Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Acunetix VS Sqlmap

Compare Acunetix VS Sqlmap and see what are their differences

Acunetix logo Acunetix

Audit your website security and web applications for SQL injection, Cross site scripting and other...

Sqlmap logo Sqlmap

sqlmap is an open source penetration testing tool that automates the process of detecting and...
  • Acunetix Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-03-13
  • Sqlmap Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-07

Acunetix features and specs

  • Comprehensive Vulnerability Scanning
    Acunetix offers a thorough and detailed scan of websites, identifying a wide range of vulnerabilities, including SQL injection, XSS, and more.
  • Advanced Automation
    The tool automates much of the scanning process, reducing the need for manual interventions and speeding up the identification of security flaws.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    Acunetix comes with an intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface, making it accessible even for users who are not cybersecurity experts.
  • Continuous Monitoring
    It provides continuous security monitoring, keeping track of any changes in the web application that could introduce new vulnerabilities.
  • Comprehensive Reporting
    The tool offers detailed reporting features that provide insights into found vulnerabilities, making it easier to understand and fix security issues.
  • Integration Capabilities
    Acunetix can be integrated with various CI/CD pipelines and other security tools, enhancing its utility in a modern DevOps environment.

Possible disadvantages of Acunetix

  • Cost
    Acunetix can be relatively expensive, especially for small businesses or independent developers who might find it cost-prohibitive.
  • Resource Intensive
    The scanning process can be resource-intensive, requiring significant server resources and sometimes impacting the performance of the application being scanned.
  • False Positives
    While advanced, the scanner can sometimes generate false positives, which require time and expertise to manually verify.
  • Limited Mobile App Scanning
    Acunetix primarily focuses on web applications and offers limited capabilities when it comes to scanning mobile apps.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite its user-friendly interface, new users may still face a learning curve to fully understand and utilize all the features effectively.
  • Customization
    Some users have reported that the tool's customization options are not as extensive as they would like, limiting the ability to tailor scans to specific needs.

Sqlmap features and specs

  • Comprehensive Testing
    Sqlmap offers a wide range of testing features for SQL injection vulnerabilities, enabling detailed assessment and exploitation against many types of databases.
  • Automation
    The tool can automate the process of detecting and exploiting SQL injection vulnerabilities, saving security testers significant time and effort during security assessments.
  • Database Support
    Sqlmap supports a wide variety of database management systems, including MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, and more, making it versatile for different environments.
  • User-Friendly
    Despite its powerful capabilities, sqlmap provides a user-friendly interface and documentation, making it accessible to users with different levels of expertise.
  • Customizable
    Users can customize sqlmap's behavior using various options and flags, allowing for flexible and targeted testing scenarios.

Possible disadvantages of Sqlmap

  • Potential for Misuse
    Given its powerful capabilities for exploitation, sqlmap can be misused by unauthorized users with malicious intent, posing ethical and legal concerns.
  • False Positives
    Like many automated tools, sqlmap can sometimes report false positives, which require further manual verification to confirm actual vulnerabilities.
  • Complexity for Beginners
    While powerful, sqlmap can be overwhelming for beginners due to its extensive options and configurations, requiring a learning curve to use effectively.
  • Resource Intensive
    Running sqlmap, especially with exhaustive tests, can be resource-intensive and impact the performance of the target systems during the testing phase.
  • Legal Risks
    Using sqlmap without proper authorization and consent from target systems can lead to legal consequences, necessitating responsible use and compliance with legal frameworks.

Analysis of Acunetix

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Acunetix is considered a good tool for web vulnerability scanning, particularly valued for its extensive database of vulnerabilities and efficient scanning effectiveness. Its capabilities make it a preferred option for organizations looking to enhance their web security posture.

Why this product is good

  • Acunetix is regarded as a robust web vulnerability scanner designed to find vulnerabilities in web applications. It is praised for its comprehensive scanning capabilities, ease of use, speed, and the breadth of vulnerabilities it can detect. The tool helps in identifying and fixing potential security issues before they can be exploited.

Recommended for

  • Organizations looking for an automated web vulnerability scanner
  • Security teams aiming to identify security weaknesses in web applications
  • Developers who need a reliable tool to integrate into their security processes
  • Businesses seeking to comply with security standards and best practices

Acunetix videos

How to Perform Security Testing Using Acunetix Web Vulnerability Scanner Tool

More videos:

  • Review - Acunetix - Best Web Application Security Scanner @Web Hacking
  • Review - Acunetix Quick-start Guide

Sqlmap videos

Web App Penetration Testing - #8 - SQL Injection With sqlmap

More videos:

  • Review - Introduction to SQLMap (ISSA KY Workshop)
  • Review - Review OS Kali Linux (Beserta Wawancara dan Percobaan SQLMAP) || TA SISTEM OPERASI UNIKOM 2020

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Acunetix and Sqlmap)
Cyber Security
92 92%
8% 8
Security
71 71%
29% 29
Web Application Security
75 75%
25% 25
Threat Detection And Prevention

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Acunetix and Sqlmap

Acunetix Reviews

10 Best Burp Suite Alternatives For Windows In 2023
Verdict: Operating on two unique threat detecting technologies, Acunetix performs fast scans to detect vulnerabilities accurately in an application, API, or website. It is easy to deploy and caters to the sensibilities of non-technical employees. This quality alone makes Acunetix a better alternative to Burp Suite.
Best Burp Suite Alternatives (Free and Paid) for 2023
Acunetix by Invicti is the market leader in providing automated web application security testing and is the software of choice for many Fortune 500 customers. It can detect and report on a wide array of web application vulnerabilities. Acunetix integrates with popular Issue Trackers and WAFs and is also available on Windows and Linux.
9 Best Angry IP Scanner Alternatives Reviewed 2021 (Free & Paid)
Acunetix is a powerful network and web application scanner that can help you discover open ports, hidden services, and vulnerabilities across your network. Acunetix is unique in combining both web scanning, and network scanning into one easy to use graphical tool thatโ€™s compatible for both Windows and Linux.
10 Best Tenable Nessus Alternatives For 2021 [Updated List]
Acunetix is an intuitive and easy-to-use web application security scanner. Its setup is very simple, with no need for lengthy configurations. The platform can scan all types of pages, APIs, and complex web applications. These include pages that contain lots of HTML5 and JavaScript. Acunetix can perform lightning-fast scans without overloading the server.
Best Nessus Alternatives (Free and Paid) for 2021
It offers advanced Vulnerability Management features right into its core, prioritizing risks based on data through a consolidated view. Acunetix also offers the ability to automate your scan. It is suitable for large-scale organizations as it can handle many devices on a network. HSBC, NASA, USA Air force are few giants that use Acunetix for vulnerability tests.

Sqlmap Reviews

Best Database Testing Tools in 2025
SQLMap is an open-source security testing tool specifically designed to detect and exploit the threat of SQL injection in web applications. This tool automates the process of identifying flaws in database layers and thus enables penetration testers and security professionals to safeguard sensitive data. With a versatile detection engine and support for various database...
Source: www.devart.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Sqlmap seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 18 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Acunetix mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Acunetix yet. Tracking of Acunetix recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Sqlmap mentions (18)

  • The Impact of Open-Source Tools in Cyber Warfare: A Deep Dive
    Open-source tools have led to a significant transformation in cyber warfare for two primary reasons: cost-effectiveness and community-driven innovation. Tools such as SQLmap and Aircrack-ng exemplify how attackers exploit vulnerabilities, making it easier for individuals with limited resources to engage in cyber exploits. Conversely, defensive tools like Snort and OSSEC empower security professionals to monitor... - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Restful API Testing (my way) with Express, Maria DB, Docker Compose and Github Action
    A few weeks ago, I took a short cyber security course on Udemy. SQL injection was a section of the course. I knew about the concept though, I hadn't tried it. I was planning to make a Restful API server and tried SQL injection using a tool sqlmap, which was introduced in the course. While I could have used existing server code, I decided to build one from scratch. It's been a while since I worked on a Restful API... - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • Is this sql query in django safe?
    I recommend looking for an alternative or if you must do it this way test it with https://sqlmap.org to make sure you are not vulnerable to the lowest effort attacks. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Are these good projects to have? (appsec)
    Sounds good, why not try making a simple vulnerability scanner for APIs too? Maybe something similar to SQLMap. Source: about 3 years ago
  • [GitHub Action]: Wrappers for sqlmap, bbot and nikto
    Its not that much of a tool than wrappers of few awesome tools that most of you probably know and use today - sqlmap, bbot and nikto. Source: about 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Acunetix and Sqlmap, you can also consider the following products

Intruder - Intruder is a security monitoring platform for internet-facing systems.

Acunetix Vulnerability Scanner - Acunetix Vulnerability Scanner is a platform that offers a web vulnerability scanner and provides security testing to users for their web applications.

HackerOne - HackerOne provides a platform designed to streamline vulnerability coordination and bug bounty program by enlisting hackers.

Netsparker - Netsparker is a tool for scanning web sites for security vulnerabilities.

Trustwave Services - Trustwave is a leading cybersecurity and managed security services provider that helps businesses fight cybercrime, protect data and reduce security risk.

Appknox - Appknox is aย cloud-based mobile app security solution to detect threats and vulnerabilities in the app.