Top 10 DAST Tools for DevSecOps in 2026: APIs, CI/CD & Business Logic

Discover the top 10 DAST tools for 2026, built for SPAs, APIs (REST, GraphQL...), business logic vulnerabilities, and CI/CD pipelines. Compare strengths, weaknesses, and key features that matter to AppSec and DevSecOps teams.

Top 10 DAST Tools for DevSecOps in 2026: APIs, CI/CD & Business Logic
Best DAST tools list for securing web applications and APIs in 2026

Securing modern applications requires more than just surface-level scans. And the best DAST tools have evolved to meet the needs of modern tech environments. They are designed to scan APIs and SPAs (Single Page Applications) in production and detect complex business logic vulnerabilities. They deliver fast, actionable results, often reducing the need for manual pentests without sacrificing quality or slowing down development.

Unlike legacy DAST tools, which struggle in fast-moving DevSecOps environments, in 2026, modern DAST platforms integrate directly with CI/CD pipelines, scan APIs and SPAs, handle complex authentication flows, and provide developer-friendly remediation.

The updated OWASP Top 10: 2025, in its section Establishing a Modern Application Security Program, recommends using DAST (alongside fuzzers) in safe environments as part of a continuous application security testing strategy.

In this guide, we compare the top 10 DAST tools for 2026, helping you find the right one for your stack, team, and workflows.

    Replace legacy DAST & scale your security testing

    From business logic to complex authentication

    Best DAST Tools for 2026 at a Glance

    • Best for business logic testing: Escape
    • Best DAST for CI/CD Integration: StackHawk & Escape
    • Best for large enterprises: Invicti & Escape
    • Best for mid-market: Escape & Bright Security
    • Best open-source DAST: ZAP, by Checkmarx
    • Best DAST for APIs: Escape & StackHawk
    • Best DAST as part of ASPM: Invicti
    DAST Tool Strengths Limitations Best For
    Escape ✅ Full API and web app scanning (both internal & external)
    ✅ Proprietary DAST algorithm with business-logic-aware attack scenarios
    ✅ Native GraphQL support and AI-powered proof of exploit and remediation
    Advanced security tests may require deeper configuration Medium–large organizations with frequently deployed web apps and APIs or complex stacks; ideal also for Wiz users
    StackHawk ✅ Built on ZAP for strong web app and API security testing
    ✅ Excellent CI/CD integration and developer workflows
    ⚠️ Limited reporting and remediation guidance
    ⚠️ May not scale for large enterprise needs
    Development and DevSecOps teams needing a continuous security solution
    Bright Security ✅ Strong security testing with a simple setup for predefined applications
    ✅ AI-powered remediation
    ⚠️ Not API native
    ⚠️ Limited flexibility for custom tests
    Mid-sized teams looking for a strong DAST for pre-defined apps and good reporting
    Invicti ✅ Native DAST engine with strong web app support
    ✅ Rich reporting and executive summaries
    ⚠️ Lacks detailed debugging and authentication verification
    ⚠️ Limited API support
    Large enterprises requiring thorough reporting and audit-ready output or an ASPM solution
    Detectify ✅ Good support for web apps via provided domains and connectors ⚠️ Doesn't cover API testing
    ⚠️ Lacks support for complex scenarios & authentication
    Small–medium businesses seeking quick, lightweight vulnerability scanning

    Compare DAST Tools by Features

    They are most commonly explored in demos for replacing legacy solutions or adding new DAST solutions to your application security tool stack.

    What is a DAST tool & Why It Matters in 2026

    A Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) tool is a black-box testing solution designed to find vulnerabilities in running applications without needing access to the source code. It simulates real-world attacks to uncover flaws in web apps and APIs from an external attacker’s view.

    In 2026, this approach is essential. Modern apps are being deployed fast within CI/CD pipelines and rely on complex APIs, making legacy DAST tools ineffective. They miss key threats, overwhelm teams with false positives, and don’t support developer-first workflows.

    The best dynamic application security testing tools are built for today’s security needs. They detect deeper issues like business logic flaws and broken authentication, integrate into developer pipelines, and offer automation to keep security scalable. While there might be some echo that DAST is dead, it's not DAST that is outdated; it is legacy DAST tools. To secure applications in 2026, adopting a modern DAST tool in DevSecOps is no longer optional; it’s essential.

    "DAST is not dead, legacy DASTs are. Modern DASTs are changing the industry." - Swan Beaujard, Security Engineer at Escape, at the Elephant in AppSec Conference

    Benefits of Integrating a DAST Tool into Your Security Stack

    DAST tools are crucial to a proactive security strategy in identifying application weaknesses from a front-end "outside-in" perspective. DAST is most often combined with static testing (SAST) as well as Software Composition Analysis (SCA) to ensure comprehensive security monitoring across all stages of the SDLC.

    Having a DAST means that vulnerabilities can be remediated before an application goes live in production - and to cybercriminals, lowering the risk of a breach and making vulnerabilities cheaper to mend. Equally, DAST solutions can also help developers uncover general problems with the end-user experience, and crucially facilitate regulatory compliance.

    Below are real-world use cases where DAST scanning delivers value:

    Real-world DAST tools use cases

    Why Legacy DAST Tools Don't Work for DevSecOps

    Legacy DAST tools weren’t built for today’s software stacks. As modern teams shift toward APIs, microservices, JavaScript-heavy apps, and CI/CD workflows, traditional Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) tools quickly fall behind.

    These legacy tools generate excessive false positives, require lots of manual setup, and lack the deep integration needed for fast-moving DevSecOps pipelines. Their limited API visibility and outdated scanning logic often miss critical business logic threats like Insecure Direct Object References (IDORs), SSRFs, and broken access control vulnerabilities that require context-aware testing.

    They also frustrate developers with generic remediation advice and poor CI/CD compatibility, slowing down release cycles instead of securing them. Modern DAST solutions fix these gaps. With native CI/CD integration, advanced business logic testing, and developer-first workflows, they offer the speed and depth needed to secure modern applications at scale.

    Top 10 DAST Tools: A deep-dive into Escape, StackHawk, Bright Security and others

    Escape DAST

    Escape Platform Screenshot

    Overview:

    Escape DAST - Best for Modern AppSec Teams: Securing modern web apps (e.g. SPAs) and APIs (REST, GraphQL..). Escape DAST is one of the most advanced Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) tools in 2026, built specifically for modern tech stacks and complex authentication workflows. It’s ideal for security and AppSec teams looking to scale vulnerability detection with minimal effort and high accuracy.

    What sets Escape apart from traditional DAST tools is its ability to detect business logic vulnerabilities.

    It’s the only DAST solution that uses a feedback-driven Business Logic Security Testing (BLST) engine. This enables deeper testing tailored to your unique app context, identifying vulnerabilities other scanners often miss. Special attention is given to real-world vulnerabilities like IDORs, BOLAs, and access control flaws. Each discovered vulnerability is supported by AI-Powered Exploit Validation.

    In addition to security testing, Escape combines Attack Surface Management and agentless API discovery, and is the best DAST to handle complex authentication scenarios and multi-user testing with natural language rules.

    Escape is built to support Single Page Applications (SPAs), APIs natively, and to easily integrate in CI/CD pipelines.

    Invicti DAST (formerly Netsparker DAST)

    Invicti Platform Screenshot

    Overview:

    Second in our list of the best DAST tools for 2026 is Invicti DAST, (formerly Netsparker DAST), a security solution built for scalable and automated vulnerability detection. Invicti combines Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) with Interactive Application Security Testing (IAST), making it capable of identifying a wide range of threats including SQL injection, XSS, misconfigurations, exposed databases, and out-of-band vulnerabilities.

    Its automated crawler is designed to scan modern web technologies like HTML5, JavaScript-heavy applications, and Single Page Applications (SPAs). Invicti streamlines the process for development teams by automating crawling and vulnerability detection across complex web environments. While this DAST tool is best suited for large scale enterprises, Invicti also offers Acunetix a simplified version geared toward smaller organizations.

    StackHawk

    StackHawk Platform Screenshot

    Overview:

    StackHawk is a modern Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) tool built with developers in mind. It emphasizes catching security vulnerabilities early in the development lifecycle before code hits production. Designed for technical teams, StackHawk helps developers integrate security testing into continuous delivery pipelines with minimal disruption.

    Its vulnerability prioritization follows the OWASP Risk Rating Methodology, focusing on impact and exploitability. StackHawk supports a wide range of API formats, including REST, GraphQL, SOAP, and gRPC, making it a solid DAST option for microservices-driven environments.

    Bright Security

    Bright Security DAST Screenshot

    Overview:

    Bright Security stands out among modern DAST tools by embedding security testing directly into developer workflows. Its early stage testing capability starting within the IDE helps teams catch vulnerabilities before code ever reaches staging or production. This proactive approach enables faster, more secure releases without adding friction to development.

    As one of the few developer first DAST tools, Bright integrates natively with popular CI/CD platforms like GitHub, GitLab, Jenkins, CircleCI, and JFrog. It detects critical web application vulnerabilities such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), CSRF, and XXE, offering efficient, automated testing during every stage of delivery. While its coverage of business logic flaws is limited, Bright provides strong foundational testing with minimal configuration.

    Snyk(Probely)

    sync probely screenshot

    Overview:

    Snyk DAST (formerly Probely) is a cloud-based DAST tool geared toward straightforward application discovery and vulnerability scanning. It suits teams needing basic support for publicly accessible web apps without complex setup or deep security testing.

    Snyk DAST performs standard DAST scans to identify common web vulnerabilities like XSS, SQL injection, and misconfigurations. Discovery relies on domain and DNS connectors (AWS Route 53, Cloudflare), but lacks source‑code or API schema automation. Testing APIs requires manual uploads, with no support for business logic flaws or internal assets. While the tool integrates with ticketing systems (e.g., DefectDojo), and offers remediation guidance, it doesn’t include framework‑specific fixes, code‑level remediation, or advanced findings.

    Compare technical strengths of   Escape vs Snyk DAST

    Burp Suite

    Burp Suite Screenshot

    Overview:

    Burp Suite DAST is one of the more widely used DAST tools designed to test the security of modern web applications through both automated and manual methods. Known for its deep customization and flexibility, it enables technical teams to identify vulnerabilities such as SQL injection, XSS, and CSRF in dynamic environments.

    Unlike simpler tools, Burp Suite DAST offers manual testing components alongside automated scans, making it a strong option for users with security expertise. While setup may be more involved, it remains a well-established dynamic application security testing (DAST) solution for teams needing both extensibility and precision.

    Intruder

    Intruder Platform Screenshot

    Overview:

    Intruder is a cloud-based DAST tool designed for simplicity and wide-ranging coverage across web applications, APIs, and infrastructure. It excels in identifying exposed systems, misconfigurations, and known vulnerabilities with minimal configuration, making it a strong fit for SMBs and security aware development teams.

    Unlike traditional enterprise tools, Intruder provides fast, automated security testing for both internal and external assets. It also includes manual black-box testing capabilities to support deeper assessments when needed.

    Checkmarx

    Checkmarx Platform Screenshot

    Overview:

    Checkmarx is a security platform that combines Static and Dynamic Application Security Testing (SAST and DAST), offering a holistic solution for identifying vulnerabilities across the software development lifecycle. It performs DAST scans against live applications to uncover runtime risks, while also using SAST to detect issues in source code before deployment. This combined approach helps larger enterprises manage security at scale.Learn more about SAST vs DAST.

    It supports the analysis of APIs, including REST, SOAP, and gRPC, making it suitable for complex applications with diverse architectures. While it’s powerful, Checkmarx requires a deeper investment in setup and resources, which aligns it more with larger organizations.

    Fortify

    Fortify WebInspect Platform Screenshot

    Overview:

    Fortify WebInspect by OpenText is a dynamic application security testing (DAST) tool designed to detect vulnerabilities that traditional IAST tools might miss. It leverages functional security testing to enhance web application protection and supports horizontal scaling using Kubernetes to boost JavaScript scanning speeds.

    The platform offers flexible deployment models, including on-premise, SaaS, and AppSec-as-a-Service, making it suitable for various enterprise environments. With built-in compliance templates and integrations, WebInspect is ideal for security teams needing robust, customizable application security assessments.

    Detectify

    Detectify Platform Screenshot

    Overview:

    Detectify is a cloud-based DAST tool designed to uncover vulnerabilities in publicly exposed web applications. It combines Surface Monitoring to detect changes and risks across subdomains and DNS assets with Application Scanning, which uses fuzzing techniques to find known web security flaws like SQL injection, XSS, and misconfigurations.

    As one of the more lightweight DAST tools, Detectify is easy to set up and geared towards monitoring external-facing assets. However, it lacks native support for internal application scanning, complex authentication, and API security testing—making it less suitable for organizations with broader or more modern security requirements. To explore a more advanced approach to dynamic application security, see this detailed comparison of Detectify and modern DAST alternatives.

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    Examples of the legacy DAST tools

    Qualys

    Qualys' Web Application Scanning (WAS) is a cloud-based service with integrated API testing, focusing on identifying the OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities. Its test suite spans legacy systems and cloud applications, and natively, Qualys only handles REST and SOAP APIs. The platform mostly addresses common issues such as authorization and authentication flaws, rate limiting, and injection vulnerabilities.

    💡Explore a comprehensive comparison of Escape as a Qualys alternative here.

    Features

    • Can integrate with CI/CD pipelines and ITSM tools like Jira
    • Has its own TruRisk scoring system to prioritize risks for your organization
    • Can consolidate manual third-party pen testing data within the platform's automated scans
    Qualys API inventory

    Rapid7 InsightAppSec

    Rapid7's InsightAppSec is a legacy DAST scanner that scans applications hosted on a closed network with an optional on-premise engine that scans applications cloud engines cannot reach. Its "Universal Translator" technology means the tool can handle a range of protocols and application formats, and identifies vulnerabilities including SQL injections, XSS and CRSF. Rapid7 tests both applications and APIs, but it treats them the same, not considering the unique needs of API security.

    💡Find a complete comparison between Escape and Rapid7 DAST here

    Features

    • Has crawl maps and scan logs, which detect authentication or access failures early in the scan
    • Offers advanced scan settings
    • Attack Replay allows teams to validate vulnerabilities
    • Comes with pre-built default attack templates and custom attack templates
    • Can leverage both cloud and on-prem scanning engines
    Rapid7 InsightAppSec Dashboard

    Veracode

    Veracode is a cloud-native platform that encompasses SAST, DAST, SCA and manual penetration testing, focusing on targeting web applications and APIs. Veracode automates security tasks and workflows throughout the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) and is a platform targeted toward teams who are looking to scan multiple applications simultaneously in their DAST.

    Features

    • Combines crawling and auditing
    • Can integrate the platform with popular ticketing systems
    • Veracode provides remediation guidance to interpret scan results
    • Can schedule and automate scans, and the platform supports browser limitation and authentication
    Veracode DAST scanner status page

    Benefits of AI-Powered DAST Tools

    AI-powered DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing) tools bring a new level of speed, depth, and scalability to application security—far beyond what traditional scanners or manual pentests can offer.

    AIMultiple’s research shows that agentic AI can significantly improve core security operations, reducing incident response times by up to 52% and expanding visibility across complex infrastructures. And while these studies focus on broader cybersecurity use cases, the same advantages directly translate into the world of AI-powered DAST.

    Here’s what organizations can expect when adopting modern DAST:

    Comprehensive Coverage
    Unlike legacy DAST, AI-powered DAST scanners test 100% of your apps, APIs, and endpoints. They detect complex multi-step attack chains and business logic flaws—like BOLA or IDOR.

    Speed and Efficiency
    Agentic systems deliver results in hours instead of weeks. They run continuously, alerting in real time when new vulnerabilities are found, and integrating directly into your CI/CD pipeline.

    Trusted, Actionable Results
    AI agents validate findings with proof-of-exploit, prioritize by actual risk, and reduce false positives—saving developer time and increasing fix rates.

    Compliance-Ready
    Easily map to standards like SOC 2, ISO 27001, or HIPAA. Generate detailed, audit-ready reports in just hours

    What to Look For in a Modern DAST Tool?

    What to look for in a modern DAST tool?
    1. Detection of business logic vulnerabilities: A DAST solution must consistently detect BOLA, IDOR, access control vulnerabilities, so you can actually trust the DAST vendor to find even the most complex vulnerabilities
    2. Scales with your needs: Handles 10 applications or 1,000 without requiring a dedicated team to manage it
    3. Real-time alerts and insights: As the DAST uncovers weaknesses, security teams should be immediately informed and provided with recommended remediations in order to optimize risk mitigation
    4. Signal over noise: DAST tools should reduce alert fatigue, not create it. Look for solutions that prioritize findings by actual risk, provide context for remediation, and eliminate false positives through intelligent validation, not just "dump" thousands of potential issues.
    5. Integration and workflows: The tool should fit your existing stack. Does it work with your issue tracker, send findings to Jira or Slack, and integrate with other security tools, like Wiz? Friction kills adoption.
    6. Integration into CI/CD: You need a DevSecOps DAST solution that integrates seamlessly with your CI/CD pipeline, automatically retests when code changes, and suggests to developers remediation code snippets tailored to their development framework. Ask: can it test daily releases without manual intervention?
    7. Authentication resilience: A lot of modern applications sit behind MFA, SSO, and rotating tokens. A platform should persist across these automatically, not collapse when a new tab is opened or when another user logs in.

    Conclusion: Choosing the right DAST tool for 2026

    If you’re evaluating DAST solutions for modern stacks, especially APIs, SPAs, and CI/CD-native workflows, your priorities are clear: low false positives, real coverage of business logic flaws, and seamless integration into developer pipelines.

    Legacy DAST scanners fall short. Tools like Escape are built from the ground up for today’s AppSec challenges - offering advanced detection, instant feedback in CI/CD, and real-world testing that matches how attackers operate.

    See how Escape DAST compares to traditional DAST tools - book a live demo with a product expert who understands your architecture and security needs

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    FAQ

    What are DAST tools? +
    DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing) tools are automated security solutions that scan running applications for vulnerabilities from the outside, simulating real-world attack techniques. Unlike static analysis, which reviews source code, DAST tools test the application in its live environment—detecting issues like SQL injection, XSS, authentication flaws, and business logic vulnerabilities. Modern AI-powered DAST tools use intelligent crawling, behavior analysis, and risk prioritization to reduce false positives and improve accuracy. They're essential for securing web apps, APIs, and microservices in CI/CD pipelines, offering continuous, scalable testing without access to source code.
    What are the benefits of AI-powered DAST tools? +
    Modern AI-powered DAST tools use intelligent crawling, behavior analysis, and risk prioritization to reduce false positives and improve accuracy. They're essential for securing web apps, APIs, and microservices in CI/CD pipelines, offering continuous, scalable testing without access to source code. Escape is a leading example in AI-powered DAST: it uses an orchestration of specialized agents to handle everything from asset discovery to deep exploitation (including business logic vulnerabilities) and remediation support.
    What is DAST used for? +
    DAST is used to find runtime security vulnerabilities in web applications, APIs, and microservices. It helps detect issues like authentication bypass, injection flaws, IDOR, and BOLA — especially useful in dynamic or third-party-heavy environments.
    What are the best DAST tools? +
    Modern best DAST tools are evolving quickly, with platforms like Escape, StackHawk, Bright Security, and Invicti offering sophisticated capabilities. Each takes a different approach to continuous security testing, exploit validation, and remediation. Escape is favored by DevSecOps teams for business logic security testing, GraphQL support, and fast CI/CD integration. That said, the "best" tool ultimately depends on your organization’s environment, maturity, and workflow requirements. Different teams may prioritize breadth of automation, depth of logic testing, compliance reporting, or ease of integration.
    What is the difference between DAST and Agentic pentesting? +
    Most of the DAST tools use a traditional approach: they treat the application as a black box, send generic test inputs, and look for known vulnerabilities. Agentic pentesting, however, as implemented, for example, by Escape, thinks more like a human hacker. It understands user flows, authentication, business logic, and can adapt tests based on application state. That means AI pentesting tools can uncover deeper issues (logic flaws, chained exploits, broken authorization) that traditional DAST tools alone often miss, and it can run continuously as your app changes.
    What is the best DAST tool for GraphQL APIs? +
    Escape is the leading DAST tool for GraphQL APIs, offering full query introspection, access control testing, and runtime validation. Most legacy scanners miss GraphQL-specific flaws. Tools like StackHawk offer partial support, but Escape is purpose-built for modern API architectures.
    What is the best DAST tool for handling complex authentication? +
    Escape is the leading DAST tool for managing complex authentication flows. It supports multi-step login sequences, including pre-login actions (such as cookie consent pop-ups), and text-based CAPTCHA handling. Tools like Invicti can support multiple scenarios but lack prescan validation and risk triggering issues in production environments.
    What helps reduce false positives in DAST scanning? +
    Too many false positives waste time. While most tools apply severity levels, Escape uses AI to score findings based on exploitability and business risk. This helps teams focus on real issues, not noise, especially important in CI/CD environments.
    Can DAST scanner find business logic vulnerabilities? +
    Yes—advanced modern DAST platforms like Escape can understand workflows, permissions, and data flows to detect issues like BOLA, IDOR, and access control flaws.

    💡 Want to discover more about DAST? Check out the following links: