HCL AppScan vs Rapid7 AppSpider comparison

HCLSoftware and Rapid7 are both solutions in the Static Application Security Testing (SAST) category. HCLSoftware is ranked #14 with an average rating of 8.3, while Rapid7 is ranked #32. HCLSoftware holds a 2.5% mindshare in SAST, compared to Rapid7’s 0.5% 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 43 HCL AppScan reviews

4,377 Views
3,502 Comparison Views

84% willing to recommend

Rapid7 AppSpider

Read 14 Rapid7 AppSpider reviews

1,341 Views
711 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

HCL AppScan

Rapid7 AppSpider

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

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: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

HCL AppScan vs. Rapid7 AppSpider

September 2025

Download the complete report

Helped 868,787 peers since 2012

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)

14th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

5.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

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

Rapid7 AppSpider

Ranking in Static Application Security Testing (SAST)

32nd

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Static Application Security Testing (SAST) category, the mindshare of HCL AppScan is 2.5%, down from 2.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Rapid7 AppSpider is 0.5%, 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	2.5%
Rapid7 AppSpider	0.5%
Other	97.0%

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.

Read full review

Rizwan-Alam

Head Information Security at Akhtar Fuiou Technologies

Easy automated web app scanning, but gives many false positives and isn't always stable

One of the challenges I have with AppSpider is that it gives you a lot of false positives, especially when compared to other solutions. This is the main aspect that I hope to see Rapid7 improve on. Beyond reducing false positives, I would also like to see them implement better reporting features, particularly in the executive summary type of reports which need to be user-friendly and easily understood by non-technical people. The recommendations and solutions on these reports could always be improved to make them more relevant, too. Lastly, the stability isn't that great, and sometimes it becomes non-responsive. I feel like the stability of the application is very average and currently needs more work.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The UI was very intuitive."

"The product has valuable features for static and dynamic testing."

"I like the recording feature."

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

"You can easily find particular features and functions through the UI."

"The HCL AppScan turnaround time for Burp Suite or any new feature request is pretty good, and that is why we are sticking with the HCL."

"The solution is cheap."

"The solution offers services in a few specific development languages."

More HCL AppScan pros

"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."

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

"It scans all the components developed within a web application."

"I would say that it is stable, as I am not aware of any major issues."

"The solution is highly stable, rated at ten out of ten."

"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."

"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."

"It is really accurate and the rate of false positives is very low."

More Rapid7 AppSpider pros

Cons

"Improvement can be done as per customer requirements."

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

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

"AppScan needs to improve its handling of false positives."

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

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

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

"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."

More HCL AppScan cons

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

"AppSpider has some problems with the RAM needed while scanning."

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

"The product should offer a GUI in Japanese and provide Japanese reports for end-users."

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

"One of the challenges I have with AppSpider is that it gives you a lot of false positives, especially when compared to other solutions."

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

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

More Rapid7 AppSpider cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

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

"The price is very expensive."

"AppScan is a little bit expensive. IBM needs to work a little bit on the pricing model, decreasing the license cost."

"The tool was expensive."

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

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

"The solution is cheap."

More HCL AppScan pricing and cost advice

"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."

"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."

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.

See recommendations

868,787 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

14%

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	13
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?

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...

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

Comparisons

SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube) vs HCL AppScan

Compared 12% of the time

Acunetix vs HCL AppScan

Compared 11% of the time

Veracode vs HCL AppScan

Compared 11% of the time

OWASP Zap vs HCL AppScan

Compared 8% of the time

PortSwigger Burp Suite Professional vs HCL AppScan

Compared 7% of the time

More HCL AppScan Competitors

Rapid7 InsightAppSec vs Rapid7 AppSpider

Compared 33% of the time

SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube) vs Rapid7 AppSpider

Compared 11% of the time

Acunetix vs Rapid7 AppSpider

Compared 9% of the time

PortSwigger Burp Suite Professional vs Rapid7 AppSpider

Compared 9% of the time

Tenable.io Web Application Scanning vs Rapid7 AppSpider

Compared 4% of the time

More Rapid7 AppSpider Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

HCL AppScan

September 2025

Download HCL AppScan product report

Buyer's Guide

Rapid7 AppSpider

September 2025

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

September 2025

Free Report: HCL AppScan vs. Rapid7 AppSpider

Find out what your peers are saying about HCL AppScan vs. Rapid7 AppSpider and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.

DOWNLOAD NOW

868,787 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our HCL AppScan vs. Rapid7 AppSpider report.

See our list of best Static Application Security Testing (SAST) vendors.

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.