Top Code Review Tools to Strengthen Developer Security in 2026 

The expectations for team security have grown rapidly; many are no longer able to utilize the old methods of slow development or producing countless false positives. Developers require SAST and DAST solutions that allow them to seamlessly integrate these into their workflow and assist them in finding actual vulnerabilities as soon as possible and then guide them through the process of remediation instead of providing them with an overwhelming dashboard. 

Smarter Code Security for Today’s Teams

The best tools for 2026 are those that strike a balance between automation, simplicity, and accuracy, creating a sense of integration with security as part of the development process, and not a roadblock to it. 

Below are some comparisons of the top platforms developed specifically with today's development teams in mind.

1. Aikido

Aikido is one of the best code review tools, which has all the elements (SAST, DAST, Secrets, & Dependency Checks) of a typical code review tool in one single interface, which can help you quickly get answers and understand how your application will perform at runtime.

Key Features 

SAST Coverage 

• Multi-language scanning: supports all major languages used in modern teams

• Deep code analysis: detects logic flaws and unsafe patterns early 

• Developer guidance: shows clear, practical fix instructions

DAST Testing 

• Live service checks; tests real running environments for weaknesses 

• Web app scanning: finds issues only visible during runtime 

• Risk-based prioritization: focuses attention on the most dangerous flaws 

Secrets Detection 

• API key exposure: quickly spots leaked or hardcoded credentials 

• Credential scanning: covers repos, commits, and branches 

• CI leakage review: identifies sensitive data inside pipelines 

Dependency Security 

• Vulnerability detection: flags risky third-party packages 

• Exploitability checks: filter out issues that can’t be exploited 

• Upgrade recommendations: suggest safe and compatible versions 

Additional Features 

Infrastructure & Cloud 

• IaC file scanning: analyzes Terraform, Kubernetes, and similar configs 

• Misconfiguration alerts: highlights risky cloud settings 

• Environment drift detection: identifies unexpected changes over time 

While Aikido's IaC scanning helps identify infrastructure misconfigurations during development, teams deploying to cloud environments should complement their code review process with dedicated cloud security tools for comprehensive runtime protection and continuous monitoring. 

CI/CD Integrations 

• Plug-and-play setup: connect Aikido in minutes 

• PR comments: instant code-review insights 

• Real-time alerts: Slack, email, or webhook notifications 

By delivering a full Security solution for Developers (that can scan & reduce false-positives), Aikido is helping Teams achieve faster & more confident vulnerability fixes. 

2. Acunetix (by Invicti)

Primarily focusing on DAST, Acunetix has a high degree of effectiveness in teams with a modern, dynamic web application, as its crawler can be very efficient, and Acunetix's accuracy of vulnerability detection will assist you in finding vulnerabilities that are only accessible at run-time.

Key Features 

DAST Scanning 

• Advanced crawler: strong SPA/JS support for modern, dynamic web apps 

• Vulnerability detection: solid OWASP coverage for common and critical threats

• Low-noise findings: fewer false alerts thanks to accurate detection logic 

SAST Lite Support 

• Source analysis add-ons: basic code checks for common coding flaws 

• Combined insights: correlate static and dynamic issues for a better context 

• Language expansion: growing support for more programming languages 

Application Coverage

• API scanning: supports OpenAPI/Swagger for full endpoint visibility

• Multi-site support: handles large app inventories across multiple domains

• Authentication handling: form, token, and session-based auth included

Integrations 

• CI connections: automated testing built directly into pipelines 

• Ticketing output: JIRA-ready issue creation for fast triage 

• Reporting tools: compliance-focused reports for audits and stakeholders 

Acunetix is best suited for teams that use dynamic testing to find true run-time security risks in their applications.

3. GitLab Ultimate

Gitlab Ultimate combines SAST and DAST into a developer's workflow using automated scanning and direct feedback within the merge request functionality. This version also provides existing teams who are utilizing the GitLab CI/CD capabilities an easy way to incorporate automated security testing into their workflow without requiring them to have to learn new tools or how to use those tools. 

Key Features 

SAST Integration

• Auto-enabled scans: no configuration is needed; the tool will run in each pipeline by default. 

• PR/MR comments: inline findings added directly to merge reviews 

• Multi-language coverage: supports modern stacks across many languages  

DAST Pipeline 

• Live app scanning: dynamic tests against running applications 

• Authenticated testing: session and token support for protected areas 

• Baseline vs full scans: flexible workflows based on scan type 

Security Governance 

• Policy management: rules-as-code for consistent enforcement 

• Compliance reports: clear visibility for audits and standards checks 

• Group-wide monitoring: unified view across all projects and teams 

DevSecOps Workflow

• CI-first approach: security integrated directly into built-in pipelines 

• Security dashboards: clean visibility across findings and trends 

• Alerting hooks: notifications via Slack, email, webhook, and more 

GitLab Ultimate offers an easy-to-use in-app experience that allows developers to use DevSecOps and get real-time security feedback in the same place that developers spend most of their time working. 

4. Veracode

Enterprises that wish to run scalable, policy-driven Application Security Testing (AppSec), using both static application security testing (SAST) and dynamic application security testing (DAST), at the Enterprise Level should evaluate Veracode's well-proven SAST & DAST testing tools.  

Key features 

SAST 

• Deep code scanning: structured analysis that identifies logic flaws and unsafe patterns 

• Language coverage: broad support across widely used programming languages 

• Policy checks: enforce organization standards with consistent rule sets 

DAST 

• Runtime testing: live application checks that uncover real, exploitable issues 

• OWASP detection: identifies key risks aligned with OWASP Top 10 categories 

• Auth support: session-based scans for authenticated and restricted areas 

Software Composition Analysis

• Dependency checks: flags vulnerable third-party packages in your stack 

• License alerts: highlights compliance issues in open-source licenses 

• Update guidance: recommends safer, compatible version upgrades 

Integrations 

• CI/CD support: automated workflows for continuous security testing 

• SCM connections: auto-integrate scans of your repository against your source control provider. 

• Reporting: compliance-focused reporting available to meet audit and management visibility requirements. 

For organizations requiring enterprise-level support for large-scale SAST and DAST testing in addition to having a strong need for policy-based testing, Veracode is a good option.

Summing up

The choice of SAST/DAST is based on finding a tool that matches both your developer(s) and their process for developing code (workflow), to find/fix problems as soon as they appear. While each of the products listed above has its own benefits, from one lightweight platform with multiple products to extensive enterprise product offerings, ultimately, it comes down to what product offerings are most beneficial to your company’s specific needs. 

Now is the perfect time to upgrade your security stack to include new tools that enable safe development and delivery of software and to reduce risk to your business and increase your speed-to-market in 2026. 

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