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Security & Cybersecurity · head to head

Acunetix vs WireGuard

Acunetix logo

Acunetix

Security & Cybersecurity

Web application security testing made easy

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
WireGuard logo

WireGuard

Security & Cybersecurity

Modern, minimal-complexity VPN protocol with state-of-the-art cryptography

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only WireGuard 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; WireGuard manual key management required; WireGuard does not provide automated peer discovery or key distribution mechanisms

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Acunetix and WireGuard actually diverge.

Attributes where Acunetix and WireGuard differ
AttributeAcunetixWireGuard
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsDesktop, Web, ApiLinux, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, FreeBSD, OpenBSD
Founded2005Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Security & Cybersecurity).

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 WireGuard

Nothing recorded that Acunetix does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Acunetix

  • Vulnerability Scannernot WireGuard
  • Web Securitynot WireGuard
  • Dastnot WireGuard

WireGuard

  • Site-to-site VPN connectivity for datacentres and branch officesnot Acunetix
  • High-performance VPN applications requiring minimal latency and CPU overheadnot Acunetix
  • Embedded systems and IoT devices with strict memory and storage constraintsnot Acunetix
  • WireGuard-based managed services (Tailscale, Mullvad VPN) providing abstraction over raw protocolnot Acunetix
  • Kernel module for Linux-based VPN appliances and firewallsnot Acunetix
  • Research and development in cryptographic protocol designnot 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

WireGuard

  • Manual key management required; WireGuard does not provide automated peer discovery or key distribution mechanisms
  • No built-in support for address allocation or DHCP; all IP assignments must be manually configured
  • Limited to UDP; TCP encapsulation requires wrapper tools, making it unsuitable for environments blocking UDP
  • Stateless protocol design means lost packets trigger peer disconnection rather than transparent reconnection
  • Requires operational expertise to securely configure and deploy; not suitable for non-technical users without wrapper tools (Tailscale, Mullvad)

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

WireGuard

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the WireGuard review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Acunetix if

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

Choose WireGuard if

  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, FreeBSD, OpenBSD.
WireGuard review

Questions people ask

Is Acunetix or WireGuard better?
Neither clearly leads. Acunetix starts at On request and WireGuard at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Acunetix or WireGuard?
WireGuard has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Acunetix and Free for WireGuard.
Does Acunetix or WireGuard run on more platforms?
Acunetix runs on Desktop, Web, Api. WireGuard runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, FreeBSD, OpenBSD.
Can I use WireGuard for free?
Yes. WireGuard 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 WireGuard is typically brought in for.
What can Acunetix do that WireGuard cannot?
Acunetix covers DAST scanning, IAST technology, AcuSensor, JavaScript security.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

WireGuard: Is WireGuard free?

Yes, WireGuard is free and open-source software. The Linux kernel module is licensed under GPLv2; implementations for other platforms use MIT or Apache 2.0 licences. There are no licensing fees.

Source
WireGuard: How does WireGuard differ from IPsec and OpenVPN?

WireGuard replaces complex negotiation protocols and state machines with simple public-key cryptography. Its code is roughly 100 times smaller than IPsec, making it faster to audit, deploy, and maintain. It uses modern cryptographic primitives rather than legacy algorithms.

Source
WireGuard: Can I use WireGuard for a commercial VPN service?

Yes. Several commercial VPN services (Mullvad, IVPN, ProtonVPN) use WireGuard as their underlying protocol. You must implement peer management, key distribution, and endpoint selection on top of the WireGuard protocol.

Source
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