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.
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is a high-speed privacy tool that encrypts your internet traffic and hides your IP address to protect your online activity from hackers, trackers, and government surveillance.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Cobalt | ExpressVPN |
|---|---|---|
| Website | cobalt.io | expressvpn.com |
| Pricing Model | Custom | Subscription |
| Starting Price | Custom Pricing | $12.95/month |
| FREE Trial | ✘ No free trial | ✘ No free trial |
| Free Plan | ✘ No free plan | ✘ No free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✘ No product demo |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2013 | 2009 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, USA | Tortola, British Virgin Islands |
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.
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN provides you with a secure, encrypted tunnel for your internet traffic, ensuring your online activities remain private and protected from outside interference. By masking your IP address and encrypting your data, you can browse the web anonymously and access content that might be restricted in your current location. It operates a vast network of high-speed servers across 105 countries, allowing you to maintain fast connection speeds while staying secure on public Wi-Fi or at home.
You can use the service across all your devices, including laptops, smartphones, tablets, and even routers. The software is designed for individuals who prioritize digital privacy and want a simple, one-click solution to secure their data. Whether you are traveling, working remotely, or streaming media, it helps you bypass censorship and prevent your internet service provider from tracking your browsing history.
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.
ExpressVPN Features
- AES-256 Encryption. Protect your data with the same encryption standard used by security experts to keep your information unreadable to hackers.
- TrustedServer Technology. Ensure your data is never written to a hard drive as all servers run only on volatile memory (RAM).
- Network Lock Kill Switch. Keep your data safe if your VPN connection drops by automatically blocking all internet traffic until protection is restored.
- Private DNS. Run your own encrypted DNS on every server to make your connections faster and safer from third-party tracking.
- Lightway Protocol. Experience faster speeds and more reliable connections with a pioneering VPN protocol designed for the modern internet.
- Threat Manager. Prevent apps and websites on your device from communicating with known trackers or malicious third-party sites.
- Device Groups. Connect your various devices to different server locations simultaneously through a single router setup for ultimate flexibility.
- Split Tunneling. Choose which apps use the VPN and which apps use the regular internet to optimize your connection speeds.
Pricing Comparison
Cobalt Pricing
ExpressVPN Pricing
- High-speed servers in 105 countries
- Apps for all your devices
- 24/7 live chat support
- Best-in-class encryption
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Everything in 1-Month Plan, plus:
- Significant monthly savings
- 3 months of extra protection free
- ExpressVPN Keys password manager
- Cloud backup for your credentials
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
ExpressVPN
Pros
- Consistently fast connection speeds for streaming
- Extremely simple and intuitive user interface
- Wide selection of global server locations
- Reliable 30-day money-back guarantee policy
- Excellent 24/7 customer support responsiveness
Cons
- Higher monthly price than many competitors
- Limited to eight simultaneous device connections
- Lacks some advanced dedicated IP options