Is Burp Suite still the essential tool for Web Application Pentesting?

All answers to this question.

While OWASP ZAP is an incredible tool and perfectly capable of finding 90% of vulnerabilities, Burp Suite Pro is the industry standard for a reason. Its "Intruder" and "Repeater" modules are significantly more streamlined for professional workflows. In 2023, every firm I interviewed with expected me to be proficient in Burp. The extension library (BApp Store) is also unparalleled. If you are serious about a career, the investment pays for itself in efficiency. ZAP is great for learning the basics of HTTP interception, but Burp is what you’ll use on the job 9 times out of 10.

   Answered 2025-08-05 by Mary Robinson

For someone on a tight budget, do you think it's possible to pass the OSWA or OSWE certifications using only the free community version of Burp Suite?

   Answered 2025-09-20 by Charles Wright

• Charles, it's possible but painful. The community version throttles the speed of the Intruder, which makes brute-forcing or large-scale fuzzing almost impossible for a timed exam.

     Commented 2025-10-10 by Thomas Miller

ZAP is actually better for automated CI/CD integration. We use ZAP for our daily automated builds and save Burp for the manual, deep-dive penetration tests.

   Answered 2025-11-15 by Donna Clark

• That's a great distinction, Donna. It's not about which tool is "better," but which one fits the specific stage of the development or testing lifecycle.

     Commented 2025-11-22 by Kimberly Adams