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Developer Tools · head to head

GoLand vs OWASP ZAP

GoLand logo

GoLand

Developer Tools

JetBrains IDE for developing applications in Go

From
$24/month
Free plan
No
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
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only OWASP ZAP has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: GoLand requires a paid subscription with no permanently free tier for commercial use.; 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: GoLand covers Smart code completion, OWASP ZAP covers Intercepting proxy.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where GoLand and OWASP ZAP differ
AttributeGoLandOWASP ZAP
Starting price$24/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfree
Free tierNoYes
Platformswindows, mac, linuxDesktop, Cli, Api
CategoryDeveloper ToolsCybersecurity
Founded20002001

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

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 GoLand

  • Smart code completion
  • Integrated debugger
  • Refactoring tools
  • Version control integration
  • Docker and Kubernetes support
  • Built-in terminal and database tools

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.

GoLand

  • Developing Go microservices and backend systemsnot OWASP ZAP
  • Debugging and profiling Go applicationsnot OWASP ZAP
  • Working with Docker and Kubernetes deploymentsnot OWASP ZAP
  • Refactoring large Go codebasesnot 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 GoLand
  • Manual penetration testing that needs an intercepting proxy, request replay and fuzzing without a paid licence per testernot GoLand
  • Teaching developers what an attack against their own endpoint looks like, using a tool they can install themselvesnot GoLand
  • Pre-release regression scanning of an internal application that would never justify a commercial DAST subscriptionnot GoLand

Where each one falls short

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

GoLand

  • Requires a paid subscription with no permanently free tier for commercial use.
  • Heavier resource usage than lightweight text editors like Vim or Sublime Text.
  • Primarily optimized for Go, so multi-language teams may prefer a broader IDE like VS Code or IntelliJ Ultimate.
  • License renewal pricing increases after the first year if a subscription lapses.

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

GoLand

$24/month
  • Individual$24/month
    • Personal use license
    • Access to GoLand
    • Free for students and open-source maintainers
  • Organization$34/month
    • Business use license
    • Access to GoLand
    • Volume and renewal discounts

OWASP ZAP

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

Which should you pick?

Choose GoLand if

  • You need smart code completion.
  • You work on windows, mac, linux.
  • You also want integrated debugger.
GoLand 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 GoLand or OWASP ZAP better?
Neither clearly leads. GoLand starts at $24/month and OWASP ZAP at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GoLand or OWASP ZAP?
OWASP ZAP has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $24/month for GoLand and Free for OWASP ZAP.
Does GoLand or OWASP ZAP run on more platforms?
GoLand runs on windows, mac, linux. 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. GoLand starts at $24/month.
What is GoLand best used for?
GoLand is most often used for developing go microservices and backend systems, debugging and profiling go applications, working with docker and kubernetes deployments, refactoring large go codebases. Of those, developing go microservices and backend systems and debugging and profiling go applications are not what OWASP ZAP is typically brought in for.
What can GoLand do that OWASP ZAP cannot?
GoLand covers Smart code completion, Integrated debugger, Refactoring tools, Version control integration. OWASP ZAP covers Intercepting proxy, Passive scanner, Active scanner, AJAX spider.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

GoLand: How much does GoLand cost?

GoLand is sold as a JetBrains Toolbox subscription starting around $24/month for individuals and $34/month for organizations, with discounts for longer commitments and free licenses for students and open-source maintainers.

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.

GoLand: Is there a free trial?

JetBrains offers a free trial period for GoLand before requiring purchase of a Toolbox subscription license.

Source
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.

GoLand: What platforms does GoLand run on?

GoLand runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux as a desktop application distributed through JetBrains Toolbox.

Source
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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