Invicti vs Acunetix

Quick Verdict

Invicti and Acunetix share the same proof-based scanning engine and the same parent company. The difference is scale. Invicti targets large enterprises with role-based access, on-premises deployment, and ASPM capabilities through its Kondukto acquisition. Acunetix packages the same scanning accuracy into a simpler product aimed at teams that want automated DAST without enterprise overhead.

If you have 50+ scan targets, need on-premises deployment, or require centralized vulnerability management across large teams, Invicti is the better fit. If your team is smaller and you want fast, accurate DAST with less configuration, Acunetix gets you scanning sooner.

Feature Comparison

Invicti vs Acunetix: Head-to-Head

Scanning Engine and Accuracy

Both products use the same proof-based scanning engine. When a vulnerability is detected, the scanner safely exploits it to confirm the finding is real. This generates proof-of-exploit for each issue, which means security teams spend less time triaging false positives. Both claim 99.98% accuracy, and since the underlying engine is shared, that number is consistent across both tools.

Acunetix’s C++-based engine completes most scans in 2-4 hours. Invicti claims 8x faster scanning than competitors and supports group scanning across batches of related targets. For organizations scanning hundreds or thousands of sites, Invicti’s batch scanning and scheduling capabilities matter more.

IAST Capabilities

Acunetix includes AcuSensor, an IAST agent deployed inside the application server. It supports .NET, Java, PHP, and Node.js. AcuSensor provides visibility into server-side code execution during DAST scans, helping pinpoint the exact line of code behind a vulnerability.

Invicti also combines DAST with IAST scanning. The integration works similarly: an agent deployed in the application feeds runtime data back to the scanner. The key difference is that Invicti also bundles SCA capabilities, giving it broader coverage from a single platform.

Deployment and Scale

Acunetix runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS. It supports cloud deployment and internal scanning via agents. The product is designed for teams that want to install it quickly and start scanning without complex infrastructure.

Invicti offers both cloud (AWS US/EU) and on-premises deployment (Windows for on-prem). The Enterprise tier targets organizations with 50+ websites and includes dedicated technical support, custom integration support, and internal scanning via agents on Windows, Linux, and Docker. The Standard edition provides a single-instance Windows scanning tool aimed at penetration testers.

Vulnerability Management and ASPM

Acunetix handles vulnerability tracking through its built-in dashboard and integrations with Jira, GitHub, GitLab, and Azure DevOps. It covers the scanning-to-ticketing workflow well for smaller teams.

Invicti acquired Kondukto in 2024 for ASPM capabilities. This gives Invicti centralized vulnerability management, prioritization across multiple scanning engines, and the ability to correlate findings from Invicti with results from third-party tools. For organizations running multiple security tools, this layer of orchestration reduces the noise.

Reporting and Compliance

Both tools ship with compliance-focused report templates covering OWASP Top 10, PCI DSS, and other standards. Acunetix adds reports for CWE, HIPAA, ISO 27001, NIST SP 800-53, Sarbanes-Oxley, STIG DISA, and WASC. Export formats include CSV, JSON, and XML.

Invicti’s reporting capabilities are comparable but extend into enterprise scenarios. Custom reports, role-based report access, and integration with compliance management workflows are available in the Enterprise tier.

Pricing

Neither tool publishes pricing. Acunetix uses per-FQDN licensing with a 5-target minimum and a 2-year subscription with annual payments. Invicti uses custom enterprise pricing based on the number of scan targets and deployment model. In general, Acunetix is positioned as the more affordable option.

When to Choose Invicti

Choose Invicti if:

• You manage 50+ web applications or APIs
• You need on-premises deployment for compliance or data sovereignty
• You want ASPM to centralize findings from multiple security tools
• You require SCA alongside DAST and IAST
• Your team needs role-based access control and custom workflows
• You need the Discovery feature for automatic asset identification

When to Choose Acunetix

Choose Acunetix if:

• Your team manages fewer than 50 scan targets
• You want the same scanning accuracy without enterprise complexity
• You prefer a faster setup with less configuration overhead
• Your budget favors per-target pricing over custom enterprise deals
• You need multi-platform deployment (Windows, Linux, macOS)
• AcuSensor IAST coverage for .NET, Java, PHP, and Node.js meets your needs

Both tools are DAST tools from the same family. The right choice comes down to team size, budget, and whether you need the enterprise features that Invicti layers on top of the shared scanning engine.

Frequently Asked Questions

Written by

Suphi Cankurt

Suphi Cankurt is an application security enthusiast based in Helsinki, Finland. He reviews and compares 129 AppSec tools across 10 categories on AppSec Santa. Learn more.