NCC Group vs Pen Test Partners
Side-by-side comparison of NCC Group and Pen Test Partners for penetration testing services. Compare their services, accreditations, compliance expertise, pricing, and overall scores.
NCC Group leads in our overall scoring, primarily on the strength of industry accreditations and team research and activity. That said, scores don't tell the full story — the right provider depends on your specific testing scope and compliance requirements. Both hold CREST accreditation, but their credentials diverge beyond that — NCC Group additionally carries SOC 2 and NCSC Assured, while Pen Test Partners holds STAR and Cyber Essentials. Both operate at a global level but from different home bases — NCC Group in Manchester and Pen Test Partners in Buckingham — which can affect response times and familiarity with local regulatory environments. There's a meaningful size gap: NCC Group (500+ team) brings deeper bench strength and capacity for concurrent engagements, while Pen Test Partners (51-200 team) offers the smaller firm advantage of senior-led engagements and direct access to principal consultants.
| NCC Group | Pen Test Partners | |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | Manchester, United Kingdom | Buckingham, United Kingdom |
| Founded | 1999 | 2010 |
| Team Size | 500+ | 51-200 |
| Pen Testers | — | — |
| Geography | Global | Global |
| Markets | Global, UK, North America, Europe, APAC | UK, Europe, North America, Global |
| Pricing | — | — |
| Services | Web ApplicationNetworkMobile AppIoTCloudAPISocial EngineeringRed TeamingPurple TeamingPhysicalWirelessSCADA/ICSVulnerability AssessmentSource Code ReviewConfiguration ReviewAssumed Breach | Web ApplicationNetworkMobile AppIoTCloudAPISocial EngineeringRed TeamingPhysicalWirelessSCADA/ICSVulnerability AssessmentSource Code ReviewConfiguration Review |
| Accreditations | CRESTCHECKCBESTISO 27001SOC 2Cyber Essentials PlusNCSC AssuredPCI QSACouncil of Registered Ethical Security Testers | CRESTCHECKCBESTSTARISO 27001Cyber EssentialsCyber Essentials PlusPCI QSA |
| Compliance | ISO 27001SOC 2PCI DSSGDPRNIS 2DORA+2 | ISO 27001PCI DSSGDPRNIS 2DORACyber Essentials+1 |
| Best For | EnterpriseGovernmentCritical Infrastructure | EnterpriseMid-MarketGovernmentCritical Infrastructure |
| Methodologies | OWASP, PTES, CREST, CBEST, OSSTMM, TIBER-EU | OWASP, PTES, NIST, CREST, TIBER-EU, CBEST, STAR |
Shared Services (14)
Only NCC Group (2)
Only Pen Test Partners (0)
Comparison FAQs
How does NCC Group compare to Pen Test Partners?+
NCC Group is headquartered in Manchester, United Kingdom and offers 16 services. Pen Test Partners is based in Buckingham, United Kingdom with 14 services. Both providers offer 14 services in common.
Which provider has more accreditations?+
NCC Group holds 9 accreditations (CREST, CHECK, CBEST, ISO 27001, SOC 2, Cyber Essentials Plus, NCSC Assured, PCI QSA, Council of Registered Ethical Security Testers), while Pen Test Partners holds 8 (CREST, CHECK, CBEST, STAR, ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials, Cyber Essentials Plus, PCI QSA).
What services are unique to each provider?+
NCC Group uniquely offers: Purple Teaming, Assumed Breach Testing. Pen Test Partners uniquely offers: no unique services.
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