PortSwigger Burp Suite DAST vs w3af: side-by-side comparison (2026)

PortSwigger Burp Suite DAST: An enterprise-scale dynamic application security testing (DAST) platform that provides automated vulnerability scanning and security assessment for web applications, built by PortSwigger Ltd.

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.

PortSwigger Burp Suite DAST is made by PortSwigger Ltd. 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. PortSwigger Burp Suite DAST and w3af are both Dynamic Application Security Testing products, and both cover Web Security, Security Scanning. Key differences: PortSwigger Burp Suite DAST is Commercial while w3af is Free, w3af is open-source. Use the table above to see where features, deployment and company size fit differ.