Acunetix Web Application & API Security vs w3af: side-by-side comparison (2026)

Acunetix Web Application & API Security: DAST scanner for web apps & APIs with automated vuln detection & remediation. Built by Acunetix.

w3af: W3af is an open source web application security scanner that identifies over 200 types of vulnerabilities including XSS, SQL injection, and OS commanding in web applications.

The table above shows where their features, integrations, deployment and company size fit differ.

Acunetix Web Application & API Security is made by Acunetix. w3af is open-source with 4,852 GitHub stars. The vendor behind a product decides its roadmap, support, and longevity, so check each company's profile before you commit.

Often, yes. Acunetix Web Application & API Security and w3af are both Dynamic Application Security Testing products, and both cover SQL Injection, Web Security, XSS. Key differences: Acunetix Web Application & API Security is Commercial while w3af is Free, w3af is open-source. Use the table above to see where features, deployment and company size fit differ.