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Black Duck SCA vs Checkmarx Software Composition Analysis comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 21, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Black Duck SCA
Ranking in Software Composition Analysis (SCA)
1st
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
22
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Checkmarx Software Composit...
Ranking in Software Composition Analysis (SCA)
10th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.6
Number of Reviews
13
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Software Composition Analysis (SCA) category, the mindshare of Black Duck SCA is 11.9%, down from 20.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Checkmarx Software Composition Analysis is 3.4%, up from 2.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Software Composition Analysis (SCA) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Black Duck SCA11.9%
Checkmarx Software Composition Analysis3.4%
Other84.7%
Software Composition Analysis (SCA)
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer2587080 - PeerSpot reviewer
IP Head at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Delivers robust accuracy for identifying and mitigating risks but setup and security can improve
My deployment of Black Duck will take a few hours minimum. In the earlier on-premise scenario, which I've seen in other organizations, it takes a few days because you have to get the server installed, then actually keep installing various patch upgrades as it happens. The cloud version is a lot faster, probably taking only a few hours to complete. Regarding Black Duck leveraging AI to enhance security scanning of open-source components, I would not be able to address that because I have not yet explored that area significantly. Based on my experience, I would recommend Black Duck to other people if they can digest the higher cost. It helps in many aspects. I would rate this solution overall at 7 to 8. Disclaimer: The review is provided in personal capacity as an individual and not the opinion of the organization or corporate to which I belong to.
Tharindu Malwenna - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Application Security Engineer at a newspaper with 5,001-10,000 employees
Efficient library identification and upgrade suggestions improve application security
We have many third-party libraries in our organization. I used Checkmarx Software Composition Analysis to identify all the libraries we use and determine whether they are used or unused within the application Checkmarx Software Composition Analysis provides identification of libraries and…

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The software composition analysis is most effective for security risk management."
"The product enables other applications to be secure."
"Black Duck's ability to identify dependencies very accurately has been most valuable in identifying and mitigating risks."
"The stability is okay."
"The solution is very good at scanning and evaluating open source software."
"The UI is the solution's most valuable feature since it allows for easy pipeline integration."
"Policy management is a valuable feature."
"The solution is stable."
"The customer service and support were good."
"I appreciate the user-friendly interface. The GUI is excellent, providing detailed information on outdated versions, including version numbers and the flow of library calls. This allows me to plan and prioritize library changes based on potential vulnerabilities, even if the affected library is indirectly used in my project. The tool offers specific guidance on addressing these issues."
"The tool's visual scan analysis shows me all the libraries' vulnerabilities and license types. It helps identify the most complex issues with licenses. It provides good visibility. SCA shows me all libraries that are vulnerable and the extent of their vulnerability."
"What's most valuable in Checkmarx Software Composition Analysis is its ability to identify vulnerabilities in open-source components, especially if some critical issues exist."
"We were able to reduce the number of vulnerable libraries by 50%, leading to significant operational improvement."
"The product is stable and scalable."
"Checkmarx unifies all the features in its service."
"It has improved identification capabilities, scalability, and integration with AI, such as the AI-powered suggestions."
 

Cons

"They are giving a lot of APIs and Python scripts for certain functionalities, but instead of using APIs and Python scripts, they should provide these functionalities through the UI. Users should be able to customize and add more fields through the UI. Users should be able to add more fields and generate reports. Currently, they are not giving flexibility in the UI. They're providing a script that simply generates an Excel file or CSV file. There is no flexibility."
"There are areas for improvement such as false positives and the scanning of containers."
"The scanner client is limited by the size of software it can handle."
"It needs to be more user-friendly for developers and in general, to ensure compliance."
"It's still a bit inconsistent. For example, if I scan today, it might not show the same results tomorrow."
"The documentation is quite scattered."
"We have been having some issues with the latest releases where we are not able to scan our applications with the help of Black Duck."
"The tool's documentation and support are areas of concern where improvements are required."
"It can have better licensing models."
"The solution could improve by determining the success factor of an upgrade, which is currently lacking."
"The solution could improve by determining the success factor of an upgrade, which is currently lacking."
"Parts of the implementation process could improve by making it more user-friendly."
"Its pricing can be improved. It is a little bit high priced. It would be better if it was a little less expensive. It is a good tool, and we're still figuring out how to fully leverage it. There are some questions regarding whether it can scan the MuleSoft code. We don't know if this is a gap in the tool or something else. This is one thing that we're just working through right now, and I am not ready to conclude that there is a weakness there. MuleSoft is kind of its own beast, and we're trying to see how we get it to work with Checkmarx."
"I would rate the scalability a seven out of ten."
"API security is an area with shortcomings that needs improvement."
"I have received complaints from my customers that the pricing could be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Black Duck is more suitable if you require a lot of licensing compliance. For smaller organizations, WhiteSource is better because its pricing policies are not really suitable for huge organizations."
"The pricing is a little high."
"Depending on the use case, the cost could range from $10,000 USD to $70,000 USD."
"The price is quite high because the behavior of the software during the scan is similar to competing products."
"The price is low. It's not an expensive solution."
"It is expensive."
"The price charged by Black Duck is exorbitant."
"I rate the product's price one on a scale of one to ten, where one is a high price, and ten is a low price."
"My customers need to pay for the licensing part, and they need to opt for an annual subscription."
"Pricing for Checkmarx Software Composition Analysis needs to be competitive."
"It is a little bit high priced. It would be better if it was a little less expensive."
"The license model is somewhat perplexing as it comprises multiple aspects that can be confusing for customers. The model is determined by the number of registered users and the number of projects being scanned, along with a third component that adds to the complexity."
"We don't have a license. The usage is limited to one, two, three, five, or ten people. It is currently used for all projects, and there are plans to increase its usage."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
17%
Financial Services Firm
17%
Computer Software Company
12%
Healthcare Company
4%
Financial Services Firm
25%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Computer Software Company
8%
Insurance Company
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business6
Large Enterprise16
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business7
Large Enterprise8
 

Questions from the Community

How does WhiteSource compare with Black Duck?
We researched Black Duck but ultimately chose WhiteSource when looking for an application security tool. WhiteSource is a software solution that enables agile open source security and license compl...
What do you like most about Black Duck?
The cloud option of the product is always available and a positive aspect of the solution.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Black Duck?
The price charged by Black Duck is exorbitant. For the features provided by the product, I would not want to pay a high price. There are many other products in the market that offer better features...
What do you like most about Checkmarx Software Composition Analysis?
The tool's visual scan analysis shows me all the libraries' vulnerabilities and license types. It helps identify the most complex issues with licenses. It provides good visibility. SCA shows me all...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Checkmarx Software Composition Analysis?
Pricing is complex and high for small organizations but offers great benefits for larger organizations. It is notably different compared to competitors like GitHub Advanced Security.
What needs improvement with Checkmarx Software Composition Analysis?
The solution could improve by determining the success factor of an upgrade, which is currently lacking.
 

Also Known As

Blackduck Hub, Black Duck Protex, Black Duck Security Checker
CxSCA
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Samsung, Siemens, ScienceLogic, BryterCX, Dynatrace
AXA, Liveperson, Aaron's, Playtech, Morningstar
Find out what your peers are saying about Black Duck SCA vs. Checkmarx Software Composition Analysis and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
882,103 professionals have used our research since 2012.