Cost is scope-dependent
Audit pricing depends on codebase size, protocol complexity, assets at risk, language, target chain, external integrations, documentation quality, and urgency.
Risk matters more than file count
A short bridge, lending market, or privileged upgrade contract may deserve more review than a larger low-risk utility module because the consequence of failure is higher.
What to include in a quote request
Start with a short description of the project and the stage of development. If available, include the network, language, public repository, and target launch date. Private repository access is not required for the first enquiry. Before a final quote, agree on the exact contracts and commit to review.
Token, staking, or lending: why scope changes the price
For a token, the review may focus on minting, transfer restrictions, fees, and privileged roles. Staking adds reward accounting, withdrawal rules, and rounding behavior. Lending adds collateral valuation, interest accrual, liquidation incentives, and oracle dependencies. Similar line counts do not imply similar review effort.
Compare quotes on the same scope
Ask each auditor to identify the commit, contracts, excluded dependencies, and assumptions. Compare the depth of manual review, testing approach, finding evidence, reporting deliverables, and remediation verification. A lower quote that excludes a critical integration is not equivalent coverage.
Does the quote include checking fixes?
Confirm whether remediation verification is included, how many review rounds are covered, and which changes would need a new scope. Fixing one finding can change another assumption. New features added after the audit should not be described as covered by the original report.
How to reduce avoidable review work
Remove unused code, document privileged roles and economic assumptions, make tests reproducible, and identify the intended deployment configuration. Keep the agreed commit stable during review. These steps help reviewers spend time on security analysis rather than reconstructing the intended behavior.
Request a project-specific estimate
CTDSEC quotes against the proposed scope rather than publishing a universal price per line of code. Send a short enquiry to discuss the project and the information needed for a quote. You can review public audit examples before deciding whether to proceed.
Discuss Your Audit Scope
Start with your email and a short project description. Technical details can follow. Request a smart contract audit quote or review public CTDSEC audit examples.