Up to $10M committed facility from Ridown Capital
- Cobalt: $37M raised
- Listed only for this tool
- AvalonX: SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, PCI DSS v4.0, HIPAA/HITECH, Vulnerability scanning, Attack-surface management +2 more
- Cobalt: PTaaS, Web security, API security, Mobile security, Cloud security, Network security +3 more
Frequently asked questions
Is AvalonX cheaper than Cobalt?
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The published prices can't be compared directly (they are quote-based, use different billing units, or aren't published), so request quotes for the same scope. AvalonX: From $249/mo (monthly subscription, published tiers). Cobalt: From $3,500/test (annual credit packages or per-test promotional pricing). (AvalonX pricing pricing as of Nov 2026; Cobalt pricing pricing as of Oct 2026.) Total cost depends on plan, company size and add-ons.
Which is better for startups, AvalonX or Cobalt?
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AvalonX's published positioning doesn't single out startups; its first best-fit group is "Small and midsize businesses needing recurring testing without an in-house red team". Cobalt's published positioning doesn't single out startups; its first best-fit group is "Security teams running recurring application and infrastructure penetration tests". Neither answer replaces a quote for your headcount and scope.
Can I switch from AvalonX to Cobalt?
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Yes. They are separate products, so switching means setting up Cobalt and reconnecting your systems. Check your AvalonX contract term and renewal date before you commit. Data migration tooling isn't covered in our sources, so ask Cobalt whether it can import your AvalonX data.
Does AvalonX or Cobalt have more integrations?
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AvalonX: not published; Cobalt: Jira, GitHub, Slack, and platform workflow. Vendor counts are self-reported and define "integration" differently, so check that the specific systems you use are supported.
How do AvalonX and Cobalt reviews compare?
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AvalonX: no rating in our data; Cobalt scores 4.5/5 from 178 reviews on G2. Ratings are third-party review-site data, not our own testing.
Do AvalonX and Cobalt offer a free trial?
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AvalonX: Free external read-only test; no paid-plan trial is publicly specified. Cobalt: No free trial is listed.
Go deeper
AvalonX
Compliance
Cobalt
Audit & Risk
Sources
Vendors change pricing and features often, so confirm with each vendor before buying. How we research
Work at one of these companies or spot something out of date? Suggest a correction. We check every report against a public source and update the page, usually within a few days.