{"slug":"stackhawk","name":"StackHawk","domain":"stackhawk.com","verdict":"As of 2026-07-17, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok collectively rank StackHawk first for dast tools for api security testing in ci/cd (one of 4 leaderboards it appears on). Source: https://modelsagree.com/product/stackhawk (modelsagree.com, CC BY 4.0).","best_rank":1,"categories":4,"brief":{"category":"best-dast-tools-for-api-security-testing-in-ci-cd","title":"Best DAST tools for API security testing in CI/CD","rank":1,"of":8,"top":null,"day":"2026-07-18","why":[{"t":"purpose-built CI/CD-native DAST","m":["ChatGPT","Claude","Grok","Gemini"],"q":"Purpose-built CI/CD-native DAST"},{"t":"OpenAPI and GraphQL coverage","m":["ChatGPT","Claude","Grok"],"q":"strong OpenAPI and GraphQL coverage"},{"t":"developer-friendly feedback in PRs","m":["ChatGPT","Claude","Grok","Gemini"],"q":"developer-friendly feedback in PRs"},{"t":"YAML config for pipelines","m":["Claude","Grok","Gemini"],"q":"YAML config for pipelines"}],"gap":[],"fix":[{"t":"depends on accurate API definitions","m":["ChatGPT","Gemini"],"q":"Automated coverage still depends heavily on good API definitions, credentials, and test data"},{"t":"complex authorization requires custom tests","m":["ChatGPT"],"q":"complex authorization and business-logic flaws require custom tests"},{"t":"not for deep manual pentesting","m":["Claude"],"q":"it is not the tool for deep manual pentesting or authenticated browser-app crawling"}]},"entries":[{"slug":"best-dast-tools-for-api-security-testing-in-ci-cd","title":"Best DAST tools for API security testing in CI/CD","rank":1,"of":8,"score":19,"appearances":4,"modelRanks":{"ChatGPT":1,"Claude":1,"Gemini":2,"Grok":1},"reason":"Best overall developer experience for CI/CD: containerized HawkScan, strong OpenAPI and GraphQL coverage, straightforward authentication, actionable pipeline feedback, broad CI integrations, and custom JavaScript or Kotlin security tests.","reasons":[{"model":"ChatGPT","reason":"Best overall developer experience for CI/CD: containerized HawkScan, strong OpenAPI and GraphQL coverage, straightforward authentication, actionable pipeline feedback, broad CI integrations, and custom JavaScript or Kotlin security tests."},{"model":"Claude","reason":"Purpose-built for exactly this niche — API-first DAST (REST via OpenAPI, GraphQL, gRPC, SOAP) designed to run in a pipeline from day one, with a single hawk scan step, fast per-service scans, PR-level feedback, and config-as-code (stackhawk.yml) that fits how platform teams actually roll security into CI; built on a proven scan core with strong triage/dedup so devs fix rather than drown. Rank assumes the buyer wants developer-owned scanning in CI, not a central AppSec console."},{"model":"Grok","reason":"Purpose-built CI/CD-native DAST with excellent OpenAPI-driven API testing (REST/GraphQL), HawkAI for auto-discovery, YAML config for pipelines (GitHub Actions, GitLab, Jenkins), developer-friendly feedback in PRs, low setup friction for typical DevSecOps teams."},{"model":"Gemini","reason":"Developer-first \"scan-as-code\" design running inside CI/CD pipelines via containerized agents, offering yaml-based configuration and actionable curl commands for developer remediation."}],"fixes":[{"model":"ChatGPT","fix":"Automated coverage still depends heavily on good API definitions, credentials, and test data; complex authorization and business-logic flaws require custom tests."},{"model":"Claude","fix":"Commercial per-app pricing adds up across many microservices, and it is not the tool for deep manual pentesting or authenticated browser-app crawling — it's API/service-scoped by design."},{"model":"Gemini","fix":"Dependent on developers providing and maintaining accurate OpenAPI or Swagger schemas, as it lacks native discovery for undocumented APIs."}],"updated":"2026-07-17","api":"https://modelsagree.com/api/v1/best/best-dast-tools-for-api-security-testing-in-ci-cd.json"},{"slug":"best-dast-tools-for-api-first-applications","title":"Best DAST tools for API-first applications","rank":1,"of":8,"score":18,"appearances":4,"modelRanks":{"ChatGPT":1,"Claude":1,"Gemini":2,"Grok":2},"reason":"Best overall balance of API-native depth and developer usability: local or CI scanning, strong authenticated coverage, multi-user BOLA/BFLA testing, custom scripts, and first-class OpenAPI, GraphQL, gRPC, SOAP, and JSON-RPC support.","reasons":[{"model":"ChatGPT","reason":"Best overall balance of API-native depth and developer usability: local or CI scanning, strong authenticated coverage, multi-user BOLA/BFLA testing, custom scripts, and first-class OpenAPI, GraphQL, gRPC, SOAP, and JSON-RPC support."},{"model":"Claude","reason":"Purpose-built API-first DAST that runs from CI/CD as a pipeline step; ingests OpenAPI, GraphQL, SOAP and gRPC specs to drive targeted active scans, so coverage tracks the actual API surface rather than a crawler's guesses; strong developer ergonomics (config-as-code, per-PR scanning, clear reproduction data). Ranked first for the typical API-first shift-left team that wants scanning owned by engineers, not a security queue."},{"model":"Gemini","reason":"Exceptional developer-first API DAST designed around OpenAPI, Postman, and GraphQL schemas with tight CI/CD and local developer workflow integration. Assumes teams maintain structured API specifications to drive security checks directly inside PR pipelines."},{"model":"Grok","reason":"CI/CD-native (YAML config-as-code, PR gates) with solid OpenAPI/GraphQL/gRPC support and developer-owned workflows; practical accuracy and speed for REST-first APIs without enterprise overhead; free tier lowers barrier"}],"fixes":[{"model":"ChatGPT","fix":"Deep coverage still depends on accurate schemas, test data, and authentication configuration; several governance and customization features require higher-priced plans."},{"model":"Claude","fix":"It leans on you supplying good specs and auth config — undocumented/shadow endpoints and complex multi-step business-logic flows get thin coverage; it is not a deep manual pentest replacement."},{"model":"Gemini","fix":"Highly reliant on complete and accurate API spec definitions or pre-recorded traffic; struggles to discover unmapped endpoints or handle legacy non-spec API architectures."},{"model":"Grok","fix":"Business-logic depth (esp. complex multi-step BOLA) trails purpose-built API tools and still inherits some ZAP tuning needs"}],"updated":"2026-08-10","rank_history":{"days":["2026-08-03","2026-08-10"],"ranks":[1,2]},"api":"https://modelsagree.com/api/v1/best/best-dast-tools-for-api-first-applications.json"},{"slug":"best-dast-tool-for-dynamic-app-testing","title":"Best DAST tool for dynamic app testing","rank":3,"of":9,"score":11,"appearances":4,"modelRanks":{"ChatGPT":3,"Claude":2,"Gemini":4,"Grok":4},"reason":"Built DAST for developers from the ground up — CI/CD-native, configuration-as-code (YAML), excellent API testing (REST, GraphQL, gRPC, SOAP) with OpenAPI-driven scans, fast scans that fit in a pipeline, and findings routed to devs as tickets not PDFs","reasons":[{"model":"Claude","reason":"Built DAST for developers from the ground up — CI/CD-native, configuration-as-code (YAML), excellent API testing (REST, GraphQL, gRPC, SOAP) with OpenAPI-driven scans, fast scans that fit in a pipeline, and findings routed to devs as tickets not PDFs"},{"model":"ChatGPT","reason":"Best developer-first workflow, with fast containerized scans, configuration as code, excellent CI/CD integration, incremental testing, and strong API, GraphQL, gRPC, LLM, and MCP coverage"},{"model":"Gemini","reason":"Built from the ground up for developer workflow integration, utilizing simple YAML configurations to run scanning directly within CI/CD pipelines before code hits production."},{"model":"Grok","reason":"Developer-first design with excellent CI/CD/pull-request integration, API discovery from code, and ease of use built on ZAP foundation; strong real-world merit for modern DevSecOps practitioners embedding security early without dedicated AppSec overhead."}],"fixes":[{"model":"ChatGPT","fix":"Match the vulnerability depth and validation accuracy of the veteran scanners"},{"model":"Claude","fix":"Broaden coverage beyond its dev-pipeline sweet spot with stronger authenticated scanning of complex legacy/monolith UIs to displace enterprise incumbents"},{"model":"Gemini","fix":"Expanding its coverage and depth of testing for legacy enterprise web applications and complex multi-step transaction flows."},{"model":"Grok","fix":"Limited depth for advanced manual pentesting or highly customized enterprise compliance needs."}],"updated":"2026-07-14","rank_history":{"days":["2026-06-29","2026-06-30","2026-07-08","2026-07-09","2026-07-10","2026-07-14"],"ranks":[7,3,3,3,3,4]},"reasoning_shift":[{"model":"Claude","from":"2026-07-08","to":"2026-07-09","added":[{"t":"tickets not PDFs","q":"findings routed to devs as tickets not PDFs"}],"dropped":[{"t":"ZAP engine plus improvements","q":"built on the ZAP engine plus proprietary improvements"}]},{"model":"Gemini","from":"2026-06-30","to":"2026-07-08","added":[{"t":"Simple YAML configurations","q":"utilizing simple YAML configurations"},{"t":"Legacy enterprise web applications","q":"legacy enterprise web applications"},{"t":"Complex multi-step transaction flows","q":"complex multi-step transaction flows"}],"dropped":[{"t":"Technology flags","q":"fast scan scoping via technology flags"},{"t":"Actionable remediation guides","q":"actionable remediation guides like reproduction cURL commands"},{"t":"Zed Attack Proxy reliance","q":"reduce reliance on the underlying open-source Zed Attack Proxy engine"}]}],"api":"https://modelsagree.com/api/v1/best/best-dast-tool-for-dynamic-app-testing.json"},{"slug":"best-automated-penetration-testing-platforms-for-saas-applications","title":"Best automated penetration testing platforms for SaaS applications","rank":10,"of":14,"score":3,"appearances":1,"modelRanks":{"Claude":3},"reason":"DAST purpose-built for SaaS delivery — API-first (OpenAPI/GraphQL-aware), developer-owned, and designed to run automatically on every pull request at engineering scale, closing findings before release.","reasons":[{"model":"Claude","reason":"DAST purpose-built for SaaS delivery — API-first (OpenAPI/GraphQL-aware), developer-owned, and designed to run automatically on every pull request at engineering scale, closing findings before release."}],"fixes":[{"model":"Claude","fix":"Pure automated scanning with no exploitation, chaining, or manual depth; results quality depends heavily on good API spec coverage."}],"updated":"2026-08-10","api":"https://modelsagree.com/api/v1/best/best-automated-penetration-testing-platforms-for-saas-applications.json"}],"page":"https://modelsagree.com/product/stackhawk","check":"https://modelsagree.com/check?q=StackHawk","updated":"2026-08-10T18:18:45.051Z","attribution":"modelsagree.com, CC BY 4.0"}