Cybersecurity · head to head
Darktrace vs OWASP ZAP
Darktrace
Cybersecurity
Autonomous threat detection and response
- From
- $20000/year
- Rated
- -
OWASP ZAP
Cybersecurity
Free, open-source web application scanner and intercepting proxy, now governed by the Software Security Project.
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only OWASP ZAP has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Darktrace no pricing information published on website; vendors must request pricing through demo request form or contact sales; OWASP ZAP authenticated scanning of modern single-page applications is the hard part and ZAP makes you build it by hand: session handling, token refresh and login scripts are configured per application, and a misconfigured session means the scanner logs itself out and reports a clean result for pages it never reached.
- They diverge on capability: Darktrace covers Self-learning AI, OWASP ZAP covers Intercepting proxy.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Darktrace and OWASP ZAP actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (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 Darktrace
- Self-learning AI
- Network anomaly detection
- Autonomous response
- Behavioral analysis
- Threat model visualization
- Email security
- Application control
- Incident response automation
Only in OWASP ZAP
- Intercepting proxy
- Passive scanner
- Active scanner
- AJAX spider
- Automation Framework
- Headless daemon and REST API
- Docker images
- Add-on marketplace
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Darktrace
- Threat Detectionnot OWASP ZAP
- Ndrnot OWASP ZAP
- Incident Responsenot OWASP ZAP
OWASP ZAP
- Adding a baseline security scan to every application's pipeline where per-target commercial licensing would limit coverage to a handfulnot Darktrace
- Manual penetration testing that needs an intercepting proxy, request replay and fuzzing without a paid licence per testernot Darktrace
- Teaching developers what an attack against their own endpoint looks like, using a tool they can install themselvesnot Darktrace
- Pre-release regression scanning of an internal application that would never justify a commercial DAST subscriptionnot Darktrace
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Darktrace
- No pricing information published on website; vendors must request pricing through demo request form or contact sales
- No tiered pricing structure available to compare editions or select appropriate plan level before contacting sales
OWASP ZAP
- Authenticated scanning of modern single-page applications is the hard part and ZAP makes you build it by hand: session handling, token refresh and login scripts are configured per application, and a misconfigured session means the scanner logs itself out and reports a clean result for pages it never reached.
- There is no support contract in the product, so when a scan breaks the day before a release the escalation path is a GitHub issue and a community chat, which is not an answer that satisfies a delivery manager or an auditor who wants a named responsible party.
- Active scanning sends genuine attack traffic, so it can create records, trigger emails, exhaust rate limits or destabilise a fragile environment, and pointing it at production without prior agreement produces an incident rather than a test result.
- Output needs triage: passive rules generate large volumes of low-severity informational findings about headers and cookie flags that bury the few results that matter, and a team without someone tuning the rule set stops reading the report within a few sprints.
- As a dynamic scanner it can only test what it can reach, so authorisation flaws between accounts, business logic abuse and anything behind an undiscovered endpoint go unreported, and a passing ZAP scan is evidence of nothing more than the absence of the classes of bug it looks for.
Pricing, plan by plan
Darktrace
$20000/year- Detect$20000/year
- Network anomaly detection
- AI-powered threat detection
- Compliance reporting
- Detect & Respond$35000/year
- All Detect features
- Autonomous response
- Email security
- Enterprise$50000/year
- All features
- Dedicated support
- Custom training
OWASP ZAP
Free- Free & Open SourceFree
- Full functionality
- Active & passive scanning
- Spider
Which should you pick?
Choose Darktrace if
- You need self-learning ai.
- You work on Network, Cloud, Email.
- You also want network anomaly detection.
Choose OWASP ZAP if
- You need intercepting proxy.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Desktop, Cli, Api.
- You also want passive scanner.
Questions people ask
- Is Darktrace or OWASP ZAP better?
- Neither clearly leads. Darktrace starts at $20000/year and OWASP ZAP at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Darktrace or OWASP ZAP?
- OWASP ZAP has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $20000/year for Darktrace and Free for OWASP ZAP.
- Does Darktrace or OWASP ZAP run on more platforms?
- Darktrace runs on Network, Cloud, Email. OWASP ZAP runs on Desktop, Cli, Api.
- Can I use OWASP ZAP for free?
- Yes. OWASP ZAP has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Darktrace starts at $20000/year.
- What is Darktrace best used for?
- Darktrace is most often used for threat detection, ndr, incident response. Of those, threat detection and ndr are not what OWASP ZAP is typically brought in for.
- What can Darktrace do that OWASP ZAP cannot?
- Darktrace covers Self-learning AI, Network anomaly detection, Autonomous response, Behavioral analysis. OWASP ZAP covers Intercepting proxy, Passive scanner, Active scanner, AJAX spider.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Darktrace: How much does Darktrace cost?
Darktrace does not publish pricing information on its website. To obtain pricing details and learn about available packages, customers must contact Darktrace directly by requesting a demo or reaching out through the company's contact form.
SourceOWASP ZAP: Is it still called OWASP ZAP?
The project left OWASP in August 2024 and is now governed by the Software Security Project, with core development sponsored by Checkmarx. The tool is now just ZAP, though most existing documentation, courses and search results still use the OWASP name.
Darktrace: Does Darktrace offer a free trial?
Darktrace mentions a free trial option, but specific trial length, features included, and how to access it are not published on the website. Users must contact the company directly to inquire about trial availability.
SourceOWASP ZAP: Is it free for commercial use?
Yes. It is Apache 2.0 licensed, with no per-application, per-scan or per-user cost, and it can be used and modified commercially without a licence agreement.
OWASP ZAP: Can it replace a penetration test?
No. It automates checks for known vulnerability classes against endpoints it can reach. It does not reason about business logic, chain findings into an attack, or test authorisation between accounts, which is most of what a tester actually does.
OWASP ZAP: Does it run in CI?
Yes, through the official Docker images and the Automation Framework, which defines scan jobs in YAML so configuration lives in the repository. A baseline passive scan is the usual starting point because it is fast and non-intrusive.
OWASP ZAP: How does it compare to Burp Suite?
Burp Suite Professional is the more polished manual testing tool and has a stronger scanner and extension ecosystem, but it is licensed per tester and Burp Suite Enterprise per target. ZAP is the better fit where cost per target is the binding constraint; many teams use both.
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