The Complete
AppSec Tools
Directory
Compare 129 application security tools across 10 categories: SAST, SCA, DAST, IAST, RASP, AI Security, API Security, IaC Security, ASPM, and Mobile Security.
According to SEI research, 90% of security incidents stem from exploits targeting design or code defects.
Even with all the bold claims of security vendors, it is no secret that one type of security tool is never enough to say we are secure (Law of the Instrument).
The average enterprise application contains vulnerabilities from dozens of open-source dependencies.
Manual code review cannot scale to modern development velocity.
Automated security testing fills this gap.
Let me start with great physicist Richard Feynman, a brilliant mind and a teacher.
Please go and get familiar if you haven’t seen how he is able to explain electromagnetic forces with day-to-day experiences.
It has encouraged me to explain application security tools with a “washing machine” analogy.
When we speak without jargon, it frees us from hiding behind knowledge we don't have. Big words and fluffy 'business speak' cripple us from getting to the point and passing knowledge to others.
Understanding Application Security Testing
Think of your application as a washing machine.
Each security testing method examines a different aspect: the blueprints, the parts, the running machine, or protects it in real-time.
No single testing method catches everything. Modern AppSec programs layer these approaches for comprehensive coverage.
Below you will find each category explained with its own washing machine analogy.
Static Application Security Testing
Think of your application as a washing machine. SAST examines the blueprints and parts list before assembly — analyzing source code without execution. It finds design flaws in the components themselves, pointing to the exact file and line number where vulnerabilities exist.
- Full code coverage — scans 100% of source
- Fast — doesn't require a running application
- Pinpoints exact location (file & line number)
- Shifts security left — catches issues early in SDLC
- Integrates into CI/CD pipelines for automated checks
- Language dependent — must support your stack
- False positives can be noisy without proper tuning
- Framework/library rule coverage varies per tool
- Cannot detect runtime or configuration issues
- May miss business logic flaws
| Tool | License |
|---|---|
| Bandit | Free (Open-Source) |
| Brakeman | Free (Open-Source) |
| Checkmarx | Commercial |
| Codacy | Commercial (Free for open-source) |
| Contrast Scan | Commercial (with Free Community Edition) |
Software Composition Analysis
If SAST checks the blueprints, SCA checks the parts supplier. It identifies open-source libraries in your application and flags those with known vulnerabilities or problematic licenses — without needing to analyze all your source code.
- Less dependency on language — works with manifest files
- Fast — scans run in seconds, not minutes
- Easy to adopt — minimal configuration needed
- License compliance checking built in
- Auto-remediation PRs save manual effort
- Limited surface — only covers third-party dependencies
- Unknown impact — not all reported CVEs are exploitable
- Cannot detect zero-day or unreported vulnerabilities
- Alert fatigue from transitive dependency noise
- Does not scan your own code (that is what SAST does)
| Tool | License |
|---|---|
| Anchore Grype | Free (Open-Source, Apache 2.0) |
| Arnica NEW | Commercial |
| Black Duck | Commercial |
| CAST Highlight | Commercial |
| Checkmarx SCA | Commercial (with Free Trial) |
Dynamic Application Security Testing
DAST runs the washing machine and observes what happens. Does it leak water? Does it shake violently? It simulates attacker behavior against your running application, testing it from the outside without needing source code access.
- Language independent — no need to support your stack
- Lower false positive rate than SAST
- Tests the application in its real-life deployed state
- Easy to adopt — does not require source code access
- Catches runtime and configuration issues
- Coverage is not guaranteed — may miss some pages
- Slower than SAST (hours vs minutes)
- Cannot pinpoint exact code location of issues
- Requires a running application or staging environment
- SPA coverage varies between tools
| Tool | License |
|---|---|
| Acunetix | Commercial |
| AppCheck | Commercial |
| Astra Security | Commercial |
| Beagle Security | Commercial |
| Black Duck Web Scanner | Commercial |
Interactive Application Security Testing
IAST combines the best of both worlds. It installs an agent inside the washing machine to watch the internal mechanisms while it runs — giving you the code-level precision of SAST with the runtime context of DAST.
- Combines source code and runtime context
- Very low false positive rate
- Pinpoints exact code location of vulnerabilities
- Works during QA testing
- No separate scan needed — runs during tests
- Hard to deploy in cloud-native environments
- Requires test automation for best results
- Language dependent (agent support varies)
- Only sees code paths that tests trigger
- Additional performance overhead
| Tool | License |
|---|---|
| Acunetix AcuSensor | Commercial |
| Checkmarx IAST | Commercial |
| Contrast Assess | Commercial (with Free Community Edition) |
| Datadog Code Security (IAST) | Commercial |
| Fortify WebInspect Agent (IAST) | Commercial |
Runtime Application Self-Protection
RASP stays inside the machine permanently, ready to shut it down if something goes wrong. Unlike perimeter defenses, it makes real-time decisions based on actual application execution, blocking attacks as they happen.
- No need to train or configure rules
- Context-aware blocking reduces false positives
- Protects against zero-day attacks
- Immediate protection while fixing vulnerabilities
- Detailed attack telemetry for forensics
- Performance overhead (2-10% latency)
- Language dependent (agent support varies)
- Risk of over-reliance instead of fixing vulnerabilities
- False sense of security if misconfigured
- Deployment complexity for containerized apps
| Tool | License |
|---|---|
| Contrast Protect | Commercial |
| Datadog Application Security | Commercial |
| Dynatrace | Commercial |
| Imperva RASP | Commercial |
| Waratek | Commercial |
AI Security & LLM Red Teaming
AI Security tools protect LLM-powered applications from prompt injection, jailbreaks, and data leakage. They act as guardrails for your AI, testing and blocking malicious inputs before they can manipulate model behavior.
- Tests for novel AI-specific risks
- Catches prompt injection and jailbreaks
- Essential for GenAI applications
- Most tools are free and open-source
- Rapidly evolving field
- No established standards yet
- Limited coverage of all AI risk types
- Requires AI/ML expertise to interpret results
View full AI Security comparison →
| Tool | License |
|---|---|
| Akto | Commercial (Free tier available) |
| DeepTeam | Free (Open-Source) |
| Garak NEW | Free (Open-Source) |
| HiddenLayer AISec | Commercial |
| Lakera Guard NEW | Commercial (with Free tier) |
API Security Testing
API Security tools discover shadow APIs, test for OWASP API Top 10 vulnerabilities, and protect against broken authentication and authorization flaws. Essential as APIs become the primary attack surface for modern applications.
- Focused on API-specific vulnerabilities
- Tests business logic flaws
- Runtime protection capabilities
- API discovery finds shadow APIs
- May overlap with DAST tools
- Requires API documentation/specs
- Can be complex to configure
- Runtime agents add latency
View full API Security comparison →
| Tool | License |
|---|---|
| 42Crunch | Commercial (with Free tier) |
| Akamai API Security (Noname) | Commercial |
| APIsec | Freemium |
| Cequence Security | Commercial |
| Salt Security | Commercial |
Infrastructure as Code Security
IaC Security tools scan your Terraform, CloudFormation, Kubernetes manifests, and Helm charts for misconfigurations before deployment. They catch exposed S3 buckets, overly permissive IAM roles, and insecure network rules.
- Catches misconfigurations before deployment
- Shift-left for infrastructure
- Supports multiple IaC frameworks
- All major tools are free and open-source
- Limited to configuration issues
- Framework-specific rules needed
- Cannot detect runtime issues
View full IaC Security comparison →
| Tool | License |
|---|---|
| Checkov | Free (Open-Source, Apache 2.0) |
| KICS | Free (Open-Source, Apache 2.0) |
| Kubescape | Free (Open-Source, Apache 2.0) |
| Snyk IaC | Freemium |
| Terrascan | Free (Open-Source, Apache 2.0) |
Application Security Posture Management
ASPM is the control center that ties everything together. It aggregates findings from all your security tools, deduplicates results, prioritizes by risk, and automates remediation workflows — giving you a single view of your security posture.
- Unified visibility across all security tools
- Risk-based prioritization with business context
- Automated remediation workflows
- Security KPIs and trend tracking
- Deduplication and correlation across tools
- Integration complexity with legacy tools
- Requires mature AppSec program to maximize value
- Can become another dashboard nobody checks
- Risk models need tuning for your environment
| Tool | License |
|---|---|
| Aikido Security NEW | Commercial (Free tier available) |
| Apiiro NEW | Commercial |
| ArmorCode | Commercial |
| Cycode | Commercial |
| DefectDojo | Free (Open-Source) |
Mobile Application Security Testing
Mobile security tools analyze iOS and Android apps for vulnerabilities, insecure data storage, and weak cryptography. They test both the app binary and its runtime behavior to ensure compliance with OWASP MASVS.
- Platform-specific testing for iOS and Android
- Binary and runtime analysis
- Detects insecure data storage
- Compliance validation (OWASP MASVS)
- Platform fragmentation (iOS vs Android)
- Requires specialized expertise
- Device farms can be expensive
- OS updates break test automation
| Tool | License |
|---|---|
| AppKnox | Commercial |
| Data Theorem Mobile Secure | Commercial |
| esChecker | Commercial |
| MobSF | Free (Open-Source) |
| NowSecure | Commercial |
AppSec enthusiast based in Helsinki, comparing 129 AppSec tools so you don't have to.
Learn more about me