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Acunetix vs Qualys Web Application Scanning comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 30, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
7.6
Acunetix enhances security, reduces reliance on testers, lowers costs, and improves application security, offering strong ROI in budget discussions.
Sentiment score
5.5
Qualys Web Application Scanning improved visibility, reduced costs and failure rates, and increased ROI with automation, despite licensing challenges.
It saves a significant amount of time by covering attack surfaces.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.3
Acunetix customer service is responsive but not 24/7, with mixed reviews on support speed and issue resolution.
Sentiment score
5.0
Qualys Web Application Scanning support is mostly praised for responsiveness, with minor concerns about higher-tier access and engagement.
The technical support from Invicti is very good and fast.
The technical support from Acunetix is quite good
Once we purchase the license, we have access to top-notch support.
I have dealt with Qualys's technical support, and any enhancements are challenging.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.8
Acunetix offers scalable, flexible scanning for varying environments, with licensing and performance as key factors impacting scalability.
Sentiment score
7.7
Qualys Web Application Scanning is scalable, handling multiple licenses and users, though some issues arise with concurrent scans.
It is licensed for assets, so we just contact the team for additional licenses if needed.
At one point, there was a limitation on reporting for 100,000 assets at a time.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.1
Acunetix boasts remarkable stability with minimal maintenance, reliable performance, consistent results, and few bugs or disruptions reported.
Sentiment score
8.5
Qualys Web Application Scanning is praised for stability and reliability, with users rating it highly and few issues reported.
 

Room For Improvement

Acunetix users seek improvements in IAST, database, authentication, pricing, scan limits, mobile support, tool integration, and report customization.
Qualys Web Application Scanning users seek improved XSS detection, simpler interface, better pricing, and enhanced integration features.
Acunetix should have better integration with newer tools such as GitHub and Azure DevOps.
The support program was helpful in addressing it.
With the growing reliance on AI, Qualys Web Application Scanning should be updated to handle AI-based applications and LLM-based attacks.
One area of improvement is reducing false positives by prioritizing agent findings over remote findings when there is a corresponding local agent finding.
I would like it to be cheaper because it is a bit expensive compared to competitors like Tenable Nessus.
 

Setup Cost

Acunetix pricing is considered expensive, ranging $3,000-$500,000, influenced by domains and features, requiring careful evaluation.
Qualys Web Application Scanning offers competitive pricing and flexible licensing, though some users seek improved cost-effectiveness.
The pricing of Acunetix is pretty expensive and could be improved.
We secured a special licensing model for penetration testing companies, which is cost-effective.
They offer discounts on bulk licenses, making it cheaper compared to competitors like Veracode DAST.
I find it a bit expensive compared to other competitors.
 

Valuable Features

Acunetix provides efficient vulnerability scanning with integration capabilities, accurate reporting, and is user-friendly, scalable, and low-maintenance for teams.
Qualys Web Application Scanning offers Selenium integration, effective threat detection, and seamless CI/CD integration with a user-friendly interface.
Its most valuable role is in enhancing security by identifying potential vulnerabilities efficiently.
The solution is excellent at detecting SQL injection and cross-site scripting vulnerabilities.
I find it to be one of the most comprehensive tools, with support for manual intervention.
It effectively detects vulnerabilities like the OWASP Top 10 without any issues in reporting.
It is recognized as one of the best tools for web application security from a development perspective.
Credential scanning is very effective because it goes in-depth into the system, crawling the pages, and reporting on vulnerabilities.
 

Categories and Ranking

Acunetix
Ranking in Application Security Tools
16th
Ranking in Static Application Security Testing (SAST)
13th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
33
Ranking in other categories
Vulnerability Management (22nd), DevSecOps (6th)
Qualys Web Application Scan...
Ranking in Application Security Tools
12th
Ranking in Static Application Security Testing (SAST)
8th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
38
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Application Security Tools category, the mindshare of Acunetix is 2.9%, up from 2.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Qualys Web Application Scanning is 2.1%, up from 2.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Application Security Tools
 

Featured Reviews

KashifJamil - PeerSpot reviewer
Has enabled teams to improve security testing with smooth integration and high accuracy
Acunetix has a very good ratio of fewer false positives, so users don't need to retest everything. Acunetix operates smoothly with no interruptions required, and it performs at 100% efficiency without issues in scanning anything. The solution is excellent at detecting SQL injection and cross-site scripting vulnerabilities. Acunetix integrates with every type of tool, including CI/CD tools, offering 100% integration in DevOps environments. The main benefit of Acunetix is that at the first level, users can address security issues related to penetration testing, allowing them to expose vulnerabilities and ensure all required testing is completed with very few false positives.
Kelvin Oladipo - PeerSpot reviewer
User-friendly scanning provides valuable vulnerability insights, but pricing improvements are needed
Qualys Web Application Scanning ( /products/qualys-web-application-scanning-reviews ) is user-friendly, easy to understand, easy to use, and easy to deploy. Credential scanning is very effective because it goes in-depth into the system, crawling the pages, and reporting on vulnerabilities. The product helps by providing options for remediating vulnerabilities it finds, making it really useful.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
18%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Government
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Computer Software Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Acunetix Vulnerability Scanner?
The tool's most valuable feature is scan configurations. We use it for external physical applications. The scanning time depends on the application's code.
What is your primary use case for Acunetix Vulnerability Scanner?
I typically use Acunetix ( /products/acunetix-reviews ) to identify vulnerabilities for clients.
What advice do you have for others considering Acunetix Vulnerability Scanner?
I would recommend Acunetix to others. Overall, I rate this solution seven out of ten.
What do you like most about Qualys Web Application Scanning?
The vulnerability management feature is a strong one. And also the patch management feature.
What needs improvement with Qualys Web Application Scanning?
I would like it to be cheaper because it is a bit expensive compared to competitors like Tenable Nessus ( /products/tenable-nessus-reviews ). After using the product for a year, I might have more s...
 

Also Known As

AcuSensor
Qualys WAS
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Joomla!, Digicure, Team Random, Credit Suisse, Samsung, Air New Zealand
BskyB, Cartagena, ClearPoint Learning Systems, Connect Group, du, Fortrex Technologies, HBOR, HDI, Highlights for Children, The Lithuanian State Enterprise Centre of Registers, City of Miami Beach, Microsoft, MidlandHR, MSCI Inc., Northern Arizona University, Ofgem, Olympus Europa, PhoneFactor, RTL Nederland, ThousandEyes, VGZ Organisatie B.V.
Find out what your peers are saying about Acunetix vs. Qualys Web Application Scanning and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
856,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.