HCL AppScan vs Synopsys Defensics comparison

The compared HCLSoftware and Black Duck solutions aren't in the same category. HCLSoftware is ranked #15 in AS , with an average rating of 7.9, and holds a 2.6% mindshare in the category. Black Duck is ranked #5 in FTT , and holds a 20.0% mindshare. Additionally, 83% of HCLSoftware users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Black Duck users who would recommend it.

HCL AppScan

Read 43 HCL AppScan reviews

3,931 Views
2,974 Comparison Views

83% willing to recommend

Synopsys Defensics

Read 4 Synopsys Defensics reviews

126 Views
77 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

HCL AppScan

Synopsys Defensics

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between HCL AppScan and Synopsys Defensics based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Sonar, Veracode, Checkmarx and others in Application Security Tools.

To learn more, read our detailed Application Security Tools Report (Updated: March 2025).

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Application Security Tools

March 2025

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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

HCL AppScan

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Security Tools (15th), Static Application Security Testing (SAST) (12th), Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) (1st)

Synopsys Defensics

Average Rating

8.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Fuzz Testing Tools (5th)

Mindshare comparison

While both are Quality Assurance solutions, they serve different purposes. HCL AppScan is designed for Application Security Tools and holds a mindshare of 2.6%, down 2.7% compared to last year.
Synopsys Defensics, on the other hand, focuses on Fuzz Testing Tools, holds 20.0% mindshare, up 12.3% since last year.

Application Security Tools

Fuzz Testing Tools

Featured Reviews

Rishi Anupam

Senior Manager at Airtel

A stable and scalable scanning solution with good reporting feature

The solution is used for the vulnerabilities scan on the network side The reporting part is the most valuable feature. The penetration testing feature should be included. I have been using the solution for four years. It is a stable solution. I rate it seven out of ten. It is a scalable…

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it_user508521

Senior Lead Engineer - Product Security at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Helps us complete testing more quickly by eliminating many unwanted test cases

Sometimes, when we are testing embedded devices, when we trigger the test cases, the target will crash immediately. It is very difficult for us to identify the root cause of the crash because they do not provide sophisticated tools on the target side. They cover only the client-side application, and from that we can generate automated test cases, but what happens on the target device, what is the reason for the crash, for that we have to do manual debugging. They do not have diagnostic tools for the target side. Rather, they have them but they are very minimal and not very helpful. They can improve a lot on that.

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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

"It comes with all of the templates that we need. For example, we are a company that is regulated by PCI. In order to be PCI compliant, we have a lot of checks and procedures to which we have to comply."

"The platform has valuable security features, helping us identify sensitive code issues and the possibility of internal applications' exposure to external threats."

"AppScan's most valuable features include its ability to identify vulnerabilities accurately, provide detailed remediation steps, and the newly introduced AI-powered features that enhance its functionality further."

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

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

"It was easy to set up."

"IBM AppScan has made our work easy, as we can do four to five scans of websites at a time, which saves time when it comes to vulnerability."

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

More HCL AppScan pros

"The product is related to US usage with TLS contact fees, i.e. how more data center connections will help lower networking costs."

"Whatever the test suit they give, it is intelligent. It will understand the protocol and it will generate the test cases based on the protocol: protocol, message sequence, protocol, message structure... Because of that, we can eliminate a lot of unwanted test cases, so we can execute the tests and complete them very quickly."

"We have found multiple issues in our embedded system network protocols, related to buffer overflow. We have reduced some of these issues."

Cons

"It's a little bit basic when you talk about the Web Services. If AppScan improved its maturity on Web Services testing, that would be good."

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

"IBM Security AppScan Source is rather hard to use."

"A desktop version should be added."

"The dashboard, for AppScan or the Fortified fast tool, which we use needs to be improved."

"In future releases, I would like to see more aggressive reports. I would also like to see less false positives."

"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."

"We would like to see a check in the specific vulnerabilities in mobile applications or rooted devices, such as jailbreaking devices."

More HCL AppScan cons

"Sometimes, when we are testing embedded devices, when we trigger the test cases, the target will crash immediately. It is very difficult for us to identify the root cause of the crash because they do not provide sophisticated tools on the target side. They cover only the client-side application... They do not have diagnostic tools for the target side. Rather, they have them but they are very minimal and not very helpful."

"It does not support the complete protocol stack. There are some IoT protocols that are not supported and new protocols that are not supported."

"Codenomicon Defensics should be more advanced for the testing sector. It should be somewhat easy and flexible to install."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is moderately priced."

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

"HCL AppScan is expensive."

"The price is very expensive."

"The product has premium pricing and could be more competitive."

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

"I would rate the product's pricing a nine out of ten. The product's pricing is expensive compared to the features that they offer."

"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

"Licensing is a bit expensive."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

19%

Financial Services Firm

14%

Government

11%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Computer Software Company

21%

Manufacturing Company

17%

Financial Services Firm

Healthcare Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

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?

AppScan needs to improve its handling of false positives. It also requires enhancements in customer support, similar to what Veracode provides. Regularly scheduling calls with clients to discuss fe...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for HCL AppScan?

The primary use case for AppScan is for security purposes. I compare AppScan with other tools such as Veracode. We use AppScan for vulnerability detection and auto-remediation of vulnerabilities wi...

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Product Reports

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HCL AppScan

February 2025

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GitLab vs. Synopsys Defensics

January 2025

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Also Known As

IBM Security AppScan, Rational AppScan, AppScan

Defensics, Codenomicon Defensics

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.

HCLSoftware

Defensics® fuzz testing is a comprehensive, powerful, and automated black box solution that enables organizations to effectively and efficiently discover and remediate security weaknesses in software. By taking a systematic and intelligent approach to negative testing, Defensics allows organizations to ensure software security without compromising on product innovation, increasing time to market, or inflating operational costs.

Black Duck

Sample Customers

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

Coriant, CERT-FI, Next Generation Networks

Buyer's Guide

Application Security Tools

March 2025

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