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Software · head to head

Acunetix vs ClickHouse

Acunetix logo

Acunetix

Software

Web application security testing made easy

From
On request
Rated
-
ClickHouse logo

ClickHouse

Software

Fast open-source column-oriented database for real-time analytics

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only ClickHouse has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Acunetix aWS Marketplace lists Acunetix Online Premium, published by seller Invicti Security, at $7,000 per year for 5 targets under a 12 month contract, where a target is one fully qualified domain, website, web app, API or web service; ClickHouse limited multi-row atomic transactions and expensive UPDATE/DELETE operations unsuitable for transactional systems
  • They diverge on capability: Acunetix covers DAST scanning, ClickHouse covers Column-oriented Storage.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Acunetix and ClickHouse actually diverge.

Attributes where Acunetix and ClickHouse differ
AttributeAcunetixClickHouse
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsDesktop, Web, ApiLinux, macOS, Windows (via Docker)
Founded20052021

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Acunetix

  • DAST scanning
  • IAST technology
  • AcuSensor
  • JavaScript security
  • SQL injection testing
  • XSS detection
  • OWASP Top 10
  • API security testing

Only in ClickHouse

  • Column-oriented Storage
  • Real-time Analytics
  • SQL Support
  • Linear Scalability
  • Data Compression
  • Vectorized Query Execution
  • Approximate Calculations
  • Kafka

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Acunetix

  • Vulnerability Scannernot ClickHouse
  • Web Securitynot ClickHouse
  • Dastnot ClickHouse

ClickHouse

  • Business intelligencenot Acunetix
  • Data warehousingnot Acunetix
  • Real-time analyticsnot Acunetix
  • Reportingnot Acunetix
  • Machine learningnot Acunetix

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Acunetix

  • AWS Marketplace lists Acunetix Online Premium, published by seller Invicti Security, at $7,000 per year for 5 targets under a 12 month contract, where a target is one fully qualified domain, website, web app, API or web service
  • AWS Marketplace's Invicti listing shows Premium Support priced separately at $150,000 per year and Premium Support with Guided Success at $300,000 per year, on top of the base scanning licence

ClickHouse

  • Limited multi-row atomic transactions and expensive UPDATE/DELETE operations unsuitable for transactional systems
  • Requires upfront schema design discipline with MergeTree engine choices and sort/partition keys
  • Experimental vector search support, not production-ready for vector operations
  • Different query syntax from standard SQL requiring migration planning
  • Limited JOIN capabilities compared to traditional relational databases
  • Migration complexity with 2-4 weeks estimated for data type mapping and query translation

Pricing, plan by plan

Acunetix

On request
  • StandardFree
    • Single user
    • 5 targets
    • Scheduled scans
  • PremiumFree
    • Multiple users
    • Unlimited targets
    • CI/CD integration
  • Acunetix 360Free
    • Enterprise features
    • SDLC integration
    • Custom workflows

ClickHouse

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the ClickHouse review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Acunetix if

  • You need dast scanning.
  • You work on Desktop, Web, Api.
  • You also want iast technology.

Choose ClickHouse if

  • You need column-oriented storage.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows (via Docker).
  • You also want real-time analytics.

Questions people ask

Is Acunetix or ClickHouse better?
Neither clearly leads. Acunetix starts at On request and ClickHouse at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Acunetix or ClickHouse?
ClickHouse has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Acunetix and Free for ClickHouse.
Does Acunetix or ClickHouse run on more platforms?
Acunetix runs on Desktop, Web, Api. ClickHouse runs on Linux, macOS, Windows (via Docker).
Can I use ClickHouse for free?
Yes. ClickHouse has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Acunetix starts at On request.
What is Acunetix best used for?
Acunetix is most often used for vulnerability scanner, web security, dast. Of those, vulnerability scanner and web security are not what ClickHouse is typically brought in for.
What can Acunetix do that ClickHouse cannot?
Acunetix covers DAST scanning, IAST technology, AcuSensor, JavaScript security. ClickHouse covers Column-oriented Storage, Real-time Analytics, SQL Support, Linear Scalability.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ClickHouse: What is ClickHouse best used for?

ClickHouse is optimized for analytical workloads on large datasets. It excels at fast aggregations and queries, being 10-100x faster than PostgreSQL on large aggregations.

Source
ClickHouse: Does ClickHouse support transactions?

ClickHouse has limited transaction support and expensive UPDATE/DELETE operations. It is not suitable for transactional workloads requiring strict ACID guarantees.

Source
ClickHouse: How does ClickHouse compare to PostgreSQL?

ClickHouse is 10-100x faster for analytics but PostgreSQL is better for transactional workloads. Many teams use both: PostgreSQL for writes via MaterializedPostgreSQL replication to ClickHouse for analytics.

Source

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