Side by side
OWASP ZAP vs w3af
Both stand on application security testing. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan Open source APIExtensionLinux+3
ZAP combines web scanning with automation, API imports, and CI options at no charge. Check installer requirements and the project's release-support limits before choosing it.
Visit OWASP ZAP Free plan APILinuxMac+2
w3af offers a free, self-hosted-capable scanner with plugin-based assessment, graphical and console interfaces, and API automation. Its API's default lack of encryption is an important deployment consideration, particularly when it is publicly reachable.
Visit w3afThe facts
| OWASP ZAP | w3af | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | Not published |
| Runs on | API, Extension, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | zaproxy.org | w3af.org |
| On application security testing | #1 of 28 | #9 of 28 |
OWASP ZAP: what it does well
- Free and open source.
- Active and passive scans, spidering, alerts, and scan policies.
- YAML automation supports API imports and report generation.
- GitHub Actions support baseline, full, and API scans.
- Dynamically installable add-ons usually need no restart.
What to know first
- Windows and Linux installers require Java 17 or higher.
- The team supports only the latest full release.
- Current releases are unsigned, though checksums are provided.
w3af: what it does well
- Identifies more than 200 vulnerability types.
- Provides crawl, audit, and attack plugin stages.
- Includes GTK and console interfaces.
- REST API can run in Docker.
- Free plan costs nothing.
What to know first
- REST API traffic is unencrypted by default.
- Public API deployments need additional transport protection.
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