8 Best Mobile Application Security Testing Tools (Free And Paid)

Security leaders are responsible for guiding their organizations toward innovation while maintaining security. As businesses race to release feature-rich mobile applications, vulnerabilities are often overlooked or left unresolved during development. 

The balancing act of quick development deadlines, budget constraints, and increasing security threats can make organizations’ lives nearly impossible. A single data breach or exploited vulnerability can instantly ruin years of business reputation and customer loyalty. 

But is security built into my development cycles? We’ll explore how the right tools can enhance application security while blending well with your software development process.

8 Best Mobile App Security Testing Tools [Reviewed]

1. Astra Mobile Pentest
2. Guardsquare
3. AppKnox
4. Checkmarx One™
5. App-Ray
6. Data Theorem by Mobile Secure
7. NowSecure Platform
8. Quick Android Review Kit (QARK)

Why Astra is the best in Mobile Pentesting?

• We’re the only company that combines automated & manual pentest to create a one-of-a-kind PTaaS platform with SOC 2 vulnerability tags.
• Runs 250+ test cases based on OWASP Mobile Top 10 standards.
• Integrates with your CI/CD tools to help you establish DevSecOps.
• A dynamic vulnerability management dashboard to manage, monitor, assign, and update vulnerabilities.
• Astra pentest detects business logic errors and payment gateway hacks.
• Award publicly verifiable pentest certificates which you can share with your users.
• Helps you stay compliant with SOC2, ISO27001, PCI-DSS, HIPAA, etc.
• Trusted by the brands you trust like Agora, Spicejet, Muthoot, Dream11, etc.

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Features to Look for in Mobile App Security Testing Tools

1. Static and Dynamic Analysis (SAST & DAST)

Static analysis identifies potential security vulnerabilities by analyzing the code itself. Examples of vulnerabilities detected through static analysis include code injection, insecure data storage, and hard-coded credentials. It’s crucial for early detection during the development phase.

Conversely, a dynamic analysis tool interacts with the app as a user would, exploring various paths and inputs to identify vulnerabilities that may only manifest during runtime. Typical findings include authentication, session management, and network communication security issues.

2. Code Scanning

Code scanning tools focus specifically on the app’s source code. They analyze the codebase for potential vulnerabilities, coding mistakes, and adherence to secure coding standards such as SQL injection, Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), and improper input validation.

3. Automation and Continuous Integration (CI) Support

Look for a tool easily integrated into your CI/CD pipeline and existing tech stack. This ensures that security checks are performed consistently with every code change and build. 

Automation helps catch vulnerabilities early, reduces the risk of introducing new security issues, and accelerates the delivery of secure mobile apps.

4. Customer Support & Community

A user community can be immensely valuable in sharing knowledge, best practices, and user-generated scripts or plugins that enhance the tool’s functionality. 

It also provides a platform to discuss common challenges and solutions with other users who may have encountered similar issues. Furthermore, responsive and knowledgeable customer support from the tool’s developers or vendors is essential.

5. Cost and Licensing

Thoroughly examine whether the tool’s cost aligns with your budget. Consider whether it offers a free trial or a limited-feature version for initial testing and evaluation. 

Beyond the initial cost, assess whether the tool’s pricing scales with your usage and whether there are hidden costs, such as additional technical support or update fees.

8 Best Mobile Application Security Testing Tools

1. Astra Mobile Pentest

Key Features

• Scanner Capacity: Continuous automated scans with 10,000+ tests and manual pentests 
• Manual Pentests: Yes
• Compliance: OWASP, PCI-DSS, HIPAA, ISO27001, and SOC2
• Accuracy: Zero false positives (with vetted scans)
• Price: Starting at $1999/yr

Astra’s Mobile App Pentest is your go-to cybersecurity service for conducting wide-ranging, efficient, and result-oriented vulnerability assessments (VA) and pentests for mobile apps.

Astra can perform static application security testing (SAST), dynamic application security testing (DAST), and manual scanning on Android or iOS mobile apps.

It can also integrate with your CI/CD tools to help you establish a DevSecOps environment. Astra’s scanner conducts 10,000+ tests, matching vulnerabilities with an extensive database that includes known CVEs, OWASP Top Ten, SANS 25, and more.

It is known for providing comprehensive personalizable reports, including proof-of-concept videos, to help you swiftly patch vulnerabilities in your mobile app.

Pros

• It has a dynamic vulnerability management dashboard to manage, monitor, assign, and update vulnerabilities.
• Its security engine is constantly evolving by using intel about new hacks and CVEs for improved results.
• The pen test dashboard is CXO-friendly and enables seamless team collaboration for quick vulnerability resolution.
• Once the scan is complete, a publicly verifiable certificate is provided, enhancing your app’s credibility and trustworthiness.

Cons

• The platform could have more integration options.
• It does not offer a free trial.

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2. Guardsquare

Key features

• Scanner capacity: N/A (Guardsquare is not considered a scanner)
• Manual pentests:  Not a primary service offered by Guardsquare
• Compliance: General security standards, such as GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS
• Accuracy: Highly reputed for mobile application security
• Price: Quote available on request

Guardsquare is a multi-product suite that includes mobile app security solutions for Android and iOS. It prevents a multitude of security loopholes, including reverse engineering and code tampering. 

It offers various security testing solutions for mobile apps, including AppSweep, ThreatCast, and ProGuard. AppSweep automates mobile app testing during the development process. ThreatCast monitors threats in real time and identifies important attack vectors after the app’s release.

iXGuard and DexGuard generate a Protection Report for each mobile app build, and ProGuard, the open-source tool, allows you to enhance, obfuscate, and optimize your Java bytecode.

Pros

• No code changes are required in your mobile app or SDK to apply Guardsquare’s hardening and runtime protections.
• The Code Hardening feature blurs the app’s code and prevents cyber attackers from accessing its internal logic, preserving its integrity.
• Guardsquare supports native and cross-platform languages and frameworks like React Native, Flutter™, Kotlin, and Java.

Cons

• Learning to make the most of Guardsquare’s features may require time, especially if the development team is not too experienced.
• If you have a multi-platform or hybrid mobile app, you should look for additional solutions to cover those bases.

3. AppKnox

Key features

• Scanner capacity: Scans for a wide range of vulnerabilities
• Manual pentests: Yes
• Compliance: General security standards, such as HIPAA, SOC2, and FFIEC IT
• Accuracy: Known for providing comprehensive reports
• Price: Quote available on request

Appknox is a mobile application security testing tool platform covering 140+ automated SAST, DAST, and API VA scans on your mobile app, which is easy to configure and run.

Its security team also runs manual pentests, consolidates vulnerabilities, and provides a step-by-step walkthrough for remediating the visible threats to your mobile app.

With Appknox, you can run a single scan on your mobile app’s binary and identify all vulnerabilities in less than 60 minutes.

Pros

• Receive a comprehensive VA report that discloses the severity of the issue, its business impact, and the regulatory and compliance issues.
• Customer service is fast and effective.

Cons

• Its remediation reports are only available in PDF formats.
• It does not offer any Amazon Web Services (AWS) integrations.

4. Checkmarx One™

Key features

• Scanner capacity: A broad range of language and framework support
• Manual pentests: Not a primary service offered by Checkmarx
• Compliance: Compliance: General security standards, such as GDPR and PCI-DSS
• Accuracy: Highly accurate with lower false positives
• Price: Quote available on request

Checkmarx is a cloud-native enterprise AppSec platform by Checkmarx. As one of its primary tools, Checkmarx One™ offers one-click testing for scanning and finding vulnerabilities in the mobile app codebase. It works for Android, iOS, and Windows Mobile.

With Checkmarx One™, you can run automated scans irrespective of where you are in the mobile app development process. It supports 25+ languages and frameworks, such as C++, Perl, and Go.

Pros

• It allows static code analysis of both hybrid and native applications.
• It can detect all sorts of vulnerabilities, such as XSS, CSRF, SQL injection, and HTML injection.
• It seamlessly fits into the organization’s workflow and software development lifecycle.

Cons

• Customer support can be unresponsive at times.
• The findings tend to contain a significant number of false positives.

5. App-Ray

Key features

• Scanner capacity: Can find both known and unknown vulnerabilities
• Manual pentests: Not a primary service offered by Checkmarx
• Compliance: General security standards, such as GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, and PSD2
• Accuracy: Known for quick and accurate scanning
• Price: Quote available on request

App-Ray is a mobile app vulnerability analysis and compliance tool that employs static, dynamic, and behavior-based analysis techniques to identify 80+ coding problems, encryption-related issues, and data leaks in Android and iOS mobile apps.

Once the scan is complete, App-Ray offers a detailed analysis of the results in JSON and PDF formats and via REST API for further processing.

Pros

• It is designed for easy installation and constant system monitoring with the advantage of both SAST and DAST.
• There is flexibility in managing and prioritizing risk- and security-related work for each mobile app.

Cons

• There is limited community support compared to other tools.
• An internet connection is required for cloud-based analysis.

6. Data Theorem by Mobile Secure

Key features

• Scanner capacity: Broad scanning capabilities, including third-party services and APIs
• Manual pentests: Not a primary service offered by Data Theorem
• Compliance: General security standards, such as GDPR and HIPAA
• Accuracy: Comprehensive and accurate reporting
• Price: Quote available on request

Data Theorem is a mobile app security testing tool for Android and iOS that uniquely identifies third-party vulnerabilities related to network communication, data storage, and API integrations.

Data Theorem enables continuous monitoring to help you maintain a strong security posture. It integrates directly into the development pipeline to prioritize and manage risks more effectively.

Pros

• The Data Theorem Analyzer Engine performs runtime analysis on every mobile app binary build.
• It supports native and cross-platform languages and frameworks like Swift, Objective-C, Kotlin, and Java.
• It provides hassle-free customer service.

Cons

• It may require additional configuration settings for complex mobile app architectures.
• It is a costlier option compared to similar tools in the market.

7. NowSecure Platform

Key features

• Scanner capacity: Can find both known and unknown vulnerabilities
• Manual pentests: Yes
• Compliance: General security standards, such as NIST, FISMA, GDPR and NIAP
• Accuracy: Highly accurate with lower false positives
• Price: Quote available on request

The NowSecure Platform is a solution for continuous automated mobile app testing for Android and iOS. It identifies security threats, privacy issues, and compliance gaps in commercial, business-critical, and custom-developed mobile apps.

The NowSecure Command Line Interface (CLI) enables more custom interactions and integrations into development. Its new Portfolio Health Dashboard provides a holistic view of the current mobile app security program. 

Pros

• Conduct 600+ tests spanning static, dynamic, interactive, and APISec analysis — all in one easy-to-use portal.
• Continuously test mobile apps as you build them to keep up with your DevOps and Agile software development timelines.
• The NowSecure platform helps clean your code with fast and accurate mobile application security testing.

Cons

• Some users may experience a learning curve when starting with the tool.
• Better documentation is needed to utilize it effectively for certain features, such as encryption modalities testing.

8. Quick Android Review Kit (QARK)

QARK is a free Android mobile app scanner that examines the app’s source code for vulnerabilities, such as tap jacking, exploitable WebView configurations, and outdated API versions.

At the end of the scan, QARK produces a report that covers any discovered weaknesses and recommendations for fixing them.

Key features

• Scanner capacity: Can find both known and unknown vulnerabilities
• Manual pentests: Yes
• Compliance: Not designed to certify or ensure compliance with any regulations
• Accuracy: Subject to the possibility of generating false positives
• Price: Free to use; it requires installing Python 2.7+ and JRE 1.6/1.7+.

Pros

• It offers a user-friendly interface and generates detailed reports.
• It conducts comprehensive static code analysis, manifest analysis, and permission mapping to identify risks and potential exploits.
• It performs integration testing from a generated APK test.

Cons

• QARK is better at testing completed mobile apps than those still under development.
• It is not easy to set up.
• There is no customer support; you need a community to contact if you face any problems.

Benefits of Mobile App Security Testing 

• User Trust: By demonstrating concern for the security of your customers’ data, you will attract more customers to your applications, leading to increased traffic.   
• Reduced Financial Losses: Using security tools, you can manage financial and safety risks before they arise, avoiding the high costs of damages, losses due to fraud, and compliance penalties.   
• Brand Reputation: Protect your brand image and prevent the negative publicity that comes with security breaches.   
• Compliance Requirements: Security testing is crucial for complying with various regulatory bodies, such as GDPR norms, regarding protecting users’ data.   
• Improved App Performance: Resolving some vulnerabilities enhances an app’s performance and reliability.
• Competitive Advantage: In a competitive environment, a secure app can be a unique selling point compared to competitors.

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Final Thoughts

As a security expert, navigating the pressure of delivering innovative mobile applications while safeguarding against evolving threats is no small feat. To address the concerns of preventing vulnerabilities with every new app version, you must prioritize app security testing. 

Companies should implement the proper security measures to protect users’ data, maintain a strong brand reputation, and comply with industry regulations. 

Astra’s Mobile Pentest plan offers unlimited continuous scans and zero false positives. It also effectively secures your mobile app, minimizing vulnerabilities and delivering a superior user experience.

FAQs

Additional Resources on Security Testing

This post is part of a series on Security Testing. You can
also check out other articles below.

• Chapter 1: What is Security Testing and Why is it Important?
• Chapter 2: Security Testing Methodologies
• Chapter 3: What is Web Application Security Testing?
• Chapter 4: How to Perform Mobile Application Security Testing
• Chapter 5: What is Cloud Security Testing?
• Chapter 6: What is API Security Testing?
• Chapter 7: What is Network Security Testing?
• Chapter 8: A Complete Guide to OWASP Security Testing?
• Chapter 9: What is DAST?
• Chapter 10: What is SAST?