NightVision vs. Checkmarx
NightVision is standalone whole-app DAST: a coordinated platform workflow that tests web applications and APIs on a crawler built for modern single-page apps, scans fully authenticated with MFA, and widens coverage with an OpenAPI spec generated from your source code. Checkmarx is an enterprise AppSec platform with a SAST core, where DAST is an add-on module. Here's how the two compare.
A platform with a SAST core, and a DAST you can buy on its own.
The question isn't which one is better; it's whether you're buying a platform or hiring a dynamic testing engine.
Where Checkmarx excels
Checkmarx One is an established enterprise AppSec platform: a SAST engine with deep language coverage at its core, plus SCA, secrets, IaC, container security, and API security, unified under one risk score, with an agentic AI layer and its own MCP server. For organizations consolidating application security on a single enterprise platform, that breadth is real. Its DAST module markets fast onboarding, browser-recorded logins with 2FA, and built-in tunneling for internal apps.
What NightVision is built for
NightVision is dynamic testing as the product, not an attach. By Checkmarx's own description, its DAST is "part of the Checkmarx One application security platform" and "not sold as a standalone product." NightVision is a standalone platform that crawls modern single-page apps, scans fully authenticated with TOTP/MFA, and can generate an OpenAPI spec from source for supported REST frameworks. Request-level findings retain HTTP evidence, and Code Traceback is available on supported source-discovered API scans.
NightVision vs. Checkmarx: feature breakdown
A direct comparison across the dimensions that matter most for modern application security programs. Competitor claims reflect Checkmarx's own public pages.
| Capability | NightVision | Checkmarx |
|---|---|---|
| Whole-app DAST sold standalone | ✅ Coordinated web and API workflow, self-serve | ⚠️ DAST is "not sold as a standalone product"; an add-on to Checkmarx One at the Professional tier or higher |
| Where does your API spec come from | ✅ Generated from source in under 20 seconds (API eNVy) as a runnable OpenAPI spec; deterministic static analysis, no LLM reads your code | ✅ API Security discovers APIs from your codebase into a unified inventory |
| Modern SPA crawling | ✅ LLM-based form handling, WebDriver BiDi intelligent waiting, duplicate page detection | ⚠️ DAST messaging centers on onboarding, recorded logins, and tunneling; crawler mechanisms not detailed |
| Authenticated scanning | ✅ Playwright-recorded logins, credentials auto-vaulted, TOTP/MFA; a login-check gate fails CI instead of silently scanning logged out | ✅ Browser-recorded logins with 2FA |
| Finding evidence | ✅ Request and response evidence on request-level findings; Code Traceback on supported source-discovered API scans, in one product | ⚠️ DAST findings correlated against SAST results in one platform risk score |
| Remediation output | ✅ Coding agents can use finding evidence to propose changes and rescan under repository review controls | ⚠️ Triage and Remediation Assist agents in the platform's agentic AI layer |
| What your agent consumes | ✅ MCP server plus Claude Code skills serving deterministic, source-linked findings | ✅ Checkmarx MCP Server within the Checkmarx One platform |
| CI/CD integration | ✅ Native: GitHub Actions, GitLab, Jenkins, Azure DevOps; SARIF into GitHub Security Alerts | ✅ CI/CD scanning on every commit |
| Private network scanning | ✅ Smart Proxy, zero infrastructure changes | ✅ Built-in tunneling for internal apps |
| Getting started | ✅ Self-serve free trial; 6 to 12 clicks, under a minute | ⚠️ Sales-led: "your dedicated rep will build a precise proposal" |
| SOC 2 Type 2 | ✅ SOC 2 Type 2 (report available under NDA) | ✅ Yes |
What standalone whole-app DAST changes
These aren't feature checkboxes. They're the reasons teams that want runtime testing first don't want to buy a platform to get it.
DAST as the product, not the attach
NightVision is a standalone platform for web apps and APIs, bought and run on its own. No platform tier required to switch dynamic testing on.
From source to a runnable spec
API eNVy doesn't stop at an inventory: it generates a runnable OpenAPI spec from source in under 20 seconds, and the same engine immediately tests those endpoints against the running app.
Scan fully authenticated
Playwright-recorded logins with credentials auto-vaulted and TOTP/MFA support. A login-check gate fails the pipeline instead of silently scanning logged-out pages.
Evidence developers act on
Request-level findings retain the HTTP request and response. On supported source-discovered API scans, Code Traceback can link findings to the endpoint file and line, with SARIF export into GitHub Security Alerts.
From finding to proposed change
Coding agents can use finding evidence to propose a change and rescan it under normal repository review controls.
Built for modern frontends
The crawler handles single-page apps with LLM-based form handling, WebDriver BiDi intelligent waiting, and duplicate page detection, designed to reach dynamic application states.
The honest answer: it depends on what you're buying.
✅ Choose NightVision when…
- You want whole-app DAST you can buy and run standalone, starting with a self-serve trial
- Your API surface includes undocumented or shadow APIs you need tested, not just inventoried
- You want developers to run scans without a security engineer present
- You need to scan private-network apps without infrastructure changes
- You want the request and response evidence on request-level findings, with Code Traceback on supported source-discovered API scans
- You want agents to use finding evidence to propose changes and rescan under repository controls
- You want your coding agents consuming findings over MCP
Consider Checkmarx when…
- Platform breadth is the purchase: SAST, SCA, secrets, IaC, containers, and API security under one risk score
- Deep SAST language coverage is your primary control
- You're consolidating AppSec on the Checkmarx One platform across a large enterprise
- Your organization already runs Checkmarx SAST and wants DAST in the same console
Note: the two aren't mutually exclusive. Some teams keep Checkmarx for static analysis and add NightVision for standalone, authenticated dynamic testing in CI/CD.
The agent-ready dimension
Coding agents are becoming a fixture in AppSec workflows, which puts a new question into every scanner evaluation: can your agent launch a scan, read the evidence, propose a fix, and verify it? NightVision ships an open-source MCP server and Agent Skills built for that loop: findings arrive with runtime evidence (file and line on supported source-discovered API scans), the agent fixes over MCP and rescans, and your review process governs what merges.
Whatever tool you land on, ask it the same question; the loop is only as good as the scanner underneath it.
"We won an award at our company's internal hackathon for demonstrating developer teams executing a DAST scan on a web app in eight minutes from start to finish during build time, with tickets opened automatically with Engineering."Steve McKinnon · Senior Application Security Engineer, BeyondTrust
Common questions about NightVision and Checkmarx
How is NightVision different from Checkmarx DAST?
Checkmarx's own DAST page describes it as part of the Checkmarx One platform and not sold as a standalone product; it is an add-on module at the Professional tier or higher. NightVision is standalone whole-app DAST: one focused product that crawls modern single-page apps, scans fully authenticated with TOTP/MFA, generates API specs from source in under 20 seconds, and puts the request and response evidence on request-level findings, with Code Traceback on supported source-discovered API scans.
Can I buy whole-app DAST on its own from each vendor?
NightVision is sold standalone with a self-serve trial. Checkmarx's packaging page lists Dynamic Analysis as an add-on module to the Checkmarx One platform, and its DAST page states it is not sold as a standalone product.
Does NightVision run fully authenticated scans with MFA?
Yes. Playwright-recorded login scripts with credentials automatically vaulted, TOTP/MFA support at scan time, and a login-check gate that fails the CI pipeline instead of silently scanning logged-out pages.
What does a NightVision finding include?
Request-level findings retain the HTTP request and response as evidence. On supported source-discovered API scans, Code Traceback can link a finding to the endpoint file and line. Coding agents can use that evidence to propose changes and rescan under normal repository review controls. Findings export as SARIF into GitHub Security Alerts.
What evidence does NightVision provide?
NightVision dynamically tests the running app. Request-level findings retain HTTP evidence, supported source-discovered API scans can add endpoint file and line context, and teams can replay eligible findings for validation.
When is Checkmarx the better fit?
When platform breadth is your primary driver: Checkmarx One spans SAST, SCA, secrets, IaC, container security, and API security with unified risk scoring, and its SAST engine has deep language coverage. Organizations consolidating AppSec on one enterprise platform, with DAST as an attach, are Checkmarx's home turf.
How NightVision compares to other tools
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Test the whole app, not just the parts you documented.
Map your app from source and the browser, run an authenticated scan, and see the request and response evidence on request-level findings, with Code Traceback on supported source-discovered API scans. Self-serve, no credit card.