Nmap vs ZAP:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Nmap had more branded searches than ZAP among penetration testing platforms worldwide. Nmap had about 165,000 branded searches, while ZAP had 51,900. Nmap made up 16.2% of all penetration testing platform searches we track, and ZAP accounted for 5.1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about penetration testing platforms, ZAP appeared in all five answers and Nmap in three. ZAP was mentioned before Nmap in three out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Nmap, about 3 searches for every 1 for ZAP
Follow Nmap vs ZAP and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Top penetration testing platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, ZAP appeared in all five answers. Nmap was mentioned in three out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. ZAP was listed before Nmap in three out of five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Burp Suite1st
Kali Linux2nd
Metasploit3rd
ZAP4th
Tenable5th- Nmap6th
Horizon3.ai7th
Pentera8th
Intruder9th
Cobalt10th- +1 more
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Burp Suite5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- ZAP5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Metasploit4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Kali Linux3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Nmap3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Tenable3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Pentera2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Horizon3.ai2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Cobalt1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Intruder1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about penetration testing platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which penetration testing platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best penetration testing platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best penetration testing platform for security weaknesses?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“penetration testing software”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“security testing tools”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Nmap or ZAP more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Nmap and ZAP by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 11 penetration testing platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Nmap, ZAP. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Kali Linux | Nmap | Burp Suite | ZAP | Tenable | Metasploit | Pentera | Horizon3.ai | Astra Security | Cobalt | Intruder |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 55.2% | 16.5% | 11.1% | 4.3% | 6.1% | 5% | 1% | 0.41% | 0.24% | 0.2% | 0.06% |
| Nov 2025 | 52.1% | 15.6% | 12.8% | 5% | 7% | 5.7% | 0.96% | 0.39% | 0.27% | 0.18% | 0.05% |
| Dec 2025 | 53.9% | 16.2% | 13.2% | 4.2% | 5.9% | 4.9% | 0.81% | 0.35% | 0.28% | 0.14% | 0.05% |
| Jan 2026 | 53.6% | 16.1% | 13.2% | 4.2% | 5.9% | 4.8% | 1.2% | 0.43% | 0.28% | 0.16% | 0.05% |
| Feb 2026 | 53.8% | 16.1% | 13.2% | 4.2% | 5.9% | 4.8% | 1% | 0.43% | 0.28% | 0.15% | 0.05% |
| Mar 2026 | 51.3% | 18.7% | 12.6% | 4.9% | 5.6% | 4.6% | 1.2% | 0.55% | 0.34% | 0.15% | 0.06% |
| Apr 2026 | 53.2% | 15.9% | 13% | 5% | 5.8% | 4.8% | 1% | 0.64% | 0.35% | 0.17% | 0.05% |
| May 2026 | 48.7% | 17.8% | 14.6% | 4.6% | 6.5% | 5.4% | 1.1% | 0.72% | 0.39% | 0.16% | 0.06% |
| Jun 2026 | 52.3% | 15.7% | 12.8% | 6% | 5.8% | 4.7% | 1.2% | 0.87% | 0.42% | 0.18% | 0.06% |
| Jul 2026 | 51.1% | 18.7% | 12.5% | 4.8% | 5.6% | 4.6% | 1.2% | 0.85% | 0.41% | 0.17% | 0.05% |
| Aug 2026 | 56% | 16.8% | 11.2% | 4.3% | 5% | 4.1% | 1% | 0.88% | 0.37% | 0.15% | 0.04% |
| Sep 2026 | 54.1% | 16.2% | 13.3% | 5.1% | 4.9% | 4% | 1% | 0.92% | 0.35% | 0.16% | 0.04% |
How has the Nmap and ZAP comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Nmap was ahead of ZAP in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Nmap’s share of searches among penetration testing platforms worldwide moved from 16.5% to 16.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 201K to 165K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, ZAP’s share of searches among penetration testing platforms worldwide moved from 4.3% to 5.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 52.4K to 51.9K.
How did search popularity change for penetration testing platforms worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, ZAP overtook Tenable to rank 4th among penetration testing platforms worldwide, with 5.1% of the searches.
In September 2026, Nmap lost share of searches among penetration testing platforms worldwide, from 16.8% to 16.2%.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Nmap’s and ZAP’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among penetration testing platforms
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.