Most security scanners check HTTP headers on web pages. GovernAPI was built for APIs — with checks, monitoring, and compliance mapping that header scanners don't cover.
| Feature | Free Header Scanners | GovernAPI |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | ||
| Paste URL, instant results | ✓ | ✓ |
| No install / no CLI / no Docker | ✓ | ✓ |
| Continuous monitoring | ✗ | ✓ |
| Header checks | ||
| HSTS | ✓ | ✓ |
| Content Security Policy | ✓ | ✓ (HTML only — skipped on JSON APIs) |
| X-Frame-Options | ✓ | ✓ (HTML only) |
| X-Content-Type-Options | ✓ | ✓ |
| Referrer-Policy | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cookie security flags | some | ✓ |
| API-specific checks | ||
| JSON vs HTML context awareness | ✗ | ✓ |
| CORS origin reflection probe | ✗ | ✓ |
| OpenAPI/Swagger spec exposure | ✗ | ✓ (14 path probes) |
| GraphQL introspection detection | ✗ | ✓ (6 path probes) |
| JWT none algorithm check | ✗ | ✓ |
| LLM/AI prompt injection testing | ✗ | ✓ (5 probes) |
| Verbose error leakage detection | ✗ | ✓ (4 malformed-request probes) |
| Auth requirement detection | ✗ | ✓ |
| Rate limit verification | ✗ | ✓ |
| Sensitive file exposure probes | ✗ | ✓ (content-signature gated) |
| Credential leak scanning | ✗ | ✓ |
| Compliance & reporting | ||
| OWASP API Top 10 mapping | ✗ | ✓ |
| PCI DSS 4.0 mapping | ✗ | ✓ |
| SOC 2 mapping | ✗ | ✓ |
| GDPR Article 32 mapping | ✗ | ✓ |
| HIPAA §164.312 mapping | ✗ | ✓ |
| PDF compliance readiness reports | ✗ | ✓ |
| Category breakdown (4 pillars) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fix guides with code examples (5 languages) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Monitoring & workflow | ||
| Scheduled daily/weekly rescans | ✗ | ✓ |
| Vendor/third-party API monitoring | ✗ | ✓ |
| Score threshold alerts | ✗ | ✓ |
| CI/CD pass/fail gate | ✗ | ✓ |
| Webhook notifications | ✗ | ✓ |
| Email alerts on critical findings | ✗ | ✓ |
| AI Security Advisor | ✗ | ✓ |
| Team seats | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shareable scan reports | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pricing | ||
| Cost | Free (one-shot) | Free tier + $19-49/mo |
Not a WAF or firewall — we detect issues, we don't block traffic
Not a penetration test — we perform automated external scans, not manual security assessment by a human expert
Not an enterprise runtime solution — we don't analyze live API traffic or sit inline in your infrastructure
Not a compliance certification — we provide readiness signals and evidence for auditors, not audit attestations
Not a replacement for a security team — we help teams without dedicated security engineers understand their API risk posture
For penetration testing, runtime protection, or compliance certification, engage a qualified security firm.