Astra Security combines automated DAST scanning with a managed penetration testing service on the same platform. The scanner runs 9,300+ security tests against web applications and 10,000+ authenticated attack cases against APIs.
What sets Astra apart from pure DAST tools is the human layer. On the Pentest Plan, certified pentesters manually review findings, verify vulnerabilities, and ship a publicly verifiable security certificate.
Key Features
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Automated tests | 9,300+ security checks |
| API attack cases | 10,000+ authenticated scenarios |
| Manual review | Included on the Pentest Plan |
| Compliance | ISO 27001, HIPAA, SOC 2, GDPR, PCI DSS mapping |
| Certification | Publicly verifiable security certificate on Pentest Plan |
| Resolution Center | Track and manage remediation in-platform |
| Risk scoring | Per-vulnerability and aggregate risk scores |
| CI/CD | Pipeline integration for automated scans on deploy |
Certified pentesters manually review your application on the Pentest Plan. They chase business logic flaws, chained attacks, and authorization issues that automation misses.
The engagement ends with remediation re-tests and a verifiable certificate.
Scan Configuration
Setting up a scan takes three steps:
- Add your target URL and verify domain ownership
- Configure authentication so the scanner can reach protected areas of your application
- Select your technology stack (framework, language, CMS) for more targeted test selection
Most DAST tools are either fully automated or fully manual. Astra sits in between.
The automated scanner handles volume and coverage. Human pentesters handle business logic, complex attack chains, and edge cases that automation misses.
Compliance and Certification
As recommended by NIST SP 800-53 controls for system and information integrity, regular dynamic testing helps maintain a strong security posture. Astra maps scan findings to compliance frameworks:
- ISO 27001
- HIPAA
- SOC 2
- GDPR
- PCI DSS
The Pentest Plan includes a publicly verifiable security certificate. Each certificate carries a unique URL that auditors, clients, or partners can check independently.
This matters for teams selling into regulated industries or responding to procurement questionnaires.
Integrations
GitHub
GitLab
Jira
SlackAstra Security vs Burp Suite
Astra Security and Burp Suite target different users. Burp is a manual testing toolkit built for individual security researchers; Astra is a managed SaaS that pairs a scanner with certified pentesters.
Burp Professional is the industry default for hands-on web app testing. The intercepting proxy, Repeater, and Intruder modules are what most pentesters reach for when they need surgical control. Burp Enterprise adds scheduled scans, but it is still a tool you run.
Astra ships the opposite model. The scanner runs on a schedule against your targets, findings land in the Resolution Center, and on the Pentest Plan Astra’s own testers take over for the manual work. There is no proxy to configure and no consultant to hire separately.
Pick Burp if you have in-house pentesters who want control over every request. Pick Astra if you want scanning, human review, and a verifiable certificate without building a security team.
Astra Security vs Acunetix
Astra Security and Acunetix are both DAST-first, but only one of them ships human pentesters. Acunetix focuses on speed, accuracy, and detailed reports from its scanner; Astra wraps a comparable scanner in a managed service.
Acunetix is a strong pick if you already have a security engineer who can triage findings, write remediation guidance, and sign off on fixes. The scanner identifies over 7,000 vulnerabilities and its IAST sensor (AcuSensor) reduces false positives in supported stacks.
Astra’s scanner runs 9,300+ checks and maps to the same frameworks, but the real differentiator is the Pentest Plan. Certified testers manually verify findings, chase business logic flaws, and issue a publicly verifiable certificate at the end.
Choose Acunetix when you want a best-in-class scanner and will handle the human work in-house. Choose Astra when you want the scanner plus the humans plus the certificate as one bundle.
Astra Security vs Intruder.io
Astra Security and Intruder both target SMB and mid-market teams, but they solve different problems. Intruder is a continuous external vulnerability scanner focused on network and infrastructure; Astra is an application pentest platform focused on web apps and APIs.
Intruder shines when you have dozens of internet-facing assets and want daily emerging-threat checks on ports, services, and cloud perimeter. It is effectively a managed Nessus-style scanner with a cleaner UI and built-in prioritization.
Astra goes deeper on the application layer. The scanner understands authenticated web sessions and REST APIs, and the Pentest Plan adds manual testing that catches logic flaws a network scanner cannot see.
A common pattern is to run both: Intruder for perimeter and infra, Astra for the web apps and APIs behind it. If budget forces a choice, pick Intruder for an asset-heavy infra posture and Astra for a code-heavy product posture.
Astra Security pricing
Astra does not publish full pricing on its website, so teams need to contact sales for a quote. The vendor lists two main product lines: a Scanner Plan for continuous automated DAST and a Pentest Plan that adds manual pentesting and the verifiable certificate. An Enterprise tier is available for multi-target and multi-environment rollouts.
Per the AppSec Santa policy of not publishing pricing that isn’t openly displayed, I’m not quoting specific numbers here. Expect the Scanner Plan to sit at the low end and the Pentest Plan to step up significantly because a certified pentester is included in every subscription.
For current figures, request a quote at getastra.com/pricing.
Getting Started
Teams without dedicated security staff who want both automated scanning and expert human review.
The managed pentest fills the gap for organizations that cannot hire full-time pentesters, and the verifiable certificate is useful for compliance-driven industries.
Limitations
Astra’s value depends on the managed pentest layer. If you only need automated scanning, a pure DAST tool like Acunetix or Burp Suite can give you more control for less money.
The platform does not publish full pricing, so you need to contact sales. There is no free tier or community edition.
The automated scanner covers web apps and APIs. It does not replace SAST for source code analysis or infrastructure scanning for network-level vulnerabilities.
For a breakdown of how DAST and IAST differ, see the IAST vs DAST guide. Teams looking for developer-first CI/CD scanning might also consider Bright Security or StackHawk.
