Dynamic application security testing (DAST) exercises a running application from the outside. Tools in this space differ enough that a short evaluation saves significant pain later.
Coverage
Can the tool authenticate and maintain a session? Can it handle modern single-page apps and APIs, not just server-rendered pages? Coverage of your application shape matters more than a long feature list.
Signal quality
Measure false-positive and false-negative rates on a known-vulnerable target you control. A scanner that floods your team with noise will be ignored, which is worse than no scanner at all.
Pipeline fit
Look for a usable command-line interface, machine-readable output, and sensible exit codes so results gate builds without manual triage. Integration cost is part of the total cost of ownership.
Sample content for development and testing. Evaluate tools against systems you own or are authorized to scan.