Top API Security Tools

APIs are the connective tissue of modern applications, but they've also become a primary target for attackers. Recent Gartner analysis predicts that API attacks will become the most frequent attack vector in 2025, underscoring why leading security experts, like those at IBM, report API-related breaches as some of the most costly for businesses. For a deeper look at emerging patterns, see this Salt Security State of API Security report, which finds that a majority of organizations have experienced recent API incidents.

Looking for a practical starting point? Aikido’s API scanning offers developer-friendly, unified coverage to help protect your APIs from the latest threats.

Choosing the right API security solution can feel overwhelming, with a market full of tools promising everything from discovery to real-time protection. This guide will cut through the noise to help you find the best API security platform for your needs.

TL;DR

Effective API security requires a mix of tools that cover discovery, testing, and real-time protection. The best API security solutions centralize these functions, reduce false positives, and integrate smoothly into developer workflows. This article breaks down the top tools available today, helping you choose a platform that provides comprehensive security without slowing you down.

What to Look for in an API Security Platform

Before diving into specific tools, it’s helpful to know what makes an API security solution effective. You aren't just buying a scanner; you're investing in a safety net for your most critical digital assets. For a detailed overview of must-have capabilities, check out this Gartner API security checklist.

Here are the key features to look for:

• API Discovery and Inventory: You can't protect what you don't know exists. A strong API security platform automatically discovers all your API endpoints, including undocumented "shadow" and outdated "zombie" APIs. This gives you a complete, up-to-date inventory of your attack surface, which is highlighted as a priority by the OWASP API Security Top 10.
• Real-time Threat Detection and Prevention: The tool should monitor API traffic in real-time to detect and block malicious activity. This includes spotting common attacks from the OWASP API Security Top 10, such as Broken Object Level Authorization (BOLA), as well as unusual behavior patterns that could signal a targeted attack.
• Integration with Developer Workflows: Security that slows down development is security that gets ignored. The best API security tools integrate seamlessly with your CI/CD pipeline, source code repositories (like GitHub), and project management tools. This "shift-left" approach helps developers find and fix vulnerabilities early.
• Comprehensive Testing Capabilities: A good solution combines multiple testing methods. This includes static testing of API specifications (SAST for APIs), dynamic testing of running endpoints (DAST), and fuzzing to uncover unexpected weaknesses.
• Low Noise and Actionable Insights: Many security tools are notorious for creating a flood of alerts, overwhelming developers with false positives. A great API security platform filters the noise, triages vulnerabilities by severity, and provides clear, actionable guidance for remediation.

The Best API Security Tools in 2025

Here’s a breakdown of the top API security platforms, starting with our top pick.

1. Aikido Security

Aikido is a developer-first security platform that unifies all essential security scans in one place, including robust API security. It's designed for fast-growing tech companies that need comprehensive protection without the complexity and noise of traditional tools. Aikido simplifies API security by integrating discovery, testing, and runtime protection into a single, easy-to-use interface.

Key Features:

• Automated API Discovery & Testing: Aikido connects to your source code and running applications to discover and test all your APIs automatically. It uses your OpenAPI/Swagger files to understand your API structure and runs checks for common vulnerabilities.
• OWASP Top 10 Coverage: The platform specifically tests for risks outlined in the OWASP API Security Top 10, helping you address the most critical threats like BOLA, broken authentication, and security misconfigurations.
• Seamless CI/CD Integration: Aikido fits directly into your existing workflows. You can trigger API scans on every pull request, providing developers with immediate feedback within their environment. This prevents vulnerabilities from ever reaching production.
• Noise Reduction: Aikido’s "triage-as-code" approach uses reachability analysis to filter out up to 95% of false positives. It prioritizes real, exploitable vulnerabilities so your team can focus on what matters.
• Unified Security View: Beyond APIs, Aikido scans your source code (SAST), open-source dependencies (SCA), containers, and cloud configurations (CSPM). This gives you a "single pane of glass" view of your entire security posture.

Weaknesses:

• As a newer, all-in-one platform, it may not have every single niche feature found in highly specialized, standalone API security tools that have been on the market for over a decade.

Aikido stands out by making comprehensive security accessible and manageable. It eliminates the need to juggle multiple tools and provides clear, actionable results that developers can actually use. If you're ready to secure your APIs without the headache, you can try Aikido for free.

2. Salt Security

Salt Security is a well-known name in the API security space, focusing heavily on runtime protection. It uses AI and big data to analyze API traffic, discover all APIs, and detect anomalous behavior that might indicate an attack. For more insights on their approach to defending APIs in real time, check out this recent CSO Online review of Salt Security’s API runtime protection capabilities. You can also view user impressions and ratings on the Salt Security G2 page.

Key Features:

• Runtime Protection: Salt excels at monitoring live API traffic to identify and stop attacks in real time.
• API Discovery: It provides continuous discovery of APIs, including shadow and zombie APIs.
• Threat Detection: The platform uses machine learning to create a baseline of normal API behavior and flags deviations that signal a potential threat.

Weaknesses:

• Salt primarily focuses on runtime protection, offering less coverage for "shift-left" security during the development phase.
• Some users on platforms like G2 have reported a steep learning curve and a desire for more out-of-the-box integrations, which can make initial setup time-consuming. Notably, this review mentions difficulties with integration and noise, while another user highlights challenges in scaling deployment and managing the volume of alerts.

3. 42crunch

42crunch takes a "shift-left" approach to API security, focusing on securing APIs during the design and development phases. It helps teams build security into their APIs from the start by auditing API definition files and automating security testing in the CI/CD pipeline.

Key Features:

• API Contract Security: The platform audits OpenAPI/Swagger files for security vulnerabilities and conformance with best practices.
• CI/CD Integration: It integrates directly into developer pipelines to run automated security tests on APIs.
• Micro-Firewall: 42crunch provides a lightweight firewall that enforces security policies on individual APIs.

Weaknesses:

• Its primary strength is in pre-production, with less emphasis on runtime threat detection compared to tools like Salt or Noname.
• The focus on API contracts means it’s less effective for organizations that don't have well-defined OpenAPI specifications for all their services. Some G2 reviewers note occasional false positives in contract analysis, while another user mentions a somewhat steep learning curve and limited flexibility for highly customized environments.

4. Akamai API Security

Akamai acquired Neosec to bolster its API security offerings, combining it with its existing web application security solutions. It provides visibility and behavioral analytics for API traffic, helping to detect abuse and logic-based attacks. For more user ratings and details, see the Akamai API Gateway G2 page.

Key Features:

• Behavioral Analytics: Uses machine learning to understand API usage and detect deviations that could indicate an attack.
• Integration with Akamai Edge: As part of the Akamai ecosystem, it can leverage a global network for threat intelligence and protection.
• API Discovery: Continuously discovers and catalogs APIs across the organization.

Weaknesses:

• It is most effective for companies already invested in the Akamai ecosystem.
• Some reviewers on G2 mention that the UI can be complex to navigate (here’s one review) and that getting actionable insights requires significant configuration and tuning (see another G2 review).

API Security Tools: Comparison Table

For further guidance on securing your APIs, be sure to check out our API Security Best Practices & Standards blog post—and see how analyst leaders are highlighting the market with insights from Gartner.

To help you decide, here’s a comparison of the key features across the top API security solutions. For more context on runtime protection approaches and industry feedback, you can review coverage such as CSO Online’s look at modern API defenses.

Conclusion

Choosing the right API security tool depends on your organization's specific needs, existing infrastructure, and security maturity. While specialized tools like Salt and Noname offer powerful runtime protection, and 42crunch excels at shift-left, they often create silos and add complexity.

For modern development teams, an all-in-one platform like Aikido Security offers the most practical and efficient solution. By combining API security with other essential scans in a single, developer-friendly interface, Aikido provides comprehensive protection without the noise and overhead. It empowers developers to build and deploy secure APIs quickly, making it the ideal choice for scaling tech companies.