Qualys Web Application Scanning vs Rapid7 AppSpider comparison

Qualys and Rapid7 are both solutions in the Static Application Security Testing (SAST) category. Qualys is ranked #10 with an average rating of 7.7, while Rapid7 is ranked #32. Qualys holds a 2.1% mindshare in SAST, compared to Rapid7’s 0.5% mindshare. Additionally, 88% of Qualys users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Rapid7 users who would recommend it.

Qualys Web Application Scan...

Read 40 Qualys Web Application Scanning reviews

3,874 Views
2,828 Comparison Views

88% willing to recommend

Rapid7 AppSpider

Read 14 Rapid7 AppSpider reviews

1,341 Views
711 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Qualys Web Application Scan...

Rapid7 AppSpider

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 8, 2024

Qualys Web Application Scanning and Rapid7 AppSpider are leading competitors in web application security. Based on user insights, Rapid7 AppSpider appears to have an advantage with its advanced analytics and integration features.

Features: Qualys offers robust scanning, thorough vulnerability detection, and effective risk management. Rapid7 excels with advanced analytics, a comprehensive feature set, and an extensive integration ecosystem.

Room for Improvement: Qualys can enhance its third-party integrations and improve technical aspects. Rapid7 needs to improve its documentation, reduce setup complexity, and address support response times.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Qualys provides straightforward deployment and reliable service, enhancing its accessibility. Rapid7 offers initial complexity but allows powerful customization, balancing deployment challenges with configurability benefits.

Pricing and ROI: Qualys is cost-effective with a clear pricing structure, ensuring efficient ROI. Rapid7 is considered higher in cost but delivers substantial ROI with feature-rich offerings and strong post-deployment value.

To learn more, read our detailed Qualys Web Application Scanning vs. Rapid7 AppSpider Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Qualys Web Application Scanning 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

Qualys Web Application Scan...

Ranking in Static Application Security Testing (SAST)

10th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Security Tools (13th)

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 Qualys Web Application Scanning is 2.1%, up from 2.1% 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 (%)
Qualys Web Application Scanning	2.1%
Rapid7 AppSpider	0.5%
Other	97.4%

Static Application Security Testing (SAST)

Featured Reviews

AnkitSharma13

Security Officer at Cisco

Web scanning needs improvement but offers good vulnerability detection

The downside of Qualys Web Application Scanning is that it cannot crawl automatically. If I provide an IP address and a login form, it does basic testing, but it doesn't go deep as IBM AppScan does. If Qualys Web Application Scanning could improve its crawling capability, it would be more user-friendly. Qualys Web Application Scanning does IP-level testing, requiring direct input of credentials, and can only scan a few pages to provide known generic vulnerabilities, which isn't as beneficial from my point of view. The Vulnerability Management also relies heavily on version numbers and will flag vulnerabilities based on the component version, but it doesn't check if a real fix exists, leading to flags on components that actually have workarounds available.

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

"By using QualysGuard, we are able to finish external scans with assured results in half the time."

"Qualys Web Application Scanning is user-friendly, easy to understand, easy to use, and easy to deploy."

"The most valuable feature of Qualys Web Application Scanning is the effective scanning that can be done."

"QualysGuard web-based scanner is very useful for performing external penetration and PCI scans from remote locations."

"This product is designed for easy scalability and can easily scale up without major challenges."

"Qualys WAS' most valuable features are the navigation flow of the UI and the option for a different layer of security (identification and operation through email and mobile)."

"It is a good product for website penetration testing to detect vulnerabilities."

"It works with many different products."

More Qualys Web Application Scanning pros

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

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

"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."

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

"The setup is usually straightforward."

"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."

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

More Rapid7 AppSpider pros

Cons

"The downside of Qualys Web Application Scanning is that it cannot crawl automatically. If I provide an IP address and a login form, it does basic testing, but it doesn't go deep as IBM AppScan does."

"I have dealt with Qualys's technical support, and any enhancements are challenging. I would rate them a five out of ten."

"The area of false positives could be improved. There are quite a number of false positives as compared to other solutions. They could probably fine tune the algorithm to be able to reduce the number of false positives being detected."

"One area for improvement is the user interface. The new UI, which was recently upgraded, feels more complex and less user-friendly than the old version."

"There should be better visibility into the application."

"The reporting contains too many false positives."

"The software’s pricing could be improved."

"Sometimes the response time is low because the handshake fails, and then you have to re-login and start again."

More Qualys Web Application Scanning cons

"It needs better integration with mobile applications."

"This price of this solution is a little bit expensive."

"Integration could be better."

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

"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."

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

"Support response times are slow and can be improved."

More Rapid7 AppSpider cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Licensing was based on the number of assets that you want to scan on your network. You can also do licensing on subscription. On subscription, it is easier and more flexible. You tell Qualys that you want to move from the 1000 to 2000 band or the 3000 or 5000 band, then they will give you the quotation for it. Once you pay for it, applying the licensing is quite easy and effective."

"The product has a very good licensing model."

"The product pricing is fair and reasonably priced."

"Qualys Web Application Scanning's pricing is a bit expensive compared to other solutions available in the market."

"Pricing was reasonable and competitive. It was not too far above the other products."

"It is an expensive platform."

"The cost is $30,000 USD for one year to cover WAS (Web Application Security) and the VM (Virtual Machine) security in a company with 200 employees."

"From my perspective, it is a budget-friendly option."

More Qualys Web Application Scanning pricing and cost advice

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

"The price is pretty fair."

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

"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."

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

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

13%

Financial Services Firm

13%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Government

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	8
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	27

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

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Qualys Web Application Scanning?

The vulnerability management feature is a strong one. And also the patch management feature.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Qualys Web Application Scanning?

Regarding pricing, I think for personal use, it is costly, but if organizations are ready to pay, then it is fine as they are using it.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Qualys Web Application Scanning?

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

OWASP Zap vs Qualys Web Application Scanning

Compared 17% of the time

SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube) vs Qualys Web Application Scanning

Compared 9% of the time

Veracode vs Qualys Web Application Scanning

Compared 9% of the time

Acunetix vs Qualys Web Application Scanning

Compared 7% of the time

HCL AppScan vs Qualys Web Application Scanning

Compared 5% of the time

More Qualys Web Application Scanning 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

Checkmarx One vs Rapid7 AppSpider

Compared 5% of the time

More Rapid7 AppSpider Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Qualys Web Application Scanning

September 2025

Download Qualys Web Application Scanning product report

Buyer's Guide

Rapid7 AppSpider

September 2025

Download Rapid7 AppSpider product report

Also Known As

Qualys WAS

AppSpider

Overview

Qualys Web Application Scanning (WAS) is a fully cloud-based web application security scanner. The scanner will automatically crawl periodically and test web applications to discover potential vulnerabilities, including cross-site scripting (XSS) and SQL injection. The consistent testing equips the automated service to generate consistent results, lessen false positives, and offer the ability to scale to protect thousands of websites effortlessly.

Qualys Web Application Scanning is bundled with different scanning technology to carefully scan websites for malware infections and will send notifications to website owners to assist in preventing blacklisting and brand reputation damage. As digital transformation takes place in various organizations, Qualys WAS gives organizations the ability to track and document their web app security status through its interactive reporting capabilities.

Qualys WAS empowers organizations to remediate any web application vulnerabilities quickly. Some of the key tools offered are:

Deep Scanning: All apps and APIs on your internal network and public cloud are covered by Qualys WAS deep scanning to show you any visible vulnerabilities.
DevSec Ops Tool: Detect security issues in your code while still in app development stages and generate comprehensive reports.
Comprehensive Discovery: Discover and catalog new and unknown web apps in your network.
Malware Detection: Scan a website, identify vulnerabilities, and receive alerts to any infections.

Benefits of Qualys Web Application Scanning

Qualys Web Application Scanning offers many benefits, including:

Quick Deployment: Requires no infrastructure or software to upkeep.
Effortless Scalability: Effortlessly launch a deep scan and protect thousands of websites.
Centralized Management: Manage and mend all web app vulnerabilities through a single interface.
Excellent Integration Capabilities: Integrates with Qualys Web App Firewall (WAF) for a single-click virtual patching of found vulnerabilities.
Respond to Threats Immediately: Qualys Continuous Monitoring offers the user a hands-free service by automatically launching scanning and sending notifications of a potential threat.
Cost-effective Solution: Data is analyzed in real time as Qualys WAS is an end-to-end solution; this helps avoid costs associated with managing multiple security vendors.

Reviews from Real Users

Qualys Web Application Scanning stands out among its competitors for a variety of reasons. Two of those reasons are its progressive scan and quick detection of vulnerabilities.

P.K., a senior software developer at a tech vendor, writes, "The feature that I have found most valuable is the progressive scan. It is good. It's done in 24 hours."

Nagaraj S., lead cybersecurity engineer at a tech service company, notes, "I have found the detection of vulnerabilities tool thorough with good results and the graphical display output to be wonderful and full of colors. It allows many types of outputs, such as bar and chart previews."

Qualys

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

BskyB, Cartagena, ClearPoint Learning Systems, Connect Group, du, Fortrex Technologies, HBOR, HDI, Highlights for Children, The Lithuanian State Enterprise Centre of Registers, City of Miami Beach, Microsoft, MidlandHR, MSCI Inc., Northern Arizona University, Ofgem, Olympus Europa, PhoneFactor, RTL Nederland, ThousandEyes, VGZ Organisatie B.V.

Microsoft

Buyer's Guide

Qualys Web Application Scanning vs. Rapid7 AppSpider

September 2025

Free Report: Qualys Web Application Scanning vs. Rapid7 AppSpider

Find out what your peers are saying about Qualys Web Application Scanning vs. Rapid7 AppSpider and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.

DOWNLOAD NOW

868,787 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our Qualys Web Application Scanning 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.