Security & Cybersecurity · head to head
OWASP ZAP vs Wireshark
OWASP ZAP
Security & Cybersecurity
Free security testing tool for web applications
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Wireshark
Security & Cybersecurity
The world's foremost network protocol analyzer
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: OWASP ZAP oWASP ZAP is free and open source with no official paid enterprise support contract available from OWASP; support is community-only (mailing lists, GitHub issues).; Wireshark free and open source under the GNU GPL; downloadable without paying any license fee, no commercial tier
- They diverge on capability: OWASP ZAP covers Active scanner, Wireshark covers Deep packet inspection.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which OWASP ZAP and Wireshark actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Security & Cybersecurity).
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
- Active scanner
- Passive scanner
- Spider/crawler
- Fuzzer
- Forced browse
- WebSocket testing
- AJAX spider
- Authentication support
Only in Wireshark
- Deep packet inspection
- Live capture
- Offline analysis
- 3000+ protocol support
- Rich display filters
- VoIP analysis
- Decryption support
- Scripting with Lua
Both cover
- On-premise deployment
- Desktop support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
OWASP ZAP
- Penetration Testingnot Wireshark
- Web Securitynot Wireshark
- Open Source
Wireshark
- Network Securitynot OWASP ZAP
- Packet Analysisnot OWASP ZAP
- Open Source
Both are used for open source, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
OWASP ZAP
- OWASP ZAP is free and open source with no official paid enterprise support contract available from OWASP; support is community-only (mailing lists, GitHub issues).
Wireshark
- Free and open source under the GNU GPL; downloadable without paying any license fee, no commercial tier
Pricing, plan by plan
OWASP ZAP
Free- Free & Open SourceFree
- Full functionality
- Active & passive scanning
- Spider
Wireshark
Free- Free & Open SourceFree
- Full functionality
- Deep inspection
- Live capture
Which should you pick?
Choose OWASP ZAP if
- You need active scanner.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Desktop, Cli, Api.
- You also want passive scanner.
Choose Wireshark if
- You need deep packet inspection.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Desktop, Cli.
- You also want live capture.
Questions people ask
- Is OWASP ZAP or Wireshark better?
- Neither clearly leads. OWASP ZAP starts at Free and Wireshark at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, OWASP ZAP or Wireshark?
- OWASP ZAP starts at Free and Wireshark at Free.
- Does OWASP ZAP or Wireshark run on more platforms?
- OWASP ZAP runs on Desktop, Cli, Api. Wireshark runs on Desktop, Cli.
- 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 penetration testing, web security, open source. Of those, penetration testing and web security are not what Wireshark is typically brought in for.
- What can OWASP ZAP do that Wireshark cannot?
- OWASP ZAP covers Active scanner, Passive scanner, Spider/crawler, Fuzzer. Wireshark covers Deep packet inspection, Live capture, Offline analysis, 3000+ protocol support. Both handle On-premise deployment, Desktop support.