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Best API Security Software in 2026

Protecting APIs can mean discovering what is exposed, managing its posture, and applying safeguards while it runs. Compared on API discovery, API posture management, runtime protection, and sensitive data detection, these products can be weighed across several parts of API security. Specification governance adds another point of comparison, while deployment model, free-plan availability, and paid-from pricing help you consider fit and cost. 42Crunch API Security Platform, Wallarm API Security, and APISec Platform are among the options shown. Consider which capabilities align with the APIs you need to protect and how each product's deployment and governance details fit your environment.

  1. 1

    APIPosture

    Free plan Open source LinuxMacSelf-hosted+1

    APIPosture offers local static analysis, a free CLI tier, and integrations for three listed CI/CD services.

    9.2 Free plan · paid from $9/mo (annual) Visit site
  2. 2

    42Crunch API Security Platform

    Free plan APIExtensionLinux+4

    42Crunch combines API testing and runtime controls with discovery and contract governance for MCP servers. Its listed GraphQL limitations in CI/CD are worth checking if those workflows are required.

    7.7 From $9/user/mo Visit site
  3. 3

    Akto API Security Platform

    Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted+1

    Choose Akto if your team needs API inventory, dynamic security testing, and runtime monitoring across a public cloud or on-premise deployment.

    7.6 Free plan Visit site
  4. 4

    APISec Platform

    Free plan APIExtensionLinux+2

    APISec Platform combines application discovery and runtime testing with detailed evidence for validated exploits.

    7.6 Free plan · paid from $690/mo Visit site
  5. 5

    Cisco Panoptica

    Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted+1

    Panoptica brings workload, API, code, and attack-path security capabilities into one cloud-native offering.

    7.4 Free plan Visit site
  6. 6

    Haltdos

    Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted+1

    Haltdos combines web application and API security with deployment options spanning on-premise, cloud, and hybrid environments.

    7.2 Visit site
  7. 7

    Onam Security API Security

    Free plan APILinuxMac+3

    Choose Onam Security API Security if your team needs to discover and assess API exposure across cloud environments, with configuration scans that do not send traffic to APIs.

    7.1 Free plan · paid from $22/mo · 14-day trial Visit site
  8. 8

    Wallarm API Security

    Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted+1

    Wallarm API Security combines API discovery, attack protection, abuse detection, and sensitive-data visibility across several protocols.

    6.9 Free plan Visit site
  9. 9

    APIDynamics

    Free trial APISelf-hostedWeb

    Consider APIDynamics if your team needs API discovery and runtime protection alongside controls for risky calls and AI workflows.

    6.1 Pricing on request Visit site
  10. 10

    apPosture API Security

    Paid APILinuxSelf-hosted+1

    Choose apPosture API Security if you need endpoint discovery, risk prioritization, and contract comparison, especially with self-hosting or customer-cloud deployment.

    5.9 From $35/mo (annual) Visit site
  11. 11

    Checkmarx API Security

    Paid APIExtensionLinux+4

    Choose Checkmarx API Security if your team needs API discovery, documentation comparison, and vulnerability context in a shared inventory.

    5.9 Pricing on request Visit site
  12. 12

    Imperva API Security

    Free trial APISelf-hostedWeb

    Choose Imperva API Security if you need API discovery, risk assessment, and mitigation across cloud, on-premises, or hybrid environments.

    5.9 Pricing on request Visit site
  13. 13

    Prophaze API Security

    Free trial APISelf-hostedWeb

    Prophaze API Security combines API discovery, runtime analysis, risk scoring, and configurable enforcement. The advertised trial lasts 15 days; pricing requires a customized quote.

    5.8 Pricing on request Visit site
  14. 14

    Radware API Security Service

    Free trial APISelf-hostedWeb

    Radware API Security Service brings API discovery, risk assessment, testing, and runtime protection into one portal. Prospective customers need to contact Radware for pricing and trial details.

    5.8 Pricing on request Visit site
  15. 15

    DataDome API Protection

    Paid AndroidAPIiPhone+1

    Choose DataDome API Protection if you need managed, real-time API threat detection across web, mobile, and API environments.

    5.7 From $3,830/mo Visit site
  16. 16

    Escape

    Paid APIWeb

    Choose Escape if your security team needs ongoing application testing, attack surface management, and workflows that connect with engineering tools.

    5.4 Pricing on request Visit site
  17. 17

    ThreatX API and Application Protection

    Free trial APISelf-hostedWeb

    ThreatX combines runtime protection, API visibility, risk-based responses, and managed operations across several deployment models.

    5.4 Pricing on request Visit site
  18. 18

    Salt Security API Protection Platform

    Paid APISelf-hostedWeb

    Salt combines API discovery and posture management with detection and runtime response for APIs and agentic systems.

    5.3 Pricing on request Visit site
  19. 19

    CyanoRisk API Security Posture Management

    Paid APISelf-hosted

    Choose CyanoRisk if your organization needs API discovery, risk assessment, and remediation in a self-hosted deployment.

    5.1 Pricing on request Visit site
  20. 20

    Datadog App & API Protection

    Paid LinuxMacWeb+1
    5.1 From $31/mo (annual) · 14-day trial Visit site
  21. 21

    Traceable API Security Platform

    Paid Self-hostedWeb

    Choose Traceable API Security Platform if you need API discovery, threat analytics, runtime protection, and security testing across the SDLC, with multiple deployment models.

    5.1 Pricing on request Visit site
  22. 22

    Palo Alto Networks Cortex Cloud API Security

    Paid APILinuxWeb

    Cortex Cloud API Security combines API discovery, risk assessment, and runtime protection. Check the stated add-on and scan prerequisites, and request pricing from the maker.

    5.0 Pricing on request Visit site
  23. 23

    Wiz API Security Posture Management

    Paid APIWeb

    Wiz combines API discovery, exploitability checks and remediation prioritization in a cloud service. Buyers must request pricing and assess fit across security, development and infrastructure teams.

    5.0 Pricing on request Visit site
  24. 24

    Check Point WAF (formerly CloudGuard WAF)

    by Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.
    Paid WebAPI

    Choose Check Point WAF if you need hybrid web or API protection with bot management and rate limiting.

    4.9 7-day trial Visit site
  25. 25

    Akamai API Security

    Paid Web

    Akamai API Security brings API discovery, runtime protection, posture management, sensitive data detection, and specification governance together.

    4.7 Pricing on request Visit site

#1Places #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 on this list can be bought by the makers of the software on it. See the price

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