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Eclipse vs OWASP ZAP

Eclipse logo

Eclipse

Technology

The Eclipse Foundation - home to a global community

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OWASP ZAP logo

OWASP ZAP

Cybersecurity

Free, open-source web application scanner and intercepting proxy, now governed by the Software Security Project.

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Eclipse high memory consumption and CPU usage, especially with multiple plugins installed; 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: Eclipse covers Java development environment, OWASP ZAP covers Intercepting proxy.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Eclipse and OWASP ZAP actually diverge.

Attributes where Eclipse and OWASP ZAP differ
AttributeEclipseOWASP ZAP
Pricing modelUnknownfree
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxDesktop, Cli, Api
CategoryTechnologyCybersecurity

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), founded (2001).

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 Eclipse

  • Java development environment
  • Extensible plugin architecture
  • Integrated debugger
  • Code refactoring
  • Version control integration
  • Build automation
  • Multi-language support
  • Rich client platform

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.

Eclipse

  • Java application developmentnot OWASP ZAP
  • Enterprise software developmentnot OWASP ZAP
  • Web application developmentnot OWASP ZAP
  • Plugin developmentnot OWASP ZAP
  • Educational programmingnot 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 Eclipse
  • Manual penetration testing that needs an intercepting proxy, request replay and fuzzing without a paid licence per testernot Eclipse
  • Teaching developers what an attack against their own endpoint looks like, using a tool they can install themselvesnot Eclipse
  • Pre-release regression scanning of an internal application that would never justify a commercial DAST subscriptionnot Eclipse

Where each one falls short

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

Eclipse

  • High memory consumption and CPU usage, especially with multiple plugins installed
  • Slow startup times and performance degradation with large projects or many open editors
  • Requires configuration of eclipse.ini file to optimize heap sizes for adequate performance
  • User interface considered outdated compared to modern IDE alternatives
  • User base fell from 39% of Java developers in 2024 to 28% in 2025, indicating market decline

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

Eclipse

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Eclipse review.

OWASP ZAP

Free
  • Free & Open SourceFree
    • Full functionality
    • Active & passive scanning
    • Spider

Which should you pick?

Choose Eclipse if

  • You need java development environment.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want extensible plugin architecture.
Eclipse review

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.
OWASP ZAP review

Questions people ask

Is Eclipse or OWASP ZAP better?
Neither clearly leads. Eclipse starts at Free and OWASP ZAP at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Eclipse or OWASP ZAP?
Eclipse starts at Free and OWASP ZAP at Free.
Does Eclipse or OWASP ZAP run on more platforms?
Eclipse runs on Windows, macOS, Linux. OWASP ZAP runs on Desktop, Cli, Api.
Can I use Eclipse for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Eclipse best used for?
Eclipse is most often used for java application development, enterprise software development, web application development, plugin development. Of those, java application development and enterprise software development are not what OWASP ZAP is typically brought in for.
What can Eclipse do that OWASP ZAP cannot?
Eclipse covers Java development environment, Extensible plugin architecture, Integrated debugger, Code refactoring. OWASP ZAP covers Intercepting proxy, Passive scanner, Active scanner, AJAX spider.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Eclipse: How much does Eclipse IDE cost?

Eclipse IDE is completely free and open-source, released under the Eclipse Public License 2.0.

Source
OWASP 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.

OWASP 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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