AI-built app security testing cost in Canada
Security and QA testing for a small AI-built app costs $2,000 to $12,000 CAD. Larger multi-tenant products with AI features run $10,000 to $35,000. The number comes from tester days, and tester days come from scope.
Testing an AI-built app in Canada costs $2,000 to $12,000 CAD for most small products and $10,000 to $35,000 CAD for multi-tenant products with AI features and integrations. Every serious quote is the same arithmetic: a tester day rate of roughly $1,500 to $2,800 CAD, times the days the scope needs. If a quote does not tell you the days, ask.
$1,500 to $2,800 Qualified tester, per day, Canada, CAD
Cost by engagement
| Engagement | Tester days | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| QA testing, core flows | 1 to 3 | $1,500 to $6,000 |
| Security review and QA, small app | 1 to 3 | $2,000 to $6,000 |
| Security review, QA and pentest of the running app | 3 to 5 | $5,000 to $12,000 |
| AI security assessment of an LLM feature | 2 to 6 | $4,000 to $15,000 |
| LLM red teaming | 2 to 8 | $4,000 to $20,000 |
| Full AI penetration test, multi-tenant SaaS | 5 to 15 | $8,000 to $35,000 |
What raises a quote
- Roles. Each kind of user is a set of permissions to test against every other. Two roles is small. Six is not.
- Tenants. If businesses share the app, the tester has to prove none can see another's data. That is days, not hours.
- Payments. Checkout, webhooks, refunds and plan changes are where money bugs live.
- AI features with tools. Each tool an agent can call is a path to test.
- Integrations. Every third-party connection with its own keys and callbacks.
- A report for someone else. A report scoped as evidence for SOC 2 or a buyer takes more writing than one for your team.
What lowers it
- Source code access. Findings come faster when the tester can read the check that is missing.
- A staging copy with test accounts ready on day one.
- Running the pre-launch security checklist first, so paid days go to the problems you could not find.
- Bundling QA and security into one engagement rather than two.
What is not worth paying for
A "penetration test" for a few hundred dollars is an automated scan. It has its uses, covered on whether a scanner is enough, but it will not find the missing authorization check that exposes your customers. Nor is a large engagement worth it for an app with no users, no payments and no personal data. Test when there is something to lose.
Against the cost of the build
The test is a one-time cost on a build that was already cheap. The comparison with a conventional build is on build cheap, test properly. Put your own scope into the cost estimator to see the days and the range.
Published starting prices
For reference, TrazTech lists vibe-coding QA and review from $2,000 CAD, AI security assessments from $4,000 CAD and LLM red teaming from $4,000 CAD. These are floors. Scope sets the final number with any firm.
Get a real number for your app
Describe the roles, the data and the AI features. Firms quote against the same scope.
Get matchedCommon questions
Why do quotes for the same app differ so much?
Because they describe different work. One firm quotes a scan, another two tester days, another ten. Send every firm the same written scope and ask how many days each quote covers.
Is a retest extra?
Sometimes. Many firms include one retest within 30 to 90 days. Ask before you sign, because the retest is the part an auditor or a buyer most wants to see.
Are these prices in US dollars?
No. Every figure on this site is Canadian dollars.