Researched and Edited by Rajat Gupta
Last updated: · How we review
Editor's Summary · API Security Software
API security splits into two jobs that vendors bundle differently. Discovery and runtime protection is the operations side — Salt Security, Traceable, Cequence and Wallarm sit in front of live traffic, build an inventory that includes shadow and orphaned endpoints, and block abuse as it happens. Testing is the development side — 42Crunch, StackHawk, Pynt, Bright Security and Escape run in CI/CD and try to stop vulnerable endpoints shipping at all. Invicti, Data Theorem, APIsec and Aptori span both by pairing testing with proof that a finding is genuinely exploitable.
The distinction that matters when buying: a WAF inspects traffic without understanding your API's business logic, so it will not catch broken object level authorisation. That gap is why this category exists separately from web application firewalls.
This category was published recently and most listings do not carry verified reviews yet.
Quick picks for API Security Software
- Best for runtime discovery — Salt Security
- Best for CI/CD testing — 42Crunch
- Best for proving exploitability — Invicti
Who gets the most from API Security Software
- 1Application security engineers who cannot produce a full API inventory on request
- 2DevSecOps teams embedding API testing into CI/CD pipelines
- 3CISOs at regulated firms needing OWASP API Top 10 coverage evidence
How to choose API Security Software
If you do not know how many APIs you expose, start with runtime discovery rather than testing. If your problem is vulnerable endpoints reaching production, filter for CI/CD and IDE integration so testing runs before merge. If your security team is drowning in findings, prioritise platforms that validate exploitability before reporting.
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Learn More About API Security Software
Compare 20 API security platforms that discover shadow APIs, test for OWASP API Top 10 issues and block abuse at runtime. Features, pricing and ratings.
API security software protects the API layer specifically — discovering every endpoint an organisation exposes including shadow and orphaned ones, testing them for vulnerability classes such as broken object level authorisation, and detecting abuse at runtime. It is distinct from API management, which is about publishing and governing APIs, and from web application firewalls, which inspect traffic without understanding API business logic.
- Whether the tool discovers shadow and orphaned APIs from live traffic or only from documentation?
- Whether it understands business logic flaws such as BOLA, which WAFs cannot detect?
- Whether findings come with proof of exploitability or add to an unvalidated backlog?
What is api security software?
API security software protects the API layer specifically — discovering every endpoint an organisation exposes including shadow and orphaned ones, testing them for vulnerability classes such as broken object level authorisation, and detecting abuse at runtime. It is distinct from API management, which is about publishing and governing APIs, and from web application firewalls, which inspect traffic without understanding API business logic.
API Security Software compared
Spotsaas lists 20 api security products. The entries below were researched from each vendor's own documentation; where a vendor publishes pricing openly it is shown.
| # | Product | SpotScore | Rating | Reviews | Starting price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TraceableTop rated | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | 7.9 | — | — | — | |
| 3 | 7.7 | — | — | — | |
| 4 | — | — | — | — | |
| 5 | — | — | — | — | |
| 6 | — | — | — | — | |
| 7 | — | — | — | —Free trial | |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | |
| 10 | — | — | — | —Free trial |
This category was published recently; verified review data is not yet available for most listings, so no ranking score is shown.
What to check before you buy
Whether the tool discovers shadow and orphaned APIs from live traffic or only from documentation
Essential questions to ask the vendor:
- Whether the tool discovers shadow and orphaned APIs from live traffic or only from documentation?
How to overcome it: If you do not know how many APIs you expose, start with runtime discovery rather than testing.
Whether it understands business logic flaws such as BOLA, which WAFs cannot detect
Essential questions to ask the vendor:
- Whether it understands business logic flaws such as BOLA, which WAFs cannot detect?
How to overcome it: If your problem is vulnerable endpoints reaching production, filter for CI/CD and IDE integration so testing runs before merge.
Whether findings come with proof of exploitability or add to an unvalidated backlog
Essential questions to ask the vendor:
- Whether findings come with proof of exploitability or add to an unvalidated backlog?
How to overcome it: If your security team is drowning in findings, prioritise platforms that validate exploitability before reporting.
Who uses API Security Software
Typical roles include Application security engineers who cannot produce a full API inventory on request, DevSecOps teams embedding API testing into CI/CD pipelines, and CISOs at regulated firms needing OWASP API Top 10 coverage evidence.
Frequently asked questions
Basics FAQs
What is api security software?
API security software protects the API layer specifically — discovering every endpoint an organisation exposes including shadow and orphaned ones, testing them for vulnerability classes such as broken object level authorisation, and detecting abuse at runtime. It is distinct from API management, which is about publishing and governing APIs, and from web application firewalls, which inspect traffic without understanding API business logic.
Choosing FAQs
How do I choose api security software?
If you do not know how many APIs you expose, start with runtime discovery rather than testing. If your problem is vulnerable endpoints reaching production, filter for CI/CD and IDE integration so testing runs before merge. If your security team is drowning in findings, prioritise platforms that validate exploitability before reporting.
Buyers FAQs
Who uses api security software?
Typically application security engineers who cannot produce a full API inventory on request; devSecOps teams embedding API testing into CI/CD pipelines; cISOs at regulated firms needing OWASP API Top 10 coverage evidence.
Coverage FAQs
How many api security products does Spotsaas track?
Spotsaas currently lists 20 products in this category. Listings are researched from vendor documentation and updated as the market changes.