Burp Suite DAST vs Ghostwriter
Burp Suite DAST
portswigger.netGhostwriter
github.comSide by side
| Figure | Burp Suite DAST | Ghostwriter |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Penetration Testing Software | 8.7 (#3) | 7.7 (#18) |
| Access controls | The product supports role-based access control, site groups, audit trails, SAML single sign-on, and scan policy templates that can be locked per group. | The platform supports role-based access controls, single sign-on, and multi-factor authentication. |
| API | A GraphQL API can trigger scans, fetch findings, manage sites, and send results to internal tools. | A GraphQL API supports custom project management, reporting workflows, and connections to external tools. |
| Deployment | Burp Suite DAST is available as managed cloud service or self-hosted software, including Windows and Linux installers and a Helm deployment for Kubernetes. | Ghostwriter is a Django web app with installation and setup instructions in its documentation. |
| Integrations | Named CI/CD integrations include Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Azure DevOps, Bitbucket Pipelines, CircleCI, and TeamCity; findings can be delivered to Jira, ServiceNow, Azure Boards, and GitHub Issues. | Ghostwriter can automatically log activity from Mythic C2 and Cobalt Strike. |
| Purpose | Burp Suite DAST is an automated dynamic web vulnerability scanner built on the scanning engine used in Burp Suite Professional. | Ghostwriter is an open-source platform for offensive security teams to manage assessments, clients, projects, assets, and reporting. |
| Support | The product page describes technical support from specialists, SLA-backed support for enterprise, onboarding, and a named solutions architect for the enterprise tier. | The project README directs users to the BloodHound Slack Team’s #ghostwriter channel and GitHub issues for help. |
Plans
In their own words
Burp Suite DAST
Burp Suite DAST is an automated dynamic scanner for web vulnerabilities, built on the scanning engine used in Burp Suite Professional. Its Chromium-based crawler can handle JavaScript single-page applications, dynamic forms, GraphQL endpoints, and asynchronous loads, while crawling and auditing can run in parallel. Session-aware scans maintain authenticated state using username-password pairs or recorded login sequences. The scanner covers APIs described by Postman Collections, OpenAPI, SOAP, and GraphQL, with native support for several authentication methods. Teams can schedule portfolio scans from a dashboard or run them in CI pipelines, including on pull requests and merges. Deployment options include managed cloud and self-hosted software for Windows and Linux, plus Helm deployment for Kubernetes; self-hosted deployments can operate in air-gapped environments. Access controls include role-based permissions, site groups, audit trails, SAML single sign-on, and group-locked scan policies. Findings include captured requests and confirming responses. Pricing depends on the portfolio and requires contacting PortSwigger; a guided proof-of-concept trial follows a tailored demo and discovery call.
Ghostwriter
Ghostwriter has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.