The Best-of-Breed Alternative to Checkmarx

StackHawk offers powerful API security testing and automated DAST, plus API discovery from source code that works across any framework, runtime testing that scales with AI development velocity, and centralized program oversight that proves security effectiveness.

See StackHawk in Flight

Why Choose StackHawk Over Checkmarx?

StackHawk integrates into and runs directly from CI/CD, with native scanning support for modern app & API architectures. Developers get security results directly in their workflows, enabling immediate vulnerability resolution during active development. Checkmarx is a broad platform that requires more security team resources to deploy and manage and produces longer scan cycles, leading to bottlenecks that conflict with rapid development practices. StackHawk’s approach lets development teams maintain velocity while building security directly into their delivery process, rather than treating it as a separate gate-keeping function.

Trusted by the Following Flocks

Runtime Testing at Development Speed

StackHawk delivers scan results in minutes with CI/CD-native architecture that enables testing on every build without slowing releases. Developers get immediate, actionable feedback with clear remediation guidance directly in their workflows to enable code fixes when context is fresh. This velocity is critical as AI accelerates code production, requiring security testing that scales with development pace rather than creating bottlenecks.

Checkmarx’s architecture is designed for periodic, security team-managed scans rather than continuous developer-driven testing. Scans can take hours, especially for large applications, making per-commit testing impractical. While they do integrate with CI/CD tools, the scan duration and platform orchestration requirements mean teams often schedule scans off-hours rather than on every build, creating feedback delays that lag behind AI development velocity.

Complete API Discovery Across All Frameworks

StackHawk is more than just testing. The StackHawk discovers APIs and applications from source code across any programming language or framework, whether Java, Node.js, Ruby, Go, Python, PHP, or emerging technologies. As AI generates new code and APIs faster than teams can track them, StackHawk’s language-agnostic discovery ensures complete attack surface visibility without framework gaps.

Checkmarx’s API discovery is limited to four supported frameworks: Spring, Flask/Django, Express, and .NET Web API. Applications built with other technologies won’t be automatically discovered. This is a challenge as AI-generated code introduces new services across diverse technology stacks that may fall outside Checkmarx’s supported ecosystem.

Straightforward Integration

StackHawk uses delivers focused DAST capabilities with minimal setup overhead. Developers can integrate StackHawk into CI/CD pipelines in minutes using Docker or CLI without deploying additional infrastructure. The lightweight architecture means no licensing complexity across multiple modules, no centralized scanning bottlenecks, and predictable performance regardless of concurrent usage.

Checkmarx requires the broader Checkmarx One platform infrastructure, with API Security functioning as an add-on that implicitly runs SAST scans and requires appropriate licenses for each component. The platform approach means more complex deployment, potential scan queueing when multiple teams test simultaneously, and operational overhead.

Kaakaws From Our Customers

Read Our Success Stories

Checkmarx vs StackHawk Feature Comparison Guide

See the StackHawk Difference

Features

StackHawk

Checkmarx

Developer Experience

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

Significant filtering and analysis required before actionable insights emerge

API Discovery

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

Source code discovery limited to four frameworks. Other technologies won’t be discovered without manual API definition

API Security Testing

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

Scans REST, SOAP, and gRPC APIs, but lacks native GraphQL introspection capabilities

CI/CD Integration

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

Integrations exist but are less flexible and not developer-first

Business Logic Testing

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

Limited business logic flaw detection capabilities that rely on runtime behavior analysis without deterministic testing approaches or transparent customization options

Frequently Asked Questions About StackHawk and Checkmarx

We use multiple programming languages. How does API discovery coverage compare?

StackHawk discovers APIs from source code across any programming language or framework through language-agnostic analysis. As AI accelerates development and teams adopt diverse technologies, this ensures complete attack surface visibility without gaps. Checkmarx’s API discovery is limited to four frameworks—Spring, Flask/Django, Express, and .NET. Applications built with Ruby, Go, PHP, Rust, or other technologies won’t be automatically discovered.

How do scan speeds impact our ability to test at AI development velocity?

StackHawk scans complete in minutes, enabling testing on every pull request and build without slowing delivery. This speed is critical as AI accelerates code production. Security testing must match development velocity to catch vulnerabilities before production. Checkmarx scans can take hours for comprehensive testing, making per-commit scanning impractical. Teams typically schedule scans periodically rather than continuously, creating feedback delays that lag behind AI-accelerated development cycles.

Can we get program-level visibility without deploying an entire platform?

Yes. StackHawk provides centralized AppSec program oversight—testing coverage rates, scan frequency, remediation velocity, and risk prioritization—as a core capability without requiring platform infrastructure. This enables security leaders to demonstrate program effectiveness and allocate resources strategically. Checkmarx offers comprehensive visibility across its platform modules, but accessing these capabilities requires deploying Checkmarx One infrastructure and licensing multiple modules (API Security requires SAST), which may be unnecessary for organizations primarily seeking dynamic testing capabilities.

What if we're already using Checkmarx for SAST?

Many organizations use Checkmarx SAST alongside StackHawk for dynamic testing because StackHawk’s developer-first design, faster feedback loops, and framework-agnostic coverage provide best-of-breed DAST capabilities. Our approach allows teams to maintain their static analysis investment while gaining purpose-built dynamic testing that scales with development velocity. StackHawk integrates into existing toolchains—including alongside Checkmarx SAST—rather than requiring platform replacement, which allows for focused DAST excellence without deployment complexity.

Ready for DAST that matches your CI/CD velocity?

Schedule a live demo with our team.

Book Today