This article aims to recommend top WebInspect Competitors that we believe are the best and widely used WebInspect Alternatives today:
Thousands of vulnerabilities are discovered every day, each with the potential to compromise the security of your web applications.
Fortunately, we have a plethora of powerful solutions at our disposal that can accurately detect these vulnerabilities before an attacker can. One such tool that has garnered immense respect amongst security teams around the globe is none other than WebInspect.
In industrial circles, WebInspect is known as an application scanner that performs continuous scans to find bugs, errors, and security issues. Built with advanced functionalities, the tool can run on current and legacy applications effortlessly. The scanner can detect almost all types of modern vulnerabilities commonly cited in the OWASP Top 10.
The platform can analyze modern as well as open APIs for vulnerabilities. Although WebInspect is quite powerful, it isn’t infallible. You might experience a few bottlenecks while operating the tool.
Hence, it is extremely important to keep your options open when it comes to vulnerability scanning tools.
Table of Contents:
Most Popular Alternatives to WebInspect
There may come a time when you need an alternative to WebInspect that can efficiently compensate for its shortcomings. This article aims to recommend 11 such solutions that we believe are some of the best alternatives to WebInspect being widely used today.
Pro-Tip:
- The WebInspect alternative you choose must be easy and quick to deploy. Security teams shouldn’t have a difficult time operating or navigating it.
- A visual dashboard that displays the results of a scan comprehensively and presents a clear picture of the system’s entire IT portfolio is a huge plus.
- The application must be smart enough to detect false positives. Manual intervention should be kept to a minimum by only reporting confirmed vulnerabilities.
- It should also assign threat severity levels to detect vulnerabilities. Security teams must know which vulnerabilities represent a higher threat and which don’t.
- Go for a vendor that offers 24/7 customer support.
- The price offered must be reasonable and should not exceed your budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q #1) What is WebInspect Used For?
Answer: WebInspect is a fully automated and configurable application security testing tool. It is known to provide the most powerful and dynamic application security testing solution in the industry.
It can perform scans on current as well as legacy applications. Moreover, the tool runs smoothly on most modern and open APIs. The solution mimics real-world attacker tactics to find vulnerabilities in an application.
Q #2) What are DAST Tools?
Answer: DAST Tools, also known as dynamic application security testing tools, are programs that can detect security threats by communicating with a web application via the web front-end.
DAST is also known for its black-box testing capabilities. It mimics the actions of a hacker to identify threats the way they would. As such, the application is being tested from the outside in. In such scenarios, the tester usually does not know the program or language the application was built with.
Q #3) What are SAST Tools?
Answer: SAST Tools also known as Static application security testing tools are programs that analyze the code to find flaws such as SQL injections or XSS.
Unlike DAST, the tester taking the SAST approach has access to the framework, design, and implementation of an application. The application is tested for weaknesses from the inside. In SAST, the source code or binary is analyzed without executing the application.
Q #4) Is WebInspect Free?
Answer: WebInspect is a powerful application security testing tool that can mimic the approach of an attacker to weed vulnerabilities in an application. Tools that can do what WebInspect does are seldom free.
The tool’s license can be expensive for some. However, it does offer a free trial for those who want to use the tool for a brief test drive.
Q #5) What are the best alternatives to WebInspect?
Answer: The following tools offer vulnerability scanning services that equal or even surpass WebInspect in quality.
- Invicti (formerly Netsparker)
- Acunetix
- Qualys Web Application Scanning
- Burp Suite
- HCL AppScan
List of Top WebInspect Alternatives
Here is the list of top-rated competitors to WebInspect:
- Indusface WAS
- Invicti (formerly Netsparker)
- Acunetix
- Qualys Web Application Scanning
- Burp Suite
- HCL AppScan
- Tenable
- OWASP ZAP
- Veracode
- Rapid7 InsectAppSec
- Sparrow SAST
- Tor
Comparing the Best WebInspect Competitors
| Name | Best For | Fees | Ratings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indusface WAS | Bundled Penetration Testing | Starts at $59/app/month. Free forever plan also available |  |
| Invicti (formerly Netsparker) | Combined Dynamic and Interactive Application Scanning | Contact for Quote |  |
| Acunetix | Security Testing of Websites, APIs, and applications | Contact for Quote | |
| Qualsys Web Application Scanner | Continuous Cloud-Based Application Testing | Contact for Quote |  |
| Burp Suite | Semi-Automated Testing | Free plan available, Professional Edition - $399. Enterprise Edition with three Plans - $5595 per year for Starter plan, $11,580 per year for Grow plan, $23550 per year for Accelerate plan. | |
| HCL AppScan | Dynamic and Static Application Security Testing | Contact for Quote |  |
Review of each alternative:
#1) Indusface WAS
Best for Bundled Penetration Testing.
Indusface WAS is a vulnerability scanner that can give WebInspect a run for its money with its advanced capabilities. Indusface WAS leverages the combined strength of DAST, malware scanning, and penetration testing capabilities to detect benign and malignant threats. The tool is capable of detecting OWASP 10, SANS 25, Zero-Day, and WASC classified threats with ease.
The tool also facilitates bundled penetration testing for web, mobile, and APIs. The tool grants you complete visibility over your public-facing assets. These include data centers, subdomains, IPs, mobile apps, etc. You can perform vulnerability assessment and penetration testing on these assets with just a single click.
Features:
- Vulnerability Assessment
- Penetration Testing
- Malware Scanning
- Scan Behind Authentication Page
- Defacement Alerts
Verdict: With near zero false positives guaranteed, Indusface WAS is a vulnerability scanner that can easily detect all classes of vulnerabilities. The automated checks are combined effectively with manual pen-testing for precise and accurate detection of all vulnerabilities.
Price: The plans for Indusface start at $59/month. It premium annual plan will cost $199/app/month. The tool can also be used for free with limited capabilities.
#2) Invicti (formerly Netsparker)
Best for Combined Dynamic and Interactive Application Scanning.
Invicti is a cloud-based and on-premises application scanning software that builds security throughout your software’s development lifecycle. Similar to WebInspect, Invicti is also an automated, fully configurable, and highly scalable application vulnerability tester.
The platform is known for its combined IAST+DAST scanning approach. It features an advanced crawling system, which lets it identify all types of web assets, regardless of whether they are lost or hidden.
It features a visual dashboard that gives you a holistic snapshot of your website, detected vulnerabilities, and conducted scans on a single screen. This dashboard can also be utilized to manage user permissions or assign detected vulnerabilities to specific security teams.
Developers and security teams are also provided with graphs and detailed documentation that not only pinpoints the location of the vulnerability but also informs them on whether they are high, moderate, or low in threat severity.
Its unique combination of behavioral and signature-based testing also makes it one of the most accurate and fast vulnerability scanners in existence today. Invicti operates on a ‘Proof Based Scanning’ system. It verifies all detected vulnerabilities in an open, read-only environment.
As such, it greatly reduces the rate of false positives, opting instead to only report confirmed vulnerabilities. Furthermore, the platform integrates seamlessly with almost all current tracking and vulnerability management systems an enterprise might be using.
Features
- Advanced Crawling
- Proof Based Scanning
- DAST+IAST Scanning
- Detailed documentation of detected vulnerability.
- Seamless integration with third-party tools.
Verdict: As an online application vulnerability scanner, Invicti offers a comprehensive list of features that together make it one of the best alternatives we have to WebInspect.
Invicti is a far faster and more accurate black box tester than WebInspect because of its combined signature and behavior-based testing approach. You can use Invicti to scan all types of applications, regardless of the program or language used to build them.
Price: Contact for quote.
#3) Acunetix
Best for security testing of websites, APIs, and applications.
Acunetix features a clean web interface that emphasizes ease of use. As such, security teams will have no problem performing complex scans in just a few clicks. As of today, Acunetix can accurately identify more than 7000 different types of vulnerabilities.
These include common weaknesses like SQL injections and XSS as well as newly detected vulnerabilities. It verifies newly detected vulnerabilities to make sure no false positives are reported. The platform is capable of detecting vulnerabilities in third-party websites like Word Press as well as sites made by you or your contractors.
Its ‘Advanced Macro Recording’ feature allows you to scan password-protected pages of your site and complex multi-level forms. Moreover, Acunetix helps you schedule full and incremental scans at a specified date and time based on your requirements and traffic load.
Alternatively, you can use Acunetix for continuous scanning as well with scheduled daily high-priority scans and weekly full scans. The platform integrates seamlessly with your enterprise’s current tracking systems like Jira, GitLab, and Azure.
Features
- Advanced Macro Recording
- Verify Vulnerabilities for false positives.
- Integrate seamlessly with current tracking systems.
- Schedule full and high-priority scans as per your preference.
Verdict: Acunetix presents security teams with an easy-to-use and automated application scanner that can effortlessly scan complex web applications and websites. The platform can perform lightning-fast scans and detect more than 7000 vulnerabilities without overloading servers.
Its visual dashboard allows you to track changes over time, measure improvements, and the current state of your security makes Acunetix one of the best alternatives we have to WebInspect today.
Price: Contact for quote.
#4) Qualsys Web Application Scanner
Best for Continuous Cloud-Based Application Testing.
Qualysys is a robust online application scanner that facilitates continuous automated scanning of applications to detect weaknesses in them. Featuring a dynamic deep scanning system, Qualsys can perform in-depth analysis on all types of applications that are either under development or operating in your internal environment.
The platform also performs scans on APIs that support mobile devices. It effortlessly supports progressive, authenticated, and complex types of scans.
Qualsys can also test IoT services to instantly detect vulnerabilities like SQL injections or XSS. The platform also provides security teams with a centralized visual dashboard that displays scan activity, infection trends, and infected pages.
Features
- Continuous automated scanning
- Centralized visual dashboard
- Detect all types of vulnerabilities
- Supports progressive, authenticated, and complex scans.
Verdict: Qualsys Web Application Scanner is a powerful cloud-based tool that performs complex scans to instantly detect vulnerabilities in all types of applications, including IoT services and APIs supported by mobile devices.
Its centralized visual dashboard makes Qualsys a great tool to keep track of conducted scans, identified vulnerabilities, and improvement measures are taken to address them.
Price: Contact for quote.
Website: Qualsys Web Application Scanner
#5) Burp Suite
Best for Semi-Automated Testing.
Burp Suite provides you with an advanced tool kit that can test web applications and identify most types of vulnerabilities in no time. The platform combines expertly designed manual and semi-automated security testing tools to detect common OWASP top 10 vulnerabilities as well as report on new hacking techniques.
This tool can perform tests on rich modern web applications. Moreover, Burp Suite can also scan APIs, test JavaScript and record complex authentication sequences. The tool also knows how to minimize false positives as it verifies all detected vulnerabilities before reporting them.
Features
- Combined Manual and Semi-Automated Scanning.
- Detect all common vulnerabilities cited in the OWASP Top 10 List.
- Scan APIs, JavaScript, and most modern web applications.
- Reduces false positives
Verdict: Burp Suite might not be the most comprehensive web application scanner on this list, but it is quite effective when it comes to testing complex web applications, APIs, and JavaScripts.
Although Burp Suite’s professional edition is enough to identify the most vulnerabilities, you can also upgrade to its enterprise edition for a significantly more scalable application scanner.
Price: Free plan available, Professional Edition – $399, Enterprise Edition with three Plans – $5595 per year for Starter plan, $11,580 per year for Grow plan, and $23550 per year for the Accelerate plan.
Website: Burp Suite
#6) HCL AppScan
Best for Dynamic and Static Application Security Testing.
HCL is a powerful online application scanner that goes toe-to-toe with the likes of WebInspect due to its utilization of dynamic and static application security testing. The platform can effectively identify, study and remediate a detected vulnerability before an attacker can find it.
Its utilization of SAST scanning allows HCL AppScan to identify vulnerability at the earliest stages of a software’s development lifecycle. It can generate detailed reports that provide a better understanding of the vulnerability and present actionable insights to remediate them once and for all.
Features
- Fully Automated and Customizable
- Enterprise Level Dashboard
- Detailed Security reports
- Risk-Based Application Security Testing
Verdict: Employing the latest algorithms and techniques, HCL AppScan is a powerful scanning engine that can perform tests on web apps, web services, and mobile back-ends.
It not only detects security threats but also classifies them based on the threat they represent. HCL AppScan is also highly scalable and thus makes for an ideal alternative to WebInspect.
Price: Contact for quote.
Website: HCL AppScan
#7) Tenable
Best for Create and Perform Fast Scans.
Tenable is an advanced web application scanner that empowers its users by helping them create scans and receive actionable reports in just a few seconds. Built by the largest vulnerability research team in the industry, Tenable makes the process of scanning modern web applications for weaknesses fast, accurate, and very simple.
Tenable allows users to get full visibility of vulnerabilities in their IT, Cloud, and Web Applications through a single centralized dashboard. It verifies vulnerabilities to avoid reporting false positives. It also assigns threat-severity levels to detected vulnerabilities so you can prioritize your response.
Features
- Perform Fast Scans
- Verify vulnerability to reduce false positives
- Easy Authentic Configuration
- Fully Integrated Dashboard
Verdict: If you are looking for a comprehensive, automated, and user-friendly modern web application scanner, then you will find much to admire in Tenable. Its fully integrated dashboard with detailed report generation makes it a worthwhile vulnerability scanner to have as your ally.
Price: Subscription starts at $2275 per year to protect 65 assets.
Website: Tenable
#8) OWASP ZAP
Best for Open Source Web Scanner.
OWASP Zap is a free and open-source web application scanner that can perform continuous scans on almost all types of web applications. The tool is adequately automated and can detect all common vulnerabilities cited in the OWASP Top 10 list along with a few newly identified security threats.
The platform offers its users a wide range of options to automate the tool as per their preference. The tool isn’t fully integrated but can be upgraded with plug-ins that truly enhance its performance.
Features
- Perform simple scans
- Open Source and Free to Use.
- A wide range of automation options is available.
- Additional Plug-Ins
Verdict: OWASP Zap is a free-to-use, open-source web security scanner that can be used to perform simple scans that weed out common vulnerabilities.
They are also good at presenting detailed reports on them and suggesting remediation actions if available. However, it might not be everyone’s cup of tea as it is lacking in features that other tools on this list possess.
Price: Free
Website: OWASP Zap
#9) Veracode
Best for DAST, SAST, and Manual Penetration Testing.
Veracode utilizes both dynamic as well as static application security testing to build security throughout a software’s development lifecycle. The platform allows you to gain full visibility of your web asset’s entire portfolio. It is one of the very few tools that can perform SAST, DAST, SCA, and manual penetration testing on a single platform.
The platform also scores major brownie points with its centralized dashboard. It generates detailed reports for every weakness it identifies, thus making the prospect of remediating these issues considerably simple.
Features
- Static and Dynamic Application Security Testing
- Automated and Continuous Scanning
- Centralized Visual Dashboard
- Seamless integration with third-party apps.
Verdict: Veracode is an intuitive application scanner that utilizes DAST, SAST, and Manual Penetration testing to maintain the security of web and mobile apps. The platform can scan both third-party apps as well as apps you build to accurately detect vulnerabilities as quickly as possible.
Price: Contact for quote.
Website: Veracode
#10) Rapid7 InsightAppSec
Best for Cloud and On-Premises Scanning.
Rapid 7 InsightAppSec performs scans on modern web applications and APIs to detect and remediate vulnerabilities. The platform can identify and present actionable insights to tackle more than 95 different types of attacks. The platform also allows you to schedule scans to initiate automatic scans at a specified date and time.
Fixing issues with Rapid7 is easy as it features integrations with rich detailed reporting that makes a developer’s job easier. Like some of the best vulnerability scanners, Rapid7 also verifies a detected vulnerability to reduce the rate of false positives.
Features
- Automatic Web Application and API assessment.
- Comprehensive reporting for compliance and remediation.
- Scan scheduling
- Attack replay
Verdict: With Rapid7 InsightAppSec, you get a powerful cloud-based and on-premises scan engine that can detect different types of vulnerabilities and initiate fast-track fixes.
It particularly shines because of its rich reporting and integrations. This is a platform worth trying if you want to strengthen the security of modern web applications.
Price: $2000/App
Website: Rapid7 InsightAppSec
#11) Sparrow
Best for Advanced Vulnerability Tracking.
Sparrow is a smart static application security testing software that allows you to detect vulnerabilities at the speed of DevOps. It generates detailed documentation on the detected vulnerability, even going so far as to provide actionable insights to fix vulnerabilities before it is too late.
The platform automatically classifies detected vulnerabilities based on the threat they pose, thereby allowing developers to prioritize their response to them. Its issue navigator feature allows you to track and follow vulnerabilities from their origin to the actual code.
Features
- Static Application Scanning
- Automated Classification of vulnerabilities
- Issue tracker
- Supports 20 Languages
Verdict: Sparrow’s utilization of static application security testing allows it to accurately detect and fix vulnerability at record-breaking speeds. This is an ideal tool if you want a platform that proactively classifies detected vulnerabilities and tracks them from the moment they originate.
Price: Contact for quote.
Website: Sparrow
#12) Tor
Best for Anti-Surveillance Tool.
By now we know that attackers are constantly monitoring and scanning for vulnerabilities in websites or applications to exploit. When it comes to protection from attackers, Tor is as proactive as it gets.
Tor defends you from surveillance and tracking. It isolates each website you visit so third-party trackers or ads can’t follow you. Tor encrypts all traffic passing over the Tor network three times to keep your presence online as discreet as possible. Tor makes it easier to access sites that your home network may have blocked.
Features
- Block Trackers and Ads
- Fingerprint Resisting
- Access sites blocked by your ISP
- Multi-Layered Encryption
Verdict: Tor is very different from all the tools that we’ve mentioned so far. It does not detect vulnerabilities but keeps you and your browsing activity is hidden from malicious actors online. In that regard, Tor can be a very useful companion to have until a vulnerability is detected and patched.
Price: Free
Website: Tor
Conclusion
As a black-box testing tool, WebInspect is one of the finest security developers can ask for. The ability to mimic an attacker’s behavior to identify threats on both current and legacy applications is particularly remarkable.
However, the tool isn’t perfect, which is why it is advisable to seek out alternatives that can do what WebInspect can’t and perform what WebInspect can do in a relatively more efficient and effective manner.
That is exactly what each of the above-mentioned tools does extremely well. All 11 application security testing tools mentioned herein are some of the best WebInspect alternatives you can employ to find and fix both common and undocumented vulnerabilities before an attacker can exploit them.
As per our recommendation, we highly recommend Invicti and Acunetix due to their highly scalable, configurable, and fully automated approaches to security testing.
Research Process
- Time Taken To Research And Write This Article: 11 Hours
- Total WebInspect Alternatives Researched: 20
- Total WebInspect Alternatives Shortlisted: 11