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Head-to-head · Application Security Testing

OWASP ZAP vs Checkmarx One

  • Updated Sep 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 2 checks side by side
Higher score OWASP ZAP #2 in Application Security Testing 8.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 2 features Visit OWASP ZAP
Checkmarx One #3 in Application Security Testing 7.7/10 Pricing on request ✓ 0 of 2 features Visit Checkmarx

OWASP ZAP leads on 2 checks, Checkmarx One on 0, and 0 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 2 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreOWASP ZAP · 8.2/10
  • Free planonly OWASP ZAP
  • Most featuresOWASP ZAP · 1 of 2

OWASP ZAP scores higher on our rubric for application security testing: 8.2 against 7.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #3.

OWASP ZAP offers free plan; Checkmarx One doesn't. OWASP ZAP offers api testing; Checkmarx One doesn't publish it.

OWASP ZAP is the better fit for teams wanting free, flexible web and API testing. Checkmarx One is the better fit for enterprise teams prioritizing code security.

  • OWASP ZAP fits best

    Teams wanting free, flexible web and API testing

  • Checkmarx One fits best

    Enterprise teams prioritizing code security

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. We may earn a commission when you click some links. It never changes our verdict. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature OWASP ZAP 8.2/10 Visit ↗ Checkmarx One 7.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.2 7.7
Ranking #2 in Application Security Testing #3 in Application Security Testing
Best for Teams wanting free, flexible web and API testing Enterprise teams prioritizing code security
Pricing model Free Paid
Starting price Not published Not published
Free plan ✓ (best) —
Free trial — —
Deployment Self-hosted, Desktop, Browser extension Cloud
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux Web
Support Community, Docs Docs
Integrations 2 integrations 17 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Enterprise
Features OWASP ZAP 1/2 · Checkmarx One 0/2
SCA included Not published Not published
API testing ✓ (best) Not published
Specs
Testing methods Not published Not published
Languages supported Not published Not published
CI/CD integrations Not published Not published
Deployment options Not published Not published
Our review
Pros
  • Combines active and passive scans with traditional and browser-based spiders
  • Supports authenticated scans and OpenAPI, Swagger, and GraphQL API scanning
  • Offers a REST API, YAML-based automation, Docker scans, and an add-on marketplace
  • Scans source code in pull requests and decorates pull requests with findings.
  • Supports IDE plugins, CI/CD plugins and CLI-based pipeline integration.
  • Combines SAST, SCA, posture governance and AI-assisted triage and remediation.
Cons
  • Focuses on web and API DAST rather than the wider AppSec lifecycle
  • Self-hosted deployment means teams run ZAP in their own environment
  • Support channels are community and documentation
  • No permanently free plan is available.
  • Pricing is custom-quoted based on developer seats, applications and usage.
  • Cloud deployment and documentation support may not suit every team's requirements.
Our verdict

OWASP ZAP is a free, open-source penetration-testing tool for finding vulnerabilities in web applications. Developers, testers, and security specialists can use it for web and API testing, whether working through its desktop application,…

Read the review →

Checkmarx One is a cloud-delivered application security platform for enterprise development teams that need to identify and manage vulnerabilities across software development. Its capabilities include static application security testing of…

Read the review →
  1. OWASP ZAPApplication Security Testing 8.2Free plan
  2. Checkmarx OneApplication Security Testing 7.7Pricing on request

Strengths and trade-offs

  • OWASP ZAP — where it wins

    • Combines active and passive scans with traditional and browser-based spiders
    • Supports authenticated scans and OpenAPI, Swagger, and GraphQL API scanning
    • Offers a REST API, YAML-based automation, Docker scans, and an add-on marketplace

    Where it doesn't

    • Focuses on web and API DAST rather than the wider AppSec lifecycle
    • Self-hosted deployment means teams run ZAP in their own environment
    • Support channels are community and documentation

  • Checkmarx One — where it wins

    • Scans source code in pull requests and decorates pull requests with findings.
    • Supports IDE plugins, CI/CD plugins and CLI-based pipeline integration.
    • Combines SAST, SCA, posture governance and AI-assisted triage and remediation.

    Where it doesn't

    • No permanently free plan is available.
    • Pricing is custom-quoted based on developer seats, applications and usage.
    • Cloud deployment and documentation support may not suit every team's requirements.

More comparisons

All application security testing comparisons → · Full ranking →

Guides on application security testing

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Sep 2026

Last updated · How we research and update