# Observal vs Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP)

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

| | Observal | Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 67/100 | 80/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #32 of 209 in AI Agents | #4 of 78 in Security |
| GitHub stars | 4 533 | 16 058 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 210 ✓ | +243 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 33 ✓ | 31 |
| Latest release | v1.15.1 · 16 Oct 2026 | w2026-10-23 · 23 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Python | Java |

## Which one should you pick?

Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) scores 80/100 against 67/100 for Observal, so it is the safer default.

Observal ships more often: 33 stable releases in the past year, against 31 for Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP).

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

Observal is growing faster right now (+1 210 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Observal](https://selfhost.directory/project/observal) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/observal.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/observal-vs-zed-attack-proxy-zap