How Much Does a Code Audit Cost in 2026?

How much does a code audit cost in 2026?

Published fixed prices for a human-led code audit run from about $1,000 for a focused review of a small app to $4,000 to $10,000 for a standard full review. Technical due diligence for an acquisition starts around $7,500 at boutique firms. Automated scans cost less but are mostly tool output with little human reading.

We checked the public pricing pages of more than twenty firms in October 2026. The ranges below come from those pages. Prices change, so confirm with the vendor before you rely on a figure.

What do the published prices actually look like?

Real published prices run from $49 for an automated report to $50,000 for a large due diligence engagement. Most human-led audits for small and mid-size software sit between $1,000 and $8,000. Here are the figures from the firms we reviewed, each linked to the page we read.

At the low end, Afterbuild Labs lists a $49 async audit delivered as a PDF with no call, and a $499 security audit. VibeAudits starts a fixed-scope review at $1,000, and Yellow Labs lists $1,000 fixed. Enviera quotes pre-acquisition audits of small apps from $950 with a 72-hour turnaround. Elvt sells a one-week audit at $1,500 fixed.

In the middle, Damian Galarza starts at $4,000 with a go or no-go answer in 3 to 10 business days. Invadel starts at $4,800 and offers a free re-review after fixes are merged. Brocoders lists an Essential tier at $5,000. SolGuruz lists $5,000 to $8,000 for static review and $8,000 to $16,000 for dynamic review.

For due diligence, Reyem Tech lists $7,500 for a pre-LOI tier (about 2 weeks) and from $15,000 for a full review. Concept to Cloud lists $50,000 fixed. For benchmark ranges, see Variant Systems, SystemAudit and 11mile.

What drives the price of a code audit?

Four things set the price: how much code there is, how much of it is risky, how deep the review goes, and who needs to read the result. A small app with one login flow is a different job from a multi-service platform. A report for you is different from a report an investor or a court will read.

• • Size and complexity. More code, more services, more languages and more third-party integrations mean more reading time.
• • Depth. A review of the riskiest flows is cheaper than a line-by-line read with standards mapping and runtime testing.
• • Audience. A founder wants plain English. An acquirer wants a risk register and a go, reprice or walk-away call. A dispute needs documented evidence.
• • Speed. One boutique firm reports a 25 to 40 percent premium for a five-business-day due diligence turnaround (11mile, link above).
• • Access. If the repository, hosting and database access are missing, part of the work is recovering them before any review starts.

Pricing style matters too. Most firms we reviewed prefer fixed scope over hourly billing, and several state that they never price as a percentage of a deal. Some credit the audit fee against any follow-on fix. Ask about both before you sign.

What are the red flags in a cheap or fast quote?

The main red flag is a price or timeline that cannot cover the reading. Variant Systems puts it bluntly: if an audit of a 50,000-line codebase takes two days, the firm is not reading it. Other warning signs are per-line pricing, no sample report, and no clear statement of what is in scope.

Watch for these when you compare quotes:

• • A very low price with no human review, where the deliverable is a scanner export.
• • No written scope, so "audit" can mean anything at billing time.
• • A timeline that does not fit the size of the codebase.
• • No sample report or list of deliverables.
• • A pitch that treats the audit as a lead-in to a rebuild, with the verdict decided in advance.
• • Findings with no file, line or fix, only general statements.

A cheap automated scan is not worthless. It is a good first filter. It is not a substitute for a person reading the authentication, data access and payment code.

Which kind of audit do you need?

It depends on why you are asking. If a developer stopped or did not deliver, you need a fact-finding review of what exists and what it matches. If you inherited a codebase, you need a full audit and a roadmap. If you are buying or funding a company, you need due diligence with a clear decision at the end.

Match the situation to the tier:

• • Developer stopped or did not deliver. You need to know if it builds, what was delivered against the contract, and who controls the accounts. A focused review fits.
• • Inherited or aging codebase. You need security, quality and maintainability findings with a prioritized fix list. A standard audit fits.
• • Acquisition or investment. You need a decision-ready report on risk and cost to run. Due diligence fits.

Where does Cuanto Labs fit on price?

Cuanto Labs is a fixed-price, founder-led studio in Fort Lauderdale. We do not bill hourly. Our audits start at $1,500 for the Project Health Check, $4,000 for a Code Audit and $7,500 for due diligence. Each price is flat, scoped before work starts, and sits inside the market ranges above.

The Project Health Check is independent. We do not require you to hire us for the fix. You get the findings and an estimate, and you can take them to anyone.

If you are not sure which one fits, book a call and describe the situation. We will tell you which tier matches, including when the answer is a cheaper one.