Black Duck SCA vs Snyk comparison

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Black Duck SCA

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 9, 2025

Black Duck SCA and Snyk compete in the software composition analysis space. While Black Duck SCA provides comprehensive support and pricing options, Snyk has the upper hand with its cutting-edge features that enhance pipeline efficiency and modern development practices.

Features: Black Duck SCA provides effective vulnerability detection, license compliance, and risk management for open-source components. Its management system offers a seamless environment for checking licenses and identifying potential vulnerabilities. Snyk focuses on seamless CI/CD integration, offering rich insights into security vulnerabilities and licenses while emphasizing developer-centric tools. Its ease of use, coupled with actionable vulnerability insights, creates a secure and efficient development workflow.

Room for Improvement: Black Duck could enhance its security feature for more precise vulnerabilities identification and reduce the error rate during component analysis. Improvement in user interface experience would also benefit its effectiveness. Snyk could expand its vulnerability database to include more comprehensive details and improve its accuracy regarding licensing issues, notably for non-SPDX compliant licenses.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Black Duck SCA is tailored for enterprise environments with comprehensive customer support. Snyk excels with its cloud-based deployment solutions and flexible integrations, supported by responsive customer service, making it suitable for environments requiring quick turnarounds.

Pricing and ROI: Black Duck SCA entails a higher initial cost with significant long-term ROI, owing to its detailed scanning capabilities. Snyk offers flexible and competitive pricing, leading to faster time-to-value, making it an attractive option for rapidly evolving development teams.

To learn more, read our detailed Software Composition Analysis (SCA) Report (Updated: October 2025).

Software Composition Analysis (SCA)

October 2025

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Helped 873,808 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:

ROI

Sentiment score

6.2

Black Duck improved efficiency by identifying vulnerabilities early, saving time, streamlining audits, reducing manual effort, and enhancing code security.

Sentiment score

6.5

Snyk boosts developer productivity by saving hours daily, improving vulnerability visibility, and offering potential ROI up to 70%.

If you're using it on critical external programs where there is regulatory compliance on ensuring that the source code is clean from open-source, there's substantial ROI.

For more quotes and insights, download the Black Duck SCA report

IP Head at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees

I can see that Snyk saves the costs of hiring security developers for vulnerability scanning and security checks, as that responsibility is now managed by Snyk.

For more quotes and insights, download the Snyk report

Software Engineer at a computer software company with 11-50 employees

Customer Service

Sentiment score

9.3

Black Duck SCA support is praised for features and training, but response times and complexity need improvement.

Sentiment score

7.6

Snyk's technical support is highly rated for responsiveness, direct engineer communication, but needs improvement in response time and coverage.

There are some pain points with the response time and first-level support quality.

For more quotes and insights, download the Black Duck SCA report

Director at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees

Our long-standing association has ensured smooth communication, resulting in favorable support experiences and satisfactory issue resolution.

For more quotes and insights, download the Snyk report

CEO at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees

Their response time aligns with their SLA commitments.

reviewer2731785

Information Security Strategy at a insurance company with 10,001+ employees

We could understand the implementation of the product and other features without the need for human interaction.

ANDRESANTOS

Senior DevSecOps at V8

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

8.0

Black Duck SCA is praised for scalability and integration, though licensing costs may limit some users' experience.

Sentiment score

7.2

Snyk offers scalable, efficient scanning with high adoption despite minor delays, integrating seamlessly into cloud environments for developers.

I would rate the scalability of Black Duck 8 or 9.

For more quotes and insights, download the Black Duck SCA report

IP Head at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees

Snyk allows for scaling across large organizations, accommodating tens of thousands of applications and over 60,000 repositories.

CEO at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees

Snyk is very scalable and can handle my organization's growth and changing needs.

For more quotes and insights, download the Snyk report

Software Engineer at a computer software company with 11-50 employees

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

8.0

Black Duck SCA is stable and reliable, with minor browser-related delays and a stability rating of 7-10.

Sentiment score

7.8

Users rate Snyk stability highly, citing minimal downtime and reliable performance, despite occasional documentation and upgrade-related issues.

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the Black Duck SCA report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the Snyk report

Room For Improvement

Black Duck SCA users seek better integration, faster scans, user-friendly features, enhanced security, improved documentation, and more flexible pricing.

Snyk needs improved language support, analysis tools, and integrations, alongside better UI, notifications, compliance features, and user resources.

It can improve on the security side of it, specifically vulnerabilities identification.

IP Head at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees

There are areas for improvement such as false positives and the scanning of containers.

Director at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees

Black Duck does not have the SBOM management part.

For more quotes and insights, download the Black Duck SCA report

Director at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees

It lacks the ability to select branches on its Web UI, forcing users to rely on CLI or CI/CD for that functionality.

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CEO at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees

The inclusion of AI to remove false positives would be beneficial.

PawanSingh2

Director at Marsh

As we are moving toward GenAI, we expect Snyk to leverage AI features to improve code scanning findings.

reviewer2731785

Information Security Strategy at a insurance company with 10,001+ employees

Setup Cost

Black Duck SCA pricing is flexible, ranging from $10,000 to $70,000, and suitable for large enterprises needing compliance.

Snyk's enterprise pricing is competitive, scalable, and feature-rich, offering clear, user-based models ideal for large organizations.

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the Black Duck SCA report

Snyk is recognized as the cheapest option we have evaluated.

For more quotes and insights, download the Snyk report

CEO at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees

After negotiations, we received a special package with a good price point.

reviewer2731785

Information Security Strategy at a insurance company with 10,001+ employees

Snyk is less expensive.

ANDRESANTOS

Senior DevSecOps at V8

Valuable Features

Black Duck SCA excels in vulnerability scanning, license compliance, secure DevOps integration, and robust reporting, offering high reliability.

Snyk offers simple, cost-effective vulnerability scanning, integrates with development tools, and supports multiple languages with actionable advice.

The most valuable feature of Black Duck is the composition analysis feature, which is effective for security risk management.

Director at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees

Black Duck's ability to identify dependencies very accurately has been most valuable in identifying and mitigating risks.

IP Head at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees

The software composition analysis is most effective for security risk management.

For more quotes and insights, download the Black Duck SCA report

Director at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees

Our integration of Snyk into GitHub allows us to automatically scan codebases and identify issues, which has improved efficiency.

CEO at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees

Snyk helps detect vulnerabilities before code moves to production, allowing for integration with DevOps and providing a shift-left advantage by identifying and fixing bugs before deployment.

PawanSingh2

Director at Marsh

Snyk has positively impacted my organization by improving the security posture across all software repositories, resulting in fewer critical vulnerabilities, more confidence in overall product security, and faster security compliance for project clients.

For more quotes and insights, download the Snyk report

Software Engineer at a computer software company with 11-50 employees

Categories and Ranking

Black Duck SCA

Ranking in Software Composition Analysis (SCA)

2nd

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Snyk

Ranking in Software Composition Analysis (SCA)

1st

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability (19th), Application Security Tools (9th), Static Application Security Testing (SAST) (8th), GRC (4th), Cloud Management (14th), Vulnerability Management (15th), Container Security (6th), Software Development Analytics (2nd), Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) (15th), DevSecOps (2nd), Application Security Posture Management (ASPM) (2nd)

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2025, in the Software Composition Analysis (SCA) category, the mindshare of Black Duck SCA is 14.5%, down from 21.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Snyk is 12.7%, down from 17.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Software Composition Analysis (SCA) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Snyk	12.7%
Black Duck SCA	14.5%
Other	72.8%

Software Composition Analysis (SCA)

Featured Reviews

Delivers robust accuracy for identifying and mitigating risks but setup and security can improve

IP Head at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees

My deployment of Black Duck will take a few hours minimum. In the earlier on-premise scenario, which I've seen in other organizations, it takes a few days because you have to get the server installed, then actually keep installing various patch upgrades as it happens. The cloud version is a lot faster, probably taking only a few hours to complete. Regarding Black Duck leveraging AI to enhance security scanning of open-source components, I would not be able to address that because I have not yet explored that area significantly. Based on my experience, I would recommend Black Duck to other people if they can digest the higher cost. It helps in many aspects. I would rate this solution overall at 7 to 8. Disclaimer: The review is provided in personal capacity as an individual and not the opinion of the organization or corporate to which I belong to.

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Improves security posture by actively reducing critical vulnerabilities and guiding remediation

Software Engineer at a computer software company with 11-50 employees

Snyk's main features include open-source vulnerability scanning, code security, container security, infrastructure as code security, risk-based prioritization, development-first integration, continuous monitoring and alerting, automation, and remediation. The best features I appreciate are the vulnerability checking, vulnerability scanning, and code security capabilities, as Snyk scans all open-source dependencies for known vulnerabilities and helps with license compliance for open-source components. Snyk integrates into IDEs, allowing issues to be caught as they appear in the code dynamically and prioritizes risk while providing remediation advice. Snyk provides actionable remediation advice on where vulnerabilities can exist and where code security is compromised, automatically scanning everything and providing timely alerts. Snyk has positively impacted my organization by improving the security posture across all software repositories, resulting in fewer critical vulnerabilities, more confidence in overall product security, and faster security compliance for project clients. Snyk has helped reduce vulnerabilities significantly. Initially, the repository had 17 to 31 critical and high vulnerabilities, but Snyk has helped manage them down to just five vulnerabilities, which are now lower and not high or critical.

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See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Software Composition Analysis (SCA) solutions are best for your needs.

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873,808 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

17%

Manufacturing Company

16%

Computer Software Company

12%

Insurance Company

Financial Services Firm

15%

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Insurance Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	6
Large Enterprise	16

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	21
Midsize Enterprise	9
Large Enterprise	21

Questions from the Community

How does WhiteSource compare with Black Duck?

We researched Black Duck but ultimately chose WhiteSource when looking for an application security tool. WhiteSource is a software solution that enables agile open source security and license compl...

What do you like most about Black Duck?

The cloud option of the product is always available and a positive aspect of the solution.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Black Duck?

The price charged by Black Duck is exorbitant. For the features provided by the product, I would not want to pay a high price. There are many other products in the market that offer better features...

How does Snyk compare with SonarQube?

Snyk does a great job identifying and reducing vulnerabilities. This solution is fully automated and monitors 24/7 to find any issues reported on the internet. It will store dependencies that you a...

What do you like most about Snyk?

The most effective feature in securing project dependencies stems from its ability to highlight security vulnerabilities.

What needs improvement with Snyk?

There are a lot of false positives that need to be identified and separated. The inclusion of AI to remove false positives would be beneficial. So far, I've not seen any AI features to enhance vuln...

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Compared 7% of the time

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Compared 7% of the time

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Compared 4% of the time

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Compared 3% of the time

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Product Reports

Download Black Duck SCA product report

Black Duck SCA

November 2025

Download Snyk product report

October 2025

Also Known As

Blackduck Hub, Black Duck Protex, Black Duck Security Checker

Fugue, Snyk AppRisk

Overview

Black Duck is an essential tool for software composition analysis and license compliance. It identifies vulnerabilities effectively and supports security management in DevOps environments, offering integration, performance stability, and community support.

Organizations rely on Black Duck for seamless integration in CI/CD pipelines, thorough scanning of source and binary codes, and management of operational risks associated with open-source and commercial licenses. It plays a crucial role in security risk management and delivers a robust policy management framework. Users value its ease of use and reliable community support while benefiting from its comprehensive dependency visualization capabilities. Despite its strengths, there is room for enhancement in integration with other tools, UI friendliness, and reporting features.

What are Black Duck's key features?

Automated Component Analysis: Offers detailed insights into open-source components.
Vulnerability Scanning: Identifies and addresses potential security issues.
Knowledge Base: Extensive database for informed decision-making.
Policy Management: Comprehensive control over security policies.
Integration: Seamlessly fits into existing DevOps workflows.

What should users look for in ROI?

Security Assurance: Mitigates risks associated with open-source software.
Efficiency: Reduces time spent on manual auditing tasks.
License Compliance: Ensures compliance with open-source licenses.
Risk Management: Enhances operational risk management in software development.

Enterprise environments use Black Duck extensively for security, compliance, and risk management, ensuring software meets regulatory standards and mitigates vulnerabilities. Its implementation in specific industries aids in controlled and secure software development processes, underlining its role in maintaining rigorous security standards while delivering dependable performance.

Black Duck

Snyk excels in integrating security within the development lifecycle, providing teams with an AI Trust Platform that combines speed with security efficiency, ensuring robust AI application development.

Snyk empowers developers with AI-ready engines offering broad coverage, accuracy, and speed essential for modern development. With AI-powered visibility and security, Snyk allows proactive threat prevention and swift threat remediation. The platform supports shifts toward LLM engineering and AI code analysis, enhancing security and development productivity. Snyk collaborates with GenAI coding assistants for improved productivity and AI application threat management. Platform extensibility supports evolving standards with API access and native integrations, ensuring comprehensive and seamless security embedding in development tools.

What are Snyk's standout features?

Simplicity and Integration: Easy to integrate across platforms like GitLab, GitHub, and Jira.
Comprehensive Vulnerability Database: Offers accurate reporting for effective vulnerability management.
Developer-Friendly Design: Supports multiple programming languages, appealing to developers.
Automation and Flexibility: Enhances workflow efficiency with automated capabilities.

What benefits can users expect?

Efficiency in Vulnerability Detection: Streamlines prioritization and remediation processes.
Cost-Effectiveness: Offers a competitive pricing model compared to alternatives.
Enhanced Workflow: Integration with DevOps tools improves development processes.

Industries leverage Snyk for security in CI/CD pipelines by automating checks for dependency vulnerabilities and managing open-source licenses. Its Docker and Kubernetes scanning capabilities enhance container security, supporting a proactive security approach. Integrations with platforms like GitHub and Azure DevOps optimize implementation across diverse software environments.

Sample Customers

Samsung, Siemens, ScienceLogic, BryterCX, Dynatrace

StartApp, Segment, Skyscanner, DigitalOcean, Comic Relief