Cyfrin is Patrick Collins' security firm — known for education-first auditing and the CodeHawks competitive audit platform. Strong community reputation. But at $15,000–$60,000 and 3–8 weeks, here's what else is available.
| Feature | Cyfrin | SmartContractAuditor.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $15,000 | Free |
| Turnaround | 3–8 weeks | < 60 seconds |
| Competitive audit option | ✓ CodeHawks | — |
| Education content | ✓ Updraft | Report explanations |
| Common vuln detection | ✓ | ✓ |
| Re-scan after changes | Paid | Unlimited |
| Developer community | ✓ Large | — |
| Instant availability | Scheduled | ✓ Always on |
Cyfrin Cost
$15,000 – $60,000
Cyfrin Timeline
3 – 8 weeks
AI Audit Cost
Free – $100/mo
AI Audit Timeline
< 60 seconds
Cyfrin operates two distinct security products:
Cyfrin private audits — Traditional engagement model. A dedicated team reviews your code. Fixed scope, fixed timeline, private report. Starts around $15,000.
CodeHawks competitive audits — Your codebase is posted publicly and independent security researchers compete to find bugs over a defined period (typically 2–4 weeks). You pay a flat fee; researchers split the prize pool based on valid findings. Novel approach that surfaces diverse attack perspectives.
CodeHawks is better for protocols that want broad researcher coverage and are comfortable with public code disclosure. Private Cyfrin audits are better for confidential or pre-launch codebases.
For the majority of smart contract deployments — particularly during active development — AI auditing offers advantages Cyfrin can't match:
The optimal workflow: AI audit throughout development, then Cyfrin or equivalent for pre-launch manual review if TVL justifies it.