Invicti Web + API vs w3af comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Invicti and w3af are both solutions in the Application Security Tools category. Invicti is ranked #13 with an average rating of 7.8, while w3af is ranked #46. Invicti holds a 2.6% 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 37 Invicti Web + API reviews

13,849 Views
6,509 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

w3af

Read 1 w3af review

1,591 Views
1,352 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: October 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Application Security Tools

October 2026

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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

13th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Static Application Security Testing (SAST) (9th), Vulnerability Management (29th), DevSecOps (7th)

w3af

Ranking in Application Security Tools

46th

Average Rating

8.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Application Security Tools category, the mindshare of Invicti Web + API is 2.6%, up from 2.4% 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	2.6%
w3af	0.7%
Other	96.7%

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.

Read full review

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.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

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

"The most valuable feature of the solution is the speed at which it can scan multiple domains in just a few hours."

"With Acunetix, we cut the time to make infrastructures and web applications for our colleagues more secure, and for one application with two or three critical vulnerabilities and some other vulnerabilities, it took about a week to remediate issues because the scan and findings were really fast."

"I find it to be one of the most comprehensive tools, with support for manual intervention."

"We use the solution for the scanning of vulnerabilities like SQL injections."

"Acunetix gives us code-level identification of vulnerabilities and a good understanding of the code-level vulnerability fixes, which is much more helpful for us because we can understand how to fix the vulnerabilities at the code level."

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

"The solution is excellent at detecting SQL injection and cross-site scripting vulnerabilities."

More Invicti Web + API pros

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

Cons

"The vulnerability identification speed should be improved."

"Integration into other tools is very limited for Acunetix. While we're trying to incorporate a CI/CD process where we're integrating with JIRA and we're integrating with Jenkins and Chef, it becomes problematic. Other tools give you a high integration capability to connect into different solutions that you may already have, like JIRA."

"In terms of additional features, we are currently missing some tools that would allow us to work more efficiently with the mobile environment, with Android and iOS."

"The solution's pricing could be better."

"There is room for improvement in website authentication because I've seen other products that can do it much better."

"Acunetix needs to improve its cost."

"The jargon used makes it difficult for project managers to understand the issues, and the technical explanations used make it difficult for developers to understand issues. These things should be simplified much more. That would be very helpful for us when explaining to them what needs to be fixed. The report output needs to be simplified."

"We have had issues during upgrades where their scans worked on some apps better with previous versions. Then, we had to work with their tech support, who were great, to get it fixed for the next version."

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

"The cost is based on two types of licenses, ConsultLite, and ConsultPlus, as well as the number of domains that are scanned."

"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."

"Acunetix was around the same price as all the other vendors we looked at, nothing special."

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

"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."

"The price is exceptionally high."

"When compared with other products, the pricing is a little bit high. But it gives value for the price. It serves the purpose and is worthwhile for the price we pay."

"The solution is expensive."

More Invicti Web + API pricing and cost advice

Information not available

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

11%

Financial Services Firm

10%

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...

See all answers

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...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Acunetix?

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

See all answers

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Comparisons

PortSwigger Burp Suite Professional vs Invicti Web + API

Compared 6% of the time

OpenText Dynamic Application Security Testing vs Invicti Web + API

Compared 5% of the time

OWASP Zap vs Invicti Web + API

Compared 4% of the time

Checkmarx One vs Invicti Web + API

Compared 3% of the time

HCL AppScan vs Invicti Web + API

Compared 3% of the time

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PortSwigger Burp Suite Professional vs w3af

Compared 14% of the time

Conviso Platform vs w3af

Compared 6% of the time

Waratek ARMR vs w3af

Compared 5% of the time

Checkmarx One vs w3af

Compared 4% of the time

Onapsis vs w3af

Compared 4% 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

October 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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