# w3af

w3af is a Dynamic Application Security Testing product. It runs on-premises. Pricing is free.

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.

Checked October 2026.

## What is w3af?

w3af is an open source web application security scanner designed to identify vulnerabilities in web applications.

The tool can detect over 200 different types of vulnerabilities including Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), SQL injection, and OS commanding attacks. It serves both developers and penetration testers who need to assess the security posture of web applications.

The scanner operates by crawling web applications and performing various security tests to identify potential weaknesses. It provides automated vulnerability assessment capabilities that can help organizations identify security issues before they are exploited by attackers.

w3af is community-driven with contributions welcome from security professionals and developers. The project receives sponsorship from Holm Security for its automated vulnerability assessment features.

Tags: SQL Injection, Web Security, Security Scanning, Open Source, XSS

## Where it fits in your security program (NIST CSF 2.0)

- [Identify](https://cybersectools.com/guides/building-identify-program-small-team): helps you know your assets and your risks.

## Quick facts

- Category: [Application Security](https://cybersectools.com/categories/application-security) · [Dynamic Application Security Testing](https://cybersectools.com/categories/dast)
- Deployment: On-Premises
- Company size fit: Startup, SMB, Mid-Market
- Pricing model: Free
- GitHub stars: 4,852
- Website: github.com

## Where it ranks

w3af is not a pick on the current [Best DAST Solutions for Business](https://cybersectools.com/shortlists/best-dast-solutions).

## w3af FAQ

### What is w3af?

w3af is a product in the Dynamic Application Security Testing category. It covers SQL Injection, Web Security and Security Scanning.

### What is the pricing for w3af?

w3af is free. Download and setup instructions are at https://github.com/andresriancho/w3af/.

### What are alternatives to w3af?

Alternatives to w3af listed on CybersecTools:

1. [Fortra BeSTORM](https://cybersectools.com/tools/fortra-bestorm) - Black box fuzzer and DAST product for application security testing (Commercial)
2. [Halo Security Application Scanning](https://cybersectools.com/tools/halo-security-application-scanning) - DAST tool for detecting web app vulnerabilities like SQL injection and XSS (Commercial)
3. [Acunetix Web Application & API Security](https://cybersectools.com/tools/acunetix-web-application-and-api-security) - DAST scanner for web apps & APIs with automated vuln detection & remediation (Commercial)
4. [VulnSign Dynamic Application Security Testing](https://cybersectools.com/tools/vulnsign-dynamic-application-security-testing) - DAST tool for scanning web apps, microservices, and APIs for vulnerabilities (Commercial)
5. [Websecurify](https://cybersectools.com/tools/websecurify) - Suite of web security tools, platforms, and open-source frameworks. (Commercial)

Compare all w3af alternatives at [https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/w3af](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/w3af)

### What deployment and organization size does w3af fit?

w3af is available as on-premises software. It is listed for startups, small businesses and mid-market companies. It is free.

## Compare w3af with similar solutions

- [w3af vs Fortra BeSTORM](https://cybersectools.com/compare/fortra-bestorm-vs-w3af)
- [w3af vs Halo Security Application Scanning](https://cybersectools.com/compare/halo-security-application-scanning-vs-w3af)
- [w3af vs Acunetix Web Application & API Security](https://cybersectools.com/compare/acunetix-web-application-and-api-security-vs-w3af)

All alternatives to w3af: [/alternatives/w3af](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/w3af)

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Source: https://cybersectools.com/tools/w3af

For AI agents: every CybersecTools shortlist is listed at https://cybersectools.com/shortlists.md, and any compare page has a Markdown copy too (add .md to its URL).

More on w3af: funding, momentum, hiring and news, plus the full product and company record, are available through the Mandos MCP Server (paid plans), which connects to AI assistants: https://mandos.io/mcp?utm_source=cybersectools.com&utm_medium=product-md