HCL AppScan vs Rapid7 AppSpider comparison

HCLSoftware and Rapid7 are both solutions in the Static Application Security Testing (SAST) category. HCLSoftware is ranked #17 with an average rating of 8.3, while Rapid7 is ranked #30. HCLSoftware holds a 2.2% mindshare in SAST, compared to Rapid7’s 0.7% mindshare. Additionally, 84% of HCLSoftware users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Rapid7 users who would recommend it.

HCL AppScan

Read 44 HCL AppScan reviews

4,542 Views
3,407 Comparison Views

84% willing to recommend

Rapid7 AppSpider

Read 14 Rapid7 AppSpider reviews

1,512 Views
922 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

HCL AppScan

Rapid7 AppSpider

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 8, 2024

HCL AppScan and Rapid7 AppSpider are both competing in web application security testing. Based on user feedback, HCL AppScan is preferred for pricing and support, while Rapid7 AppSpider stands out for its features, making it appealing to those who prioritize functionality over cost.

Features: HCL AppScan offers comprehensive application security testing, ease of integration with workflows, and user-friendly interfaces. Rapid7 AppSpider provides dynamic scanning capabilities, robust reporting features, and flexible configurations. Users find Rapid7 AppSpider's features slightly more advanced due to its depth and flexibility.

Room for Improvement: HCL AppScan users express a need for enhanced scanning speed, better documentation, and improved UI. Rapid7 AppSpider users seek better false-positive management, additional configuration options, and more intuitive interfaces. HCL AppScan's issues with scan speed and documentation are frequently noted.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: HCL AppScan offers a straightforward deployment process and reliable customer service. Rapid7 AppSpider provides a flexible deployment model but faces mixed reviews regarding customer support responsiveness. HCL AppScan tends to satisfy users more in setup and support accessibility.

Pricing and ROI: HCL AppScan is viewed as cost-effective with a favorable ROI, balancing cost and value well. Rapid7 AppSpider is generally more expensive but is considered a worthwhile investment for those valuing its advanced capabilities. Users perceive Rapid7 AppSpider's pricing as justified given its feature set.

To learn more, read our detailed HCL AppScan vs. Rapid7 AppSpider Report (Updated: February 2026).

Buyer's Guide

HCL AppScan vs. Rapid7 AppSpider

February 2026

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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

Ranking in Static Application Security Testing (SAST)

17th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

5.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Security Tools (20th), Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) (6th)

Rapid7 AppSpider

Ranking in Static Application Security Testing (SAST)

30th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Static Application Security Testing (SAST) category, the mindshare of HCL AppScan is 2.2%, down from 2.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Rapid7 AppSpider is 0.7%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Static Application Security Testing (SAST) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
HCL AppScan	2.2%
Rapid7 AppSpider	0.7%
Other	97.1%

Static Application Security Testing (SAST)

Featured Reviews

Ravi Khanchandani

Founder Director at Techsa Services

Has improved identification of encryption and authentication issues across cloud and on-prem applications

During the learning curve of onboarding HCL AppScan, we learned that HCL has altered the portfolio and now offers HCL AppScan 360, which has a much better look and feel with an improved user interface. However, there is one feature called SCA, which stands for Software Composition Analysis, that could be improved. When I'm doing an application scan, HCL AppScan has the ability to generate information about what components are in use. For example, if I'm scanning a web application, it shows me the various components being used. It tells me whether I have Java libraries, .NET frameworks, or other log management libraries such as Log4j, and what versions of those specific components are present. I would like to see more detailed reports from the tool. Currently, you can find out the components belonging to a specific software, but if detailed reporting became available, you would be in a better position to identify vulnerabilities. For instance, I could identify that I had the Log4j vulnerability and know that I need to fix my application accordingly. If they add the features I'm describing, I would consider giving them a higher rating. However, I've only been experienced with the product for three months.

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Hiroshi Watanabe

Marketing Expert at J's communication

Clients benefit from broad authentication and effective crawling but need localization improvements

Our clients use AppSpider to address security concerns for their websites. It is particularly used by customers who require security assessments One of the most valuable features of AppSpider is its broad range of authentication identification, which is a key reason for its utilization.…

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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

"HCL AppScan has helped us improve our security posture, as we've been able to identify quite a few issues."

"The UI was very intuitive."

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

"It highlights, with several grades of severity, the types of vulnerabilities, so we can focus on the most severe security vulnerabilities in the code."

"For me, as a manager, it was the ease of use. Inserting security into the development process is not normally an easy project to do. The ability for the developer to actually use it and get results and focuses, that's what counted."

"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 solution is cheap."

More HCL AppScan pros

"The entire solution is interactive and has a point-and-click user experience, which makes it easy to find items or drill down on information. You don't need specialized skills to use the product."

"AppSpider's most valuable feature is reporting - everything is stored in the local database so it can be sent to other machines."

"The most valuable feature of Rapid7 AppSpider is the vulnerability reporting data. Additionally, the data is reported in a convenient way rather than seeing them as a PDF. We are able to generate all the reports exactly what we want in a flexible way."

"I like the ability the product has to detect vulnerabilities quickly, when it has been released in our environment, then displaying them to us."

"What I like most about AppSpider is that it's easy to use and its automated scan gives me all the details I need to know when it comes to vulnerabilities and their solutions."

"The most valuable feature is the reporting, which is compliant with international standards."

"The initial deployment is very straightforward and simple. The product is stable if configured properly."

"When it is set up properly, it can do scanning on web apps with multiple engines automatically."

More Rapid7 AppSpider pros

Cons

"There are so many lines of code with so many different categories that I am likely to get lost. "

"There is one feature called SCA, which stands for Software Composition Analysis, that could be improved."

"If HCL AppScan is able to alert the clients over email once the scan is complete, it would be great. Right now, HCL AppScan doesn't let me know if the scanning part is finished or not, because of which I have to come back and check mostly."

"The penetration testing feature should be included."

"I think being able to search across more containers, especially some of the docker elements. We need a little tighter integration there. That's the only thing I can see at this point."

"AppScan is too complicated and should be made more user-friendly."

"There is not a central management for static and dynamic."

"IBM Security AppScan needs to add performance optimization for quickly scanning the target web applications."

More HCL AppScan cons

"The solution is too slow. It could take a full day to scan. Competitors are much faster."

"Integration could be better."

"The tech support is responsive but issues remain unresolved."

"There are some glitches with stability, and it is an area for improvement."

"The performance of the solution could improve. When I compare the speed it is slower than others on the market. There are some tricks we use to help speed up the solution."

"The dashboard and interface are crucial and they need some improvement."

"Implementing Rapid7 AppSpider requires scanning and self-identification mechanisms. You can add different types of authentication to each scan."

"The product needs to be able to scale for large companies, like ours. We have millions of IP addresses that need to be scanned, and the scalability is not great."

More Rapid7 AppSpider cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

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

"The price of HCL AppScan is okay, in my opinion. You just buy HCL AppScan and don't pay anything anymore, meaning it is just a one-time purchase."

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

"Pricing was the main reason that we went ahead with this solution as they were the lowest in the market."

"The tool was expensive."

"The solution is cheap."

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

More HCL AppScan pricing and cost advice

"The licensing cost depends on the number of users."

"It is expensive if you want to buy the Enterprise version that is able to scan multiple applications at once."

"The price is pretty fair."

"AppSpider is closed-source software and you need to acquire a license in order to use it."

"The price of Rapid7 AppSpider cost 9,000 annually but there is limited usage. Large companies are able to negotiate a better price or a better deal for the usage with the vendor."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

12%

Government

11%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

13%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Computer Software Company

Educational Organization

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	14
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	31

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	11
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	1

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?

See all answers

What is your primary use case for HCL AppScan?

I'm currently working with BigFix and HCL AppScan. At least three people in my company are using HCL AppScan. Since we are a reseller, we run it in both lab environments and live production applica...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Rapid7 AppSpider?

The price is not high, but for Japanese customers, localization may incur additional costs.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Rapid7 AppSpider?

For Japanese customers, localization is needed. The product should offer a GUI in Japanese and provide Japanese reports for end-users.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Rapid7 AppSpider?

Our clients use AppSpider to address security concerns for their websites. It is particularly used by customers who require security assessments.

See all answers

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

HCL AppScan

January 2026

Download HCL AppScan product report

Buyer's Guide

Rapid7 AppSpider

January 2026

Download Rapid7 AppSpider product report

Also Known As

IBM Security AppScan, Rational AppScan, AppScan

AppSpider

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

SPAs, APIs, mobile—the evolution of application technology is measured in months, not years. Is your web application security testing tool designed to keep up? AppSpider lets you collect all the information needed to test all the apps so that you aren’t left with gaping application risks.

Our dynamic application security testing (DAST) solution crawls to the deepest, darkest corners of even the most modern and complex apps to effectively test for risk and get you the insight you need to remediate faster. With AppSpider on your side (or, rather, all of your sides), you’ll be able to scan all the apps today and always be ready for whatever comes next.

Rapid7

Sample Customers

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

Microsoft

Buyer's Guide

HCL AppScan vs. Rapid7 AppSpider

February 2026

Free Report: HCL AppScan vs. Rapid7 AppSpider

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