[ MSP.DD ] For investors and founders · Updated
How much does technical due diligence cost?
Short answer
Published ranges run from about $15,000–30,000 for a light review to $35,000–95,000 for a standard review with a specialist firm, and $50,000–150,000 with a Big Four practice. A London provider quotes €8,000–25,000 over two to four weeks, depending on code size. Most reviews take two to four weeks.
Why it matters
On small deals a full technical review can cost more than it's worth, so it often gets cut. That's where the risk hides.
What drives the cost
- 01Code volume and the number of applications.
- 02Depth: a review of tool reports, or manual review of the code.
- 03Add-ons such as penetration tests or cloud infrastructure reviews.
- 04Sector: regulated sectors need more checks.
- 05Timeline: a compressed deal schedule costs more.
Red flags
- A review priced by the hour with no fixed scope.
- A report that lists tool output without a verdict.
Good signs
- A fixed price and a fixed scope.
- Read-only access and interviews agreed up front.
The numbers
- Papermark: a light review costs $15,000–30,000 in about two weeks, a standard review with a specialist firm $35,000–95,000, and a Big Four practice $50,000–150,000. Reviews typically run 2–4 weeks. [1]
- Kolonell (London): €8,000–12,000 over 2 weeks for a small company with one application under 100,000 lines, up to €18,000–25,000 for a multi-product platform. [2]
- Peony: due diligence as a whole runs 1–4% of deal value on deals under $10M, and 0.5–2% on $10–100M deals. [3]