Invicti Web + API vs w3af comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Invicti and w3af are both solutions in the Application Security Tools category. Invicti is ranked #16 with an average rating of 8.0, while w3af is ranked #45. Invicti holds a 2.4% mindshare in AS, compared to w3af’s 0.7% mindshare. Additionally, 89% of Invicti users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of w3af users who would recommend it.

Invicti Web + API

Read 36 Invicti Web + API reviews

12,369 Views
5,937 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

w3af

Read 1 w3af review

1,486 Views
1,263 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Invicti Web + API

w3af

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 6, 2026

Acunetix and w3af are web application security tools. Acunetix leads in user-friendliness, which enhances its appeal, while w3af provides flexibility through open-source customization.

Features: Acunetix provides advanced automation, comprehensive reporting, and effective vulnerability detection with minimal false positives. w3af offers extensive customization, a robust plugin-based architecture, and flexibility through a powerful scripting environment.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Acunetix delivers straightforward deployment and robust customer service with centralized management, easing the setup process. w3af requires a more manual setup due to its open-source nature, often relying on community support.

Pricing and ROI: Acunetix has a commercial-grade pricing model that reflects its capabilities, offering noteworthy ROI for businesses integrating it with existing systems. w3af is a cost-effective option with no initial cost, beneficial for users with the expertise to utilize its advanced configurations.

To learn more, read our detailed Application Security Tools Report (Updated: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Application Security Tools

September 2026

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Helped 915,817 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

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

Categories and Ranking

Invicti Web + API

Ranking in Application Security Tools

16th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Static Application Security Testing (SAST) (11th), Vulnerability Management (30th), DevSecOps (7th)

w3af

Ranking in Application Security Tools

45th

Average Rating

8.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2026, in the Application Security Tools category, the mindshare of Invicti Web + API is 2.4%, down from 2.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of w3af is 0.7%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Security Tools Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Invicti Web + API	2.4%
w3af	0.7%
Other	96.9%

Application Security Tools

Featured Reviews

Rahul Kumar

Senior Engineer - Penetration Tester at a government with 10,001+ employees

Identifies vulnerabilities across bulk web applications but needs better support and cleaner reports

The best feature Acunetix offers is the centralized dashboard and the quality of reports it generates, which includes various options for selecting reports and developer options for directly sharing the reports with developers. The centralized dashboard of Acunetix gives visibility into the security aspects of mass applications; for instance, with more than 200 applications, it provides a valuable overview of findings and necessary fixes, along with a high-level summary that helps us achieve compliance through monthly and sometimes weekly scanning. In terms of reporting, Acunetix is excellent because it can generate different types of reports, such as an executive summary report, detailed reports, and developer reports that can be shared directly with developers. Acunetix positively impacts my organization by helping identify outdated libraries and applications, including legacy applications vulnerable to old attacks based on OWASP Top 10, thus aiding in compliance checks for PCI DSS and OWASP. Acunetix provides a centralized report with compliance-related aspects and a vulnerability timeline, effectively helping reduce vulnerabilities and save time.

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Omar Sánchez (Mr.Tech)

Information Security Advisor, CISO & CIO, Docutek Services at Docutek Services

It's buggy and seems to try to do too many things, but having this on a USB drive has been valuable.

I tried to install this on numerous systems and eventually, with help, I got it running. It needs far too many dependencies installed and there's too much messing about to be of much use. Once running, it's buggy and begs the question can it be relied upon? Even within Kali it reports website time-outs, yet Zap or Burp are able to do a successful scan. I wanted this to work so much and be able to use it as an additional check of my results but have now binned it.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Acunetix helps reduce the man-days and effort needed for scanning bulk applications through automated assessments, allowing good dashboard visualization that can be reported easily to management, providing complete visibility on vulnerability metrics."

"I haven't seen reporting of that level in any other tool."

"Their technical support has been very active. If I have an issue, I can reach out to them and get an answer pretty quick."

"Our developers can run the attacks directly from their environments, desktops."

"Acunetix is the best service in the world. It is easy to manage. It gives a lot of information to the users to see and identify problems in their site or applications. It works very well."

"After two years it's about 300%."

"The solution is comprehensive and easy to use."

"The tool's most valuable feature is performance."

More Invicti Web + API pros

"The best free software for pen testing web applications."

Cons

"One of the biggest problems I've had with Acunetix is that it's hard to replicate things manually because you don't get the raw packet."

"The pricing is a bit on the higher side."

"The solution limits the number of scans. It would be much better if we could have unlimited scans."

"It should be easier to recreate something manually, with the manual tool, because Acunetix is an automatic tool. If it finds something, it should be easier to manually replicate it. Sometimes you don't get the raw data from the input and output, so that could be improved."

"Our experience with Acunetix has not been good, so we are in the process of switching solutions."

"The costs for the licensing have changed and it's not in our favor which is why we're now looking at other options."

"The solution can be improved by adding the ability to scan subdomains automatically, and by providing reports that can be exported to external databases to share with other solutions."

"There's a clear need for a reduction in pricing to make the service more accessible."

More Invicti Web + API cons

"Unfortunately, once you get around the seemingly strict set of pre-requisites to install it, it is incredibly buggy."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"When we looked at all other vendors and what they were asking for, to provide a third of what Acunetix was capable of doing, it was an easy decision... But now that it's coming to a cost where it's line with market value, it becomes more of a competition... Acunetix is raising the cost of licensing. It's 3.5 times what we were initially quoted."

"The pricing and licensing are reasonable to a point. In order to run multiple scans at a time, we are going to have to purchase a 100 count license, which is an overkill. Though, compared to what we were paying for, the cost seems reasonable."

"The pricing is a little high, and moreover, it's kind of domain-based."

"Implementing Acunetix needs a medium or larger business agency, because you need some money to get Acunetix. It is costly, but if you care about your agency's security, then maybe it's a cost that might help you in the future."

"It is a bit expensive. If you need to check five applications, you have to pay almost 14,000. It is an agreement for two years at 7,000 per year for only five applications. You cannot change the applications in the license. So, you are stuck with the same license for the five applications for one full year."

"I would say that Acunetix is expensive because there are products on the market with similar features that are equally or better-priced."

"The costs aren't very expensive. It costs around $3000 or $4000."

"The price is exceptionally high."

More Invicti Web + API pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	18
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	19

No data available

Questions from the Community

What is your primary use case for Acunetix Vulnerability Scanner?

In a typical enterprise environment, Acunetix is mainly used for visibility, detection, and investigation across network traffic. The main use cases usually fall into a few core areas, with primary...

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What advice do you have for others considering Acunetix Vulnerability Scanner?

I advise that Acunetix is the best option. Invest time in proper initial configuration and scope definitions. The tool is powerful, but its effectiveness depends heavily on how the authenticated ar...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Acunetix?

Everything is perfect and good, including the pricing and all related aspects.

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Comparisons

PortSwigger Burp Suite Professional vs Invicti Web + API

Compared 7% of the time

OpenText Dynamic Application Security Testing vs Invicti Web + API

Compared 5% of the time

OWASP Zap vs Invicti Web + API

Compared 5% of the time

Checkmarx One vs Invicti Web + API

Compared 4% of the time

Invicti vs Invicti Web + API

Compared 4% of the time

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PortSwigger Burp Suite Professional vs w3af

Compared 14% of the time

Waratek ARMR vs w3af

Compared 6% of the time

Checkmarx One vs w3af

Compared 6% of the time

Conviso Platform vs w3af

Compared 6% of the time

Jscrambler vs w3af

Compared 5% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Invicti Web + API

October 2026

Download Invicti Web + API product report

Buyer's Guide

Application Security Tools

September 2026

Download w3af product report

Also Known As

AcuSensor

No data available

Overview

Acunetix is a robust web application security testing tool offering rapid scanning, user-friendly interfaces, and accurate vulnerability detection with minimal false positives. It supports both cloud and on-premises deployment, making it versatile for various security needs.

Acunetix is distinguished by its capability to identify critical vulnerabilities such as cross-site scripting and SQL injection with high precision. It integrates seamlessly with CI/CD tools, supporting continuous scanning and large-scale application management. The centralized dashboard and detailed automated reporting streamline operations. Despite its benefits, users suggest improvements like reducing false positives, flexible pricing, and enhanced API scanning. Better integration with platforms like GitHub and Azure DevOps is sought, alongside more comprehensive customization and faster scanning. Mobile application scanning and improved team collaboration tools are also desired.

What features make Acunetix stand out?

Rapid Scanning: Delivers fast and comprehensive security assessments.
User-Friendliness: Intuitive interface simplifies operations for diverse teams.
Detailed Reporting: Automated reports enhance vulnerability management.
High Accuracy: Detects vulnerabilities with minimal false positives.
CI/CD Integration: Seamless integration supports continuous development processes.

What benefits should users consider when evaluating?

Vulnerability Detection: Critical for identifying potential security threats efficiently.
Flexibility: Supports both cloud and on-premises environments.
Compliance Support: Aids in meeting standards like PCI DSS.
Scalability: Capable of handling large-scale web applications.

Acunetix is widely implemented across industries undertaking web application security assessments, including those requiring penetration testing and vulnerability assessment. It ensures applications meet security protocols and complies with standards while fitting into CI/CD workflows for secure pre-release checks.

Invicti

w3af is an open-source web application security scanner designed to identify vulnerabilities and ensure web application security. Its modular framework offers flexibility, making it a preferred choice for security researchers and developers aiming to fortify web environments.

Offering extensive features, w3af integrates seamlessly into the development cycle, enabling users to pinpoint and address security vulnerabilities efficiently. This tool integrates various plugins for scanning and exploiting, facilitating a comprehensive security assessment. Its adaptability allows users to customize scans according to their security needs, ensuring a thorough evaluation of application security.

What are the most important features of w3af?

Plug-in Based Architecture: Allows customization through a vast library of plugins for tailored scanning.
Comprehensive Scanning: Identifies a wide range of vulnerabilities, including SQL injection and cross-site scripting.
Integration Capabilities: Easily integrates with other security tools and continuous integration pipelines.
Active and Passive Scans: Utilizes both active and passive techniques for thorough security checks.
User-Friendly Configuration: Simplifies configuration and operation due to its intuitive design.

What benefits should users consider in w3af reviews?

Enhanced Security: Effectively detects security flaws, boosting application security.
Cost-Effective: As an open-source tool, it reduces investment in high-cost security solutions.
Scalability: Adaptable for small and large-scale applications, catering to diverse security demands.
Community Support: Extensive community support aids in issue resolution and feature enhancement.
Time-Saving: Automates security testing, allowing developers to focus on code enhancement.

In industries like e-commerce and finance, which demand stringent security measures, w3af proves invaluable. It aids in identifying potential threats early in the development process, preventing data breaches and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. Professionals in these sectors rely on w3af to maintain the integrity and confidentiality of sensitive information, streamlining security testing processes and facilitating secure software deployments.

w3af

Sample Customers

Joomla!, Digicure, Team Random, Credit Suisse, Samsung, Air New Zealand

Information Not Available

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September 2026

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