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HCL AppScan vs Synopsys Defensics comparison

The compared HCLSoftware and Black Duck solutions aren't in the same category. HCLSoftware is ranked #14 in AS , with an average rating of 8.0, and holds a 2.7% mindshare in the category. Black Duck is ranked #5 in FTT , and holds a 25.3% 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
  • 3,673 Views
  • 2,799 Comparison Views
83% willing to recommend
Synopsys Defensics
Read 4 Synopsys Defensics reviews
  • 131 Views
  • 79 Comparison Views
100% willing to recommend
 

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.

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To learn more, read our detailed Application Security Tools Report (Updated: May 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Application Security Tools
May 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
6.1
Number of Reviews
43
Ranking in other categories
Application Security Tools (14th), Static Application Security Testing (SAST) (12th), Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) (1st)
Synopsys Defensics
Average Rating
8.6
Number of Reviews
4
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 2.7%, up 2.6% compared to last year.
Synopsys Defensics, on the other hand, focuses on Fuzz Testing Tools, holds 25.3% mindshare, up 14.4% since last year.
Application Security Tools
Fuzz Testing Tools
 

Featured Reviews

Gladwin Christian - PeerSpot reviewer
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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it_user508521 - PeerSpot reviewer
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

"The most valuable feature of the solution is Postman."
"It provides a better integration for our ecosystem."
"The reporting part is the most valuable feature."
"It is a stable solution...It is a scalable solution...The initial setup or installation of HCL AppScan is easy."
"We are now deploying less defects to production."
"Compared to other tools only AppScan supports special language."
"It was easy to set up."
"The UI was very intuitive."
More HCL AppScan pros
"We have found multiple issues in our embedded system network protocols, related to buffer overflow. We have reduced some of these issues."
"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."
"The product is related to US usage with TLS contact fees, i.e. how more data center connections will help lower networking costs."
 

Cons

"Improvement can be done as per customer requirements."
"The solution often has a high number of false positives. It's an aspect they really need to improve upon."
"The solution could improve by having a mobile version."
"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."
"They should have a better UI for dashboards."
"They could incorporate AI to enhance vulnerability detection and improve the product's reporting capabilities."
"Scans become slow on large websites."
"The product has some technical limitations."
More HCL AppScan cons
"Codenomicon Defensics should be more advanced for the testing sector. It should be somewhat easy and flexible to install."
"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."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"HCL AppScan 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 price is very expensive."
"With the features, that they offer, and the support, they offer, AppScan pricing is on a higher level."
"Pricing was the main reason that we went ahead with this solution as they were the lowest in the market."
"AppScan is a little bit expensive. IBM needs to work a little bit on the pricing model, decreasing the license cost."
"The product has premium pricing and could be more competitive."
"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
18%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Government
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
22%
Manufacturing Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Healthcare Company
6%
 

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...
See all answers
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Comparisons

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SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube) vs HCL AppScan
Compared 12% of the time
Veracode vs HCL AppScan Logo
Veracode vs HCL AppScan
Compared 10% of the time
Fortify on Demand vs HCL AppScan Logo
Fortify on Demand vs HCL AppScan
Compared 7% of the time
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SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube) vs Synopsys Defensics Logo
SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube) vs Synopsys Defensics
Compared 31% of the time
Snyk vs Synopsys Defensics Logo
Snyk vs Synopsys Defensics
Compared 13% of the time
Veracode vs Synopsys Defensics Logo
Veracode vs Synopsys Defensics
Compared 9% of the time
Ixia BreakingPoint vs Synopsys Defensics Logo
Ixia BreakingPoint vs Synopsys Defensics
Compared 9% of the time
Coverity vs Synopsys Defensics Logo
Coverity vs Synopsys Defensics
Compared 9% of the time
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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
HCL AppScan
May 2025
HCL AppScan reportDownload HCL AppScan product report
Buyer's Guide
PortSwigger Burp Suite Professional vs. Synopsys Defensics
April 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
May 2025
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