8 Best API Security Tools (2026)
Compare 8 API security tools for 2026. Shadow API discovery, OWASP API Top 10 testing, and protection against BOLA and authentication bypass.
- I compared 8 API security tools — 2 freemium (APIsec) and 6 commercial — covering testing, runtime protection, and API discovery. No fully open-source API security tool exists in this category.
- 34% of organizations reported sensitive data exposure as an API security issue in the past 12 months, and only 10% have an API posture governance strategy in place (Salt Security Q1 2025 State of API Security Report). Wallarm identified 1,602 API vulnerabilities in Q3 2025 alone.
- Akto is the standout free option with 1000+ security tests and an active open-source community. For runtime protection, Salt Security and Cequence lead the enterprise space with inline traffic inspection and ML-based threat detection.
- Heavy market consolidation: Noname Security acquired by Akamai (June 2024) creating Akamai API Security, and Traceable AI merged with Harness (March 2025).
What is API Security?
API security is the practice of protecting application programming interfaces from vulnerabilities and attacks throughout their lifecycle — from design and development through production deployment. While DAST tools can test APIs to a point, dedicated API security tools dig deeper into broken authentication, excessive data exposure, rate limiting gaps, and business logic flaws that generic scanners miss.
The threat is growing fast. Salt Security’s Q1 2025 State of API Security Report found that 34% of organizations reported sensitive data exposure as an API security issue in the past 12 months, while only 10% had any API posture governance strategy in place.
Wallarm’s Q3 2025 API ThreatStats Report counted 1,602 API vulnerabilities in that quarter alone, up 20% from Q2.
These figures reflect how APIs have become the primary attack surface for modern applications, yet most organizations lack adequate protections.
API security tools split into two camps: testing tools like 42Crunch and APIsec that scan before deployment, and runtime protection tools like Salt Security and Cequence that monitor production traffic for anomalies and active attacks.
Quick Comparison of API Security Tools
| Tool | USP | Type | License |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freemium | |||
| APIsec | AI-powered API pentesting platform | Testing | Freemium |
| Commercial | |||
| 42Crunch | OpenAPI spec audit & conformance | Testing | Commercial |
| Akamai API Security | Full API lifecycle protection (from Noname acquisition) | Both | Commercial |
| Cequence Security | API security + bot management | Runtime | Commercial |
| Imperva API Security | ML-driven API discovery and runtime protection, part of Thales | Both | Commercial |
| Levo.ai NEW | eBPF-powered API discovery + LLM security | Discovery + Testing | Commercial |
| Salt Security | AI/ML-powered API discovery | Runtime | Commercial |
| Wallarm | Integrated WAF + API protection | Runtime | Commercial |
| Acquired (2) | |||
| Noname Security ACQUIRED | Acquired by Akamai (June 2024); now Akamai API Security | Was Runtime | Was Commercial |
| Traceable AI ACQUIRED | Merged with Harness (March 2025); API security now part of Harness DevSecOps platform | Was Both | Was Commercial |
What is the Difference Between API Testing and Runtime Protection?
Similar to AI security, API security tools break into two groups. API testing tools audit your API specifications and endpoints before deployment to catch design flaws early.
Runtime protection tools sit in front of production APIs to detect and block attacks in real time.
| Aspect | API Testing | API Runtime Protection |
|---|---|---|
| When it runs | Before deployment | In production |
| Purpose | Find vulnerabilities in API design | Block attacks, detect anomalies |
| Examples | 42Crunch, APIsec, Levo.ai | Salt Security, Cequence, Wallarm |
| Input needed | OpenAPI specs, traffic samples | Live traffic |
| Best for | Development and QA | Production monitoring |
My take: Most teams should start with API testing in CI/CD to catch broken authentication and authorization issues before they ship. Layer on runtime protection for any production APIs that handle sensitive data or face the public internet — that combination of shift-left testing and runtime monitoring covers the full API lifecycle.
How is the API Security Market Changing?
The API security market is consolidating rapidly. Since mid-2024, major acquisitions and strategic pivots have reshaped the competitive landscape:
Noname Security → Akamai (2024)
Akamai picked up Noname Security in June 2024 for roughly $450M. Akamai API Security now rolls both platforms together for API discovery, testing, and runtime protection.
Akto Pivots to AI Agent Security
Akto, one of the most widely adopted open-source API security testing tools, shifted focus from API security to AI agent and MCP security in 2025. The original open-source API security tool still works, but the company's attention is on agentic security now.
Market Leaders
The 2025 KuppingerCole Leadership Compass for API Security and Management named 15 Overall Leaders, including Cequence Security, Salt Security, Akamai API Security, 42Crunch, and Wallarm.
Traceable AI → Harness (2025)
Traceable AI merged with Harness in March 2025. Both companies were founded by Jyoti Bansal, so the merger was probably inevitable.
How Do I Choose the Right API Security Tool?
Testing vs Runtime Protection
Need to catch issues before deployment? Start with 42Crunch or APIsec. Need to spot attacks in production? Look at Salt Security, Cequence, or Wallarm.
API Discovery Needs
Don't know what APIs you have? Salt Security, Akamai API Security, and Levo.ai can discover them from live traffic. If you already maintain OpenAPI specs, 42Crunch is a better fit.
Integration with Existing Tools
Already using Burp Suite for web testing? It handles API testing reasonably well. A dedicated API tool on top makes sense mainly if you need deeper coverage or runtime monitoring.
Compliance Requirements
For PCI DSS or HIPAA audits, you'll want tools that spit out compliance-ready reports without manual formatting. Akamai API Security and Cequence handle this well out of the box.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is API security?
What is the OWASP API Security Top 10?
How is API security different from DAST?
Do I need a separate API security tool?
What is API discovery?
Related API Security Resources
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API Security covers one aspect of application security tools. Browse other categories below.
Founder, AppSec Santa
Years in application security. Reviews and compares 209 AppSec tools across 11 categories to help teams pick the right solution. More about me →