--- title: Crowdsourced vs. Traditional Penetration Testing description: Now the question is, how does crowdsourced penetration testing stack up against traditional penetration testing? 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Furthermore, how does the process differ? [Angela Meduri](https://blog.unguess.io/author/angela-meduri) Jul 20, 2021 --- Traditional penetration testing firms have gotten pushed out of what was once a profitable niche market by the movement of crowdsourced security to the forefront. Now the question is, how does crowdsourced penetration testing stack up against traditional penetration testing? Furthermore, how does the process differ? This article will show you a side-by-side comparison of the two, relative to five key factors.   ## 1. Costs: Paying per Test vs. Paying per Vulnerability Found Pen testing has beaten crowdsourced security for the time being because of its low cost. Because you pay by the day, and a typical website takes four to five days to scan, you know precisely how much you will spend upfront, regardless of how many flaws and inconsistencies get discovered. Contrarily, the cost of a crowdsourced pen test can fluctuate, and because you must pay both a platform fee and a price per vulnerability realized, it can quickly add up. To avoid painful surprises, you can turn to [WhiteJar](https://www.whitejar.io/): no platform fees, costs calculated upfront.  [![GO TO WHITEJAR.IO](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/6087279/b57df0c1-5d50-4667-9e8e-6a25c243c96f.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/6087279/b57df0c1-5d50-4667-9e8e-6a25c243c96f) ## 2. Vulnerabilities: Are All Vulnerabilities Found Actually Exploitable? The pen-tester syndrome, which refers to making things appear worse than they are, is prevalent in traditional pen-testing. However, only exploitable flaws with actionable proof of concept will get revealed in a crowdsourced pen test. This test is extremely helpful in keeping firms from chasing phantom risk and directing their corrective efforts where they are most needed.   ## 3. Assets: Can Internal Assets Be Tested Effectively? In a traditional pen-testing setting, a pen tester physically comes to your office and plugs in their laptop if you prefer someone to test from "within" your network. Contrarily, it can get complicated in a crowdsourced environment. Some engagements necessitate VPN or proxy configurations. You normally work in a test environment rather than a live one with real users, raising the cost for businesses, especially when it gets done for dozens of testers rather than just one.   ## 4. Frequency: Constant Testing vs. Scheduled Testing Penetration testing nowadays has several drawbacks, one of which is that it does not keep up with the development speed of new applications. Crowdsourced pen testing is often open-ended, which corresponds to how today's apps are developed and, more crucially, how attackers act. A traditional pen tester does not have the flexibility of spending three to four months studying one of your assets at their leisure. On the other hand, crowd-sourced pen testers do, and it reflects as they uncover potentially serious issues from live sites they've been pen testing for years.   ## 5. Compensation: Does Tester Compensation Coincide with Effectiveness? Although rarely explored, there is a significant distinction between crowdsourced and traditional pen tests regarding how people get compensated. In a traditional pen test, the work gets done by a salaried professional who gets properly compensated and reimbursed whether or not they find vulnerabilities. In the case of crowdsourced pen testers, it depends on many aspects, for example the policy of the platform they work for. [WhiteJar](https://www.whitejar.io/) is powered by UNGUESS's community (TRYBER), which means testers get paid when they complete a test campaign (or find a vulnerability, in this case). Besides that, they can also earn more than agreed if they find critical issues or the highest number of vulnerabilities among all the testers involved in the campaign.    ## Conclusion Both crowdsourced and traditional pen testing has advantages and disadvantages. Thus, the question of which is better ultimately lies in the constraints within your budget and environment. If you want to know more, visit [WhiteJar.io](https://www.whitejar.io/). 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Put simply, a penetration test, is a simulated cyberattack to your... Angela Meduri Jun 16, 2021 Cybersecurity ### [Penetration Testing vs Bug Bounty: what’s the difference](https://blog.unguess.io/en/penetration-testing-vs-bug-bounty-whats-the-difference?hsLang=en) Both are used to detect and fix vulnerabilities. But what's the difference between Penetration testing and Bug bounty and which one should you use?  Angela Meduri Oct 27, 2021 Software Development & Testing ### [Continuous testing, what is the right and most cost-effective approach?](https://blog.unguess.io/continuous-testing-what-is-the-right-and-most-cost-effective-approach?hsLang=en) Continuous testing involves the continuous testing of software throughout the development cycle to detect errors and critical issues from the... Angela Meduri Jan 23, 2025 UX & UI ### [Crowdsourcing, how to leverage it in software testing: 4 examples](https://blog.unguess.io/crowdsourcing-how-to-leverage-it-in-software-testing-4-examples?hsLang=en) Bug hunting, pentest, accessibility and device compatibility testing are just some of the examples of the effectiveness of the crowdsourcing approach Newsroom Sep 16, 2024 ![unguess-logo-1](https://blog.unguess.io/hubfs/unguess-logo-1.svg) **© 2023 UNGUESS S.r.l.** UNGUESS is a registered trademark of UNGUESS S.r.l.   - [![U2Y - Verified Carbon Footprint](https://blog.unguess.io/hs-fs/hubfs/U2Y%20-%20Verified%20Carbon%20Footprint.png?width=50&height=50&name=U2Y%20-%20Verified%20Carbon%20Footprint.png)](https://app.u2y.io/brands/314) - [![UNGUESS is a leader in Crowd Testing Tools on G2](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/report_medal/image/1004327/medal.svg)](https://www.g2.com/products/unguess/reviews?utm_source=rewards-badge) - [![UNGUESS is a leader in Test Management on G2](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/report_medal/image/1004327/medal.svg)](https://www.g2.com/products/unguess/reviews?utm_source=rewards-badge) - [![UNGUESS is a leader in Crowd Testing Tools on G2](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/report_medal/image/1004379/medal.svg)](https://www.g2.com/products/unguess/reviews?utm_source=rewards-badge) - [![UNGUESS is a leader in Europe Test Management on G2](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/report_medal/image/1004391/medal.svg)](https://www.g2.com/products/unguess/reviews?utm_source=rewards-badge) - [![UNGUESS is a leader in EMEA Test Management on G2](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/report_medal/image/1004447/medal.svg)](https://www.g2.com/products/unguess/reviews?utm_source=rewards-badge) #### SERVICES - [AI Training](https://unguess.io/services/ai-training-testing/) - [User Experience](https://unguess.io/services/use-case/user-experience/) - [Software Quality](https://unguess.io/services/use-case/software-quality/) - [Cyber Security](https://unguess.io/services/use-case/cyber-security/) - [Accessibility](https://unguess.io/services/accessibility/) #### SHOWCASE - [Blog](https://blog.unguess.io) - [Our Crowd](https://unguess.io/our-crowd/) - [Tryber.me](https://tryber.me/) - [Integrations](https://unguess.io/integrations/) - [Partners](https://unguess.io/partners/) #### COMPANY [Work with us](https://unguess.io/life-at-unguess/#job-positions) [Get in touch](https://unguess.io/get-started/) **General inquires:** [info@unguess.io](mailto:info@unguess.io)   [Privacy Policy](https://unguess.io/privacy-policy/)  | [ESG Policy](https://unguess.io/esg-policy/)  | [Personal Data Processing Notice: Customers and Suppliers](https://unguess.io/personal-data-processing-notice-customers-and-suppliers/) | [Model 231](https://unguess.io/model-231/) | [Ethical Code](https://unguess.io/ethical-code/) | [Cookies Settings](https://www.iubenda.com/privacy-policy/833252/full-legal)  |  [Terms & Conditions](https://unguess.io/terms-and-conditions/) UNGUESS S.r.l. – VAT 01603290196   © 2022 Kalungi, Inc. - All Rights Reserved. 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