The price of a smart contract audit spans an enormous range — from completely free for automated scans to over $150,000 for enterprise-grade engagements at top security firms. Choosing the wrong tier means either burning budget unnecessarily or leaving your contract dangerously underexamined.
This guide breaks down every pricing tier, what you actually get at each level, and the framework to decide what's right for your project.
The Full Pricing Landscape in 2025
| Tier | Price Range | Who It's For | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free AI Scan | $0 | Initial assessment, any project | Under 60 sec |
| Full Audit Report | $50 | Devs fixing issues themselves | 24–48 hrs |
| Secure Deploy | $150 | Medium-risk contracts (score 40–70) | 3–5 days |
| Premium Deploy | $400 | High-risk contracts (score 70+) | 3–5 days |
| Express tiers | $75–$600 | Urgent deadline, same services | 24–48 hrs |
| Boutique firms | $5,000–$25,000 | Mid-size DeFi protocols | 1–3 weeks |
| Enterprise firms | $25,000–$150,000+ | High-TVL protocols, bridges | 3–8 weeks |
Tier 1: Free Automated Audit ($0)
Quantum Audit's free scan uses advanced AI to analyze your contract against hundreds of known vulnerability patterns — including reentrancy, access control issues, integer overflow, oracle manipulation vectors, and on-chain risk signals (honeypot detection, holder concentration, transaction pattern analysis).
What you get:
- Risk score from 0–100 with overall risk level (Low / Medium / High / Critical)
- Categorized findings with severity ratings
- Line-by-line code references for each issue
- On-chain metrics: TVL, holder distribution, GoPlus security flags
- Full PDF report for sharing with investors or launchpads
What it's for: Any project starting to think about security. The free scan is also the fastest way to get a document for a launchpad or investor who asks "have you been audited?"
Tier 2: Full Audit Report ($50)
A detailed professional report covering all vulnerability classes, with specific recommendations for each finding. The difference from the free scan: findings include explicit fix code in addition to descriptions, and the report is structured for formal disclosure (suitable for whitepapers and investor decks).
Best for: Experienced Solidity developers who want a comprehensive findings list and will implement fixes themselves. If your team has strong security knowledge, this tier gives you the roadmap — your engineers do the work.
Not suited for: Teams without deep Solidity experience who need guidance on how to fix complex vulnerabilities like reentrancy guards or access control restructuring.
Tier 3: Secure Deploy ($150)
Everything from the Full Audit plus professional implementation of all fixes by our security engineers, with basic testing to confirm the fixes don't introduce regressions.
Best for: Contracts in the medium risk range (score 40–70) that need fixes but don't require a comprehensive testing suite or formal guarantee. Ideal for smaller token projects or NFT contracts with a few identified issues.
Note: This tier does not include a security guarantee. If a vulnerability is discovered post-deployment that wasn't in the original findings, it's not covered. For that protection, see Premium Deploy.
Tier 4: Premium Deploy ($400) ⭐
The most comprehensive tier for projects where security is non-negotiable. Includes everything from Secure Deploy plus:
- Full test suite — unit tests and integration tests covering all findings and edge cases
- Gas optimization review — reduce transaction costs by 20–40%
- 30-day security guarantee — if a new vulnerability is discovered in audited code within 30 days of deployment, we provide a hotfix at no cost and cover bug bounty up to $10,000
- Priority support and a free reaudit after any significant code changes
Best for: Any contract with a risk score above 70, bridges, contracts managing user deposits, or any project raising significant funds. At $400, this tier represents extraordinary value compared to boutique or enterprise alternatives.
Express Tiers (+50% Surcharge)
When you have a hard launch deadline — IDO in 48 hours, exchange listing next week — Express versions of all paid tiers deliver results in 24–48 hours:
| Service | Standard | Express | Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Audit Report | $50 | $75 | Contract <500 lines |
| Secure Deploy | $150 | $225 | Single contract only |
| Premium Deploy | $400 | $600 | Single contract only |
Multi-Contract Discounts
DeFi protocols typically deploy multiple interdependent contracts. Auditing them together is both more efficient and more thorough (cross-contract interaction bugs are easier to catch in a combined review):
| Number of Contracts | Discount |
|---|---|
| 2–3 contracts | 15% off total |
| 4–6 contracts | 25% off total |
| 7+ contracts | 30% off + dedicated project manager |
Boutique Security Firms: $5,000–$25,000
Smaller professional security firms occupy the middle market between accessible automated/AI audits and enterprise behemoths. At this price, you typically get 2–3 senior security researchers reviewing your code for 1–2 weeks.
What justifies this price:
- Deep manual review of complex protocol logic
- Formal reporting with legal backing for investor disclosures
- Reputation from the firm's name on the report (some investors specifically check who audited)
What to watch for: Many boutique firms have long waiting lists (4–8 weeks). Price does not always correlate with quality — some firms in this range produce lower-quality reports than well-configured automated tools.
Enterprise Firms: $25,000–$150,000+
Firms like Trail of Bits, OpenZeppelin, and Consensys Diligence operate at this level. Their audits involve large teams, formal verification, extensive threat modeling, and comprehensive warranty documentation.
When it makes sense:
- Your protocol handles $50M+ TVL
- You're a cross-chain bridge (the highest-risk contract category)
- You require formal verification (mathematical proof of contract correctness)
- Institutional investors or large exchanges require a brand-name audit firm
Reality check: Many projects that need enterprise audits also use automated tools first to maximize the efficiency of human reviewer time. Running a free scan before engaging an enterprise firm means their engineers spend time on complex logic — not catching obvious reentrancy patterns.
The ROI of an Audit: How to Think About Cost
The question isn't "can we afford an audit?" — it's "can we afford not to have one?"
The cost of an audit is best understood as insurance premium. You're paying to eliminate the probability of catastrophic loss. At $50–$400 per contract, the math is almost always in favor of auditing.
How to Choose the Right Tier
Use this simple framework:
- Start with the free scan. Get your risk score. It takes 60 seconds.
- Risk score 0–30: Consider Gas Optimization ($150) or Security Badge ($200) rather than a full audit. Your contract is in good shape.
- Risk score 31–70: Secure Deploy ($150). Professional fixes for a medium-risk contract.
- Risk score 71–89: Premium Deploy ($400). High risk requires the guarantee.
- Risk score 90+: Premium Deploy, potentially Express ($600). Critical risk needs immediate, comprehensive treatment.
- $50M+ TVL or bridge: Complement Quantum Audit with a boutique or enterprise firm for the institutional credibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a free audit sufficient for launch?
For very small projects with low TVL expectations, possibly yes — especially if the risk score is low. For anything raising money or handling user deposits, treat the free audit as your pre-screening tool and invest in at least the Full Audit Report ($50).
Do I need a new audit after making changes?
Yes. Any significant change to contract logic can introduce new vulnerabilities or interact unexpectedly with existing code. Premium Deploy includes a free reaudit after changes. For other tiers, run at minimum a new free scan after every significant update.
How do I pay for a Quantum Audit?
All paid tiers are purchased with USDT (Tether) via your connected Web3 wallet. The platform supports Ethereum, BSC, and Polygon networks. Balances are managed via an internal account — deposit once, use across multiple audits.