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Top 10 Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) Tools for 2025

Dynamic application security testing tools are a shift-left security approach that can help spot vulnerabilities in real-time. Knowing which to choose can be difficult, so here are the best options and their use cases.

Liron Biam writer profile image
By Liron Biam
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Edited by Jit Team

Updated December 6, 2024.

the top 10 dynamic application security testing tools for 2021

In the quest to shift security left, it’s easy to lose track of security once your app goes live. But with cyber threats increasingly targeting live websites and apps, can businesses really afford to make post-production the end of the road for security testing? Well, half of the security professionals admit that developers fail to identify 75% of security vulnerabilities.

Enter DAST, a dynamic approach to security testing that analyzes apps in runtime, ensuring no gaps are left unattended. There are countless DAST tools available, but the last thing you need is to add yet another solution to your toolchain without understanding how it fits your DevOps team’s needs and integrates into your current stack. That's why we've listed the 10 best dynamic application security testing tools for 2025. 

Top 10 DAST Tools for 2025 at a Glance

  1. Best open source DAST for web applications: OWASP ZAP
  2. Easiest to set up: Jit
  3. Best reporting: Veracode
  4. Best for large-scale enterprises: Checkmarx
  5. Best for leveraging AI-driven models and tools: Spectral
  6. Best for finding and fixing vulnerabilities fast: Acunetix
  7. Best for robust and comprehensive security testing: AppCheck
  8. Best for automated vulnerability scanning: Intruder
  9. Best for unified SCA and DAST in one platform: SOOS SCA + DAST
  10. Best attack surface management for AppSec & ProdSec teams: Detectify
Best for security testing your web applications
1
Outstanding
10

OWASP ZAP

Elevate your web application security with OWASP ZAP, a powerful and free open-source DAST tool.

Powerful & free DAST

Extensible & customizable

Large & active community

Best overall
2
Outstanding
10

Jit (DAST)

Jit's DAST platform provides comprehensive dynamic application security testing, seamlessly integrated into your development workflow for continuous security monitoring.

Automate vulnerability detection

Uncover hidden threats

Effortless management

Best for large-scale enterprises
3
Outstanding
9.9

Veracode

Elevate your security posture with Veracode's enterprise-grade DAST solution.

Unparalleled security

Gain in-depth insights

Meet compliance requirements

Show more



What Is DAST and How Does It Work?

The DAST framework analyzes apps from the "outside-in" by simulating attacks on the application. This “black box” testing method interacts with the running application without accessing its source code, mimicking how an attacker would interact with the app in a real-life scenario. 

DAST is different from SAST, which analyzes the application’s source code and related dependencies.



It sends automated requests and payloads to the application (similar to what a malicious attacker would do). Then, it analyzes the app’s behavior and responses, looking for misconfigurations and vulnerabilities that may lead to attacks such as SQL injections and cross-site scripting (XSS).

Once vulnerabilities are found, DAST tools report their findings, which typically include a detailed overview of the vulnerability type, severity, and location to help developers address issues faster. Most of them are automated and never stop, similar to continuous security monitoring tools.

Pro tip: Since this type of testing doesn’t access the source code, it's most suitable for testing apps already in production. However, it can be used across various stages of the SSDLC, depending on business needs. 

Adding other types of testing, such as SAST and SCA, can bolster the effectiveness of DAST testing. For instance, SCA security tools work like specialized static security testing, looking specifically into the system’s connected open-source libraries and frameworks. The more layered approach you can take to security testing, the more protected your apps are. 

Best for security testing your web applications

1


Outstanding
10
a screen shot of a Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) web page

OWASP ZAP

Open-source tool for dynamic scanning

Vulnerability coverage

Broad coverage, including classic web app vulns, mobile, and API security


Scanning techniques

Black box, gray box, and white box


Reporting and analysis

Detailed reports with actionable insights, customizable for different audiences


Ease of use and integration

Open-source and free, user-friendly interface, extensive plugins and integrations

OWASP ZAP is a free and open-source tool actively maintained by a dedicated international team of volunteers. It provides features like active scanning, alerts, anti-CSRF tokens, authentication methods, breakpoints, and passive scanning.

  • Passively scan traffic and actively probe for vulnerabilities automatically
  • Detect an extensive array of vulnerabilities, including SQL injection, XSS, and insecure direct object references
  • Tailor scans to specific needs using ZAP's scripting engine and pre-built add-ons
  • Generate comprehensive reports on identified vulnerabilities such as risk levels, exploit information, and remediation recommendations
  • Record and replay web application sessions for testing purposes

"Owasp zap proxy is the best recon and penetration testing tool, which contains all things from manual testing to automation testing. For me especially, automatic testing is the best with Ajax Spider, and active scanning performs all the vulnerability tests, which is really good." 

Jay P.

Free and open-source

Highly customizable with plugins and extensions

User-friendly and intuitive

Extensive black box scanning

Good for beginners and experienced testers

Steep learning curve for advanced features

Limited integrations for certain workflows

Easiest to get started

2


Outstanding
10
a screenshot of a computer screen showing the application settings

Jit | Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST)

Complete DevSecOps Platform including easy DAST set up

"Already recommended to friends and contacts!"

Easy of use and integration

DAST configuration wizard automates DAST deployment and scheduled scanning


Deep coverage

Identifies injections, path traversals, XXS, missing authorization, SSRF, and much more


Reporting and analysis

Clear and concise reports, prioritizing critical vulnerabilities and remediation steps


Full scanning coverage

Also includes SAST, SCA, secrets detection, IaC scanning, CSPM, and other scanners

Jit's DAST solution automates the deployment and management for continuous DAST scanning, which can be configured to scan web apps and APIs on a schedule or after every deployment. Jit also includes other product security scanners like SAST, SCA, secrets detection, IaC scanning, CSPM, SBOM, and many others - providing a single platform to unify product security risk management.

  • Wizard to automate DAST deployment
  • Jit DAST is uses ZAP in the back-end to leverage its wide array of rules to detect a broad variety of vulnerabilities
  • Contextual prioritization to focus on vulnerabilities that introduce real risk
  • Developer friendly integrations that provide automated feedback on the security of every code change within their environment

"I like that it covers all my needs from code analysis to infrastructure as code, and integrated with my Jira environment. I like the fact that it leverages open source technologies and is packaged up in a way that's easy for me to consume."

—Jamie H., CTO at FinTech company

Dev-friendly: built for developers with a focus on dev experience across platforms

Easy to find the code to remediate and fix issues fast

Orchestrates and unifies all tools

Cloud-based and easy to use

Affordable compared to enterprise options

Limited scalability

Best reporting

3


Outstanding
9.9
Veracode homepage

Veracode

Comprehensive cloud-native platform

Vulnerability coverage

Extensive coverage, including SCA and containerized app security


Scanning techniques

Both static and dynamic code analysis with manual penetration testing


Reporting and analysis

Comprehensive reports with risk scoring, dashboards, and integration with SIEM


Ease of use and integration

Enterprise-grade solution, requires some setup and technical expertise but has excellent integrations

Veracode is a comprehensive cloud-native platform that reduces risk across all modern software components, from proprietary code to APIs and infrastructure as code (IaC). It can scan hundreds of web apps and APIs simultaneously, providing accurate alerts in its dashboard that developers can delve into.

  • Launch dynamic scans with a few clicks to rapidly find and fix runtime vulnerabilities
  • Scan running applications to identify vulnerabilities at runtime, including web apps, APIs, and mobile apps
  • Provides comprehensive reports with vulnerability details, risk scoring, and actionable remediation guidance
  • Automate security tasks and workflows throughout the SDLC

"Easy to set scans to monitor risks on applications. Informative dashboards to help monitor remediations."

Verified User in Consumer Goods

Extensive vulnerability coverage

Integrated penetration testing and SCA

Excellent integrations and reporting

Highly scalable and secure

Enterprise-grade pricing

Steeper learning curve

Complex setup and administration

Best for large scale enterprises

4


Outstanding
9.8
Checkmarx homepage

Checkmarx

Leading cloud-native AppSec platform

Vulnerability coverage

Broad coverage, including web app, mobile, cloud, and DevOps security


Scanning techniques

SAST, DAST, and SCA with integrated fuzzing and penetration testing


Reporting and analysis

Detailed reports with interactive visualizations and remediation guidance


Ease of use and integration

Scalable and customizable, requires training for advanced features, good integrations

Checkmarx’s significant features include real-time analysis, which evaluates running apps, and timely alerts that might arise due to recent changes in the code base. It can also be integrated into existing development and security workflows.

  • Reduce risk across all components of modern software, such as proprietary code, open source code, APIs, and infrastructure as code
  • Enhances vulnerability detection accuracy and prioritization with additional testing options
  • Helps you focus on the most important issues by correlating findings from different security assessments
  • Easy integration with your preferred development tools and platforms
  • Access to training resources designed to help developers build more secure code

“The most valuable features are the easy-to-understand interface and it's very user-friendly. Reduce the code using cxsast plugin. It will scan code line by line and find most of the vulnerabilities. Very easy to use. Vulnerability report is awesome.”

Pankaj W., Associate Security Consultant

Scalable and customizable

Combines SAST, DAST, and SCA for comprehensive analysis

Detailed reports and actionable insights

Suitable for large entities with complex security needs

Requires implementation and training resources

Complex user interface

Best for leveraging AI-driven models and tools

5


Excellent
9.7
Spectral homepage

Spectral

Developer-first cloud security

Vulnerability coverage

Focuses on API security, covering OWASP's Top 10 and custom APIs


Scanning techniques

API-specific combined with black box and dynamic analysis


Reporting and analysis

API-specific reports insight focus and integration with CI/CD pipelines


Ease of use and integration

Developer-friendly interface that's API-focused and integrates easily with CI/CD pipelines

Although not specifically a DAST tool, as part of Cloud Guard, Spectral offers DAST testing. Driven by AI, this can strengthen your security posture and mitigate risks by making it easy for developers to uncover blind spots and detect issues as early as the pre-commit stage.

  • Automate the processes of secret protection at build time
  • Monitor and detect API keys, tokens, credentials, security misconfiguration, and other threats in real-time
  • Continuously uncover and monitor public blind spots, supply chain gaps, and proprietary code assets across multiple data sources
  • Seamlessly integrate your own playbooks, build your own detectors, and implement mitigation policies throughout your software development lifecycle
  • Advanced AI-backed technology with over 2000 detectors to uncover data breaches before they happen
  • Get real-time slack alerts and workflow with JIRA tickets

“It helps us with fixing open code and key security issues in public and private repos. I like the daily scan of all our repositories; it helps us to fix important security issues in the code. Also the support team is very good.”

Ofer L., DevOps Tech Lead

Tailored to modern applications

Easy integration with CI/CD pipelines

Developer-friendly interface

Accurate API vulnerability detection

Limited scope above API security

New technology

Best for finding and fixing vulnerabilities fast

6


Excellent
9.6
Acunetix homepage

Acunetix ​

Dynamic application security testing

Vulnerability coverage

Wide range, including web app, mobile, and network security


Scanning techniques

Primarily black box scanning with a fully automated web crawler


Reporting and analysis

Extensive, with vulnerability details, proof-of-concept attacks, and security recommendations


Ease of use and integration

Easy to use for basic scans with various integrations, but requires learning for advanced features

Acunetix provides dynamic application security testing against various web application attacks to identify vulnerabilities and assess their behavior. It features a fully automated crawler that can crawl complex custom HTML5 websites and web applications, including client-side single-page applications (SPAs), making it easier to implement zero-trust security.

  • Lightning-fast scans that reveal your vulnerabilities the instant they’re found
  • Scan multiple environments at the same time
  • See the exact lines of code that need to be fixed so you don’t have to search for them
  • Standard and premium support available
  • Add unlimited users at no extra cost

"It assists in identifying and repairing website flaws, reducing the likelihood of attacks and data theft. The scanning tool is extremely intelligent and can identify even the most complex security issues."

Ken C., Chief Media Officer and Managing Partner

Wide range of vulnerabilities covered

Easy to use for basic scans within minutes

Extensive reports with vulnerability details and recommendations

Affordable options for cost-focused teams

More advanced features require some learning

Limited integrations compared to some competitors

Best for robust and comprehensive security testing

7


Excellent
9.5
AppCheck homepage

AppCheck

In-depth automated testing

Vulnerability coverage

Covers OWASP Top 10 with focus on SQL injection and XSS


Scanning techniques

Black box scanning with interactive fuzzing and manual testing capabilities


Reporting and analysis

Clear and actionable reports with vulnerability details


Ease of use and integration

Good for beginners but with limited integrations

AppCheck offers in-depth automated testing for ad-hoc, scheduled, and continuous security testing. It provides full OWASP vulnerability coverage, including injection, XSS, RCE, zero days, plus 100,000+ known security flaws.

  • Scan APIs, SPAs, infrastructure & modern web apps
  • Powerful browser-based crawler
  • Dynamic fuzzing technology allows visibility of the true and deeper attack surface
  • Unlimited scans and unlimited users
  • Powerful DAST testing coupled with hourly updates
  • Detect hidden issues which can only be identified through advanced out-of-band detection techniques

"We used to have a manual pen test, used the free trial to compare, and AppCheck blew it out of the water. Then it occurred to me that manual testers just use automated tools anyway, so why not save time and cost.”

Verified User in Photography

User-friendly interface and good for beginners Good for beginners

Clear and actionable reports

Interactive fuzzing and manual testing capabilities

Comprehensive internal and external coverage

100,000+ known security flaws

Limited integrations

Black box testing only

Most user-friendly platform for automated vulnerability scanning

8


Great
9.4
Intruder homepage

Intruder

Automated continuous vulnerability scanner

Vulnerability coverage

Focuses on OWASP's Top 10 and common misconfigurations but is also great for manual testing


Scanning techniques

Manual web application penetration testing focused on black box techniques


Reporting and analysis

Manual testing reports with screenshots, evidence, and recommendations


Ease of use and integration

Requires manual testing expertise with limited integrations but is regarded as user-friendly

Intruder’s web app vulnerability scanner crawls through a site or app, looking for vulnerabilities and security flaws. This solution lets you assess your risk level and helps you prioritize remediation efforts based on the severity of detected vulnerabilities.

  • Keeps track of your attack surface, showing where and how your company may be vulnerable
  • Set up Intruder and begin scanning within minutes
  • Continuous network scanning
  • Great customer support team
  • Integrate easily into your CI/CD pipeline to streamline DevOps

"This platform enables my team not to waste time testing against known vulnerabilities and focus on hardening our services and solutions. Intruder also provides a huge benefit in proactive Change detection, where it will advise when new instances or hosts are detected and any vulnerabilities it may have, allowing for more agile change management.”

Ben C., Mid-Market

Great for manual penetration testing

Affordable for individual users or small teams

Requires manual testing expertise

Limited integrations

Best for unified SCA and DAST in one platform

9


Great
9.3
SOOS SCA + DAST homepage

SOOS SCA + DAST

SCA and DAST in one platform

Vulnerability coverage

Focuses on OWASP's Top 10 and business-critical vulnerabilities


Scanning techniques

Black box scanning with some limited gray box options


Reporting and analysis

Concise reports with prioritized vulnerabilities and clear recommendations


Ease of use and integration

Cloud-based and user-friendly but with limited integrations

SOOS SCA + DAST combines SCA and DAST in one platform. You can simultaneously use the features of SCA, such as finding and fixing open-source vulnerabilities, and DAST, which scans your web apps and APIs based on OpenAPI, SOAP, or GraphQL standards. The combined dashboard makes continuous monitoring, license issues, and policy violations accessible in a single interface.

  • Patented deep tree scanning happens in seconds so that you can find, research, and fix open source vulnerabilities on every build
  • Manage, suppress, and provide attestations for issues across all of your projects and branches
  • Automate the tracking of your open source license exposure
  • Manage your SBOMs in Software Package Data Exchange (SPDX) or CycloneDX formats
  • Integrated dashboard to manage your projects’ security issues (SCA, DAST, Containers, SAST, IaC, & SBOMs)
  • Simple CI/CD and Issue Manager Integration

"With the integration we have in our pipelines, the ability to provide continuous assessment of software security as changes are made to the application and new dependencies are added has been very useful. Additionally, SOOS has been of great importance for our certification processes (Hitrust, SOC2).”

Brallan G., SRE & DevOps Engineer

Cloud-based and user-friendly

Concise reports with prioritized vulnerabilities

Affordable option for smaller teams

Limited integrations

Less comprehensive vulnerability coverage compared to some competitors

Best attack surface management for AppSec & ProdSec teams

10


Great
9.2
Detectify homepage

Detectify

Cloud-based EASM platform

Vulnerability coverage

Comprehensive coverage, including web app, mobile, and API security


Scanning techniques

Black box scanning with penetration testing services and red teaming


Reporting and analysis

Detailed reports with executive summaries, risk assessments, and recommendations


Ease of use and integration

Requires some setup and technical expertise but offers easy integration through managed security services

Detectify is a cloud-based EASM platform specializing in surface monitoring and application scanning. The automated discovery and continuous monitoring features help DevSecOps teams discover and remedy vulnerabilities easily integrated into Slack, Jira, and Splunk workflow tools.

  • 99.7% accurate vulnerability assessments
  • Continuously discover and monitor all internet-facing assets that you host
  • Cover your entire public DNS footprint, including ports
  • Render and crawl a custom-built application for in-depth findings
  • Dedicated customer success manager

"From the discoveries of new subjects, and for the ease of use, I also really like the integration of notifications and detailing the vulnerabilities and how to perform their corrections."

Matheus W., Mid-Market Security Analyst

Comprehensive coverage

Detailed reports with executive summaries

Managed security services for easy integration

Requires some setup and technical expertise

Enterprise-grade pricing

Less customizable than competitors



Benefits of Having a DAST Tool

  • Real-world and real-time testing: Since DAST solutions simulate real-world attacks, you get real-time insights into how an application would fare against actual threats.
  • Full application coverage: DAST tools interact with all exposed application interfaces, ensuring comprehensive coverage.
  • Ease of use: Since DAST doesn’t require access to the source code, it is easier to use, especially across third-party applications where the source code might not be available.
  • Detection of runtime vulnerabilities: DAST tools excel at finding vulnerabilities that only become apparent during runtime, such as authentication and server configuration issues.
  • Scalability: These tools can be automated and integrated into the SDLC, making it easier to scale security testing efforts across multiple applications.
  • Meeting regulatory compliance: Many industry standards and regulations, such as HIPAA, GDPR, and SOC2, require dynamic testing methods to ensure data protection and application security.

Application and cloud security that developers love



4 Key Features Your DAST Tool Should Have

  1. Complete automated coverage: Your tool should scan all exposed application interfaces continuously to identify any and all potential vulnerabilities.
  2. Integration: Ensure that your DAST tool can integrate seamlessly into your existing DevSecOps pipeline to help streamline your security testing process. DevSecOps platforms like Jit consolidate your security plan so you can automate and manage all your security tools and controls into one platform.
  3. Real-time insights: Your tool should provide detailed and accurate reports with remediation suggestions based on real-time data, allowing you to prioritize and automate an effective risk mitigation workflow that won’t cause disruption or operational overhead.
  4. Comprehensive data: Ensure that your DAST tool is comprehensive enough to minimize false positives, providing you only with accurate and actionable alerts. 

» Take a look at our top open-source developer-friendly product security tools

Securing Every Part of Your Application at Every Stage

DAST tools support a proactive approach to identifying vulnerabilities, ensuring that web applications can withstand increasingly complex and dangerous cyberattacks. While essential to production environments, they are just one piece of the puzzle and must be added to an end-to-end security plan and toolkit that covers each stage of your SDLC. 

If you want to combine development, security, and operations seamlessly, Jit can weave security checks into your CI/CD security process, making security more comprehensive and automated than ever.

Application and cloud security that developers love