Cybersecurity · head to head
OWASP ZAP vs SonarQube
OWASP ZAP
Cybersecurity
Free, open-source web application scanner and intercepting proxy, now governed by the Software Security Project.
- From
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
SonarQube
Developer Tools
Code quality and code security for clean code, at every step
- From
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
The short version
- Each has a real cost: 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.; SonarQube advanced Security add-on uses custom pricing
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which OWASP ZAP and SonarQube actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 OWASP ZAP
- Intercepting proxy
- Passive scanner
- Active scanner
- AJAX spider
- Automation Framework
- Headless daemon and REST API
- Docker images
- Add-on marketplace
Only in SonarQube
Nothing recorded that OWASP ZAP does not also cover.
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
OWASP ZAP
- Adding a baseline security scan to every application's pipeline where per-target commercial licensing would limit coverage to a handfulnot SonarQube
- Manual penetration testing that needs an intercepting proxy, request replay and fuzzing without a paid licence per testernot SonarQube
- Teaching developers what an attack against their own endpoint looks like, using a tool they can install themselvesnot SonarQube
- Pre-release regression scanning of an internal application that would never justify a commercial DAST subscriptionnot SonarQube
SonarQube
- Code quality analysisnot OWASP ZAP
- Vulnerability detectionnot OWASP ZAP
- Security scanningnot OWASP ZAP
- Compliance reportingnot OWASP ZAP
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal 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.
- 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.
SonarQube
- Advanced Security add-on uses custom pricing
- Only private project lines of code count toward limits
Pricing, plan by plan
OWASP ZAP
Free- Free & Open SourceFree
- Full functionality
- Active & passive scanning
- Spider
SonarQube
Free- FreeFree
- Supports up to 50000 lines of code in private projects
- Never expires
- Covers public projects
- Team$34/month
- 30+ languages
- Code quality standards
- Bug and vulnerability detection
- Enterprise$null/custom
- Advanced security reports
- OWASP/CWE/PCI DSS compliance
- Unlimited users and projects
Which should you pick?
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 OWASP ZAP or SonarQube better?
- Neither clearly leads. OWASP ZAP starts at Free and SonarQube at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, OWASP ZAP or SonarQube?
- OWASP ZAP starts at Free and SonarQube at Free.
- Does OWASP ZAP or SonarQube run on more platforms?
- OWASP ZAP runs on Desktop, Cli, Api. SonarQube runs on Web.
- Can I use OWASP ZAP for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is OWASP ZAP best used for?
- OWASP ZAP is most often used for adding a baseline security scan to every application's pipeline where per-target commercial licensing would limit coverage to a handful, manual penetration testing that needs an intercepting proxy, request replay and fuzzing without a paid licence per tester, teaching developers what an attack against their own endpoint looks like, using a tool they can install themselves, pre-release regression scanning of an internal application that would never justify a commercial dast subscription. Of those, adding a baseline security scan to every application's pipeline where per-target commercial licensing would limit coverage to a handful and manual penetration testing that needs an intercepting proxy, request replay and fuzzing without a paid licence per tester are not what SonarQube is typically brought in for.
- What can OWASP ZAP do that SonarQube cannot?
- OWASP ZAP covers Intercepting proxy, Passive scanner, Active scanner, AJAX spider.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
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.
SonarQube: How much does SonarQube cost?
SonarQube offers a free tier supporting up to 50000 lines of code in private projects, a Team plan starting at $34/month, and custom Enterprise pricing. Team plan includes 14-day free trial.
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.
SonarQube: Is SonarQube free?
Yes, SonarQube offers a free tier that never expires and covers both public and private projects up to 50000 lines of code in private projects.
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.
SonarQube: What languages does SonarQube support?
SonarQube Team plan supports 30+ languages including common programming languages. Enterprise plan adds support for 40+ languages including ABAP, COBOL, and Apex.
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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