Burp Suite vs OWASP ZAP
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, ratings, and alternatives.
Burp Suite is PortSwigger's web application security testing platform, used by penetration testers and security teams to intercept, inspect, and manipulate HTTP traffic while probing for vulnerabilities like SQL injection and XSS. Community Edition covers manual testing with the core proxy and repeater tools, while Professional adds an automated vulnerability scanner and advanced exploitation tooling.
ZAP (Zed Attack Proxy) is a free and open-source web application security scanner that started under the OWASP umbrella and is now stewarded by Checkmarx with independent open-source governance. It bills itself as the world's most widely used web app scanner, aimed at both security professionals doing manual penetration testing and developers who want automated security checks in CI/CD pipelines. ZAP works as an intercepting proxy that can passively and actively scan web traffic for vulnerabilities, and it can be extended through a marketplace of community-built add-ons. Its interface is designed to be approachable for people new to security testing while still offering the automation hooks experienced testers expect, and the project maintains an active GitHub repository ranked among GitHub's top open-source projects.
- Industry-standard toolkit widely used and taught in security certifications
- Free Community Edition covers core manual testing needs
- Extensive extension ecosystem via the BApp Store
- Strong integration options for CI/CD security scanning at the DAST tier
- Completely free and open source with no licensing cost
- Widely used and actively maintained with a large contributor community
- Add-on marketplace extends functionality well beyond the core scanner
- Supports both manual pentesting workflows and automated CI/CD scanning
- Automated scanning requires the paid Professional license
- Professional is priced per user per year, which adds up for larger teams
- Enterprise DAST pricing is not published and requires a sales conversation
- Steeper learning curve for testers new to proxy-based security tools
- As a free community tool, support is community-driven rather than a dedicated vendor SLA
- Effective use for complex applications still requires security testing expertise
- Reporting and enterprise workflow features are more limited than commercial DAST platforms
More alternatives & similar tools
Alternatives to Burp Suite
View all →Alternatives to OWASP ZAP
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Application security platform combining payload-based scanning with ethical hacker research.
Vulnerability management platform behind the widely used OpenVAS scanning engine, from appliance to free edition.
The Verdict
AI-generated from listing dataOWASP ZAP offers a completely free, open‑source solution with community support, while Burp Suite provides a richer, commercial feature set but requires paid licenses for automation.
Key differences
- •Cost: ZAP is free; Burp’s automated scanning needs a paid Professional or Enterprise license.
- •Support model: ZAP relies on community help; Burp offers vendor‑backed enterprise support for DAST customers.
- •Feature depth: Burp includes advanced tools like Intruder, Repeater, AI‑assisted Burp AT; ZAP’s advanced features depend on add‑ons.
- •Extension ecosystem: Both have marketplaces, but Burp’s BApp Store includes official extensions and tighter integration.
- •Licensing & lock‑in: ZAP is open source with no licensing constraints; Burp is closed source and per‑user licensed.
Pricing & value
ZAP is free and open source; Burp requires paid licenses for professional automation.
Ease of use / learning curve
ZAP is described as having an approachable interface for newcomers; Burp has a steeper learning curve.
Features & depth
Burp provides advanced manual tools (Repeater, Intruder) and AI‑assisted features not listed for ZAP.
Integrations & ecosystem
Both expose APIs and have extension marketplaces (ZAP add‑ons, Burp BApp Store).
Collaboration
Burp offers enterprise DAST support and documented collaboration options; ZAP’s collaboration is community‑driven.
Scalability
Burp’s Enterprise DAST tier is designed for large‑scale continuous scanning; ZAP relies on manual expertise.
Support
Burp provides vendor documentation, knowledge base, and enterprise support; ZAP only has community‑driven support.
Choose Burp Suite if…
Organizations that need advanced manual tools, AI assistance, and vendor support for large‑scale scanning.
Choose OWASP ZAP if…
Teams with limited budget needing basic DAST and willing to handle community support.
Common questions
Can I run automated scans in CI/CD with ZAP?
Yes, ZAP supports security automation for CI/CD pipelines.
What is the cost to get full automated scanning in Burp?
Automated scanning requires the paid Professional license (per user per year) or Enterprise DAST pricing.
Is there vendor support available for ZAP?
Support for ZAP is community‑driven; no dedicated vendor SLA is provided.