OWASP ZAP vs PenTest.WS
OWASP ZAP
zaproxy.orgPenTest.WS
pentest.wsSide by side
| Figure | OWASP ZAP | PenTest.WS |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $4.95/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 2 |
| Spec score · Penetration Testing Software | 8.6 (#5) | 8.0 (#13) |
| API | The API and daemon mode provide programmatic control over ZAP, including scanner and spider operations. | A RESTful API provides access to engagements, hosts, ports, and other PenTest.WS objects for automation. |
| Founded | 2010 | 2017 |
| Purpose | ZAP is a web application scanner and proxy for security testing. | PenTest.WS is a penetration testing web application for organizing hosts, services, vulnerabilities, and credentials, with a reporting module for documenting and delivering a penetration test. |
| Reporting | Official report formats include HTML, JSON, XML, Markdown, PDF and SARIF variants. | DOCX reporting templates support variables, loops, conditional statements, HTML content, and embedded finding images such as screenshots. |
| System requirements | Windows and Linux packages require Java 17 or newer; the macOS installer bundles Java 17; weekly packages also require Java 17 or newer. | The store lists Linux or macOS, Intel, AMD, or Apple Silicon, PostgreSQL, at least 2 GB memory, and about 470 MB minimum disk space for local offline installation. |
Plans
In their own words
OWASP ZAP
OWASP ZAP is a web application scanner and proxy for security testing. Its tools include active and passive scanning, a spider, alerts, and scan policies. ZAP’s Automation Framework uses YAML plans to coordinate jobs such as scanning, spidering, API imports, and report generation. It can import OpenAPI, GraphQL, SOAP, and Postman definitions through jobs or add-ons. GitHub Actions are available for baseline, full, and API scans via Docker-packaged scans, and the project publishes Docker images, including a minimal image for CI. Add-ons come from an online Marketplace and are generally installed or removed without restarting ZAP. The software is free and open source, with a free plan at free. It supports Linux, macOS, Windows, API use, and self-hosted deployment. Windows and Linux installers require Java 17 or later; the macOS installer includes Java 17. ZAP says it can support only its latest full release, and current releases are unsigned, though checksums are provided.