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Semgrep is our top pick for teams that want code-focused SAST, custom rules, and a free tier; Snyk is a broader option, but its scan noise and Enterprise costs may be hard to justify. For manual web testing, start with Burp Suite Community before paying for Professional. Invicti covers code and live apps, though its pricing is opaque. The other tools solve narrower needs, from secrets and firmware analysis to portfolio planning. Compare the job each tool covers with its published starting price—and ask vendors for a quote where pricing is not published.
Quick picksThe shortlist
SemgrepSemgrepBest overall · $15/mo
SnykSnykBest for broad coverage · $25/mo
Burp SuiteBurp SuiteBest for manual testing · $41.58/mo
InvictiInvictiBest for consolidation · Custom
DopplerDopplerBest for secrets and agents · $8/mo
TruffleHogTruffleHogBest for secret verification · Free
GitGuardianGitGuardianBest for secrets governance · Free
HashiCorp VaultHashiCorp VaultBest for complex secrets · Custom
AcunetixAcunetixBest for authenticated DAST · Custom
Finite StateFinite StateBest for firmware security · Custom
CAST HighlightCAST HighlightBest for portfolio planning · $566.67/mo
VeracodeVeracodeBest for governance · Custom
01Compared at a glance
| Tool | Score | From | Free plan | Trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SemgrepSemgrep | 7.6 | $15/mo | Yes | 30 days |
| SnykSnyk | 6.2 | $25/mo | Yes | — |
| Burp SuiteBurp Suite | 7.2 | $41.58/mo | Yes | Yes |
| InvictiInvicti | 6.8 | Custom | No | — |
| DopplerDoppler | 7.0 | $8/mo | Yes | 14 days |
| TruffleHogTruffleHog | 6.8 | Free | Yes | — |
| GitGuardianGitGuardian | 6.8 | Free | Yes | — |
| HashiCorp VaultHashiCorp Vault | 6.8 | Custom | No | — |
| AcunetixAcunetix | 6.0 | Custom | No | — |
| Finite StateFinite State | 6.2 | Custom | No | — |
| CAST HighlightCAST Highlight | 6.0 | $566.67/mo | No | — |
| VeracodeVeracode | 4.8 | Custom | No | — |
02The picks, in detail
- Best overallSemgrepSemgrep
Semgrep has the highest our score, a listed starting price of $15, and a free plan. It fits teams prioritizing code-focused SAST and developers who want custom rules. Its limit is scope: the published summary says to look elsewhere if you need DAST in one platform. For many teams, that makes it a clear starting point, not an all-in-one AppSec suite.
What works
- Free Edition includes Code and Supply Chain.
- Free tier allows up to 10 contributors and 10 repositories.
- Teams includes up to 500 private repositories.
What doesn't
- No DAST, according to Reddit commenters.
- Teams starts at $30 per contributor/month.
- Code and Supply Chain each cost $30 per contributor/month as add-ons.
- Best for broad coverageSnykSnyk
Snyk is a reasonable choice for teams securing code and dependencies, including organizations adopting AI development tools. The published price starts at $25 and includes a free plan. Its trade-offs are scan noise and opaque Enterprise costs; teams should make sure they can manage findings before committing. It offers broader security coverage than a code-only scanner, but value depends on those caveats.
What works
- Covers code, open source, containers and IaC
- Includes security features for development agents and AI applications
- Free plan includes 5 projects
What doesn't
- Enterprise pricing is custom and not published
- Enterprise credits are prepaid for the contract term
- Free plan limits Code tests to 100 per month
- Best for manual testingBurp SuiteBurp Suite
Burp Suite is aimed at manual web security testing, paid features for security testers, and learners using Web Security Academy labs. The pricing page includes a free plan and a $41.58 starting price; the summary says Professional costs $499 a year. Start with Community, then pay for Professional only if its limits get in your way. It is a focused testing tool, not broad AppSec coverage.
What works
- Community Edition is free
- Homepage lists six core testing tools
- Community Edition supports manual testing
What doesn't
- Community Edition cannot save projects
- Community Edition has no automated vulnerability scanner
- Community Intruder demo is rate-throttled
- Best for consolidationInvictiInvicti
Invicti suits teams consolidating AppSec tools, scanning code and live apps, or needing deployment flexibility. The published summary calls its coverage strong, but flags opaque pricing and reported API shortcomings. Its starting price is not published, so buyers cannot compare cost from the listing alone. It may fit organizations seeking broad coverage, but get a detailed quote and check API needs before shortlisting it.
What works
- Combines DAST, SAST, SCA, IaC, secrets, and vulnerability management.
- Proof-based DAST validates findings in running applications.
- Connects static findings to runtime vulnerabilities and code ownership.
What doesn't
- Subscription prices for Web + API, AppSec Core, and Flex are not published.
- Reddit users report limited GraphQL coverage and API ownership gaps.
- One commenter described API documentation and spec upkeep as a burden.
- Best for secrets and agentsDopplerDoppler
Doppler is built for teams centralizing application secrets, including teams that need scoped credentials for AI agents. The pricing page includes a free plan and starts at $8. That is a relatively accessible entry point, but the summary specifically warns buyers to check per-user costs and plan caps before switching. Choose it for secrets controls; do not assume the listed starting price represents the cost for your whole team.
What works
- Free Developer plan covers 3 users
- Native MCP server for AI agents
- No extra pricing for non-human identities
What doesn't
- Developer logs are retained for only 3 days
- Developer includes just 5 config syncs
- Team costs $21 per user monthly
- Best for secret verificationTruffleHogTruffleHog
TruffleHog fits teams looking for open-source secret scanning, verification, and leaked-secret remediation tracking. The pricing page includes a free plan, but paid pricing is not published. Its summary also flags clouded limits, so ask for both pricing and plan details before comparing it with paid alternatives. It has a clear secrets-focused use case, but the unknown commercial terms make budgeting harder.
What works
- Open-source option is listed as free
- Verifies 800+ secret types with providers
- Analyzes resources and permissions tied to identities
What doesn't
- Open-source seat and usage limits are unpublished
- Enterprise pricing requires contacting the vendor
- Add-on prices are unpublished
- Best for secrets governanceGitGuardianGitGuardian
GitGuardian covers secrets monitoring, developer and repository scanning, and machine-identity governance. The pricing page notes a useful free tier but does not publish paid-plan rates. That makes it worth considering for small teams starting secrets monitoring, while leaving a key buying question unanswered for larger deployments. Confirm paid pricing and what each plan includes before treating the free tier as a route to scale.
What works
- Free Starter plan for up to 25 developers
- Unlimited real-time scanning on Starter
- Scans repositories and several developer tools
What doesn't
- Paid plan rates are not published
- Endpoint protection rates are not published
- Starter caps historical detections at 500
- Best for complex secretsHashiCorp VaultHashiCorp Vault
HashiCorp Vault is for teams with complex secrets workflows, dynamic database credentials, or infrastructure teams able to maintain it. The published summary describes it as capable but warns that its price and maintenance burden can outweigh the extra control. Starting pricing is not published, so buyers should compare a vendor quote with the operational work their team can support. It is not the simplest default for basic secrets storage.
What works
- Stores secrets for applications, systems, and infrastructure
- Dynamically generates database credentials from configured roles
- Provides encryption as a service through Transit
What doesn't
- Dedicated service starts at $0.62 per cluster per hour
- Essentials and Standard add $73 per Vault client monthly
- Flex and Enterprise prices are not published
- Best for authenticated DASTAcunetixAcunetix
Acunetix targets teams scanning web apps and APIs, running authenticated DAST, or automating security checks in CI/CD. Its starting price is not published, and the published summary flags one user report of scan disruption. That is not enough to judge how common the issue is, but it is a reason to ask about scan reliability and test the fit before buying. Compare its quote against your scanning needs.
What works
- Scans web applications and APIs
- Tests role-based flows and complex authentication
- Analyzes REST, GraphQL and SOAP APIs
What doesn't
- Web + API pricing is quote-based
- No starting price is published
- No free plan is listed
- Best for firmware securityFinite StateFinite State
Finite State is aimed at connected-device product security teams analyzing firmware and binaries, and organizations mapping security to regulations. Its starting price is not published; the published summary recommends getting a detailed quote before comparing costs. This is a specialized choice, not a general code-scanning default. Evaluate it when device and firmware security are central to your requirements, rather than paying for capabilities your team does not need.
What works
- Analyzes firmware and other product binaries
- Generates software bills of materials
- Supports vulnerability reachability analysis
What doesn't
- Pricing is custom and provided by quote
- Seat and usage limits are not published
- Free-trial and proof-of-concept terms are not published
- Best for portfolio planningCAST HighlightCAST Highlight
CAST Highlight is designed for leaders governing large software portfolios, mapping application dependencies, and planning modernization or cloud optimization. The pricing page starts at $566.67, while the summary warns that annual pricing and application caps demand careful budgeting. It may help with portfolio intelligence, but buyers should confirm how the caps apply and calculate total annual cost before comparing it with security scanners.
What works
- Maps applications and their architecture
- Surfaces code, data access, and dependencies
- Supports technical-debt prioritization
What doesn't
- Starting price is $566.67 per named application monthly equivalent
- Monthly billing prices are not published
- Seat limits are not published
- Best for governanceVeracodeVeracode
Veracode offers broad SDLC security coverage and is positioned for organizations securing AI-generated code or needing governance and compliance features. Its starting price is not published, and the published summary recommends checking user reports before committing. The score is the lowest in this group, so it is harder to recommend as a default. Shortlist it when governance needs match the use case, then request pricing and verify fit.
What works
- Coverage spans code, dependencies, containers and runtime signals.
- Automated flaw fixes and AI-driven remediation are listed.
- Assesses third-party libraries and open-source contributions.
What doesn't
- No published starting price; sales provides custom quotes.
- Plan limits, billing cadence and trial terms aren't published.
- One Reddit commenter says Veracode scans binaries, not raw source.
03How we chose
We compare these tools by the job a team needs done, then weigh vendor-published pricing and plan limits where disclosed, product documentation, and attributable Reddit sentiment. We look for practical fit: what problem a tool addresses, where it sits in a development workflow, and what a buyer should verify before switching or adding another product. If a price, cap, or feature is not stated in the available published material, we do not fill the gap with an estimate. We do not claim hands-on testing, benchmarks, or screenshots.
04Choose for the risk you need to manage
“Application security” covers several different buying problems. Before comparing vendors, name the risk you need to reduce: for example, issues in code, exposed secrets, vulnerable dependencies, or weaknesses in a running application. Those needs can call for different workflows, so a long feature list is less useful than knowing what your team must find, who will act on a finding, and where that work should happen.
For each candidate, check the product documentation for supported languages, integrations, scanning scope, and how findings are prioritized and assigned. Confirm those details against your own repositories, deployment process, and team responsibilities. The product names on this page are not a substitute for that fit check: do not assume two tools cover the same risk, or that one tool covers every risk your team cares about.
05Compare total cost and switching effort
Compare the price you can verify, not a headline number divorced from its limits. Check the vendor’s pricing page for the billing unit, included users or projects, usage caps, and which capabilities require a higher plan. If the page does not disclose a price or limit, treat it as unknown and ask the vendor for a written quote. Do not assume an undisclosed feature or cap is included.
Then account for the work of adopting or replacing a tool: integrations to configure, existing findings or policies to carry over, and the people who will triage alerts. Ask for a clear description of export options and migration requirements in the docs or sales process. A lower listed price may not settle the decision if the plan does not fit your workflow; a broader product may not be worth paying for if your team will not use it.
Questions people ask
Which application security tool is best?
There is no single best choice for every team. Start with the risk you need to address and the workflow your developers can support. Then compare documented coverage, integrations, plan limits, and price. The available published material here does not establish a universal winner or verify each product’s current capabilities.
How much do application security tools cost?
Prices and plan limits vary, and no current figures were published in the published material for this page. Check each vendor’s pricing page for published rates and caps. If pricing is not listed, ask for a quote and confirm the billing unit, included usage, and any plan restrictions.
Can one tool cover every application security need?
Do not assume so. Teams may need to manage different risks across code, dependencies, secrets, and deployed applications. Check each product’s documentation for the specific coverage and workflow you need, and verify whether gaps require another tool. The tool names alone do not establish overlap or coverage.
What should we check before switching tools?
Confirm that the replacement covers your required risks, languages, integrations, and workflows in its documentation. Check published pricing and plan caps, then ask how findings, policies, and integrations can be transferred. Treat migration steps and any undisclosed limits as questions to resolve before committing.