The Developer-First Alternative to Bright

Security

StackHawk delivers automated DAST and API security testing that developers actually adopt, with fast scans that complete in minutes, native support for REST, GraphQL, gRPC, and SOAP, and transparent results teams can trust.

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Why Choose StackHawk Over Bright Security?

StackHawk is the only true shift-left DAST platform purpose-built to bridge the gap between security and dev teams, and deliver secure software at the pace of AI development. Unlike Bright Security, which routes scans through shared cloud infrastructure that can cause delays and unexplained failures, StackHawk runs fast, local scans directly in your CI/CD pipelines to deliver actionable results in minutes without the friction.

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Built for Developers, Adopted by Developers

StackHawk is designed around developer workflows from day one. Simple YAML configuration, instant Docker-based setup, and results delivered directly in build logs, PR checks, and IDEs—all in language developers understand. Our approach means developers can run scans themselves confidently and fix vulnerabilities quickly without security team intervention.

Bright Security requires deploying agents, configuring SaaS orchestration, and navigating a more complex setup process. The architecture demands ongoing configuration and tuning to maintain scan reliability. This can prevent lean AppSec teams from scaling the tool effectively across their organization and may result in developers viewing security testing as overhead rather than a helpful part of their workflow.

Complete, Native API Coverage

StackHawk provides first-class, out-of-the-box support for REST, SOAP, GraphQL, and gRPC APIs with automatic discovery and testing capabilities. Our API-first architecture means modern microservices and cloud-native applications get the comprehensive testing coverage they require, with custom test support to address unique API behaviors and business logic.

Bright Security offers REST and limited GraphQL support, with gRPC requiring workarounds rather than native integration. GraphQL testing capabilities may require extensive configuration and tuning to achieve reliable coverage. For teams building with modern API architectures, this means incomplete out-of-the-box coverage and additional engineering time spent on tool configuration.

Transparent Scanning You Can Trust and Troubleshoot

StackHawk’s core scanning engine provides transparency into exactly what tests run and how to tune them. When something needs adjustment, you have full visibility into scan logs, attack details, and configuration options, just like any other dev tool. This visibility builds trust in results and empowers teams to optimize scanning for their specific applications.

Bright Security uses a black-box scanning engine that limits visibility for security engineers who need to troubleshoot issues or understand scan behavior. When scans fail or produce unexpected results, teams must rely on Bright’s support to diagnose problems, which adds friction and uncertainty to security workflows.

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Bright Security vs StackHawk Feature Comparison Guide

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Features

StackHawk

Bright Security

Developer Experience

Actionable vulnerability feedback integrated into every pull request with clear remediation steps that fit developer workflows

Developer-focused remediation guidance, though remediation suggestions may be more generic than contextual pull request feedback

API Discovery

Source code-driven discovery finds internal and public-facing APIs before deployment, preventing exposure

Offers limited support for automatic discovery. Relies primarily on crawling, HAR files, or pre-uploaded API schemas rather than proactive source code analysis

API Security Testing

Comprehensive testing for all API types: REST, SOAP, GraphQL, and gRPC

Supports REST, SOAP, GraphQL, and WebSockets, but notably lacks gRPC support, limiting coverage for modern microservices architectures

CI/CD Integration

Native pipeline integration across all major platforms with scans that complete within standard build times

CI/CD integrations available, but may require longer scan times that don’t fit build pipelines

Business Logic Testing

Deterministic tests support detection of complex business logic flaws with full transparency and customization

Uses AI for automated scanning of business logic flaws, though users cannot create or customize individual security tests

Frequently Asked Questions About StackHawk and Bright Security

How do StackHawk and Bright Security scan speeds compare in real-world CI/CD pipelines?

StackHawk scans typically complete in minutes because they run locally in your CI/CD environment with no external dependencies. Our distributed architecture allows parallel scanning across multiple pipelines with no queueing. Bright Security routes scans through centralized cloud infrastructure, which means scan requests must travel to Bright’s servers for processing, potentially creating bottlenecks during peak usage.

How does pricing compare between StackHawk and Bright Security?

StackHawk offers transparent pricing with unlimited scans and applications, plus a free trial to prove value before committing. Bright Security does not publish pricing and requires enterprise sales engagement for custom quotes, which may involve larger upfront commitments.

How does StackHawk integrate with existing security tools and workflows?

StackHawk is designed to complement your existing security toolchain with native integrations for SAST tools like Snyk, vulnerability management platforms like Jira and ServiceNow, and communication tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams. Bright Security includes integrations with ticketing systems and can connect to ASPM tools, though the architecture is designed around Bright as a central security testing hub rather than one component in a distributed toolchain. This can limit integrations with existing security tools and dev workflows.

Can these tools scale to handle enterprise environments with hundreds of applications?

StackHawk’s distributed architecture runs scans in your own infrastructure with no bottlenecks or shared resource constraints. Enterprises successfully run thousands of scans per month across dozens of teams simultaneously, with SOC 2 Type II certification and role-based access control. Bright Security targets enterprise customers with centralized dashboards and program management, though the cloud-based scanning engine may require capacity planning for organizations with high concurrent testing demands.

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