OWASP ZAP Alternative

If you are choosing a web security scanner for the first time, or are having trouble getting the most out of Open Web Application Security Project ZED Attack Proxy (OWASP ZAP), here is why you should consider Acunetix as an alternative.

If you are building a web application security testing program from the ground up, you need a security tool built to scan for the full range of security vulnerabilities. Intercepting proxies like OWASP ZED Attack Proxy and Burp Suite are indispensable manual penetration testing tools, but Acunetix is a faster, more accurate solution for web application vulnerability scanning.

Acunetix was designed from the ground up to provide the fastest automated cross-platform security testing on the market. It quickly finds vulnerabilities from the OWASP Top 10 list and beyond, including SQL Injection, Cross-site Scripting (XSS), command injection, weak passwords that may fall victim to brute-force attacks, HTTPS implementation flaws, broken authentication and session management measures, and broken access control procedures.

Acunetix can also identify third-party libraries and components with known vulnerabilities, as well as common security misconfigurations on Microsoft Windows, Linux, and UNIX web servers. It finds these issues with a minimum of false positives: your team gets results that it can trust and can proceed with further pen testing and patch development.

Acunetix is a dynamic application security testing tool so it does not require access to the source code. You can scan all web applications, independent whether they are developed with Java, Ruby, PHP, or any other server-side language.

Acunetix also features a unique DeepScan technology. Many web application security scanners fall short when trying to crawl modern web applications that depend on JavaScript, HTML 5, and Ajax, such as single-page applications (SPAs). Acunetix can scan single-page applications and other web applications that use extensive client-side logic with industry-leading accuracy. This enhanced ability to map out modern web applications allows Acunetix to identify vulnerabilities that other scanners miss.

As your business grows, Acunetix grows with you, with scalability options and support that an open-source project like OWASP ZAP does not offer. For teams that prefer a software-as-a-service solution, Acunetix Online allows easy scaling from our secure cloud portal. For teams that prefer to scan from their own servers, the multi-engine infrastructure allows for easy configuration and management of multiple scanning servers from one secure central portal.

Unlike open-source tools like ZAProxy, Acunetix integrates a full-featured web application vulnerability management solution with the scanner. Acunetix offers a secure vulnerability management interface accessed using a web browser. With sophisticated permission management and reporting options, Acunetix offers one central hub for viewing security vulnerabilities in the environment, creating reports for various audiences within the business, assigning remediation tasks, and tracking progress toward improved software security. Additionally, Acunetix can be integrated with issue trackers and CI/CD tools such as Jira, Jenkins, GitHub, GitLab, Mantis, Bugzilla, Azure DevOps, and more, so that you can manage vulnerabilities along with other issues and run scans as part of DevOps builds.

Frequently asked questions

What is OWASP?

OWASP stands for Open Web Application Security Project. OWASP is a nonprofit foundation that works to improve the security of software. All of its projects, tools, documents, forums, and chapters are free and open to anyone interested in improving application security. The OWASP Foundation launched on December 1st, 2001, becoming a United States non-profit charity on April 21, 2004.

What is OWASP ZAP?

OWASP ZAP stands for Open Web Application Security Project Zed Attack Proxy. OWASP ZAP is an open-source penetration testing tool with some automation capabilities. ZAP does not have any vulnerability assessment or vulnerability management functionality.

Who should use OWASP ZAP?

If you are a student of IT security or an independent white-hat hacker, OWASP ZAP may be a good solution for you. It is inexpensive but requires IT security knowledge to operate efficiently. It also includes some manual capabilities to perform additional penetration testing.

You can also use Acunetix free manual tools to perform additional penetration testing.

Who should use Acunetix instead of OWASP ZAP?

If you run or represent a business, you should use a professional product with vulnerability assessment and vulnerability management capabilities such as Acunetix. You need a tool that can help you understand the impact of vulnerabilities, manage the fix process, integrate with your other systems such as JIRA, and provide professional reports for developers, managers, and compliance.