CodeSonar vs HCL AppScan comparison

CodeSecure and HCLSoftware are both solutions in the Application Security Tools category. CodeSecure is ranked #30, while HCLSoftware is ranked #15 with an average rating of 8.3. CodeSecure holds a 1.5% mindshare in AS, compared to HCLSoftware ’s 2.5% mindshare. Additionally, 87% of CodeSecure users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 84% of HCLSoftware users who would recommend it.

CodeSonar

Read 7 CodeSonar reviews

2,608 Views
1,800 Comparison Views

87% willing to recommend

HCL AppScan

Read 43 HCL AppScan reviews

4,377 Views
3,151 Comparison Views

84% willing to recommend

CodeSonar

HCL AppScan

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 8, 2024

HCL AppScan and CodeSonar are leading solutions in the application security sector. While both offer unique advantages, CodeSonar seems to have an edge in advanced analysis capabilities.

Features: HCL AppScan offers comprehensive security testing abilities and robust integration options. It is also recognized for providing extensive security features. CodeSonar is noted for its deep static analysis, support for large codebases, and the ability to identify complex code vulnerabilities.

Room for Improvement: HCL AppScan users suggest enhancements in usability, performance speed, and intuitive design. CodeSonar reviews mention the need for improved reporting outputs, expanded language support, and greater programming language compatibility.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: HCL AppScan is praised for straightforward deployment and efficient customer service. CodeSonar offers detailed support and customization options, though its deployment can be complex, requiring more initial investment.

Pricing and ROI: HCL AppScan has an accessible initial setup cost with a satisfactory ROI, owing to its feature set. CodeSonar, with a higher initial cost, provides significant long-term ROI for complex projects where intricate static analysis is crucial, making its pricing worthwhile.

To learn more, read our detailed CodeSonar vs. HCL AppScan Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

CodeSonar vs. HCL AppScan

September 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

CodeSonar

Ranking in Application Security Tools

30th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Static Code Analysis (10th)

HCL AppScan

Ranking in Application Security Tools

15th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

5.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Static Application Security Testing (SAST) (14th), Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) (1st)

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Application Security Tools category, the mindshare of CodeSonar is 1.5%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of HCL AppScan is 2.5%, down from 2.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Security Tools Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
HCL AppScan	2.5%
CodeSonar	1.5%
Other	96.0%

Application Security Tools

Featured Reviews

Mathieu ALBRESPY

Intigration Developer at ez-Wheel

Nice interface, quick to deploy, and easy to expand

This is the first time I've used this kind of software. It was the only one we could apply to analyze with MISRA rules. At my new company, I tried to use Klocwork. I tried to use it, just once so I cannot compare it exactly with CodeSonar. I also have a plugin for my Visual Studio and I try to make it work. It's not easy, however, I don't think that we have this kind of functionality with CodeSonar. It can do some incremental analysis. However, since this feature is also available on CodeSonar, it would be a good idea to have a plugin on Visual Studio just to have a quick analysis.

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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

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It has been able to scale."

"The tool is very good for detecting memory leaks."

"The most valuable feature of CodeSonar is the catching of dead code. It is helpful."

"The most valuable features of CodeSonar were all the categorized classes provided, and reports of future bugs which might occur in the production code. Additionally, I found the buffer overflow and underflow useful."

"There is nice functionality for code surfing and browsing."

"CodeSonar’s most valuable feature is finding security threats."

"What I like best about CodeSonar is that it has fantastic speed, analysis and configuration times. Its detection of all runtime errors is also very good, though there were times it missed a few. The configuration of logs by CodeSonar is also very fantastic which I've not seen anywhere else. I also like the GUI interface of CodeSonar because it's very user friendly and the tool also shows very precise logs and results."

"This is a stable solution."

"We use it as a security testing application."

"Compared to other tools only AppScan supports special language."

"The platform has valuable security features, helping us identify sensitive code issues and the possibility of internal applications' exposure to external threats."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is Postman."

"It is easy it is to use. It is quick to find things, because of the code scanning tools. It's quite simple to use and it is very good the way it reports the findings."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is the scanning or security part."

"The most valuable feature of HCL AppScan is scanning QR codes."

More HCL AppScan pros

Cons

"It was expensive."

"There could be a shared licensing model for the users."

"In terms of areas for improvement, the use case for CodeSonar was good, but compared to other tools, it seems CodeSonar isn't a sound static analysis tool, and this is a major con I've seen from it. Right now, in the market, people prefer sound static analysis tools, so I would have preferred if CodeSonar was developed into a sound static analysis tool formally, in terms of its algorithms, so then you can see it extensively used in the market because at the moment, here in India, only fifty to sixty customers use CodeSonar. If the product is developed into a sound static analysis tool, it could compete with Polyspace, and from its current fifty customers, that number could go up to a hundred."

"The scanning tool for core architecture could be improved."

"CodeSonar could improve by having better coding rules so we did not have to use another solution, such as MISRA C."

"It would be beneficial for the solution to include code standards and additional functionality for security."

"In a future release, the solution should upgrade itself to the current trends and differentiate between the languages. If there are any classifications that can be set for these programming languages that would be helpful rather than having everything in the generic category."

"There is not a central management for static and dynamic."

"We would like to see a check in the specific vulnerabilities in mobile applications or rooted devices, such as jailbreaking devices."

"Improving usability could enhance the overall experience with AppScan. It would be beneficial to make the solution more user-friendly, ensuring that everyone can easily navigate and utilize its features."

"It's a little bit basic when you talk about the Web Services. If AppScan improved its maturity on Web Services testing, that would be good."

"The solution often has a high number of false positives. It's an aspect they really need to improve upon."

"We have experienced challenges when trying to integrate this solution with other products. When you compare it with the other SecOps products, the quality of the output is too low. It is not a new-age product. It is very outdated."

"Visibility is an issue for us. Our partners do not know we have integrations with some of IBM products."

"The solution could improve by having a mobile version."

More HCL AppScan cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution's price depends on the number of licenses needed and the source code for the project."

"The application’s pricing is high compared to other tools."

"Our organization purchased a license to use the solution."

"Pricing is a bit costly."

"The price is very expensive."

"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."

"HCL AppScan is expensive."

"The tool was expensive."

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

"The solution is cheap."

"Pricing was the main reason that we went ahead with this solution as they were the lowest in the market."

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

More HCL AppScan pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

23%

University

11%

Computer Software Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

15%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	5
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	2

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	13
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	31

Questions from the Community

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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.

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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...

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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...

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Comparisons

SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube) vs CodeSonar

Compared 43% of the time

Coverity Static vs CodeSonar

Compared 26% of the time

Polyspace Code Prover vs CodeSonar

Compared 8% of the time

Axivion Static Code Analysis vs CodeSonar

Compared 4% of the time

Helix QAC vs CodeSonar

Compared 4% of the time

More CodeSonar Competitors

Acunetix vs HCL AppScan

Compared 12% of the time

SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube) 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

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Application Security Tools

September 2025

Download CodeSonar product report

Buyer's Guide

HCL AppScan

September 2025

Download HCL AppScan product report

Also Known As

No data available

IBM Security AppScan, Rational AppScan, AppScan

Overview

GrammaTech enables organizations to develop software applications more efficiently, on-budget, and on-schedule by helping to eliminate harmful defects that can cause system failures, enable data breaches, and ultimately increase corporate liabilities in today’s connected world. GrammaTech is the developer of CodeSonar, the most powerful source and binary code analysis solution available today. Extraordinarily precise, CodeSonar finds, on average, 2 times more serious defects in software than other static analysis solutions. Designed for organizations with zero tolerance for defects and vulnerabilities in their applications, CodeSonar provides static analysis for applications where reliability and security are paramount - widely used by software developers in avionics, medical, automotive, industrial control, and other mission-critical applications. Some of GrammaTech's customers include Toyota, GE, Hyundai, Kawasaki, LG, Lockheed Martin, NASA, Northrop Grumman, Panasonic, and Samsung.

CodeSecure

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

Sample Customers

Viveris, Micrel Medical Devices, Olympus, SOFTEQ, SONY

Essex Technology Group Inc., Cisco, West Virginia University, APIS IT

Buyer's Guide

CodeSonar vs. HCL AppScan

September 2025

Free Report: CodeSonar vs. HCL AppScan

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