wapiti vs zaproxy
Web application security scanners compared
wapiti and zaproxy scan web applications for security vulnerabilities during testing. wapiti uses black-box crawling and attack payloads, while zaproxy supports automated scanning and manual security testing.
wapiti: Scan Web Applications for Vulnerabilities in Python
Wapiti is a black-box web vulnerability scanner written in Python. It crawls deployed web applications, tests their pages and forms with attack payloads, and reports suspected vulnerabilities without inspecting source code.
zaproxy: Scan Web Applications for Security Vulnerabilities
ZAP by Checkmarx is a free, open-source web application scanner for developers and penetration testers. It helps find security vulnerabilities during development and testing, and supports manual security testing as well.
| wapiti | zaproxy | |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Python | Java |
| License | GPL-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Stars | 1.9k | 16.2k |
| Forks | 277 | 2.7k |
| Last analyzed | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 11, 2026 |
Key differences
- wapiti is a Python black-box scanner that crawls links and forms, then checks responses to attack payloads; zaproxy is a Java-based scanner for development and testing.
- wapiti documents checks for vulnerabilities such as SQL injection, XSS, SSRF, and XXE; zaproxy's supplied feature description focuses on automated vulnerability scanning and manual testing.
- wapiti supports OpenAPI-based REST API scans, configurable scan scope, resumable sessions, and reports in several formats; zaproxy's supplied details emphasize use during development and testing.
- wapiti is licensed under GPL-2.0, while zaproxy uses the permissive Apache-2.0 license.
- wapiti requires Python 3.12, 3.13, or 3.14; zaproxy requires a Java JVM and uses Gradle.
- zaproxy has 16.2k stars and 2.7k forks, compared with wapiti's 1.9k stars and 277 forks.
Choose wapiti if you…
- need a black-box assessment of a running site or API, including scans based on an OpenAPI file.
- want configurable crawling, authentication options, resumable scans, or reports in multiple formats.
- need to select attack modules or add payloads and custom authentication code.
Choose zaproxy if you…
- want to scan applications during development and testing.
- need a tool that supports manual security testing by penetration testers.
- prefer a Java-based project under the Apache-2.0 license.
Compare the numbers side by side, or add more projects
This comparison is generated with AI from the OSRepos analyses of both projects. Always check each project's repository and documentation before choosing.