The Best Mobile App Penetration Testing Companies UK
The best UK mobile app penetration testing companies in 2026 are Precursor Security, NCC Group, Pen Test Partners, Redscan (Kroll), JUMPSEC, OnSecurity, and MDSec. This guide compares all seven on criteria any buyer can check independently: verifiable CREST accreditation, physical-device iOS and Android testing, backend API coverage, retest policy, and pricing transparency.
Seven UK mobile app penetration testing companies compared on iOS and Android coverage, verifiable CREST accreditation, backend API scope, retest policy, and pricing you can see before a sales call.
We are Precursor Security, and we have ranked ourselves first on this list.
Rather than pretend otherwise, we publish the selection criteria in full, describe every competitor fairly, and link the independent CREST member directory so you can check our working. The firms below are genuinely good at what they do. The differences are in delivery model, transparency, and who each firm serves best.
Seven firms, side by side
Swipe to compare →
| Provider | CREST status | Pricing published | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Precursor Security | Pen Test + VA + SOC | Yes | From £4,500 |
| 2. NCC Group | Member firm | No | On application |
| 3. Pen Test Partners | Member firm | No | On application |
| 4. Redscan (Kroll) | Member firm | No | On application |
| 5. JUMPSEC | Member firm + NCSC CHECK | No | On application |
| 6. OnSecurity | Member firm | No | Instant quote via platform |
| 7. MDSec | Member firm | No | On application |
Verified against each company's public website, September 2026. "No" means we could not find pricing publicly stated; it does not mean the firm lacks a rate card.
The 7 best UK mobile app
penetration testing companies in 2026
1. Precursor Security
Precursor tests iOS on physical jailbroken devices and Android on rooted devices, using Frida and Objection to bypass SSL pinning, root and jailbreak detection, and biometric authentication in real time. Binary reverse engineering of the IPA or APK surfaces hardcoded secrets without needing source code, and backend API traffic is intercepted via Burp Suite to catch BOLA and broken function-level authorisation, the layer where most mobile risk actually lives. Every report is mapped to the OWASP Mobile Top 10 and OWASP MASVS, with a free re-test of remediated findings included, and pricing is published from £4,500 for a single-platform assessment.
Trade-off: A mid-market specialist rather than a global enterprise brand, and the youngest firm on this list.
2. NCC Group
NCC Group runs mobile application testing for iOS and Android as part of a wider application security practice, backed by one of the largest research benches in the industry and a client list that includes global technology brands. For a multinational rolling mobile apps out across regions with an existing NCC relationship for web and infrastructure testing, adding mobile to the same engagement is straightforward.
Trade-off: Engagement model and pricing are built for enterprise procurement. Costs are on application.
3. Pen Test Partners
Pen Test Partners test mobile applications as a standard service line, with particular strength where the app pairs with connected hardware: vehicles, marine, aviation, and consumer IoT. If your mobile app is a companion to a physical product rather than a standalone SaaS client, their hardware research background is a genuine differentiator.
Trade-off: Specialist strength is hardware-paired apps; pricing is on application and not published as a rate card.
4. Redscan (Kroll)
Redscan, now part of Kroll, delivers CREST-accredited application testing within Kroll's broader threat exposure management practice, backed by a global incident response and forensics business serving over 2,000 customers. For organisations that already use Kroll for IR retainers or forensics, adding mobile app assessment under the same relationship keeps procurement simple.
Trade-off: Mobile testing sits inside a broad enterprise service catalogue rather than being marketed as a dedicated specialism, and pricing is on application.
5. JUMPSEC
JUMPSEC holds NCSC CHECK status alongside CREST accreditation, delivering application penetration testing, including mobile, for public sector and PSN-connected environments where CHECK delivery is mandated. Their offensive testing practice also covers AI and LLM systems, useful if your mobile app ships an AI-backed feature alongside the core assessment.
Trade-off: Pricing on application.
6. OnSecurity
OnSecurity runs mobile application testing through the same platform-first PTaaS model it uses for web and infrastructure: instant online scoping, a real-time cost estimate, and CREST-accredited testers covering credential usage, storage, and cryptography. For a startup that needs an iOS or Android app tested this month with minimal procurement friction, the platform model works well.
Trade-off: Quotes are generated through their platform rather than published as a fixed rate card, and the model favours smaller, faster-turnaround scopes.
7. MDSec
MDSec is a CREST-accredited UK offensive security specialist founded in 2011, known globally for elite technical research: its founders wrote the Mobile Application Hacker's Handbook, and its published work spans mobile payment systems, TrustZone, NFC, and Bluetooth. Serving over 250 regular clients including FTSE 100 organisations, MDSec suits a mobile app handling payment or high-value data that needs research-grade scrutiny rather than a standard commercial test.
Trade-off: A research-led boutique rather than a high-volume delivery shop; pricing is on application.
How we ranked them
Six criteria specific to mobile app testing, each something a buyer should care about and can verify without taking anyone's word for it. Weighting is ours; the underlying facts are checkable.
Testing on physical jailbroken and rooted devices, not just emulators or simulators. Runtime manipulation with Frida, SSL pinning bypass, and biometric authentication testing require a real device to be meaningful.
Most mobile risk lives in the API the app talks to, not the client binary. A scope that stops at the app and ignores BOLA and broken function-level authorisation on the backend is incomplete.
Manual binary reverse engineering combined with live runtime testing, not an automated SAST/DAST scanner with a human cover sheet.
Company accreditation in the CREST directory, and individual tester certification, not just an organisational badge.
Whether verification of your fixes is included or sold back to you afterwards as a second engagement.
A report your developers can act on line by line, and one your app-store review, ISO 27001 auditor, or enterprise security questionnaire will accept without follow-up questions.
Red flags when choosing
a mobile app pen test company
Whichever firm you choose, including us, walk away if you see these.
An automated APK/IPA scan sold as a pentest
Mobile SAST/DAST tools pattern-match against known signatures. They cannot bypass SSL pinning, hook runtime methods with Frida, or test whether your biometric check is implemented server-side. Ask how many days of manual testing are included, and by whom.
Frontend-only scope that ignores the API
If the quote covers binary analysis alone with no mention of intercepting backend API traffic, the highest-risk layer of your app has been left untested. Confirm API testing is explicitly in scope.
No iOS coverage
iOS testing is harder to deliver properly than Android because it requires a physical jailbroken device to reach the Keychain and bypass jailbreak detection. A provider that quietly skips iOS, or tests it only on a non-jailbroken device, is cutting corners on the harder platform.
No retest provision
A mobile pen test without verification of your fixes is half a service. If the retest is a separately priced second engagement, your remediation evidence for auditors and enterprise questionnaires costs double.
No OWASP mobile framework alignment
Findings should be mapped to the OWASP Mobile Top 10 or OWASP MASVS control categories. A report with no framework mapping will not satisfy a QSA, ISO 27001 auditor, or enterprise supplier assurance questionnaire.
Opaque pricing
A firm that cannot give you a price range before a discovery call is optimising for deal-size discovery, not your budget. UK mobile app testing runs roughly £4,500 to £12,000 depending on scope; anyone refusing to anchor near that range is hiding something.
UK mobile app penetration testing prices in 2026
Across the market, mobile app testing runs £4,500 to £12,000 depending on platform count and backend API scope. At Precursor's published rate: a single-platform assessment (iOS or Android) starts from £4,500, dual-platform testing covering iOS, Android, and shared backend APIs runs £9,000 to £12,000, and complex apps handling payment processing typically exceed £12,000.
Full cost guide with worked examplesRelated resources
Scope, pricing, and adjacent services referenced throughout this guide.
Our full iOS and Android methodology and pricing.
Physical jailbroken device testing and Keychain forensics.
APK decompilation, root detection bypass, and MASVS mapping.
Dedicated backend assessment covering the OWASP API Top 10.
Worked pricing examples across every test type.
How offensive findings feed defensive monitoring.
The wider comparison guide across all test types.
Compare us against anyone on this list.
Fixed pricing published before you call. iOS and Android testing on real devices. Retest included.
Choosing a mobile app pen test company
The questions buyers ask most when comparing UK mobile app testing providers.
Mobile application penetration testing typically costs between £4,500 and £12,000 in the UK, depending on app complexity, platform count, and backend API scope. A single-platform assessment (iOS or Android) starts from £4,500 and averages around £6,000 for 5 to 7 days of testing. Dual-platform testing covering iOS, Android, and shared backend APIs typically runs £9,000 to £12,000. Complex apps handling payment processing or multiple user roles can exceed £12,000. Most providers on this list price on application; Precursor publishes its rates.
iOS testing is generally harder to deliver properly because it requires a physical jailbroken device to access the Keychain, test App Transport Security, and bypass jailbreak detection; non-jailbroken testing alone only covers static binary analysis and network traffic. Android testing uses a rooted physical device to audit exported Activities, Services, and Content Providers for Intent injection, alongside SharedPreferences, SQLite, and KeyStore storage. Both platforms need Frida and Objection for runtime manipulation, SSL pinning bypass, and biometric authentication testing, but the underlying attack surface, permission models, and storage mechanisms differ, so a credible test treats them as separate disciplines rather than running the same checklist twice.
It should. Most mobile app risk does not live in the client binary, it lives in the backend API the app talks to: broken object level authorisation (BOLA), broken function-level authorisation, and sensitive data exposure in transit. A test that only reverse engineers the IPA or APK and never intercepts API traffic through a proxy like Burp Suite has left the highest-risk layer unexamined. Always confirm backend API testing is explicitly in scope before you buy.
At minimum annually, and additionally before any major release or App Store/Google Play submission, after significant backend or authentication changes, following a security incident, and whenever a compliance framework or enterprise customer contract requires it. PCI DSS mandates testing at least annually and after significant changes for apps that process payment card data, and many cyber insurance renewals now expect the same cadence.
The UK's leading mobile app penetration testing providers include Precursor Security, NCC Group, Pen Test Partners, Redscan (Kroll), JUMPSEC, OnSecurity, and MDSec. Each specialises differently: Precursor for fixed pricing and OWASP MASVS-mapped reporting with SOC integration, NCC Group for enterprise-scale global delivery, Pen Test Partners for hardware-paired IoT companion apps, Redscan (Kroll) for a wider Kroll incident response relationship, JUMPSEC for NCSC CHECK-mandated public sector work, OnSecurity for fast PTaaS turnaround, and MDSec for deep technical mobile and payment research.