Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups
Register | Login

w3af VS OpenVAS

Compare w3af VS OpenVAS and see what are their differences

Netumo
Ensure healthy website performance, uptime, and free from vulnerabilities. Automatic checks for SSL Certificates, domains and monitor issues with your websites all from one console and get instant notifications on any issues. featured
Contents:
  1. » Base Details
  2. » Videos
  3. » Reviews
  4. » Alternatives

w3af logo w3af

w3af is a Web Application Attack and Audit Framework

OpenVAS logo OpenVAS

The Open Vulnerability Assessment System (OpenVAS) is a framework of several services and tools...
  • w3af Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-29
  • OpenVAS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-22

w3af features and specs

  • Open Source
    w3af is an open-source project, meaning it is freely available for modification and distribution, allowing for community contribution and transparency in its development.
  • Comprehensive Plugin System
    It offers a wide range of plugins to conduct various types of web application security testing, making it a versatile tool for security professionals.
  • Web-Based Vulnerability Scanner
    w3af is designed specifically for web applications, making it focused and comprehensive in detecting web-specific vulnerabilities.
  • Active Community and Support
    It has an active community of users and developers who contribute to its development and provide support to new users.

Possible disadvantages of w3af

  • Complexity
    w3af can be complex to configure and use, particularly for users who are not familiar with security tools or command-line interfaces.
  • Resource Intensive
    Due to its comprehensive scanning capabilities, running w3af can be resource-intensive and may impact system performance.
  • False Positives
    As with many automated scanning tools, there is a possibility of generating false positives, which can require additional validation work.
  • Limited Non-Web Application Testing
    w3af is specifically tailored for web applications and lacks features for testing non-web network vulnerabilities.

OpenVAS features and specs

  • Open Source
    OpenVAS is an open-source vulnerability scanning tool, which means it is free to use and the source code is available for customization.
  • Comprehensive Scanning
    It offers comprehensive vulnerability scanning capabilities, including a wide range of tests for network vulnerabilities, web application security, and compliance checks.
  • Regular Updates
    The tool receives regular updates, ensuring that it keeps up with the latest vulnerabilities and security threats.
  • Community Support
    OpenVAS has a strong community of users and developers who contribute to its development and provide support through forums and other channels.
  • Integration Capabilities
    OpenVAS can be integrated with other security tools and systems, enhancing its utility in a broader security infrastructure.

Possible disadvantages of OpenVAS

  • Complex Setup
    Setting up OpenVAS can be complex and time-consuming, requiring a fair amount of technical expertise.
  • Resource Intensive
    Running OpenVAS can be resource-intensive, potentially requiring significant CPU and memory, especially during large-scale scans.
  • False Positives
    Like many vulnerability scanning tools, OpenVAS can generate false positives, which can result in additional effort to validate findings.
  • User Interface
    The user interface can be less intuitive compared to some commercial vulnerability scanners, potentially increasing the learning curve for new users.
  • Limited Real-Time Capabilities
    OpenVAS is more focused on periodic scanning rather than real-time vulnerability detection and management.

Analysis of OpenVAS

Overall verdict

  • OpenVAS is a good choice for those seeking a reliable and free vulnerability management solution. However, users should be prepared for a potentially steep learning curve and the need for manual configuration to tailor the scanner to their specific environment.

Why this product is good

  • OpenVAS is a comprehensive open-source vulnerability scanner that is widely respected within the cybersecurity community. It provides extensive scanning capabilities, a regularly updated database of vulnerabilities, and supports a wide range of network protocols. The tool is versatile and can be integrated with other software for enhanced security operations. It is well-suited for detecting vulnerabilities in the network and identifying security issues that need to be addressed.

Recommended for

    OpenVAS is ideal for small to medium-sized organizations looking for a cost-effective vulnerability scanning solution. It's also suitable for cybersecurity professionals who have the technical expertise to configure and maintain the scanner, as well as enthusiasts or students who are keen on learning more about vulnerability management using open-source tools.

w3af videos

+ Add

How to use the w3af website scanner in kali Linux

More videos:

  • Tutorial - What is W3af? | How to install Web Application Attack & Audit Framework?
  • Tutorial - W3AF Tutorial Part II using the GUI

OpenVAS videos

+ Add

How to find Exploits with OpenVAS

More videos:

  • Review - Vulnerability Analysis with OpenVAS | Scanning and Reconnaissance
  • Review - Vulnerability Identification and Remediation Cybrary Lab | Ep. 3 Kali Linux, OpenVAS, + more

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to w3af and OpenVAS)

w3af

OpenVAS

Web Application Security
22 22%
Web Application Security
78% 78
Security
18 18%
Security
82% 82
Monitoring Tools
23 23%
Monitoring Tools
77% 77
Cyber Security
23 23%
Cyber Security
77% 77

User comments

Share your experience with using w3af and OpenVAS. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare w3af and OpenVAS

w3af Reviews

We have no reviews of w3af yet.
Be the first one to post

OpenVAS Reviews

Best Burp Suite Alternatives (Free and Paid) for 2023
The primary reason businesses use OpenVas is to perform comprehensive security testing of their IP addresses. This tool performs a port scan of an IP address to find any open services. Once listening services are found, they are tested for known vulnerabilities and misconfiguration using a large database of 53000 NVT checks. The results are compiled into a report that...
Source: www.softwaretestingmaterial.com
Burp suite alternatives
It is an open vulnerability assessment system is a software framework of services and tools offering vulnerability scanning and vulnerability assessment. The aim of OpenVAS protocol ia to be well documented to assist the developers. all products of OpenVAS are free, most components are licensed under the GNU, general public license. Its Plugins are written in NASL (Nessus...
Source: www.educba.com
10 Best Tenable Nessus Alternatives For 2021 [Updated List]
Verdict: OpenVAS is an open-source web application security scanner that will help you accurately detect vulnerabilities. It is easily configurable and can be tuned accordingly if you want to perform large-scale scans. Its use of updated data feeds makes it extremely efficient in detecting almost all types of vulnerabilities.
Source: www.softwaretestinghelp.com
Best Nessus Alternatives (Free and Paid) for 2021
OpenVAS receives updates daily, which broadens the vulnerability detection coverage. It also helps in risk assessment and suggests countermeasures when the vulnerabilities in an application or network is detected.
Source: www.softwaretestingmaterial.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, OpenVAS should be more popular than w3af. It has been mentiond 6 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.

w3af mentions (2)

OpenVAS mentions (6)

  • Link CVE to installed applications?
    Otherwise your on the right path checkout the open source Greenbones OpenVAS (this was Nessus before they closed source and became corporate) or Project Discovery Nuclei. Source: about 2 years ago
  • What should I be doing as the sole sysadmin for a company to keep up with security?
    Personally, I was lucky enough to get a license to Nessus for my own scanning, however you can use OpenVAS for some free to scan. Scanners aren't 100% correct no matter where you go but it'll give you some things to look at. OpenVAS. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Wanting to protect my own homelab
    Https://openvas.org/ OpenVAS is free and fairly capable. It might struggle cpu on a pi... Might need quite a bit of ram, but I'm hoping you've got some beefier kit in your stack. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Free nessus equivalent?
    Maybe OpenVAS would fill the bill. It’s been on my list of things to check out. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Internal Vulnerability Scanning
    OpenVAS - https://openvas.org Try it first, its free, just download a prebuilt VM and you're off and running. I found it valuable for my clients. Source: almost 4 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing w3af and OpenVAS, you can also consider the following products

Nikto - Nikto is an Open Source (GPL) web server scanner which performs comprehensive tests against web...

Nessus - Nessus Professional is a security platform designed for businesses who want to protect the security of themselves, their clients, and their customers.

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

Burp Suite - Burp Suite is an integrated platform for performing security testing of web applications.

Shodan - Shodan is the world's first search engine for Internet-connected devices.

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

Loading...