Acunetix vs Fortify Application Defender comparison

Invicti and OpenText are both solutions in the Application Security Tools category. Invicti is ranked #16 with an average rating of 8.4, while OpenText is ranked #25 with an average rating of 8.0. Invicti holds a 2.5% mindshare in AS, compared to OpenText’s 0.8% mindshare. Additionally, 86% of Invicti users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 81% of OpenText users who would recommend it.

Acunetix

Read 33 Acunetix reviews

5,850 Views
2,808 Comparison Views

86% willing to recommend

Fortify Application Defender

Read 11 Fortify Application Defender reviews

1,138 Views
888 Comparison Views

81% willing to recommend

Acunetix

Fortify Application Defender

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 8, 2024

Acunetix and Fortify Application Defender are widely used in the application security sector. User feedback highlights Acunetix for its ease of use and direct value, while Fortify Application Defender stands out with comprehensive features suitable for those who can maximize its capabilities.

Features: Acunetix is recognized for precise scanning, detailed reporting, and actionable insights into vulnerabilities. It provides straightforward tools for quick resolutions. Fortify Application Defender is noted for its robust integration, extensive application protection, and broad feature set catering to complex environments.

Room for Improvement: Acunetix users recommend enhancing customization options and increasing adaptability to meet specialized needs. Fortify Application Defender users see a need for a more streamlined update mechanism and improved user experience during updates. Both tools identify areas that could benefit from further refinement.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Acunetix receives commendation for quick setup and responsive customer service, crucial for immediate protection. Although Fortify Application Defender is effective after deployment, it requires detailed setup but maintains efficient customer support, satisfying users with comprehensive service.

Pricing and ROI: Acunetix provides competitive pricing that aligns with a fast return on investment, beneficial for cost-conscious buyers. Fortify Application Defender demands a higher initial investment but is valued for its long-term impact on security posture, appealing to those looking for sustained benefits.

To learn more, read our detailed Acunetix vs. Fortify Application Defender Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Acunetix vs. Fortify Application Defender

September 2025

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Helped 869,566 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

Acunetix

Ranking in Application Security Tools

16th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Static Application Security Testing (SAST) (12th), Vulnerability Management (23rd), DevSecOps (6th)

Fortify Application Defender

Ranking in Application Security Tools

25th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Application Security Tools category, the mindshare of Acunetix is 2.5%, up from 2.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortify Application Defender is 0.8%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Security Tools Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Acunetix	2.5%
Fortify Application Defender	0.8%
Other	96.7%

Application Security Tools

Featured Reviews

KashifJamil

CEO at Xcelliti

Has enabled teams to improve security testing with smooth integration and high accuracy

Acunetix has a very good ratio of fewer false positives, so users don't need to retest everything. Acunetix operates smoothly with no interruptions required, and it performs at 100% efficiency without issues in scanning anything. The solution is excellent at detecting SQL injection and cross-site scripting vulnerabilities. Acunetix integrates with every type of tool, including CI/CD tools, offering 100% integration in DevOps environments. The main benefit of Acunetix is that at the first level, users can address security issues related to penetration testing, allowing them to expose vulnerabilities and ensure all required testing is completed with very few false positives.

Read full review

Saroj-Patnaik

Software Development Engineer 3 at Ernst & Young

Reliable solution with excellent machine learning algorithms but expensive and lacking support

I primarily use Fortify Application Defender to assess whether our products can defend against applications Fortify Application Defender's most valuable features are machine learning algorithms, real-time remediation, and automatic vulnerability notifications. Fortify Application Defender gives…

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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

"For us, the most valuable aspect of the solution is the log-sequence feature."

"The vulnerability scanning option for analyzing the security loopholes on the websites is the most valuable feature of this solution."

"We are able to create a report which shows the PCI DSS scoring and share it with the application teams. Then, they can correlate and see exactly what they need to fix, and why."

"It can operate both as a standalone and it can be integrated with other applications, which makes it a very versatile solution to have."

"The features of Acunetix have proved most effective in identifying vulnerabilities."

"I find it to be one of the most comprehensive tools, with support for manual intervention."

"The tool's most valuable feature is scan configurations. We use it for external physical applications. The scanning time depends on the application's code."

"Picks up weaknesses in our app setups."

More Acunetix pros

"Its ability to find security defects is valuable."

"The tool's most valuable feature is software composition analysis. This feature works well with my .NET applications, providing a better understanding of library vulnerabilities."

"The most valuable feature is the ability to automatically feed it rules what it's coupled with the WebInspect dynamic application scanning technology."

"We are able to provide out customers with a secure application after development. They are no longer left wondering if they are vulnerable to different threats within the market following deployment."

"I find the configuration of rules in Fortify Application Defender useful. Its integration is also easy."

"The solution helped us to improve the code quality of our organization."

"The most valuable feature is that it analyzes data in real-time."

"Fortify Application Defender's most valuable features are machine learning algorithms, real-time remediation, and automatic vulnerability notifications."

More Fortify Application Defender pros

Cons

"The solution is generally stable, however, there might be room for improvement regarding glitches or bugs."

"It should be easier to recreate something manually, with the manual tool, because Acunetix is an automatic tool. If it finds something, it should be easier to manually replicate it. Sometimes you don't get the raw data from the input and output, so that could be improved."

"In terms of what needs improvement, the way the licensing model is currently is not very convenient for us because initially, when we bought it, the licensing model was very flexible, but now it restricts us."

"There is room for improvement in the pricing."

"There are some versions of the solution that are not as stable as others."

"Acunetix needs to improve its cost."

"The jargon used makes it difficult for project managers to understand the issues, and the technical explanations used make it difficult for developers to understand issues. These things should be simplified much more. That would be very helpful for us when explaining to them what needs to be fixed. The report output needs to be simplified."

"I rate its stability six out of ten."

More Acunetix cons

"The biggest complaint that I have heard concerns additional platform support because right now, it only supports applications that are written in .NET and Java."

"The false positive rate should be lower."

"The product should integrate industry-standard code review tools internally with its system. This would streamline the coding process, as developers wouldn't need multiple tools for code review and security checks. Many independent and open-source tools are available, from Apache to various libraries. Using multiple DevOps pipeline tools can slow the turnaround time."

"Support for older compilers/IDEs is lacking."

"Fortify Application Defender gives a lot of false positives."

"The solution could improve the time it takes to scan. When comparing it to SonarQube it does it in minutes while in Fortify Application Defender it can take hours."

"Fortify Application Defender could improve by supporting more code languages, such as GRAAS and Groovy."

"The licensing can be a little complex."

More Fortify Application Defender cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Implementing Acunetix needs a medium or larger business agency, because you need some money to get Acunetix. It is costly, but if you care about your agency's security, then maybe it's a cost that might help you in the future."

"When we looked at all other vendors and what they were asking for, to provide a third of what Acunetix was capable of doing, it was an easy decision... But now that it's coming to a cost where it's line with market value, it becomes more of a competition... Acunetix is raising the cost of licensing. It's 3.5 times what we were initially quoted."

"The cost is based on two types of licenses, ConsultLite, and ConsultPlus, as well as the number of domains that are scanned."

"When compared with other products, the pricing is a little bit high. But it gives value for the price. It serves the purpose and is worthwhile for the price we pay."

"The solution is expensive."

"The price is exceptionally high."

"It is a bit expensive. If you need to check five applications, you have to pay almost 14,000. It is an agreement for two years at 7,000 per year for only five applications. You cannot change the applications in the license. So, you are stuck with the same license for the five applications for one full year."

"I would say that Acunetix is expensive because there are products on the market with similar features that are equally or better-priced."

More Acunetix pricing and cost advice

"Fortify Application Defender is very expensive."

"The base licensing costs for the SaaS platform is about $900 USD per application, per year."

"I rate the solution's pricing a five out of ten. It comes as an annual cloud subscription. The tool's pricing is around 50 lakhs."

"The licensing is very complex, it's project based and can range from $10,000 to $200,000+ depending on the project type and size."

"The price of this solution could be less expensive."

"The product’s price is much higher than other tools."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

16%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

University

Financial Services Firm

18%

Manufacturing Company

14%

Computer Software Company

13%

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	15
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	14

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	3
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	8

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Acunetix Vulnerability Scanner?

The tool's most valuable feature is scan configurations. We use it for external physical applications. The scanning time depends on the application's code.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Acunetix Vulnerability Scanner?

The primary use case for Acunetix Vulnerability Scanner is automated scanning and detection of security vulnerabilities in web applications, websites, and APIs.

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Acunetix Vulnerability Scanner?

Acunetix supports multi-user environments effectively. Acunetix is targeted for small to mid-size teams in a DevSecOps environment, making it the best choice for small and mid-size companies, offer...

See all answers

What do you like most about Fortify Application Defender?

I find the configuration of rules in Fortify Application Defender useful. Its integration is also easy.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Fortify Application Defender?

The product should integrate industry-standard code review tools internally with its system. This would streamline the coding process, as developers wouldn't need multiple tools for code review and...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Fortify Application Defender?

We use the solution for fast code review. It is integrated into our DevOps pipeline.

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 16% of the time

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Compared 9% of the time

HCL AppScan vs Acunetix

Compared 8% of the time

Invicti vs Acunetix

Compared 7% of the time

Veracode vs Acunetix

Compared 5% of the time

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Checkmarx One vs Fortify Application Defender

Compared 18% of the time

SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube) vs Fortify Application Defender

Compared 15% of the time

Coverity Static vs Fortify Application Defender

Compared 14% of the time

Qualys Web Application Scanning vs Fortify Application Defender

Compared 11% of the time

CAST Application Intelligence Platform vs Fortify Application Defender

Compared 11% of the time

More Fortify Application Defender Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Acunetix

October 2025

Download Acunetix product report

Buyer's Guide

Application Security Tools

September 2025

Download Fortify Application Defender product report

Also Known As

AcuSensor

HPE Fortify Application Defender, Micro Focus Fortify Application Defender

Overview

Acunetix Web Vulnerability Scanner is an automated web application security testing tool that audits your web applications by checking for vulnerabilities like SQL Injection, Cross site scripting, and other exploitable vulnerabilities.

Invicti

Micro Focus Security Fortify Application Defender is a runtime application self-protection (RASP) solution that helps you manage and mitigate risk from homegrown or third-party applications. It provides centralized visibility into application use and abuse while protecting from software vulnerability exploits and other violations in real time.

OpenText

Sample Customers

Joomla!, Digicure, Team Random, Credit Suisse, Samsung, Air New Zealand

ServiceMaster, Saltworks, SAP

Buyer's Guide

Acunetix vs. Fortify Application Defender

September 2025

Free Report: Acunetix vs. Fortify Application Defender

Find out what your peers are saying about Acunetix vs. Fortify Application Defender and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.

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