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Cybersecurity · head to head

OWASP ZAP vs Springbrook Software

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
Springbrook Software logo

Springbrook Software

Government

Cloud ERP built only for small and mid-sized local governments and utility districts

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only OWASP ZAP has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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.; Springbrook Software nothing is publicly priced, and public sector quotes bundle licence, implementation and conversion so tightly that comparing two vendors requires a formal procurement.
  • They diverge on capability: OWASP ZAP covers Intercepting proxy, Springbrook Software covers Cirrus cloud platform.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OWASP ZAP and Springbrook Software actually diverge.

Attributes where OWASP ZAP and Springbrook Software differ
AttributeOWASP ZAPSpringbrook Software
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsDesktop, Cli, ApiWeb
CategoryCybersecurityGovernment
Founded2001Unknown

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 OWASP ZAP

  • Intercepting proxy
  • Passive scanner
  • Active scanner
  • AJAX spider
  • Automation Framework
  • Headless daemon and REST API
  • Docker images
  • Add-on marketplace

Only in Springbrook Software

  • Cirrus cloud platform
  • Fund accounting
  • Utility billing
  • Payroll and human resources
  • Cashless payments
  • Permitting and land management

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 Springbrook Software
  • Manual penetration testing that needs an intercepting proxy, request replay and fuzzing without a paid licence per testernot Springbrook Software
  • Teaching developers what an attack against their own endpoint looks like, using a tool they can install themselvesnot Springbrook Software
  • Pre-release regression scanning of an internal application that would never justify a commercial DAST subscriptionnot Springbrook Software

Springbrook Software

  • A city of a few thousand residents retiring an on-premises finance server nobody on staff can maintainnot OWASP ZAP
  • A water and sewer district needing meter-based utility billing tied directly to the general ledgernot OWASP ZAP
  • A town that must produce GASB-compliant annual financial reports without a full-time systems accountantnot OWASP ZAP
  • Adding online resident payment for utility bills and licences without integrating a third-party gateway by handnot 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.

Springbrook Software

  • Nothing is publicly priced, and public sector quotes bundle licence, implementation and conversion so tightly that comparing two vendors requires a formal procurement.
  • It is scoped for small and mid-sized agencies, so grant accounting, capital project tracking and human resources depth fall short for larger cities.
  • Data conversion from a legacy municipal system is the largest risk and cost in the project, and historical utility billing data in particular frequently converts badly.
  • The integration list is short compared with entrenched public sector vendors, so agencies already committed to a large incumbent ecosystem will have gaps to bridge.
  • Being cloud-native means the agency cannot defer upgrades, which is an advantage for security but removes control over timing from finance teams working to a fiscal calendar.

Pricing, plan by plan

OWASP ZAP

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

Springbrook Software

On request
  • Springbrook Cirrus$undefined/year
    • Cloud ERP for local government
    • Priced by population, module selection and user count
    • Implementation, data conversion and training quoted separately

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.
OWASP ZAP review

Choose Springbrook Software if

  • You need cirrus cloud platform.
  • You also want fund accounting.
Springbrook Software review

Questions people ask

Is OWASP ZAP or Springbrook Software better?
Neither clearly leads. OWASP ZAP starts at Free and Springbrook Software at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, OWASP ZAP or Springbrook Software?
OWASP ZAP has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for OWASP ZAP and On request for Springbrook Software.
Does OWASP ZAP or Springbrook Software run on more platforms?
OWASP ZAP runs on Desktop, Cli, Api. Springbrook Software runs on Web.
Can I use OWASP ZAP for free?
Yes. OWASP ZAP has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Springbrook Software starts at On request.
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 Springbrook Software is typically brought in for.
What can OWASP ZAP do that Springbrook Software cannot?
OWASP ZAP covers Intercepting proxy, Passive scanner, Active scanner, AJAX spider. Springbrook Software covers Cirrus cloud platform, Fund accounting, Utility billing, Payroll and human resources.

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.

Springbrook Software: Who is Springbrook for?

Small and mid-sized cities, towns, water and sewer agencies and special districts, not counties or states.

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.

Springbrook Software: Is Cirrus really cloud-native?

Yes, it is a multi-tenant rebuild rather than a hosted version of the older client-server product, which is the main reason agencies switch to it.

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.

Springbrook Software: Is pricing published?

No. Local government ERP is quoted through procurement, bundling licence, implementation and data conversion.

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.

Springbrook Software: What is the hardest part of implementation?

Converting historical data, particularly utility billing history, from the outgoing system.

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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