How much does a security audit of an AI-built app cost?
A founder-sized review of an AI-built app costs about $500 to $3,000. A full code audit from a firm runs about $5,000 to $10,000 or more, a penetration test usually starts around $5,000, and a SOC 2 program can cost $20,000 to $60,000 in its first year. NexAI's AI app audit is from $500.
Four different products
People say "security audit" for four different things. Knowing which one you need saves thousands.
| What it is | Typical cost | When you need it |
|---|---|---|
| Founder-sized review of an AI-built app | about $500 to $3,000 | before launch, before showing investors, after a scare |
| Full code audit (architecture, security, quality) | about $5,000 to $10,000+ | before a raise or acquisition, or when a new team inherits the code |
| Penetration test | usually from about $5,000 | when a customer or insurer asks for one |
| SOC 2 program | about $20,000 to $60,000 in year one | when enterprise customers require it |
Prices are from published rate cards and guides in 2026. They vary with how big your app is.
What drives the price
- Size of the codebase. A small MVP takes a reviewer a day or two. A large platform takes weeks.
- How much is checked by hand. Automated scans are cheap. A person reading your access rules and permission checks costs more and finds more.
- Whether fixes are included. Some reviews hand you a list. Others fix the worst problems for you.
- Paperwork. A report written for an auditor or an enterprise buyer takes longer than one written for you.
What a good founder review should give you
- A ranked list of problems, worst first, in plain English.
- For each one, how to reproduce it and how to fix it.
- A clear answer on whether it is safe to launch now, and what must change first.
- A short call to walk through it.
If a report is a 60-page export from a scanning tool, you paid for the tool, not the review.
Which one do you need right now?
- Pre-launch, no customers yet: a founder-sized review.
- First paying customers, holding their data: a founder-sized review now, and again after big changes.
- An enterprise prospect sent a security questionnaire: start with a review, then a pen test if they ask for one by name.
- Raising money or selling the company: a full code audit.
What NexAI charges
The AI app audit is $500 working session · $1,500 to $2,500 full 6-pass repo audit · $4,500 to $8,000 hardening sprint. Turnaround: written audit report within 24 hours. I review what shipped, write the plan that makes it safe, and either hand you the plan or take it to production myself.
More questions founders with ai-built apps ask
How much does a code audit cost for a startup?
A founder-sized review of a small AI-built app is about $500 to $3,000. A full audit from a firm usually runs $5,000 to $10,000 or more, depending on the size of the codebase.
Do I need a penetration test before launch?
Usually not. Most early apps need a review of access rules, secrets and permission checks first. Get a pen test when a customer, partner or insurer asks for one.
Is a cheap automated scan enough?
It is a good first step, not the whole job. Scanners miss business-logic bugs, such as one user being able to open another user's records, which cause the worst leaks.
Want a straight answer for your business?
Book a free 15-minute fit call with your app link and I will tell you which review you actually need. See the AI app audit →