NCC Group vs Cobalt
Side-by-side from the Top 11 ranking of The 11 Best Penetration Testing Services (2026). Last verified June 12, 2026.
The short answer
Cobalt ranks higher on Top 11 (#1 vs #5) for Engineering leaders booking pentests for compliance or security. The best PtaaS platform for streamlining the entire pentesting process, from scoping to remediation.
At a glance
| NCC Group | Cobalt | |
|---|---|---|
| Top 11 rank | #5 / The 11 Best Penetration Testing Services (2026) | #1 / The 11 Best Penetration Testing Services (2026) |
| Score (out of 9.4) | 8.4 | 9.3 |
| Best for | Global testing for large enterprises | Fast pentests for agile teams |
| Pricing | $$$$ ($25k to $300k+ /project) | $$$ ($15k to $100k+ /yr) |
| HQ | Manchester, UK | San Francisco, USA |
| Founded | 1999 | 2013 |
NCC Group
Global firm with a massive service portfolio ideal for complex enterprise needs.
www.nccgroup.com/us/our-services/cyber-security/penetration-testing/See full entry in The 11 Best Penetration Testing Services (2026)
Cobalt
The best PtaaS platform for streamlining the entire pentesting process, from scoping to remediation.
www.cobalt.ioSee full entry in The 11 Best Penetration Testing Services (2026)
Methodology and scoring weights live at /methodology. No vendor pays for placement — see about.