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Top 10 Qualys Alternatives

APIs have become fundamental to digital business, with over 90% of application traffic now flowing through APIs. More than 54% of enterprises say APIs directly influence revenue, and in high growth organizations, API driven services account for over 70% of new product and feature delivery. As cloud native architectures, microservices, and continuous deployment pipelines accelerate software release cycles, security must now keep up with both speed and scale. It is no longer enough to secure applications periodically. Security must be continuous, automated, and integrated into every stage of the engineering lifecycle.

However, this shift brings a significant increase in operational and cybersecurity risk. Research shows that over 63% of breaches now originate from vulnerabilities at the application or API layer. Undocumented interfaces, unmonitored endpoints, and delayed visibility can lead to compliance failures, production outages, and costly emergency remediation. With APIs increasingly carrying financial data, authentication tokens, personal information, and regulated industry data, boards and regulators are holding organizations accountable for provable security assurance and continuous monitoring.

This is where Qualys begins to fall short for many modern teams. Built around point in time DAST scanning, Qualys focuses on generating reports rather than improving security posture continuously. Vulnerabilities remain unprotected between scans, which often run weekly or monthly. More than 40% of remediation time is spent chasing issues that could have been prevented pre production. On premises scan engines create operational overhead, deployment cycles can take weeks, and full payload ingestion introduces additional privacy and audit challenges, especially in BFSI and healthcare environments. The result is high cost, limited API visibility, and slower response to real world risks.

Organizations that treat application and API security as a driver of uptime, revenue, and customer trust need an approach that delivers real time protection, full lifecycle coverage, automated remediation, minimal manual effort, Qualys deployment, and privacy first data handling.

This guide presents the Top 10 Qualys Alternatives, evaluated by SDLC coverage, visibility depth, scalability, cost efficiency, deployment speed, and alignment with API first and DevSecOps focused delivery models.

When to Seek Alternatives to Qualys

When evaluating Qualys’s approach to application and API security, several recurring limitations begin to impact security maturity, deployment speed, cost efficiency, and overall alignment with modern DevSecOps practices. These challenges often signal the need to consider alternatives that offer continuous protection, deeper coverage, lower manual effort, and fewer privacy or deployment constraints.

The table below highlights key triggers and explains why they matter, from unprotected gaps between scans to rising infrastructure costs and limited discovery visibility, helping teams identify where Qualys may fall short in real world API driven environments.

Trigger
Why It Matters
Continuous Protection Gaps
Point in time scans leave APIs exposed between cycles, allowing vulnerabilities to sit unnoticed and increasing breach risk.
Rising Total Cost of Ownership
Scan engines and frequent rescans drive up cloud and infra costs with each release.
Vendor Induced Privacy Risk
Full payload capture raises data residency and compliance concerns, especially in regulated industries.
Deployment Friction
On premises engines, manual auth setup, and complex configurations delay rollout and slow developer adoption.
Heavy Manual Overhead
Teams spend time scripting tokens, tuning scans, and managing configurations instead of resolving risks.
Limited API Visibility
Crawl based discovery misses internal, shadow, zombie, or low traffic APIs, creating dangerous blind spots.
Static Reporting with Slow Remediation
Findings lack actionable guidance, slowing developer remediation and extending production risk windows.
Shallow Attack Simulation
Single request tests miss multi step, authorization dependent, and real world exploit paths.
Lack of SDLC Coverage
Security is applied post build, causing late discoveries, expensive fixes, and reactive firefighting.

At a Glance: Qualys vs the Best Alternatives

Qualys

has long been known for its DAST capabilities and compliance driven reporting, but its approach still centers on point in time scanning rather than continuous application and API security. For teams operating in fast moving CI/CD environments, this model can leave vulnerabilities undiscovered until after deployment, driving higher remediation effort, production risk, and operational overhead. As security becomes inseparable from delivery velocity, enterprises are now leaning toward platforms that offer continuous protection, automated testing, deeper API visibility, and lower total cost of ownership.

Below are the Top Qualys Alternatives that provide stronger lifecycle coverage, privacy preserving architectures, and DevSecOps alignment without requiring heavy manual configuration, on premises scan engines, or constant rescan cycles.

  1. Levo.ai
  2. Akamai
  3. Salt Security
  4. Traceable.ai
  5. Orca Security
  6. Escape Security
  7. Invicti
  8. Akto
  9. Rapid7
  10. StackHawk

These platforms support automated discovery, real time vulnerability detection, and integrated remediation, allowing organizations to secure APIs and applications without slowing releases.

Here’s a side by side comparison of Qualys vs leading alternatives across key dimensions including business value, deployment agility, privacy risk, TCO, API visibility, and SDLC coverage, helping teams quickly identify which solutions offer the best fit for modern API first and security driven engineering models.

Category
Akamai
Levo.ai
Traceable.ai
Salt Security
Akto
Orca Security
Inviciti
Qualys
Rapid7
Escape Security
StackHawk
Core Business Value
CDN edge API defense with high alert volume
Full lifecycle API security for faster, safer releases
Reactive runtime defense; focuses on blocking and forensics.
Production only protection; issues caught after release
Developer first API testing platform with strong  shift left focus.
CNAPP platform offering production level visibility; no  shift left coverage.

Periodic API scans; limited security depth.
API testing retrofitted onto web app scanning framework.
Point in time DAST scans for compliance
Focused on static schema generation and limited runtime protection.
Developer focused API testing during development.
Primary Use Case
WAF style API protection for production workloads.
Automated security across dev to prod with CI/CD integration.
Attack detection and fraud prevention in production.
SOC focused runtime detection.
Continuous discovery, testing, and runtime monitoring for dev teams.
Cloud and workload monitoring with limited API testing depth.
Schema  based validation for basic injection or spec errors.
Scheduled OWASP  based scans with limited logic testing.
Post build compliance checks
AST  based schema testing and documentation.
Surface level scans for early stage APIs.
TCO
Very high from traffic mirroring across clouds.
1/10th the cost, avoids $100K–$500K annual waste in cloud and infra spend.
High as it stores 100% of traffic; cost scales with volume.
High due to SaaS ingestion, scaling infra, and manual setup.
Low TCO due to community/open source tier with pay as you grow pricing.
High, since SaaS only processing and overhead.
High due to multiple agents, modules, and infra dependencies.
High due to multi module pricing (VMDR, EASM, TotalAppSec).
High; as dedicated scan engines and rescans drive cost
High due to unpredictable cloud/AI costs tied to repo size, LLM usage, and manual overhead.
Moderate. Higher per scan cost, but localized testing.
Vendor-Induced Privacy Risk
Data exported to Akamai SaaS
Privacy safe; <1% metadata processed, no sensitive data leaves the environment.
High: full payloads processed; audit complexity.
Full traffic processed in vendor cloud
Minimal; runs locally without exporting sensitive data.
Sensitive data scanned in vendor cloud, increasing exposure.
Full network traffic and spec ingestion can expose payloads.
Shared cloud tenancy may expose sensitive data if misconfigured.
Full payload ingestion increases audit and data exposure
Source code ingestion risks secrets and proprietary data.
Minimal; local testing, though repo storage may expose secrets.
Best For
Teams prioritizing CDN scale and resilience
Enterprises needing full lifecycle API security and compliance automation.
SOC driven teams prioritizing runtime detection and forensics.
Teams focused on runtime defense and SOC operations.
Developer centric startups or agile teams.
Cloud first enterprises prioritizing CNAPP visibility.
Teams running scheduled API scans.
Teams needing compliance posture visibility.
Compliance and audit  driven organizations.
Teams focused on static API schema validation.
Developer teams integrating API tests early in SDLC.
Pricing
Rigid, volume tied pricing.
Flexible per endpoint pricing.
Enterprise contracts; scales with traffic volume.
Enterprise contracts, rigid at scale.
Transparent and flexible, community edition available.
Enterprise, bundled with CNAPP suite.
Transparent, per asset or per scan pricing.
Enterprise focused, bundled pricing with other Qualys modules.
Custom enterprise pricing.
Enterprise focused, contract based pricing; often rigid at scale
Enterprise focused, custom pricing for larger teams at scale.
G2 Rating

Top Qualys Alternatives for 2025

For modern API driven ecosystems, teams are evaluating platforms that offer deeper API visibility, faster security validation, and broader protection coverage than Qualys.

Here are the top Qualys alternatives that unify API discovery, automated testing, and runtime defense for cloud native and rapidly scaling environments.

1. Levo

Overview

Levo.ai is built for API first enterprises that need continuous, end to end API security, not web app scanners adapted for APIs. While Qualys extends its VM and web scanning framework to APIs, the coverage remains shallow. API testing is retrofitted rather than purpose built, which leaves complex logic, multi step flows, and custom business patterns untested.

Levo delivers deep, OS kernel level visibility through an eBPF sensor that discovers every API, including internal, low traffic, partner, shadow, and third party endpoints. It automatically generates complete API catalogs, documentation with more than twelve parameters, and trace linked sensitive data flows. Qualys relies on VMDR inventory, EASM crawlers, user uploaded OAS files, and periodic scans, leaving more than half of enterprise APIs undiscovered.

Where Qualys runs scheduled scans and static payload tests, Levo continuously validates APIs using real traffic context, authentication behavior, and sensitive data paths. Each finding is verified before alerting, reducing false positives and cutting remediation from months to days. Qualys outputs generic reports with no reproducible payloads, no service mapping, and no automated fix support, slowing down engineering teams.

Levo’s privacy first design ensures sensitive data never leaves the customer environment and processes under one percent metadata, eliminating vendor induced exposure. Qualys aggregates vulnerability, asset, and API data in shared cloud environments, increasing privacy and multi tenancy risk if misconfigured. Levo also lowers infrastructure and egress spending by nearly ten times, saving one hundred thousand to five hundred thousand dollars annually.

Deployment is fast with Levo, completing in under an hour because no inline agents, DPIAs, or heavy infrastructure are required. Qualys often takes months, requiring configuration across multiple modules, scanners, connectors, and scan profiles. Levo removes manual overhead entirely through YAML and Python based customization and fully automated testing and monitoring.

Most importantly, Levo secures the entire SDLC from developer environments to production, preventing misconfigurations and sensitive data leaks before release. Qualys focuses primarily on post deployment scanning with limited shift left visibility, leaving earlier environments exposed and driving reactive firefighting.

Where Qualys tests APIs like websites, Levo secures APIs as core business assets, enabling faster releases, stronger security posture, lower costs, and higher operational resilience.

Platform Fit Across Enterprise Needs

Selecting the right API security platform depends on whether your priorities center on proactive prevention, runtime visibility, compliance assurance, or operational efficiency.

Each platform serves a distinct maturity level and team focus, and understanding where they excel or fall short helps align tools with enterprise security and growth goals.

Tool
Fits For
Breaks For
Qualys
Enterprises extending vulnerability management to APIs.
Developer led teams needing dynamic,  shift left testing.
Levo
API first, compliance  driven organizations can achieve full API discovery (internal, external, shadow), integrate security into CI/CD, and automate remediation, all with fast deployment (~1 hour) and low egress costs (~1/10th).
Teams focused solely on CDN optimization without pre production security may not benefit.
Akamai
Enterprises leveraging Akamai’s CDN for production API defense.
Teams seeking shift left or SDLC wide coverage.
Salt Security
Large enterprises needing mature runtime protection and posture management.
Agile teams looking for lightweight, shift left security.
Traceable.ai
SOC teams needing runtime visibility and forensic analysis.
Teams requiring proactive, pre production testing.
Orca Security
Enterprises seeking unified cloud, workload, and API visibility.
API first teams needing pre production security.
Escape Security
Teams automating API security in CI/CD for REST/GraphQL.
Enterprises needing full runtime posture control.
Invicti
DevSecOps teams needing web app with API scans for compliance.
Teams requiring continuous runtime defense.
Akto
Developer first orgs adopting shift left API testing in CI/CD.
Enterprises needing large scale runtime protection.
Rapid7
Security teams using Insight for runtime API monitoring.
Developer teams seeking integrated pre prod security.
StackHawk
Dev teams embedding API tests in CI/CD for early detection.
Enterprises needing continuous runtime protection.

API Security Feature Comparison

Provides full API visibility and discovery: internal, external, shadow, zombie, and third party APIs, enriched with auth, sensitivity, reachability, and runtime context.
Feature
Levo
Qualys
API Inventory
Auto discovers shadow, zombie, internal, and third party APIs with auth, sensitivity, and reachability context
Partial API discovery; internal, third party, and low traffic endpoints often missed
API Documentation
Auto generates detailed OpenAPI/Postman specs (12+ params: auth, rate limits, changelogs)
Relies on user provided OAS/Swagger files; prone to drift and incomplete coverage
Sensitive Data Discovery
Detects and classifies PHI/PII/financial data at endpoint level with trace linked evidence
Aggregates scan and asset data; risk of sensitive data exposure if cloud isolation misconfigured
API Security Testing
Continuous, auth aware exploit tests with zero false positives.
Static payload tests; OWASP Top 10 covered, complex logic and multi step flows untested
API Monitoring
eBPF powered real time monitoring; prevents drift and data exposure pre release.
Scheduled scans only; no runtime monitoring or anomaly detection
Vulnerability Management
Exploit validation, runtime based prioritization, auto assign to devs
Generic reports; no auto ticketing or payload reproduction; remediation slow
Remediation Automation
Developer native fixes via Jira/Slack/IDE; auto generated patch code, reproducible payloads
Manual; relies on ticketing integration; no auto generated payloads or mapping
Detection
high fidelity alerts tied to actual API behavior and identity; actionable without endless triage
Alerts from scheduled scans; limited context; high manual triage required
Protection
Inline protection; customizable rules; prevents traffic loss while blocking real threats
No inline protection; detection only during scans
MCP Server
Exposes programmable security data for custom reporting, automation, and AI integration
No programmable layer; dashboards static; minimal automation

Adoption Speed and Integration Speed

Metric
Qualys
Levo
Deployment Ease
Multi module setup (VMDR,EASM,TotalCloud, TotalAppSec) with API gateway connectors; initial deployment can take months
Lightweight inline and passive sensors; deploys within hours with <1% traffic overhead; minimal DevSecOps effort
Customization to In-House Needs
Limited to policy tuning and TruRisk thresholds; no dynamic payload engineering or runtime/user role adaptation
Highly flexible: YAML & Python rules, UI configurable sensors, supports new sensitive data types, CI/CD aligned
Manual Overhead Needed
High; manual API list curation, separate scan profiles, triage of mixed web app/API findings
Minimal; validated, exploit aware findings require almost no manual effort
SDLC Coverage
Production focused; scheduled CI/CD scans supported; no per endpoint, pre commit, or pull request validation
end to end: pre production through runtime with integrated testing and inline protection
Privacy Model
Moderate; consolidates data from multiple modules into shared cloud service, raising potential sensitive data exposure
Privacy-preserving; sensitive data remains local; only metadata is sent to SaaS, reducing egress costs
CI/CD Fit
Supports CI/CD integration for scheduled scans; lacks real time gating or metadata safe capture
Embedded into pipelines;  shift left enabled; seamless integration into IDE, Jira, Slack

2. Akamai

Overview

Akamai delivers edge first API protection with integrated WAF, DDoS mitigation, and CDN based API traffic visibility. It provides runtime detection for misconfigurations, common attack patterns, and anomaly based alerts, along with SOC friendly dashboards and global traffic insights. However, detection is largely production focused, pre production or shift left coverage is minimal, and remediation guidance is generic. Deployment requires network mirroring, inline agents, or multi cloud configuration, adding operational complexity and rollout delays.

Qualys offers API vulnerability assessment and compliance testing through scheduled scans, automated spec validation, and integration with VMDR and EASM modules. It provides standard OWASP Top 10 coverage and generates audit ready reports but lacks real time monitoring, runtime discovery, and behavioral attack simulation. Internal, low traffic, or partner APIs often go untested, and remediation relies on manual triage of generic findings. Deployment involves configuring multiple modules and connectors, making time to value long and infrastructure heavy, with potential privacy risks from multi tenant data consolidation.

Both platforms strengthen API security but in complementary ways: Akamai excels at runtime traffic monitoring, global visibility, and attack mitigation at the edge, while Qualys focuses on structured, compliance oriented vulnerability scanning. Neither delivers end to end shift left coverage, automated remediation, or full internal API visibility, leaving gaps across pre production, low traffic, and complex business critical endpoints.

Feature Comparison

Category
Qualys
Akamai
Core Focus
Vulnerability management and scheduled API security scanning; retrofitted API security into web app scanning modules
Edge API security with WAF, bot management, and runtime threat protection
API Security Depth
Periodic scans only; limited API testing coverage; lacks runtime protection and pre production validation
Edge runtime focus; no deep internal API testing or sensitive data visibility
Compliance Support
Supports OWASP Top 10 and standard API security compliance via scheduled scans; limited business-logic or custom API testing
PCI, GDPR, SOC2 compliance via WAF and bot modules; no pre prod coverage
Deployment Model
Requires multiple Qualys modules and API connectors; complex setup; can take months for full deployment
Cloud/CDN edge integration; minimal inline deployment effort
Best Suited For
Enterprises needing scheduled vulnerability scanning and compliance reporting across web and API assets
Enterprises focused on edge protection, bot mitigation, and global CDN performance

Pros & Cons

Akamai

Pros:

  • Strong global edge network presence with robust WAF and CDN integrations.
  • Can absorb large traffic volumes and mitigate DDoS effectively.

Cons:

  • API security is bolt-on, not built ground-up, focus remains edge-first.
  • Heavy deployment overhead with mirroring and multi-cloud complexity.
  • Lacks true shift-left coverage; protection is mostly production-only.
  • Privacy concerns due to payload export outside customer environments.
  • High manual effort needed for tuning policies and reducing false positives.

Qualys

Pros:

  • Broad security platform with unified vulnerability management, asset discovery, and API scanning under one umbrella.
  • Works well for organizations already invested in the Qualys ecosystem.
  • Suitable for compliance driven environments needing audit friendly reporting.
  • Available in on-prem deployments for regulated or air gapped industries

Cons:

  • API security is retrofitted into a generic web app scanning framework, not purpose built for APIs.
  • Limited business logic and multi step vulnerability detection, OWASP Top 10 checks only scratch the surface.
  • Requires configuration across multiple Qualys modules (VMDR, EASM, TotalCloud, TotalAppSec), making deployment and operations heavy.
  • API discovery is incomplete, missing a large percentage of internal, low traffic, or third party endpoints.
  • Significant manual effort needed to curate API inventories, configure scan profiles, and triage mixed findings.
  • No real API monitoring or runtime protection, meaning misconfigurations and exposures only surface after deployment.
  • Single request attack simulation limits detection of real world exploit paths such as multi step authorization abuse and business logic attacks.

Verdict

  • Akamai is best for organizations prioritizing edge-level performance and DDoS protection, with API visibility as a secondary benefit.
  • Traceable.ai (via Harness) is ideal for API-first teams seeking runtime threat detection and partial shift-left testing, though standalone adoption may be limited.
  • Levo.ai remains the leading choice for comprehensive pre-production through runtime API security, offering automated discovery, cost efficiency, privacy-first design, and end-to-end SDLC coverage along with inline and passive detection and protection with custom configurations.

Read More: Top 10 Akamai Security Alternatives

3. Salt Security

Overview

Salt Security delivers runtime first API protection built around full traffic ingestion, anomaly detection, and SOC centric analytics. Its architecture relies on capturing 100 percent of API payloads including sensitive data to map API behavior, detect attacks, and surface sensitive data flows. This provides strong visibility into active production endpoints but also creates significant compute, storage, and privacy challenges, especially at enterprise scale. Discovery remains traffic dependent, meaning low traffic, internal, third party, partner, and inactive APIs frequently go undetected, leaving blind spots across multi environment architectures.

Compared to Qualys, which offers periodic, scan centric API assessments stitched across VMDR, EASM, and TotalAppSec modules, Salt provides deeper runtime context but almost no shift left coverage. Testing is limited, single request, and policy driven, missing multi step flows, business logic abuse, and complex authorization pathways. Remediation guidance is generic with no automated payload reproduction, developer mapping, or code level fixes, which slows triage despite high alert volumes.

Deployment is high friction due to inline agents or traffic mirroring, plus the need for DPIAs and data handling approvals since all API payloads including PII are processed in Salt’s SaaS. This mirrors Qualys operational overhead but with far higher vendor induced privacy risk, given Qualys relies mostly on metadata scans while Salt ingests raw production traffic.

Both platforms center on reactive, production only protection, but diverge in strengths. Salt excels in behavioral analytics and attack detection for active APIs, while Qualys focuses on broad, compliance oriented vulnerability scanning across web apps and assets. Neither offers comprehensive API discovery, context aware testing, or end to end SDLC coverage, resulting in gaps across internal APIs, low traffic services, business critical flows, and pre production environments.

Feature Comparison

Category
Qualys
Salt Security
Core Focus
Scheduled vulnerability and API scanning for compliance; retrofitted API coverage, no runtime anomaly detection
Runtime API protection: attacks, sensitive data exposure, access misconfigs; full traffic analysis for threat prevention
API Security Depth
Limited to scanned endpoints; no runtime context, internal or low traffic APIs often missed
Production runtime focus; minimal pre prod testing; strong coverage of active APIs
Compliance Support
OWASP Top 10, standard vulnerability checks; coverage retrofitted, business logic under tested
API level threat detection; limited pre prod coverage
Deployment Model
Requires multiple Qualys modules (VMDR, EASM, TotalAppSec) and connectors; complex, time consuming, hybrid or SaaS deployment
Agent or gateway; full traffic ingestion; complex but well defined deployment
Best Suited For
Enterprises focused on compliance reporting and periodic vulnerability assessment, not continuous runtime protection
Enterprises needing continuous runtime visibility and threat prevention, including sensitive data and misconfigurations

Qualys

Pros:

  • Unified dashboard across VM, EASM, cloud, and application security for consolidated reporting.
  • Strong brand presence and enterprise adoption with long standing compliance credibility.
  • Supports on-premise deployment for regulated industries.
  • Broad asset visibility when combined with other Qualys modules.

Cons:

  • API security is bolt on and retrofitted from a web app scanner, not built ground up for APIs.
  • Discovery misses 50%+ of APIs as inventory depends on manual OAS uploads, VM/EASM data, and gateway connectors.
  • Heavy deployment effort, organizations must configure multiple Qualys apps and connectors before results appear.
  • No runtime monitoring or pre production protection, APIs remain unsecured between scheduled scans.
  • High manual overhead as teams must curate API lists and triage mixed AppSec and API findings.
  • High and unpredictable TCO due to separate licensing, multiple modules, and scan based processing.
  • Limited contextual testing, OWASP based payloads miss business logic and real world exploit chains.

Salt Security

Pros:

  • Strong runtime visibility with detection of active API attacks in production.
  • Can ingest traffic from gateways, WAFs, and CDNs for behavioral analytics.
  • Fraud and threat investigation capabilities for SOC teams.
  • Supports hybrid deployments for large enterprises.

Cons:

  • Production only solution, lacks proactive shift left testing or developer stage protection.
  • API visibility depends exclusively on runtime traffic; inactive, low traffic, partner, and third party APIs are often never detected.
  • No native API security testing engine, leading to blind spots in development and staging environments.
  • Extremely high TCO as 100% traffic is ingested and processed in SaaS, including sensitive data.
  • Deployment is complex and slow due to inline instrumentation and security approvals.
  • Limited customization and no deep logic or multi step attack simulation.
  • High vendor induced privacy risk since full API payloads, including sensitive data, are routed to the SaaS platform.

Verdict

Qualys is better suited for enterprises already standardized on its broader VM/EASM stack and looking for light API scanning to satisfy compliance checkboxes, not full lifecycle API protection.

Salt Security is preferred by teams focused on production level threat detection and incident response, but the lack of shift left coverage and high cost can limit long term value.

Levo.ai remains the stronger choice for organizations seeking continuous API security across the SDLC, offering automated discovery, privacy first deployments, deep attack simulation, and proactive protection without runaway storage, deployment, or operational overhead.

Read More: Top 10 Salt Security Alternatives

4. Traceable ai

Overview

Traceable.ai delivers runtime first API protection, focusing on detecting attacks, anomalies, and misconfigurations in production while providing SOC friendly dashboards and forensic analytics. It captures full API traffic for observability and incident response, but coverage is limited to active, externally facing APIs, leaving low traffic, partner, and internal endpoints often undiscovered. Testing is reactive and pattern based, lacking deep behavioral simulation, role based attack chaining, or automated remediation, which creates gaps in business logic coverage. Deployment requires inline agents, network mirroring, or in app instrumentation, resulting in complex rollouts, lengthy approvals, and high operational overhead.

Qualys provides scheduled API scanning and vulnerability assessments as part of its broader web app and asset security modules. It relies on static OpenAPI imports, crawler based scans, and periodic assessments rather than real time monitoring, leaving APIs exposed between scans and failing to detect multi step or session based attacks. Coverage is incomplete, often missing internal, low traffic, partner, and third party APIs, and its reports require significant manual triage to assign vulnerabilities, delaying remediation. Deployment involves configuring multiple modules and connectors, which is resource intensive and time consuming, with unpredictable total cost of ownership and moderate vendor privacy risks due to consolidated cloud processing.

Both platforms strengthen API security in complementary ways: Traceable.ai excels in runtime detection, SOC integration, and live traffic forensics, while Qualys provides structured vulnerability scanning and compliance reporting across API inventories. Neither alone delivers full shift left security, end to end pre production testing, or automated, context aware remediation, leaving gaps across internal, low traffic, and complex business critical APIs.

Feature Comparison

Category
Qualys
Traceable.ai
Core Focus
Scheduled vulnerability and API scanning for compliance; retrofitted API coverage, no runtime anomaly detection
Runtime API protection: reactive defense, detecting and blocking attacks in production, traffic capture for SOC analytics
API Security Depth
Limited to scanned endpoints; no runtime context, internal or low traffic APIs often missed
Production runtime focus; reactive; limited  shift left; misses low traffic, internal, or partner APIs
Compliance Support
OWASP Top 10, standard vulnerability checks; coverage retrofitted, business logic under tested
PCI, GDPR, SOC2 via runtime monitoring; pre prod validation limited
Deployment Model
Requires multiple Qualys modules (VMDR, EASM, TotalAppSec) and connectors; complex, time consuming, hybrid or SaaS deployment
Requires inline agents, network mirroring, or in-app instrumentation; heavy deployment overhead
Best Suited For
Enterprises focused on compliance reporting and periodic vulnerability assessment, not continuous runtime protection
SOC teams needing runtime visibility, attack detection, and post incident forensics

Qualys

Pros:

  • Broad security platform with integrated VM, EASM, Cloud, and AppSec modules.
  • Mature compliance and audit reporting aligned with enterprise governance needs.
  • Supports on-prem deployment options for regulated sectors.

Cons:

  • API protection is bolt on, retrofitted from web app scanning, not purpose built for APIs.
  • Deployment can take months due to multiple modules, connectors, and network integrations.
  • Limited API visibility, inventory stitched from VM/EASM scans and manual OAS imports leaves internal, partner, and low traffic APIs undiscovered.
  • Runs periodic scans only; no continuous runtime monitoring or anomaly detection.
  • High TCO as licensing is module based and operations require heavy manual triage to prioritize findings.
  • Remediation output lacks reproducible payloads and developer mapping, slowing issue resolution.

Traceable.ai

Pros:

  • Strong runtime API visibility with detailed threat analytics and forensic depth.
  • Can actively block attacks and detect anomalies and API fraud in production.
  • On-prem support available for finance, healthcare, and highly regulated deployments.
  • Dashboard driven insight helps SOC teams investigate active threat conditions.
  • Useful for real time production protection where runtime attacks need immediate response.

Cons:

  • Reactive approach, depends on production traffic; pre production and staging APIs remain uncovered.
  • Massive data ingestion (full payload capture) drives very high compute, storage, and operational cost.
  • Vendor induced privacy exposure as sensitive traffic is processed and stored for analysis.
  • Requires agents, instrumentation, or network mirroring; long rollout cycles and friction for approvals.
  • Limited shift left capabilities with shallow CI/CD integration; testing remains bolt on and post deployment.
  • High manual force needed, SOC teams must continuously manage dashboards and alert noise.

Verdict

Qualys is best for enterprises with mature compliance programs looking to expand existing vulnerability management into basic API coverage, but it falls short on visibility, continuous monitoring, and real API native testing.

Traceable.ai is ideal for organizations that prioritize deep runtime defense, real time blocking, and SOC level threat investigation, though high cost, deployment friction, and limited shift left coverage mean issues often surface only after reaching production.

Levo.ai remains the strongest choice for organizations seeking end to end API security across the SDLC, with automated discovery, zero privacy risk, dramatically lower total cost of ownership, and deep testing and monitoring from development to production.

Read More: Top 10 Traceable Alternatives

5. Orca Security

Overview

Orca Security provides agentless cloud workload protection with comprehensive asset discovery, vulnerability management, and misconfiguration detection across cloud environments. It continuously inventories hosts, containers, and serverless workloads while mapping sensitive data and privilege exposure, enabling high fidelity risk prioritization without requiring inline agents. Deployment is straightforward and SaaS-based, avoiding intrusive inline monitoring, though complex multi-cloud environments may need additional configuration.

Qualys delivers scheduled vulnerability scanning and asset inventory with modular coverage across web applications, APIs, and cloud workloads. It supports on-prem and hybrid deployments but relies on periodic scans rather than continuous monitoring, leaving gaps in runtime threat detection. Discovery is limited to known endpoints and imported specifications, often missing internal, low traffic, or ephemeral APIs.

Both platforms enhance cloud and API security, but in complementary ways: Orca excels in continuous, agentless visibility and contextual risk mapping across the cloud, while Qualys emphasizes compliance driven, modular scanning with broad coverage across traditional IT and cloud assets. Neither alone provides real time API runtime protection or automated, behavior driven remediation, leaving residual gaps in live attack detection and proactive shift left security.

Feature Comparison

Category
Qualys
Orca Security
Core Focus
Unified vulnerability management, web app scanning, and compliance reporting; no native runtime API protection
Cloud security posture management and vulnerability detection across workloads, identities, and storage, not API specific
API Security Depth
Scheduled scans; point in time testing; no continuous monitoring or anomaly detection; APIs remain exposed between scans
No native API security; focuses on misconfigurations and vulnerabilities in cloud assets, not API behavior or traffic
Compliance Support
Supports PCI, HIPAA, ISO, SOC2 across web apps and APIs; limited API specific enforcement; relies on manual audits and reports
Supports PCI, ISO, SOC2, HIPAA for cloud workloads; limited API specific compliance visibility
Deployment Model
Requires configuring multiple modules (VMDR, EASM, TotalAppSec) and connectors; lengthy initial deployment; infrastructure heavy
Agentless scanning for cloud accounts and workloads; faster setup but no API traffic visibility
Best Suited For
Security teams managing multi cloud infrastructure and regulatory compliance; point in time vulnerability management rather than runtime API defense
Cloud security teams focused on asset inventory, misconfigurations, and vulnerability management, not runtime API protection

Qualys

Pros:

  • Established enterprise security suite with broad coverage across vulnerability management, EASM, cloud posture, and application scanning.
  • Offers on-prem, SaaS, and hybrid deployments suitable for regulated industries.
  • Centralized dashboards and reporting help consolidate vulnerability data across distributed environments.

Cons:

  • API security is bolted onto a generalized web app framework, not built for API first architectures, leading to missed business logic and multi step vulnerabilities.
  • API discovery is stitched from VMDR, EASM, gateway feeds, and manual OAS uploads, extensive blind spots remain, especially internal, partner, low traffic, or third party APIs.
  • High TCO due to per module licensing and extensive configuration overhead across multiple Qualys apps.
  • Remediation outputs are generic and require manual decoding by developers, slowing time to fix.
  • No real time monitoring or anomaly detection; relies on periodic scans that allow vulnerabilities to ship to production unnoticed.

Orca Security

Pros:

  • Agentless cloud security posture platform with visibility into cloud misconfigurations, IAM issues, and exposed assets.
  • Straightforward SaaS onboarding without agents, sensors, or network mirroring.
  • Can help Cloud Security and GRC teams centralize findings and reduce compliance audit overhead.

Cons:

  • Provides runtime only visibility with limited API context, does not protect development, staging, or pre production environments.
  • No dedicated API security engine or deep testing capabilities, leaving API vulnerabilities to reach production undetected.
  • High manual overhead for security and engineering teams, since remediation lacks developer mapping, auto-ticketing, or payload repro.
  • Limited API discovery, mainly external endpoints; no coverage of internal, east-west, feature flagged, or shadow APIs.
  • No on-prem deployment option, making it unsuitable for fully isolated networks or strict compliance environments.

Verdict

Qualys is a better fit for enterprises seeking a broad vulnerability management platform that integrates across network, host, and application layers, though API security remains retrofitted, scan heavy, and slow to remediate.

Orca Security suits cloud focused teams that want quick agentless visibility into their cloud environments but provides minimal API context, no shift left value, and limited runtime depth.

Levo.ai remains the strongest option for organizations needing true end to end API security, continuous discovery, deep testing, real time monitoring, privacy first architecture, low total cost of ownership, and SDLC wide coverage without operational overhead.

6. Escape Security

Overview

Escape Security delivers production first API visibility and monitoring, capturing runtime traffic to detect misconfigurations, sensitive data exposure, and anomalies in real time. It offers comprehensive API catalogues, traces sensitive data flows, and integrates with existing workflows for actionable insight. Deployment is SaaS first, which accelerates rollout but increases vendor privacy exposure, as full traffic is processed externally. Security testing and remediation remain limited, relying on static schemas and manual processes. Internal, low traffic, and partner APIs often remain untested, leaving gaps across pre production and complex business critical endpoints.

Qualys provides scheduled API scans and vulnerability management within a broader web and cloud security suite. Its approach focuses on compliance and periodic assessment rather than continuous monitoring. While it covers standard OWASP Top 10 risks and integrates with multiple modules, API visibility is incomplete, internal endpoints are often missed, and remediation guidance is generic. Deployment is heavy, requiring multiple connectors and infrastructure setup, and total cost of ownership is unpredictable due to per module licensing.

Both platforms strengthen API security in complementary ways: Escape Security excels in runtime detection, monitoring, and sensitive data tracing, whereas Qualys provides structured, compliance focused vulnerability management. Neither alone delivers full shift left coverage, automated remediation, or complete discovery of low traffic, internal, or shadow APIs, leaving gaps across the API lifecycle.

Feature Comparison

Category
Qualys
Escape Security
Core Focus
API vulnerability scanning and compliance: scheduled scans across APIs, web apps, and cloud assets; reactive remediation recommendations, not runtime protection
pre production API protection: auto generates schemas and tests from code repos to catch issues before release
API Security Depth
Scheduled scans only; no runtime visibility; cannot prevent attacks in production; limited API specific coverage
pre production coverage via static analysis and schema  based tests; lacks runtime observability and live traffic validation
Compliance Support
Supports OWASP Top 10, PCI, and standard API compliance via scheduled scans; no runtime compliance enforcement
Compliance oriented testing for OWASP, PCI, SOC2; no runtime assurance or behavioral attack simulation
Deployment Model
SaaS or on-prem modules; deployment requires integration of VMDR/EASM/TotalAppSec; moderate to high setup overhead
Connects directly to code repositories; moderate setup due to parser and repo configuration
Best Suited For
Security teams focused on periodic vulnerability assessment, compliance reporting, and regulatory audit support
DevSecOps teams seeking shift left API testing and compliance validation during development

Qualys

Pros:

  • Mature enterprise platform with broad security coverage across VM, cloud, web, and API scanning.
  • Supports on prem deployments and hybrid architectures suitable for regulated industries.
  • Unified asset and vulnerability management ecosystem with large enterprise adoption.
  • Integrates with major ticketing and ITSM tools for basic reporting and workflow alignment.

Cons:

  • API security is retrofitted onto a legacy web app framework, lacking deep API context or business logic testing.
  • Requires configuring multiple modules (such as VMDR, EASM, TotalCloud, TotalAppSec), making deployment slow and resource intensive.
  • No real-time runtime monitoring, relies on scheduled scans, leaving blind spots between scan cycles.
  • High TCO due to per module licensing, hardware requirements, and manual remediation work.
  • Limited API documentation and discovery: misses internal, partner, and low traffic APIs, creating hidden risk.
  • Manual triage and configuration drain productivity as findings are generic and remediation support is minimal.

Escape Security

Pros:

  • Easy to get started with fast code based scanning and lightweight onboarding.
  • Provides feedback for API contracts and static analysis from repository integrations.
  • Useful for early visibility into schema issues and basic API hygiene checks.

Cons:

  • No runtime visibility or live monitoring, production remains unprotected and breaches may go undetected.
  • SAST driven discovery only parses declared endpoints, missing up to 50% of actual APIs including runtime registered, third party, partner, or shadow routes.
  • Cannot handle real HTTP interactions, multi step flows, or token based auth automation, leading to high false negatives for real world API attacks.
  • Requires manual scripting, tuning, and configuration, creating high engineering overhead and slowing delivery timelines.
  • No remediation automation, outputs static results without developer mapping, payload reproduction, or ticketing.
  • No on-prem option, making it unsuitable for highly regulated or air gapped environments.

Verdict

Qualys is better suited for large enterprises needing broad security coverage across multiple product lines, though its API protection remains periodic, retrofit, and high overhead.

Escape Security works for smaller teams needing quick code level schema scanning, but the lack of runtime visibility, deep testing, and automated remediation limits its impact on real API security posture.

Levo.ai remains the stronger choice for comprehensive, developer friendly API security that unifies discovery, documentation, testing, monitoring, and remediation across the entire SDLC while eliminating vendor privacy risk and reducing total cost of ownership.

7. Invicti

Overview

Inviciti delivers API first security with an end to end approach across the SDLC, combining real time monitoring, automated discovery, and context aware testing to secure APIs from development to production. It offers kernel level visibility and traffic instrumentation to detect access control misconfigurations, sensitive data exposure, and other vulnerabilities before they reach production. Inviciti’s intelligent inventory identifies internal, external, partner, and low traffic APIs, enriched with metadata such as auth schemes, rate limits, error patterns, and sensitive data tags. Pre built, customizable payloads and attack simulations are grounded in runtime behavior and sensitive data flows, enabling automated, reproducible remediation and minimal false positives. Deployment is streamlined across SaaS, hybrid, and on-prem environments with low vendor privacy risk, reducing manual effort and accelerating time to value.

Qualys provides periodic API scanning and vulnerability assessments as part of its broader security suite, relying on scheduled scans, imported OpenAPI specs, and dashboard metrics for coverage. While it supports compliance reporting and OWASP Top 10 checks, discovery and testing are limited to endpoints included in asset inventories or manually uploaded specifications, leaving internal, partner, low traffic, and dynamic APIs untested. Real time monitoring, behavioral testing, and pre production validation are absent, resulting in delayed detection of new exploits, higher breach risk, and ongoing manual triage. Deployment involves configuring multiple Qualys modules and integrating with gateways, driving high operational overhead and unpredictable total cost of ownership. Vendor induced privacy risk is elevated because sensitive data from multiple modules is consolidated in the cloud, requiring strict controls to avoid exposure.

Both platforms strengthen API security, but in complementary ways: Inviciti excels in end to end, shift left protection, covering development, staging, and production with fully automated discovery, contextual testing, and remediation. Qualys focuses on periodic scanning and compliance reporting, offering a broad but reactive security posture that leaves blind spots in internal and dynamic APIs. Organizations seeking continuous, automated API protection with low manual overhead and actionable remediation benefit from Inviciti, while Qualys provides coverage for regulatory driven, snapshot based security validation within broader enterprise programs.

Feature Comparison

Category
Qualys
Inviciti
Core Focus
Unified web app and API scanning: scheduled scans for compliance, vulnerability discovery, and dashboard metrics
pre production API scanning: imports OpenAPI specs and performs policy  based vulnerability tests before release
API Security Depth
Policy driven, single request testing; cannot simulate complex or chained attacks; limited depth; no runtime protection
Spec  driven scans with static payloads; detects surface level flaws but misses complex logic and chained vulnerabilities
Compliance Support
Covers OWASP, PCI, SOC2 via scheduled scans; lacks runtime monitoring, internal API coverage, or drift detection
pre production compliance validation (OWASP, PCI, SOC2); lacks runtime monitoring or drift detection
Deployment Model
Requires multiple Qualys modules (VMDR, EASM, TotalAppSec) and API gateway connectors; initial deployment can take months; high integration effort
On-prem setup with multiple modules (scanner, NTA, Auth Verifier); moderate deployment effort and maintenance load
Best Suited For
Security and compliance teams needing scheduled scanning, reporting, and audit coverage; limited real time or production protection
DevSecOps teams focusing on pre production API testing, compliance assurance, and pipeline integration

Qualys

Pros:

  • Broad security ecosystem with vulnerability management, EASM, cloud security, and API scanning under one platform.
  • Available for on-prem and private appliance deployments for enterprises with stricter data controls.
  • Integrates easily into existing Qualys workflows, reporting systems, and dashboards.
  • Supports standard OWASP aligned checks and basic API compliance validation.

Cons:

  • API testing is bolted onto a generic platform, missing business logic flaws, multi step attack paths, and runtime context.
  • API inventory relies on VMDR/EASM assets and uploaded specs—not continuous runtime visibility, leading to significant blind spots.
  • Requires configuring multiple apps and connectors; deployment can take months and demands heavy infrastructure alignment.
  • High manual effort, teams must maintain endpoint lists, triage mixed findings, and manage separate scan profiles.
  • TCO grows quickly due to multi module licensing and operational overhead.
  • No real time monitoring: new risks, misconfigurations, and exposed APIs go undetected between scheduled scans.

Inviciti

Pros:

  • Full on-prem deployment option for enterprises needing strict data control.
  • Centralized platform for scanning APIs, web applications, and other digital assets.
  • Generates API tests from imported specifications and network traffic samples.

Cons:

  • API security is retrofitted onto a traditional web app scanner, limiting logic, access control, and multi step attack detection.
  • Discovery depends on NTA, uploaded specs, and periodic sampling, low traffic, partner, internal, shadow, and zombie APIs often go undetected.
  • Deployment requires configuring multiple components (such as NTA, scan agents, auth flows, etc.), delaying time to value.
  • High manual overhead, teams must manage spec uploads, review findings, configure thresholds, and maintain modules.
  • Remediation lacks payload repro and developer/service mapping, slowing fix cycles.
  • Privacy risk increases if OpenAPI specs, logs, and payload data aren’t secured during ingestion and storage.

Verdict

Qualys appeals to organizations already invested in the Qualys ecosystem seeking a consolidated vulnerability dashboard, but API security remains limited and highly manual.

Inviciti is better suited for enterprises that want traditional web application style scanning extended to APIs and can manage heavier configuration and manual workflows.

Levo.ai provides a stronger value proposition by delivering automated discovery, continuous security across the SDLC, privacy first deployment, business logic attack simulation, and near zero manual overhead, resulting in faster remediation, lower cost, and significantly higher API coverage and security confidence.

8. Akto

Overview

Akto delivers API first security with automated discovery, continuous runtime monitoring, and pre production testing, ensuring coverage across internal, external, low traffic, and third party endpoints. It generates behaviorally aware API inventories, enriched OpenAPI specs, and sensitive data flows while providing context aware, reproducible remediation guidance. Deployment is straightforward with SaaS or on-prem options, and customization is available through YAML and Python rules. Akto excels in shift left security, deep attack simulation, and minimizing manual overhead, allowing teams to test and secure APIs across the entire SDLC efficiently. Costs are predictable, and privacy risk is low as sensitive data is scrubbed or processed minimally.

Qualys provides API security primarily through scheduled scans and dashboard metrics, focusing on compliance checks and OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities. Discovery and testing are mostly static, leaving low traffic, partner, and internal APIs untested. Runtime monitoring and anomaly detection are absent, meaning new attack patterns and business logic flaws can go unnoticed. Deployment requires extensive integration across multiple modules, increasing operational overhead and rollout time. Remediation is generic, manual, and slow, while pre production or shift left coverage is limited. Costs are variable due to licensing across modules, and vendor induced privacy risk is elevated because consolidated scan data and API specs are processed in the cloud.

Both platforms strengthen API security but in distinct ways: Akto emphasizes automated, end to end coverage with proactive pre production testing, runtime monitoring, and actionable remediation, while Qualys focuses on compliance driven, periodic scanning with limited runtime visibility. Organizations seeking comprehensive shift left protection, internal API coverage, and minimal manual overhead benefit from Akto, whereas Qualys is suitable for compliance focused scanning in environments already using their broader security suite.

Feature Comparison

Category
Qualys
Akto
Core Focus
Scheduled API scanning and compliance checks: OWASP Top 10, OAS validation; retrofitted on general web app security modules
Pre production API testing: automated endpoint discovery and surface level scans for vulnerabilities
API Security Depth
Pre production focus but limited depth; cannot emulate complex or chained attacks; runtime context absent
Static pre prod testing with fixed payloads; lacks deep logic, chained, or role  based attack simulation
Compliance Support
Covers OWASP Top 10, OAS checks, and basic compliance reporting; lacks real time risk validation
Compliance focused scan reports; limited runtime context and real world exposure validation
Deployment Model
Hybrid or SaaS deployment; requires multiple module setup (VMDR, EASM, TotalAppSec); integration overhead is high
SaaS or on-prem collectors; simpler setup but requires manual configuration of tokens and roles
Best Suited For
Security/compliance teams needing scheduled scans across APIs and web applications; less suitable for runtime protection or shift left
DevSecOps teams needing automated pre prod API scans and CI/CD integration with lightweight setup

Qualys

Pros:

  • Unified security suite with vulnerability scanning, EASM, VMDR, and API testing in a single platform.
  • Mature enterprise ecosystem with integrations, compliance reporting, and asset correlation.
  • On-prem support available, suited for regulated industries.

Cons:

  • API security is bolted onto a generic web scanning framework, not built ground up for APIs.
  • Coverage gaps persist: many internal, low traffic, and partner APIs remain undiscovered.
  • Deployment requires configuring multiple Qualys modules, making rollout long and resource intensive.
  • Testing depth is limited to basic OWASP checks; no dynamic payload engineering or role based chaining.
  • Manual effort required to curate API inventories, tune policies, and triage mixed findings.

Akto

Pros:

  • Faster setup and scanning compared to legacy scanners.
  • Automated discovery of live endpoints with OpenAPI generation.
  • Flexible YAML based customization of test templates and scan logic.

Cons:

  • Security remains surface level, generic payloads miss business logic and access control vulnerabilities.
  • High manual overhead for configuration, authentication scripting, endpoint maintenance, and false positive cleanup.
  • Limited contextual testing: payloads are static and not generated from real API behavior.
  • Runtime monitoring and continuous protection are absent, leaving production blind between scans.
  • Privacy risk is elevated due to full traffic recording and lack of built in scrubbing.

Verdict

Qualys is better suited for large enterprises already invested in the Qualys ecosystem that primarily need compliance reporting and standard vulnerability scanning, but API coverage and testing depth remain limited due to its retrofitted approach. 

Akto is more agile and developer-friendly, delivering faster scanning but still falls short on accuracy, automated remediation, runtime coverage, and depth of security testing for real-world API exploits.

Levo.ai remains the only platform in this comparison that delivers true API first security with comprehensive visibility, shift left through runtime coverage, privacy first design, deep automated testing, minimal manual overhead, and SDLC wide protection that enables faster release cycles without increasing breach risk.

9. Rapid7

Overview

Rapid7 delivers reactive API security through scheduled dynamic scans and vulnerability assessments. It focuses on detecting common OWASP Top 10 issues and basic access control flaws after builds are complete, primarily supporting compliance reporting. Testing is retrofit into a generic web application scanner, offering limited authentication automation, static payloads, and minimal business logic coverage. APIs remain unprotected between scans, leaving critical endpoints exposed and creating false confidence. Full payload capture and scan heavy architecture increase operational overhead, driving up infrastructure costs and extending remediation cycles. Deployment requires on prem scan engines, complex auth setup, and repeated manual configuration, delaying adoption and slowing feature delivery. Remediation is largely manual, with static reports requiring security and development teams to interpret findings and assign fixes. Discovery relies on crawler based scans and user supplied specs, leaving internal, low traffic, and partner APIs often untested. Shift left security is minimal, pre production visibility is limited, and runtime anomaly detection is absent.

Qualys provides scheduled API and web application scans, emphasizing compliance and asset wide vulnerability management. It captures OAS or Swagger specifications, checks standard security flaws, and consolidates findings across modules, but lacks real time monitoring, traffic-based detection, and context aware payload testing. Dynamic or ephemeral endpoints are frequently missed, leaving significant blind spots for internal, partner, and third party APIs. Deployment requires integrating multiple modules with API gateways and infrastructure, and ongoing maintenance drives unpredictable total cost of ownership. Remediation is guided by generic reports and ticketing integration, but automated payload reproduction and developer mapping are absent. Pre production testing is limited, and security coverage between scans depends entirely on periodic schedules, creating gaps in both DevOps pipelines and production environments.

Both platforms strengthen API security in complementary ways. Rapid7 provides point in time, post build vulnerability scanning for compliance and known attack detection but leaves APIs exposed between scans, lacks runtime monitoring, and demands high operational effort. Qualys focuses on broad coverage and compliance driven reporting across web and API assets but similarly misses dynamic endpoints, low traffic APIs, and continuous runtime threats. Neither delivers full shift left protection, automated remediation, or continuous runtime threat prevention, leaving gaps across internal, partner, and production critical APIs.

Feature Comparison

Category
Qualys
Rapid7
Core Focus
Scheduled API scanning and vulnerability management across web apps and APIs for compliance reporting
API scanning for compliance: point in time DAST scans for OWASP Top 10 and policy checks
API Security Depth
Post build, scheduled scans; no runtime monitoring; coverage gaps between scans
post build, periodic scans; lacks runtime visibility; APIs remain unprotected between scans
Compliance Support
Supports OWASP Top 10, PCI, SOC2, and regulatory scans; no runtime assurance, relies on scheduled reports
Compliance  driven reports (OWASP, PCI, SOC2); no continuous runtime assurance
Deployment Model
SaaS or on-prem modules (VMDR, EASM, TotalAppSec); requires integration with gateways and CI/CD; initial deployment complex
On-prem or cloud scan engines; scheduled scans with manual configuration and maintenance
Best Suited For
Enterprises needing consolidated API/web-app vulnerability management for compliance, but not continuous runtime protection
Organizations focusing on scheduled API vulnerability scans and compliance reporting

Qualys

Pros:

  • Unified platform that combines VM, EASM, and API scanning under a single console.
  • Strong compliance and audit reporting for regulated industries.
  • Mature enterprise security stack with broad asset coverage across servers, networks, and applications.

Cons:

  • API security is an addon inside a web app scanner, not built specifically for APIs: limited depth for business logic, authentication, and multi step attack testing.
  • Deployment is heavy, requiring multiple modules and connectors (VMDR, EASM, TotalAppSec) which increases rollout time and integration overhead.
  • TCO becomes unpredictable as API modules are charged alongside broader enterprise tools.
  • Discovery is incomplete, misses many internal, third party, low traffic, and shadow APIs sourced from static scans and manual OAS uploads.
  • Remediation guidance is generic, i.e. no payload reproduction, no service level mapping, and slower MTTR.

Rapid7

Pros:

  • Well known enterprise DAST tooling for compliance driven vulnerability scanning.
  • Mature reporting and ticketing workflows for central visibility.
  • Works well as a traditional security control for point in time assessments.

Cons:

  • Scan based model leaves APIs exposed between scans: no continuous monitoring or runtime coverage.
  • Testing lacks API first depth and relies mostly on basic OWASP patterns; limited logic and access control coverage.
  • Deployment requires manual auth setup, scan engines, and configuration, slowing adoption and delaying releases.
  • High manual overhead for rescans, authentication scripting, and filtering false positives.
  • Full payload capture during scans can introduce privacy and data handling risks for regulated industries.

Verdict

Qualys is better suited for enterprises prioritizing unified compliance reporting and broad vulnerability management across infrastructure, but its API security capabilities remain bolt on and web app centric.

Rapid7 is a fit for organizations seeking traditional DAST based compliance scanning but lacks continuous runtime defense or deep API logic testing.

Levo.ai stands out by delivering continuous, zero egress, behavior aware API security across the full SDLC with 100% API discovery, deep context driven testing, near zero manual effort, and dramatically lower cost of ownership compared to scan driven legacy tools.

10. StackHawk

Overview

StackHawk delivers API first security testing, focusing on pre production and CI/CD integration to detect vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and business logic flaws before code reaches production. It provides automated, customizable test plans, deep authentication handling, and context aware payloads, reducing false positives and enabling precise remediation. StackHawk integrates directly into developer pipelines, offering YAML and Python based rules, automatic OpenAPI spec generation, and per endpoint testing without requiring full application deployment. Deployment is fast, low friction, and suitable for on-prem, SaaS, or hybrid environments. However, runtime monitoring is minimal, so APIs in production remain unprotected against zero day attacks or traffic anomalies. Sensitive third party APIs or low traffic internal endpoints are only partially covered.

Qualys provides scheduled API adapted vulnerability scans and dashboard reporting, supporting compliance checks across web and API layers. It captures OAS or Swagger specifications, identifies standard OWASP Top 10 flaws, and integrates with broader asset and vulnerability management modules. Testing is largely retrofitted for APIs, with limited context or automation, leaving business logic vulnerabilities and internal APIs under tested. Real time monitoring, runtime discovery, and shift left testing are absent, and deployment is complex, requiring multiple modules and connectors to API gateways. Licensing costs and integration overhead are high, and sensitive data exposure risk exists because multiple modules consolidate findings in shared services.

Both platforms strengthen API security in complementary ways. StackHawk excels in pre production, automated, and developer friendly API testing, reducing false positives and accelerating remediation. Qualys focuses on compliance driven scanning and asset wide vulnerability management across web applications and APIs. Neither platform alone provides continuous runtime protection or comprehensive traffic based anomaly detection, leaving production APIs partially exposed to emerging threats.

Feature Comparison

Category
Qualys
StackHawk
Core Focus
Scheduled API vulnerability scanning and compliance checks; focuses on OWASP Top 10 and basic API security postures rather than continuous runtime monitoring
Pre production API testing: scans APIs during CI/CD using OpenAPI imports and automated DAST tests
API Security Depth
Pre production and periodic scans; lacks continuous runtime visibility; may miss runtime misconfigurations and business logic flaws
pre production focus; static scans validate common flaws but miss complex logic and role  based issues
Compliance Support
Supports compliance checks via OWASP, PCI, and internal policy scans; limited evidence for runtime or production compliance
OWASP, PCI, SOC2 compliance through pre prod scans; no runtime visibility or continuous assurance
Deployment Model
Cloud or on-prem modules; requires extensive integration with gateways, CI/CD pipelines, and vulnerability management tools; setup can take months
Lightweight CI/CD plugin or SaaS; easy to deploy but no live API observability
Best Suited For
Security and compliance teams needing centralized API scanning and vulnerability reporting, not live protection
DevSecOps teams embedding API security scans into build pipelines for faster pre prod validation

Qualys

Pros:

  • Mature vulnerability scanning platform with broad coverage across assets, containers, cloud, and applications.
  • Unified suite simplifies procurement for organizations already invested in Qualys security modules.
  • Provides traditional compliance oriented API testing aligned with OWASP checks and audit reporting needs.
  • Available as SaaS and on-prem, supporting regulated environments.

Cons:

  • API security is bolt on, retrofitted from a web app engine, not built for API first architectures.
  • Limited visibility: relies on user uploaded OpenAPI specs and connector based discovery, leaving shadow, internal, low traffic, and partner APIs undetected.
  • Testing is periodic and single request based, missing multi step business logic, access control, chained flows, and advanced API attack patterns.
  • Deployment is complex, requiring configuration of multiple Qualys modules and integrations across VMDR, EASM, and application scanners.
  • Mixed results and reports place a high manual burden on teams who must correlate findings and prioritize risk manually.
  • No continuous runtime monitoring, here drift, broken access controls, or misconfigurations ship to production undetected.

StackHawk

Pros:

  • Developer friendly DAST platform designed for CI/CD integration, enabling scans earlier in the pipeline.
  • Lightweight to deploy compared to heavy runtime platforms and can run inside private networks via Docker scanners.
  • Ideal for development teams needing quick scan coverage during PR level or build time workflows.

Cons:

  • API discovery is shallow: limited to code parsed endpoints; dynamic, partner, internal, low traffic, or runtime registered APIs remain invisible.
  • Lacks real runtime context or production telemetry, leading to blind spots and localized testing that misses real API behavior.
  • Testing is static and single request focused, cannot simulate multi step authenticated attacks, chained flows, complex role scenarios, or business logic abuse.
  • No automated remediation workflow, teams get raw results and must manually map findings to services and developers.
  • Generates false positives and developer friction because payloads are generic and lack contextual tuning based on live user interactions.
  • No runtime monitoring or protection: issues get detected only after code is already deployed or executed in testing.

Verdict

Qualys best fits enterprises already standardized on its platform and looking for compliance driven, traditional vulnerability scanning across their broader environment, though its API security capabilities are limited, reactive, and incomplete for modern microservice architectures.

StackHawk is well suited for DevOps teams needing quick plug in API scans during CI/CD, but its lack of deep discovery, runtime context, advanced attack simulation, and automated remediation limits effectiveness in real world API threats.

Levo.ai remains the stronger choice for organizations seeking end to end API security with continuous discovery, deep behavioral testing, minimal manual overhead, faster time to remediate, and full SDLC coverage from early development through production.

Conclusion

APIs now power the backbone of digital systems, but traditional vulnerability scanners like Qualys leave critical blind spots. Limited API inventory accuracy, slow scan based workflows, and fragmented modules create gaps across modern microservices and cloud native architectures.

Levo.ai solves this by unifying API discovery, shift left testing, runtime protection, sensitive data detection, and automated remediation in one platform. Teams eliminate manual configuration, cut false positives, and secure APIs continuously from design to production.

For organizations that need complete API security rather than repurposed web scanning, Levo delivers full spectrum coverage that adapts to modern engineering velocity.

Choosing the right API security platform is about depth, automation, and lifecycle visibility. Unlike Qualys, which depends on periodic scans and module stitching, Levo provides real time context, exploit aware detection, and frictionless integration into CI CD pipelines.

Adopting Levo enables teams to streamline operations, boost developer productivity, and secure every API endpoint without the overhead of legacy tooling. Achieve true end to end API protection with Levo and future proof your API ecosystem.

Achieve complete API security with Levo and future proof your APIs.

Book your DEMO today to implement API security seamlessly.

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