# Synack vs UnderDefense: which do AI models recommend for ptaas, October 2026

IT AI Recommendation Index, October 2026 Edition, Penetration testing as a service. Zero of fourteen models named Synack first on the direct prompt; two named UnderDefense. Page: https://it-ai-index.com/security/penetration-testing-as-a-service/synack-vs-underdefense/

| | First-choice share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels | Models naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synack | 4% | #3 of 10 | 10% | 29 | 14 of 14 |
| UnderDefense | 4% | #5 of 10 | 0% | 11 | 7 of 14 |

## The direct prompt, model by model

- GLM 4.7 FlashX: underdefense first (first choices: Cobalt, UnderDefense) (alternatives: BreachLock, NetSPI, Packetlabs)
- MiniMax M2.5: underdefense first (first choices: BreachLock, UnderDefense) (alternatives: Raxis, Synack)
- Gemini 3.5 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: Cobalt) (alternatives: BreachLock, NetSPI, UnderDefense)
- Mistral Small: neither first, one named (first choices: BreachLock, Cobalt) (alternatives: NetSPI, Stingrai, Synack)
- DeepSeek V4 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: Cobalt, Raxis) (alternatives: BreachLock, Packetlabs, UnderDefense)
- Muse Glimmer 30B: neither first, one named (first choices: Cobalt) (alternatives: Astra Security, HackerOne, Netragard, Red Siege, UnderDefense)
- Claude Haiku 4.5: neither named (first choices: BreachLock, Cobalt) (alternatives: Packetlabs, Raxis, Stingrai)
- GPT-5.4 mini: neither named (first choices: Cobalt) (alternatives: Cognisys, Trava Security)
- Perplexity Sonar: neither named (first choices: BreachLock) (alternatives: Cobalt, Raxis, Stingrai)
- Grok 4.1 Fast: neither named (first choices: BreachLock) (alternatives: Bright Defense, NetSPI, Packetlabs, Prescient Security)
- Llama 4 Maverick: neither named
- Qwen 3.7 Flash: neither named (first choices: Red Siege Security) (alternatives: Astra Security, BreachLock, Lumina.io, Netragard)
- Kimi K2: neither named (first choices: Cobalt) (alternatives: BreachLock, Coalfire, Praetorian)
- GPT-6 Luna: neither named (first choices: Cobalt) (alternatives: Bishop Fox, NetSPI)

## What the models said about Synack

- "Choose Synack if you want a crowdsourced model and are willing to validate scope and pricing more carefully" (Perplexity Sonar, paraphrase prompt, soft negative)
- "often more suited to larger enterprises or those with more complex needs" (Mistral Small, paraphrase prompt, soft negative)
- "More enterprise-focused, higher cost/complexity." (Grok 4.1 Fast, paraphrase prompt, soft negative)
- "The best penetration testing service for a company with a limited budget is Synack, which offers penetration testing as a service starting at $119/month." (Llama 4 Maverick, budget prompt, first choice)
- "Offers continuous AI-driven penetration testing starting at $119/month, making it one of the most affordable options" (Mistral Small, budget prompt, first choice)
- "Synack tops the list because it combines an elite human red team with agentic AI inside a single platform" (Claude Haiku 4.5, comparative prompt, first choice)

## What the models said about UnderDefense

- "I'd recommend BreachLock or UnderDefense as they specifically target mid-market companies" (MiniMax M2.5, direct prompt, first choice)
- "UnderDefense or Cobalt offer the best balance of pricing, quality, and scalability" (GLM 4.7 FlashX, direct prompt, first choice)

Share is the count of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts over all fourteen models, for a mid-market B2B company; rank is within the category. Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category. Published under CC BY 4.0; the output is the models' output, and nothing here is a recommendation by the index.