HCL AppScan vs OWASP Zap comparison

HCLSoftware and OWASP are both solutions in the Static Application Security Testing (SAST) category. HCLSoftware is ranked #12 with an average rating of 8.0, while OWASP is ranked #7 with an average rating of 7.6. HCLSoftware holds a 2.8% mindshare in SAST, compared to OWASP’s 5.1% mindshare. Additionally, 82% of HCLSoftware users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 87% of OWASP users who would recommend it.

HCL AppScan

Read 42 HCL AppScan reviews

4,695 Views
3,595 Comparison Views

82% willing to recommend

OWASP Zap

Read 37 OWASP Zap reviews

15,318 Views
7,373 Comparison Views

87% willing to recommend

HCL AppScan

OWASP Zap

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 8, 2024

HCL AppScan and OWASP Zap are prominent competitors in the security testing landscape. HCL AppScan holds an advantage in terms of support and deployment, whereas OWASP Zap stands out for its cost-effectiveness and feature set.

Features: HCL AppScan provides comprehensive security testing with robust automation and a vast vulnerability database, making it suitable for complex environments. It also supports extensive reporting capabilities. OWASP Zap offers essential security testing features focused on user-friendliness and dynamic analysis tools, promoting accessibility and flexibility for smaller teams.

Room for Improvement: HCL AppScan could enhance its tool integration capabilities and improve the depth of its reporting features. Additionally, users suggest better support for continuous integration processes. OWASP Zap could improve in scalability and the depth of its vulnerability analysis. Enhancing its user interface and providing more detailed documentation are also areas for OWASP Zap to focus on.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: HCL AppScan is known for quick deployment and reliable customer service, fitting enterprise environments well. The enterprise-grade support ensures businesses can integrate it smoothly into existing systems. OWASP Zap, on the other hand, is appreciated for its ease of initial setup, suitable for smaller teams, though customer support is more limited compared to HCL AppScan.

Pricing and ROI: HCL AppScan users note a high initial setup cost but recognize the ROI provided through extensive features and security insights. OWASP Zap offers a free open-source model, delivering significant ROI for budget-conscious teams thanks to its cost-effective nature without additional expenses, making it a popular choice for those with limited budgets.

To learn more, read our detailed HCL AppScan vs. OWASP Zap Report (Updated: October 2024).

Buyer's Guide

HCL AppScan vs. OWASP Zap

October 2024

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Categories and Ranking

HCL AppScan

Ranking in Static Application Security Testing (SAST)

12th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

5.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Security Tools (13th), Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) (1st)

OWASP Zap

Ranking in Static Application Security Testing (SAST)

7th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2024, in the Static Application Security Testing (SAST) category, the mindshare of HCL AppScan is 2.8%, up from 2.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of OWASP Zap is 5.1%, down from 6.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Static Application Security Testing (SAST)

Featured Reviews

Gladwin Christian

QA manager at SmartStream Technologies ltd.

A useful tool to scan applications that can be easily installed

Given that we have been using HCL AppScan for many years, I think the setup process is not difficult at all. Sometimes, some issues stop or prevent my company from moving forward with the product's setup phase. We have to call HCL's support team and engage in long discussions to smoothly carry out the setup phase. In general, the product's setup phase is not difficult in our company. The solution is deployed on an on-premises model. The licenses for the solution are available only on cloud deployments nowadays. The solution is already installed in our environment. Every time a new release or software comes out from HCL, our company does a scan, which takes maybe a day or two.

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AnkithKumar

Application Security Consultant at Capgemini

Great for automating and testing and has tightened our security

I'd like to see more regular updates with new features and I'd like to see resources where users can internally access a learning module from the tool. It would be helpful for any user interested in developing their skills. They have all the built-ins but it's not user-friendly in the sense that the UI is not as easy as you'd find in a solution such as the Burp Suite.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution is easy to install. I would rate the product's setup between six to seven out of ten. The deployment time depends on the applications that need to be scanned. We have a development and operations team to take care of the product's maintenance."

"The product is useful, particularly in its sensitivity and scanning capabilities."

"It has certainly helped us find vulnerabilities in our software, so this is priceless in the end."

"The security and the dashboard are the most valuable features."

"Usually when we deploy the application, there is a process for ethical hacking. The main benefit is that, the ethical hacking is almost clean, every time. So it's less cost, less effort, less time to production."

"It is a stable solution...It is a scalable solution...The initial setup or installation of HCL AppScan is easy."

"The static scans are good, and the SaaS as well."

"This is a stable solution."

More HCL AppScan pros

"The solution has tightened our security."

"It scans while you navigate, then you can save the requests performed and work with them later."

"Simple to use, good user interface."

"The product helps users to scan and fix vulnerabilities in the pipeline."

"It updates repositories and libraries quickly."

"It has improved my organization with faster security tests."

"The best feature is the Zap HUD (Heads Up Display) because the customers can use the website normally. If we scan websites with automatic scanning, and the website has a web application firewall, it's very difficult."

"The HUD is a good feature that provides on-site testing and saves a lot of time."

More OWASP Zap pros

Cons

"They have to improve support."

"There is room for improvement in the pricing model."

"The tool should improve its output. Scanning is not a challenge anymore since there are many such tools available in the market. The product needs to focus on how its output is being used by end users. It should be also more user-friendly. One of the major challenges is in the tool's integration with applications that need to be scanned. Sometimes, the scanning is not proper."

"They should have a better UI for dashboards."

"Sometimes it doesn't work so well."

"They could incorporate AI to enhance vulnerability detection and improve the product's reporting capabilities."

"The solution often has a high number of false positives. It's an aspect they really need to improve upon."

"We would like to integrate with some of the other reporting tools that we're planning to use in the future."

More HCL AppScan cons

"Too many false positives; test reports could be improved."

"The product should allow users to customize the report based on their needs."

"As security evolves, we would like DevOps built into it. As of now, Zap does not provide this."

"It needs more robust reporting tools."

"The solution is somewhat unreliable because after we get the finding, we have to manually verify each of its findings to see whether it's a false positive or a true finding, and it takes time."

"It would be a great improvement if they could include a marketplace to add extra features to the tool."

"The automated vulnerability assessments that the application performs needs to be simplified as well as diversified."

"The documentation is lacking and out-of-date, it really needs more love."

More OWASP Zap cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is moderately priced, though it's an investment due to extensive code analysis needs."

"The tool was expensive."

"With the features, that they offer, and the support, they offer, AppScan pricing is on a higher level."

"The solution is moderately priced."

"HCL AppScan is expensive."

"The price is very expensive."

"Our clients are willing to pay the extra money. It is expensive."

"I rate the product's price a seven on a scale of one to ten, where one is low, and ten is high. HCL AppScan is an expensive tool."

More HCL AppScan pricing and cost advice

"OWASP Zap is free to use."

"This solution is open source and free."

"As Zap is free and open-source, with tons of features similar to those of commercial solutions, I would definitely recommend trying it out."

"This app is completely free and open source. So there is no question about any pricing."

"This is an open-source solution and can be used free of charge."

"The tool is open source."

"It is highly recommended as it is an open source tool."

"It's free. It's good for us because we don't know what the extent of our use will be yet. It's good to start with something free and easy to use."

More OWASP Zap pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Static Application Security Testing (SAST) solutions are best for your needs.

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

19%

Financial Services Firm

14%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Government

10%

Computer Software Company

19%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about HCL AppScan?

The most valuable feature of HCL AppScan is its integration with the SDLC, particularly during the coding phase.

See all answers

What needs improvement with HCL AppScan?

They could incorporate AI to enhance vulnerability detection and improve the product's reporting capabilities.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for HCL AppScan?

We use AppScan primarily for security testing and performance monitoring across our systems.

See all answers

Is OWASP Zap better than PortSwigger Burp Suite Pro?

OWASP Zap and PortSwigger Burp Suite Pro have many similar features. OWASP Zap has web application scanning available with basic security vulnerabilities while Burp Suite Pro has it available with ...

See all answers

What do you like most about OWASP Zap?

The best feature is the Zap HUD (Heads Up Display) because the customers can use the website normally. If we scan websites with automatic scanning, and the website has a web application firewall, i...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for OWASP Zap?

The tool is open source.

See all answers

Comparisons

Acunetix vs HCL AppScan

Compared 15% of the time

SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube) vs HCL AppScan

Compared 13% of the time

Veracode vs HCL AppScan

Compared 11% of the time

Fortify on Demand vs HCL AppScan

Compared 9% of the time

Checkmarx One vs HCL AppScan

Compared 6% of the time

More HCL AppScan Competitors

SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube) vs OWASP Zap

Compared 22% of the time

Acunetix vs OWASP Zap

Compared 14% of the time

Qualys Web Application Scanning vs OWASP Zap

Compared 11% of the time

Veracode vs OWASP Zap

Compared 9% of the time

Fortify on Demand vs OWASP Zap

Compared 4% of the time

More OWASP Zap Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

HCL AppScan

November 2024

Download HCL AppScan product report

Buyer's Guide

OWASP Zap

November 2024

Download OWASP Zap product report

Also Known As

IBM Security AppScan, Rational AppScan, AppScan

No data available

Learn More

HCLSoftware

OWASP

Overview

IBM Security AppScan enhances web application security and mobile application security, improves application security program management and strengthens regulatory compliance. By scanning your web and mobile applications prior to deployment, AppScan enables you to identify security vulnerabilities and generate reports and fix recommendations.

OWASP Zap is a free and open-source web application security scanner.

The solution helps developers identify vulnerabilities in their web applications by actively scanning for common security issues.

With its user-friendly interface and powerful features, Zap is a popular choice among developers for ensuring the security of their web applications.

Sample Customers

Essex Technology Group Inc., Cisco, West Virginia University, APIS IT

1. Google 2. Microsoft 3. IBM 4. Amazon 5. Facebook 6. Twitter 7. LinkedIn 8. Netflix 9. Adobe 10. PayPal 11. Salesforce 12. Cisco 13. Oracle 14. Intel 15. HP 16. Dell 17. VMware 18. Symantec 19. McAfee 20. Citrix 21. Red Hat 22. Juniper Networks 23. SAP 24. Accenture 25. Deloitte 26. Ernst & Young 27. PwC 28. KPMG 29. Capgemini 30. Infosys 31. Wipro 32. TCS

Buyer's Guide

HCL AppScan vs. OWASP Zap

October 2024

Free Report: HCL AppScan vs. OWASP Zap

Find out what your peers are saying about HCL AppScan vs. OWASP Zap and other solutions. Updated: October 2024.

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We monitor all Static Application Security Testing (SAST) reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.