Mobile App Penetration Testing Cost UK (iOS and Android, 2026)

This guide explains mobile app penetration testing cost for UK buyers in 2026: what an iOS or Android test actually involves, how OWASP MASVS verification levels change the price, and why the backend API is almost always a separate line item. The figures here are typical UK ranges built from a £1,200 day rate, and every test is delivered by our senior and principal CREST-certified testers. For an exact, scoped figure, the fastest route is a quick scoping call and a fixed-price quote.

Mobile testing sits within the broader penetration testing cost landscape, but it has its own cost drivers that web and network tests do not share: compiled binaries, platform-specific storage, certificate pinning and anti-tampering controls all add hands-on time that automated scanners cannot cover.

What drives mobile app penetration testing cost

Unlike a web application, a mobile app ships as a compiled binary that runs on a device you do not control. A tester has to reverse the package, instrument a real or emulated device, and defeat protections designed to stop exactly that. Five drivers move the number more than anything else.

1. One platform or both (iOS and Android)

The single biggest lever on mobile application penetration testing pricing is platform count. iOS and Android are different operating systems with different storage models, different binary formats (IPA versus APK), different runtime protections and different tooling. Even when an app is built from one cross-platform codebase (React Native, Flutter, Xamarin), the compiled output and the OS-level controls differ enough that each platform needs its own static and dynamic pass. As a rough rule, the second platform adds 60 to 80 per cent of the first platform’s effort rather than doubling it, because the threat model and findings narrative are shared.

2. OWASP MASVS verification level (L1 vs L2 vs resilience)

We scope mobile tests against the OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard (MASVS) and execute them using the Mobile Application Security Testing Guide (MASTG). The verification level you need is a direct cost driver:

• MASVS-L1 (standard security): the baseline for most apps. Covers secure data storage, cryptography, authentication, network communication and platform interaction. Suitable for most consumer and business apps that do not handle high-value transactions.
• MASVS-L2 (defence in depth): adds stricter controls expected of apps that process sensitive data, such as finance, health or apps subject to regulatory scrutiny. More manual verification, so more days.
• MASVS-R (resilience): verifies anti-reversing and anti-tampering controls, including root and jailbreak detection, certificate pinning enforcement, code obfuscation and runtime integrity. This is the most time-intensive tier because the tester actively attempts to bypass each control.

3. Static and dynamic analysis depth

A credible mobile test combines static analysis (decompiling the binary, reading the manifest, hunting hard-coded secrets, reviewing how cryptography is used) with dynamic analysis (running the app on an instrumented device, intercepting traffic, manipulating runtime behaviour with tooling such as Frida and Objection). Static work alone is cheap and shallow; the dynamic phase is where real exploitation happens, and it is where the hours accumulate. Quotes that look unusually low for an iOS penetration test or an Android penetration test are often static-only reviews dressed up as a full test.

4. Jailbreak and root detection, pinning and IPC

Specific control areas add measurable time because each one is a small project. Bypassing jailbreak or root detection, defeating certificate pinning to inspect TLS traffic, examining how local data is stored (keychain, Keystore, shared preferences, SQLite, plist files), and probing inter-process communication (Android intents, content providers, iOS URL schemes and universal links) all require hands-on manipulation. An app that pins aggressively and detects tampering is more secure, which is good, but it also takes longer to test, which raises the cost.

5. Whether the backend API is in scope

Nearly every mobile app talks to a backend, and that backend is usually where the most serious findings live: broken object-level authorisation, weak server-side validation, exposed admin endpoints. The mobile client test and the backend API test are different disciplines, so we usually scope the API as a separate or add-on engagement rather than folding it silently into the mobile day count. Buyers who assume the quoted mobile figure covers the server side are often comparing two quotes that are not measuring the same thing.

Mobile app penetration testing cost table (UK 2026)

The table below maps scope tier to a typical day-range and a typical price. Pricing uses a typical UK day rate of around £1,200 to £1,300, all testing is delivered by senior and principal testers, and the price is driven by the complexity of the scope (the number of tester days). The table uses a £1,200 day rate as the baseline.

Scope tier	What it covers	Typical days	Typical UK price
Single platform, basic (MASVS-L1)	One platform (iOS or Android), static + dynamic, storage, crypto, auth, network, platform interaction	4-6 days	£4,800-£7,200
Both platforms, standard (MASVS-L1/L2)	iOS and Android, full static + dynamic on each, shared threat model and report	8-12 days	£9,600-£14,400
Both platforms + backend API + resilience (MASVS-L2/R)	Both clients, root/jailbreak and pinning bypass, anti-tampering, plus a scoped backend API test	14-22 days	£16,800-£26,400
Backend API only (add-on)	OWASP API Top 10 against the app’s server endpoints, authorisation and validation	4-7 days	£4,800-£8,400

For a single platform, the mobile app security testing cost (UK, 2026) over a focused 4 to 6 day engagement lands at roughly £4,800 to £7,200. Adding the second platform does not double the figure, because reconnaissance, the threat model and the reporting narrative are largely reused; the second platform typically adds another £4,800 to £7,200 rather than a full second test. Where the API is in scope as well, add the backend line from the table.

iOS vs Android: does the platform change the price?

For a single-platform engagement, the iOS penetration testing cost and the Android penetration testing cost are broadly similar, because both require the same static-plus-dynamic methodology and the same day count at the same tier. The differences are in the work itself rather than the headline figure. On iOS, testers focus on Keychain usage, the data protection class, plist storage, URL scheme handling and pinning in the network stack. On Android, the focus shifts to the Keystore, shared preferences and external storage, exported activities and content providers, intent handling and the manifest’s exported flags. An Android app shipping a debuggable build flag or over-permissive exported components can surface findings faster, but the scoped effort is set by the verification level, not the operating system.

Why the backend API is usually a separate scope

Because a mobile penetration test examines the client while the API test examines the server, and they are separate skill sets and separate days. The mobile side covers the binary, device storage, runtime and transport. The API side covers authentication, authorisation, input validation, rate limiting and endpoint business logic.

It is worth stating plainly because it is the most common source of confusion in mobile quotes. We test both in one engagement where it makes sense (shared scoping, one report), but we quote the backend as its own line so you can see exactly what you are buying. If you only have budget for one half this year, we will advise which side carries more risk. For a deeper breakdown of the server side, see our sibling guide on API penetration testing cost.

How EJN Labs scopes and prices a mobile app test

Our scoping is deliberately specific, because vague scoping is what produces inaccurate quotes. On a short call we establish the platforms in scope, the MASVS verification level you need, the authentication model, whether the app handles payments or regulated data, which anti-tampering controls are present, and whether the backend API should be tested in the same engagement. We also confirm whether you can provide a test build, test accounts across each user role, and any feature flags we need enabled.

From there we build a fixed-price quote from the day rate above. A typical mid-size engagement (both platforms, MASVS-L1 with selected L2 checks, no resilience tier) runs eight to twelve days. All testing is delivered by senior and principal CREST-certified testers, and the price is driven by the complexity of the scope rather than the tester. Every engagement includes a prioritised report mapped to MASVS and MASTG with reproduction steps and remediation guidance, a findings walkthrough call, and a retest once your fixes are in place, so the quote is the final cost. Full methodology detail lives on the mobile application penetration testing service page, and our rate card is on the pricing page.

As a CREST-accredited UK firm that also holds Cyber Essentials Plus and ISO 27001, our reports are written to satisfy auditors and customers, not just to tick a box. If your app is one of several systems you need assured, it often pairs with a web application penetration testing cost exercise or a network penetration test, and we can scope them together.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does mobile app penetration testing cost in the UK?

£4,800 to £7,200 is the typical UK cost for a single platform tested over four to six days, rising to £9,600 to £14,400 for both iOS and Android. The exact figure depends on the OWASP MASVS verification level and whether resilience controls are in scope.

Backend API testing is usually a separate scope, priced in addition to these mobile figures.

Is the iOS penetration testing cost different from Android?

No, for a single platform the iOS penetration testing cost and the Android penetration testing cost are broadly similar. Both follow the same static-plus-dynamic methodology over a comparable day count, so the headline price is set by the verification level you need, not by the operating system.

The work differs in detail, with Keychain and plist analysis on iOS against Keystore and exported components on Android, but that detail does not move the headline figure.

Does mobile application penetration testing pricing include the backend API?

No, usually not by default. Mobile application penetration testing pricing covers the client, meaning the binary, device storage, runtime and transport, while the backend API is a separate discipline quoted as its own line, typically £4,800 to £8,400 as an add-on.

Quoting the backend separately means you can see exactly what you are buying, and we can test both in one engagement for efficiency.

What is the mobile app security testing cost uk for both platforms?

£9,600 to £14,400 is the typical mobile app security testing cost uk for both iOS and Android at MASVS-L1 to L2, delivered over eight to twelve days. A full engagement that adds resilience verification and a backend API test runs to roughly £16,800 to £26,400.

Resilience verification in that top band covers root and jailbreak detection bypass, certificate pinning and anti-tampering.

Why does testing both iOS and Android not simply double the cost?

Because the reconnaissance, threat model and report narrative are shared across platforms. The second platform still needs its own static and dynamic pass, but it reuses much of the first platform’s groundwork, so it typically adds 60 to 80 per cent of the first platform’s effort rather than a full second test.

What standard do you test a mobile app against?

We scope every mobile engagement against the OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard (MASVS) and execute the testing using the OWASP Mobile Application Security Testing Guide (MASTG). Coverage spans storage, cryptography, authentication, network communication and platform interaction, with resilience testing included where required.

The verification level you need, L1, L2 or resilience, is agreed at scoping and drives the day count.

Get a fixed-price mobile app testing quote

Tell us your platforms, your MASVS level and whether the backend API is in scope, and we will return a fixed-price quote after a short scoping call. No obligation and no sales pipeline, just a clear figure from a CREST-certified tester. You can also compare costs across test types on the penetration testing cost hub or read our scoping guide first.