Alternatives to Akto at Pre-seed startups
What middleBrick covers
- Black-box API scanning with a risk score in under a minute
- Detection aligned to OWASP API Top 10 and mapping for SOC 2 and PCI-DSS
- Authenticated scans with strict header allowlists and domain verification
- OpenAPI 3.x and Swagger 2.0 spec parsing with recursive reference resolution
- Continuous monitoring with diff detection and signed webhooks
- Programmatic access via CLI, API client, and GitHub Action
Black-box scanning without agents or code access
middleBrick is a self-service API security scanner that operates as a black-box solution. You submit a target URL and receive a risk score on an A–F scale along with prioritized findings. The scanner only uses read-only methods such as GET and HEAD, with text-only POST allowed for LLM probes, and it does not require agents, SDKs, or any code access. Because it does not rely on language-specific instrumentation, it works with any stack, framework, or cloud environment.
Detection aligned to OWASP API Top 10 and complementary mappings
The scanner covers 12 categories aligned to OWASP API Top 10 (2023), including Authentication bypasses, JWT misconfigurations such as alg=none or expired tokens, BOLA and IDOR via sequential ID probing, BFLA and privilege escalation attempts, sensitive data exposure including PII and API keys, SSRF indicators, and LLM security probes across tiered scan depths. For frameworks such as PCI-DSS 4.0 and SOC 2 Type II, findings map to relevant controls, and the tool surfaces findings relevant to regulatory alignment where specified, without claiming certification or compliance guarantees.
Authenticated scanning and safe detection practices
Authenticated scanning (available from Starter tier onward) supports Bearer tokens, API keys, Basic auth, and cookies, with a domain verification gate to confirm ownership before credentials are used. Only specific headers are forwarded, and destructive payloads are never sent. Private IPs, localhost, and cloud metadata endpoints are blocked at multiple layers, and customer data can be deleted on demand and is never used for model training.
OpenAPI spec analysis and continuous monitoring
The tool parses OpenAPI 3.0, 3.1, and Swagger 2.0 files with recursive $ref resolution, cross-referencing the spec against runtime results to highlight undefined security schemes or deprecated operations. For ongoing assurance, Pro tier provides scheduled rescans, diff detection for score drift and new findings, email alerts at controlled rates, and HMAC-SHA256 signed webhooks with auto-disable after repeated failures.
Product integrations and transparent limitations
Deliverables include a Web Dashboard for reporting and trend tracking, a CLI via an npm package, a GitHub Action for CI/CD gating, an MCP Server for AI-assisted workflows, and a programmable API for custom integrations. The scanner does not fix or patch issues, does not perform active injection tests outside its scope, does not detect business logic flaws that require domain context, and is not a substitute for a human pentester in high-stakes audits.
Pricing and considerations for early-stage teams
Plans are structured for growing teams, with a Free tier offering 3 scans per month and CLI access, Starter at 15 APIs with dashboard and alerting, Pro adding continuous monitoring and CI/CD integration for up to 100 APIs, and Enterprise for unlimited APIs with custom rules and SLA support. These tiers help you evaluate coverage needs while aligning tool expenses with stage-appropriate security maturity.