Cobalt
Cobalt is a Pentest as a Service platform that combines SaaS efficiency with a global community of security experts to identify and remediate vulnerabilities in your applications.
Vanta
Vanta is a trust management platform that automates compliance for security standards like SOC 2, ISO 27001, and HIPAA to help you build and maintain customer trust.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Cobalt | Vanta |
|---|---|---|
| Website | cobalt.io | vanta.com |
| Pricing Model | Custom | Custom |
| Starting Price | Custom Pricing | Custom Pricing |
| FREE Trial | ✘ No free trial | ✘ No free trial |
| Free Plan | ✘ No free plan | ✘ No free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2013 | 2018 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, USA | San Francisco, USA |
Overview
Cobalt
Cobalt transforms traditional penetration testing into a dynamic, tech-enabled experience through its Pentest as a Service (PtaaS) platform. You can move away from slow, static PDF reports and instead launch comprehensive security assessments in days rather than weeks. The platform connects you directly with a vetted community of on-demand security researchers who test your web applications, APIs, and cloud infrastructure in real-time.
You can manage the entire testing lifecycle from a single dashboard, allowing your developers to communicate directly with testers for faster vulnerability remediation. It integrates with your existing development workflows to ensure security keeps pace with your release cycles. Whether you need to meet compliance requirements like SOC2 or harden your external attack surface, you get actionable data and on-demand retesting to stay secure.
Vanta
Vanta helps you simplify the complex process of getting and staying compliant with major security standards. Instead of manually collecting screenshots and tracking spreadsheets, you can automate your evidence collection by connecting Vanta directly to your existing tech stack. It continuously monitors your environment to ensure you remain compliant every day of the year, not just during your annual audit window.
The platform serves as a central hub for your entire security program, allowing you to manage risk, track vendor security, and complete security questionnaires faster. Whether you are a small startup aiming for your first SOC 2 or a growing enterprise managing multiple frameworks, you can use Vanta to prove your security posture to customers and partners with minimal manual effort.
Overview
Cobalt Features
- On-Demand Pentesting Launch a manual pentest in as little as 24 hours to meet tight production deadlines or compliance windows.
- Real-Time Reporting View vulnerabilities as testers find them so your team can start fixing critical bugs before the test even finishes.
- Direct Researcher Access Chat directly with your assigned security experts to clarify findings and get specific guidance on complex remediation steps.
- SDLC Integrations Push findings automatically to Jira, GitHub, or Slack so your developers can manage security fixes in their existing tools.
- Complimentary Retesting Request a free retest once you've applied a fix to ensure the vulnerability is fully resolved and verified.
- Compliance Reporting Generate audit-ready reports for SOC2, HIPAA, and PCI-DSS with a single click to satisfy your stakeholders and auditors.
Vanta Features
- Automated Evidence Collection. Connect your cloud services to automatically gather the evidence needed for audits without manual document uploads.
- Continuous Monitoring. Track your compliance status in real-time with alerts that notify you the moment a control fails.
- Vulnerability Management. Identify and track security vulnerabilities across your infrastructure from a single dashboard to ensure timely remediation.
- Trust Center. Create a real-time security page to share your compliance posture and reports directly with your customers.
- Access Reviews. Automate periodic reviews of user permissions across your tools to ensure only the right people have access.
- Vendor Risk Management. Assess and monitor the security of your third-party vendors to mitigate risks within your supply chain.
Pricing Comparison
Cobalt Pricing
Vanta Pricing
Pros & Cons
Cobalt
Pros
- Significantly faster setup time than traditional consulting firms
- Direct communication with testers speeds up remediation
- Clean dashboard replaces messy PDF report management
- High-quality, vetted researchers provide deep manual insights
Cons
- Credit-based pricing can be complex to forecast
- Platform focus is primarily on manual testing over automation
- Premium pricing reflects the high-touch expert service
Vanta
Pros
- Automates the most tedious parts of evidence collection
- Extensive library of pre-built integrations for cloud tools
- Significantly reduces the time required to complete audits
- User-friendly interface makes compliance accessible to non-experts
Cons
- Custom pricing can be expensive for very small startups
- Initial setup requires significant time for technical integrations
- Some automated tests may trigger false positives occasionally