# bettercap vs Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP)

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | bettercap | Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 75/100 | 80/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #1 of 15 in Network Security | #4 of 78 in Security |
| GitHub stars | 20 209 ✓ | 16 057 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +188 | +242 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 2 | 31 ✓ |
| Latest release | v2.41.7 · 11 May 2026 | w2026-10-23 · 23 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Go | Java |

## Which one should you pick?

Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) scores 80/100 against 75/100 for bettercap, so it is the safer default.

Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 2 for bettercap.

If you want the quickest setup, Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) is easier to run; bettercap needs more configuration.

## Details

- [bettercap](https://selfhost.directory/project/bettercap) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/bettercap.md)
- [Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP)](https://selfhost.directory/project/zed-attack-proxy-zap) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/zed-attack-proxy-zap.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/bettercap-vs-zed-attack-proxy-zap