Best Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) Software in 2025
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Featured Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) Software At A Glance
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- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Built for security practitioners, by security professionals, Nessus products by Tenable are the de-facto industry standard for vulnerability assessment. Nessus performs point-in-time assessments to
- Security Engineer
- Network Engineer
- Information Technology and Services
- Computer & Network Security
- 39% Mid-Market
- 33% Enterprise
87,340 Twitter followers
This description is provided by the seller.
Pros and Cons are compiled from review feedback and grouped into themes to provide an easy-to-understand summary of user reviews.
Users find Qodex.ai incredibly easy to use, facilitating quick testing and seamless integration with existing workflows.
Users value the testing efficiency of Qodex.ai, enabling seamless API management and automatic test adjustments for evolving APIs.
Users love the automation capabilities of Qodex.ai, enabling effortless test case generation and enhanced code coverage.
Users are frustrated with the slow loading times of Qodex.ai, particularly the chatbot and various UI elements.
Users find the slow performance of Qodex.ai frustrating, as some reports and UI elements take longer to load.
Users find the bug reporting process lacking and suggest improvements for better prioritization and handling of issues.
This description is provided by the seller.
Pros and Cons are compiled from review feedback and grouped into themes to provide an easy-to-understand summary of user reviews.
Users appreciate the ease of use of Aikido Security, enabling quick onboarding and seamless integration for effective security management.
Users value the comprehensive security features of Aikido Security, ensuring robust protection throughout the development lifecycle.
Users appreciate Aikido's user-friendly interface and effective scanning, significantly enhancing security practices for development teams.
Users note the missing features in Aikido Security, with some limitations in integration and support for coding languages.
Users note the limited features of Aikido Security, especially regarding SSO availability and ecosystem integrations.
Users note lacking features in Aikido Security, particularly regarding SSO access and limited ecosystem integrations.
This description is provided by the seller.
Pros and Cons are compiled from review feedback and grouped into themes to provide an easy-to-understand summary of user reviews.
Users value Invicti's ease of use and quick setup, ensuring seamless integration into their testing workflows.
Users value the advanced scanning technology of Invicti, enabling quick vulnerability detection and streamlined security workflows.
Users value Invicti's user-friendly interface and detailed reporting features, enhancing API security analysis and integration.
Users find the customer support lacking, often experiencing slow responses and inadequate solutions to their issues.
Users experience slow performance during scans and setup, impacting efficiency and user satisfaction in operation.
Users experience slow scanning times, especially for API endpoints, impacting the overall efficiency of Invicti.
This description is provided by the seller.
Pros and Cons are compiled from review feedback and grouped into themes to provide an easy-to-understand summary of user reviews.
Users value Pynt's seamless integration and automated security scans, enhancing efficiency and simplifying the testing process.
Users highlight the excellent vulnerability detection of Pynt, uncovering hidden issues and enhancing security effortlessly.
Users value Pynt's easy integrations with tools like Postman, enhancing their API security testing experience seamlessly.
Users report a complex setup experience with Pynt, often needing additional resources to navigate initial challenges.
Users find the setup complexity of Pynt challenging, especially for beginners, despite responsive support from the team.
Users find the limited features of Pynt's free tier insufficient for thorough testing and basic needs.
This description is provided by the seller.
Pros and Cons are compiled from review feedback and grouped into themes to provide an easy-to-understand summary of user reviews.
Users appreciate the user-friendly interface of Burp Suite, enabling seamless web security testing for all skill levels.
Users love the user-friendly interface of Burp Suite, making it accessible for beginners and efficient for professionals.
Users value Burp Suite for its automation and versatility in web security testing, making it an essential tool.
Users report slow performance with Burp Suite, especially when using multiple plugins on machines with less RAM.
Users find the high price of Burp Suite's Pro version to be a notable drawback despite its benefits.
Users find the poor interface design of Burp Suite frustrating, especially with issues like fixed font sizes and tab switching.
This description is provided by the seller.
Pros and Cons are compiled from review feedback and grouped into themes to provide an easy-to-understand summary of user reviews.
Users praise Astra Pentest for their responsive and knowledgeable customer support, enhancing the overall user experience significantly.
Users appreciate the ease of use of Astra Pentest, thanks to its intuitive dashboard and streamlined interface.
Users value Astra Pentest for its comprehensive vulnerability detection and reliable manual testing by professionals.
Users note the slow customer support response, as only email communication is available, lacking instant messaging options.
Users highlight poor interface design in Astra Pentest, noting issues with usability and relevance of displayed data.
Users find the dashboard slow and sometimes confusing, though support resources help mitigate these issues.
This description is provided by the seller.
Pros and Cons are compiled from review feedback and grouped into themes to provide an easy-to-understand summary of user reviews.
Users value the pentesting efficiency of Cobalt, appreciating the clear communication and organized process for tests.
Users praise Cobalt's responsive customer support, which enhances their experience and clarity throughout the pentesting process.
Users love the ease of use of Cobalt, which facilitates seamless collaboration and quick test organization.
Users find Cobalt's service expensive, with high costs for credits and unclear pricing impacting their experience.
Users express concern over the lack of detail in Cobalt's reporting, impacting the effectiveness of the pen testing service.
Users note a limited scope of applications in Cobalt, complicating effective use within certain environments.
This description is provided by the seller.
Pros and Cons are compiled from review feedback and grouped into themes to provide an easy-to-understand summary of user reviews.
Users value the seamless integration of security in Jit, making development workflows smoother and more efficient.
Users appreciate the ease of use of Jit, finding it simple to integrate security seamlessly into development workflows.
Users value the easy integrations of Jit, facilitating seamless security practices within their development workflows.
Users face integration issues with Jit, including incomplete setups and documentation that lacks necessary details for advanced configurations.
Users find Jit has limited features, lacking advanced configurations and deeper analytics for comprehensive security management.
Users find the limited integration with CI tools and frameworks frustrating, craving better documentation and additional support.
This description is provided by the seller.
Pros and Cons are compiled from review feedback and grouped into themes to provide an easy-to-understand summary of user reviews.
Users appreciate the ease of use of GitLab, enabling seamless code management and integration for DevOps.
Users appreciate the collaboration features of GitLab, enhancing teamwork with integrated workflows and effective security measures.
Users value the collaboration features of GitLab, enhancing teamwork and streamlining workflows for all team members.
Users find the difficult learning curve of GitLab to be overwhelming, especially for beginners navigating complex features.
Users find the complex implementation and cluttered UI of GitLab challenging, especially for beginners.
Users find the complex user interface challenging, especially for beginners, impacting their overall experience with GitLab.
This description is provided by the seller.
Pros and Cons are compiled from review feedback and grouped into themes to provide an easy-to-understand summary of user reviews.
Users find Intruder's ease of use impressive, with a smooth interface and simple integration processes enhancing their experience.
Users value the comprehensive vulnerability detection of Intruder, enhancing their security with proactive and automated scanning features.
Users commend the outstanding customer support, noting its responsiveness and helpfulness throughout the user experience.
Users find the pricing significantly higher than competitors, making it less appealing for smaller implementations.
Users face licensing issues with Intruder, requiring time to understand different license types and their implications.
Users find the limited features of Intruder restrict flexibility, especially with domain switching and report customization.
This description is provided by the seller.
Pros and Cons are compiled from review feedback and grouped into themes to provide an easy-to-understand summary of user reviews.
Users appreciate the user-friendly interface of Akto, making API security monitoring quick and uncomplicated.
Users commend the helpful API inventory and appreciate the wide test coverage and easy integration features.
Users love the seamless integration and automated testing of Akto, enhancing efficiency in API security management.
Users find the complex setup challenging without guidance, although support is helpful in overcoming initial hurdles.
Users find the poor documentation of Akto challenging, making it hard to navigate and configure features effectively.
Users note that Akto needs to improve its API Testing module, with limited functionality in the free version.
This description is provided by the seller.
Pros and Cons are compiled from review feedback and grouped into themes to provide an easy-to-understand summary of user reviews.
Users value the precise vulnerability detection of Contrast Security, enhancing their software security with real-time insights.
Users value the high accuracy of findings from Contrast Security, enhancing their understanding and management of vulnerabilities.
Users benefit from real-time vulnerability detection, significantly enhancing their organization's security posture during software development.
Users find Contrast Security lacking in critical features, such as SAST options and comprehensive analytics for effective security management.
Users face challenges with false positives, which can be discouraging despite Contrast's advantages in identifying libraries.
Users find the reporting inadequate, leading to challenges in monitoring and managing Contrast Security effectively.
This description is provided by the seller.
Pros and Cons are compiled from review feedback and grouped into themes to provide an easy-to-understand summary of user reviews.
Users value the efficient vulnerability detection of Indusface WAS, enhancing security and simplifying audit processes.
Users value the effective vulnerability identification capabilities of Indusface WAS, enhancing audit processes and overall security management.
Users value the accuracy of results from Indusface WAS, ensuring reliable detection with zero false positives.
Users find the SSL certificate costs high compared to other providers, wishing for better pricing options for staging environments.
Users find the interface confusing, feeling it lacks intuitiveness and requires updates for a better experience.
Users find the lack of features for staging scans limits testing capabilities and increases costs prior to deployment.
This description is provided by the seller.
Pros and Cons are compiled from review feedback and grouped into themes to provide an easy-to-understand summary of user reviews.
Users appreciate Edgescan's outstanding customer support, noting quick responses and helpful guidance, enhancing their security experience.
Users appreciate the ease of use with Edgescan, noting smooth onboarding and user-friendly features that enhance their experience.
Users appreciate the innovative vulnerability detection of Edgescan, offering seamless automation and reliable, actionable insights.
Users face dashboard issues and lack of intuitive design, making it hard to efficiently access and process information.
Users experience slow performance during rescans and UI lags, impacting efficiency when processing large datasets.
Users find the reporting inadequate and suggest improvements for better accessibility and flexibility in Edgescan.
Learn More About Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) Software
What is Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) Software?
Dynamic application security testing (DAST) is one of the many technology groupings of security testing solutions. DAST is a form of black-box security testing, meaning it simulates realistic threats and attacks. This differs from other forms of testing such as static application security testing (SAST), a white-box testing methodology used to examine the source code of an application.
DAST includes a number of testing components that operate while an application is running. Security professionals simulate real-world functionality through testing the application for vulnerabilities and then evaluate the effects on application performance. The methodology is often used to find issues near the end of the software development lifecycle. These issues may be tougher to fix than early flaws and bugs are, but those flaws pose a larger threat to critical components of an application.
DAST can also be thought of as a methodology. It’s a different approach than traditional security testing because once a test is completed, there are still tests to be done. It involves periodic inspections as updates are pushed live or changes are made before release. While a penetration test or code scan might serve as a one-off test for specific vulnerabilities or bugs, dynamic testing can be performed continually throughout the lifecycle of an application.
Key Benefits of Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) Software
- Simulate realistic attacks and threats
- Discover vulnerabilities not found in source code
- Flexible and customizable testing options
- Comprehensive assessment and scalable testing
Why Use Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) Software?
There are a number of testing solutions necessary for an all-encompassing approach to security testing and vulnerability discovery. Most start in the early stages of software development and help programmers discover bugs in the code and issues with the underlying framework or design. These tests require access to source code and are often used during development and quality assurance (QA) processes.
While early testing solutions approach testing from the standpoint of the developer, DAST approaches testing from the standpoint of a hacker. These tools simulate real threats to a functional, running application. Security professionals can simulate common attacks such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting or customize tests to threats specific to their product. These tools offer a highly customizable solution for testing during the later stages of development and while applications are deployed.
Flexibility — Users can schedule tests as they please or perform them continuously throughout an application’s or website’s lifecycle. Security professionals can modify environments to simulate their resources and infrastructure to ensure a realistic test and evaluation. They’re often scalable, as well, to see if increased traffic or usage would affect vulnerabilities and protection.
Industries with more specific threats may require more specific testing. Security professionals may identify a threat specific to the health care industry or financial sector and alter tests to simulate the threats most common to them. If performed correctly, these tools offer some of the most realistic and customizable solutions to the threats present in real-world situations.
Comprehensiveness — Threats are continuously evolving and expanding, making the ability to simulate multiple tests more necessary. DAST offers a versatile approach to testing, wherein security professionals can simulate and analyze each threat or attack type individually. These tests deliver comprehensive feedback and actionable insights that security and development teams use to remediate any issues, flaws, and vulnerabilities.
These tools will first perform an initial crawl, or examination, of applications and websites from a third-party perspective. They interact with applications using HTTP, allowing the tools to examine applications built with any programming language or on any framework. The tool will then test for misconfigurations, which expose a greater attack surface than internal vulnerabilities. Additional tests can be run, depending on the solution, but all the results and discoveries can be stored for actionable remediation.
Continuous assessment — Agile teams and other companies relying on frequent updates to applications should use DAST products with continuous assessment capabilities. SAST tools will provide more direct solutions for issues related to continuous integration processes, but DAST tools will provide a better view of how updates and changes will be seen from an outside perspective. Each new update may pose a new threat or unveil a new vulnerability; it is therefore crucial to continue testing even after applications have been completed and deployed.
Unlike SAST, DAST also requires less access to potentially sensitive source code within the application. DAST approaches the situation from an outside perspective as simulated threats attempt to gain access to vulnerable systems or sensitive information. This can make it easier to perform tests continuously without requiring individuals to access source code or other internal systems.
What are the Common Features of Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) Software?
Standard functionality is included in most dynamic application security testing (DAST) solutions:
Compliance testing — Compliance testing gives users the ability to test for various requirements from regulatory bodies. This can help ensure information is stored securely and protected from hackers.
Test automation — Test automation is the feature powering continuous testing processes. This functionality operates by running prescripted tests as frequently as required without the need for hands-on or manual testing.
Manual testing — Manual testing gives the user complete control over individual tests. These features allow users to perform hands-on live simulations and penetration tests.
Command-line tools — The command-line interface (CLI) is the language interpreter of a computer. CLI capabilities will allow security testers to simulate threats directly from the terminal host system and input command sequences.
Static code analysis — Static code analysis and static security testing is used to test from the inside out. These tools help security professionals examine application source code for security flaws without executing it.
Issue tracking — Issue tracking helps security professionals and developers document flaws or vulnerabilities as they are discovered. Proper documentation will make it easier to organize the actionable insights provided by the DAST tool.
Reporting and analytics — Reporting capabilities are important to DAST tools because they provide the information necessary to remediate any recently discovered vulnerabilities. Reporting and analytics features can also give teams a better idea of how attacks may affect application availability and performance.
Extensibility — Many applications offer the ability to expand functionality through the use of integrations, APIs, and plugins. These extensible components provide the ability to extend the platform beyond its native feature set to include additional features and functionalities.
Potential Issues with Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) Software
Testing coverage — While DAST technologies have come a long way, DAST tools alone are unable to discover the majority of vulnerabilities. This is why most experts suggest pairing them with SAST solutions. Combining the two can decrease the rate at which false positives occur. They can also be used to simplify the continuous testing process for agile teams. While no tool will detect every vulnerability, DAST may be less efficient than other testing tools if used alone.
Late-stage issues — DAST tools will require code to be compiled for each individual test because they rely on simulated functionality to test responses. This can be a roadblock for agile teams constantly integrating new code into an application. Reports are usually static and result from single tests. For agile teams, those reports can become outdated and lose value very quickly. This is just one more reason DAST tools should be used as a component of an all-encompassing security testing stack rather than a standalone solution.
Testing capabilities — Because DAST tools do not access an application's underlying source code, there are a number of flaws DAST tools will be unable to detect. For example, DAST tools are most effective at simulating reflection, or call-and-response, attacks where they can simulate an input and receive a response. They are not, however, highly effective in discovering smaller vulnerabilities or flaws in areas of the application that are rarely touched by users. These issues, as well as vulnerabilities in the original source code, will need to be addressed by additional security testing technologies.
