Government · head to head
OnBase vs OWASP ZAP
OWASP ZAP
Cybersecurity
Free, open-source web application scanner and intercepting proxy, now governed by the Software Security Project.
- From
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
The short version
- Only OWASP ZAP has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: OnBase pricing starts at 2,000 USD per month, making it expensive for small agencies; 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: OnBase covers Content Management, OWASP ZAP covers Intercepting proxy.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which OnBase and OWASP ZAP actually diverge.
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 OnBase
- Content Management
- Workflow Automation
- Case Management
- Records Management
- Intelligent Capture
- Microsoft 365
- Salesforce
- Epic
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.
OnBase
- Citizen Servicesnot OWASP ZAP
- Records Managementnot OWASP ZAP
- Public Safetynot OWASP ZAP
- Civic Engagementnot 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 OnBase
- Manual penetration testing that needs an intercepting proxy, request replay and fuzzing without a paid licence per testernot OnBase
- Teaching developers what an attack against their own endpoint looks like, using a tool they can install themselvesnot OnBase
- Pre-release regression scanning of an internal application that would never justify a commercial DAST subscriptionnot OnBase
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
OnBase
- Pricing starts at 2,000 USD per month, making it expensive for small agencies
- Complex implementation and configuration required for government-specific workflows
- Requires significant IT resources for deployment and ongoing management
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
OnBase
$400/month- Government$400/month
- Content Management
- Process Automation
- Case Management
OWASP ZAP
Free- Free & Open SourceFree
- Full functionality
- Active & passive scanning
- Spider
Which should you pick?
Choose OnBase if
- You need content management.
- You work on Web, Mobile.
- You also want workflow automation.
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 OnBase or OWASP ZAP better?
- Neither clearly leads. OnBase starts at $400/month and OWASP ZAP at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, OnBase or OWASP ZAP?
- OWASP ZAP has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $400/month for OnBase and Free for OWASP ZAP.
- Does OnBase or OWASP ZAP run on more platforms?
- OnBase runs on Web, Mobile. 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. OnBase starts at $400/month.
- What is OnBase best used for?
- OnBase is most often used for citizen services, records management, public safety, civic engagement. Of those, citizen services and records management are not what OWASP ZAP is typically brought in for.
- What can OnBase do that OWASP ZAP cannot?
- OnBase covers Content Management, Workflow Automation, Case Management, Records Management. OWASP ZAP covers Intercepting proxy, Passive scanner, Active scanner, AJAX spider.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
OnBase: What is OnBase used for in government?
OnBase is used for digital permitting, inspections, and plan review processes. Government agencies use it to streamline workflows, enable online forms, automate approvals, and provide citizen access to application status.
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.
OnBase: Does OnBase support mobile access?
Yes. Mobile access is a key feature of OnBase, allowing users to manage documents and cases on the go.
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.
OnBase: What document management capabilities does OnBase provide?
OnBase provides centralized document storage with version control, search and retrieval tools, records management across physical and electronic lifecycles, and compliance with policies and regulations.
SourceOWASP 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.
OnBase: Can OnBase workflows be customized?
Yes. OnBase is flexible and configurable with user-defined workflows for case management, streamlining processes like accounts payable, employee onboarding, and contract management.
SourceOWASP 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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