StackHawk
API security tools
Dynamic application security testing (DAST) software
Penetration testing tools
Vulnerability scanner software
Cloud security software
DevSecOps software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
Take the quiz to check if StackHawk and its alternatives fit your requirements.
$5 per month
Free Trial
Free version unavailable
Small
Medium
Large
- Information technology and software
- Media and communications
- Professional services (engineering, legal, consulting, etc.)
What is StackHawk
StackHawk is a dynamic application security testing (DAST) tool designed to scan running web applications and APIs to identify common security vulnerabilities. It is typically used by development and security teams to integrate automated security testing into CI/CD pipelines and developer workflows. The product focuses on API-first scanning, environment-aware configuration, and actionable findings intended to be triaged and fixed during development rather than only in periodic assessments.
CI/CD-friendly DAST automation
StackHawk is built to run automated scans as part of build and deployment pipelines, which supports continuous security testing. It provides configuration options intended for repeatable scans across environments (for example, staging or ephemeral test environments). This aligns with DevSecOps workflows where teams want security feedback during development rather than after release.
API-focused testing workflows
The product emphasizes scanning modern API-driven applications, including authenticated endpoints and common API attack surfaces. It supports workflows where teams supply API definitions and environment details to guide scanning. This can reduce manual setup compared with general-purpose scanners when the primary target is APIs rather than only browser-driven web apps.
Developer-oriented remediation context
Findings are presented with context intended to help engineers reproduce and fix issues, not just report them. Integrations and output formats are designed to fit into developer tooling (for example, CI logs and issue trackers) so vulnerabilities can be handled like other defects. This can improve time-to-triage compared with tools that primarily produce compliance-style reports.
Not a full pentest replacement
Automated DAST identifies many classes of runtime vulnerabilities, but it does not replicate the depth of a skilled manual penetration test. Business-logic flaws, chained exploits, and environment-specific weaknesses may require human testing. Organizations often still need periodic manual assessments for higher assurance.
Coverage depends on configuration
Scan effectiveness depends on correct environment setup, authentication handling, and reachable test data. If APIs require complex auth flows, nonstandard headers, or specific state, teams may need additional scripting or configuration to achieve meaningful coverage. Misconfiguration can lead to false negatives or limited endpoint discovery.
Limited broader cloud posture scope
While it can be used in cloud-native delivery pipelines, StackHawk’s core capability is application/API runtime testing rather than full cloud security posture management. Teams looking for infrastructure misconfiguration detection, workload runtime protection, or broad asset inventory typically need additional tools. This can increase tooling complexity for organizations seeking a single cloud security platform.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Vibe (single-user) | $5/month | Single-user plan that runs StackHawk testing inside an AI code assistant; explicitly listed on StackHawk's pricing page. |
| Secure | Contact sales / Not published on site | Shift-left DAST & API testing for CI/CD (developer-focused runtime testing); unlimited scans & environments; StackHawk states plans are priced by code contributors (price not published on the pricing page). |
| Scale | Contact sales / Not published on site | Includes Secure features plus attack-surface discovery from source code, SAST+DAST correlation, AI-powered fixes-as-code, program effectiveness metrics and oversight; priced by code contributors (price not published on the pricing page). |
Seller details
StackHawk, Inc.
Denver, Colorado, USA
2019
Private
https://www.stackhawk.com/
https://x.com/stackhawk
https://www.linkedin.com/company/stackhawk/
