Contrast Security Assess vs Mend.io comparison

Read 33 Mend.io reviews

7,551 Views
4,455 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

Contrast Security Assess

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 8, 2024

Contrast Security Assess and Mend.io are competing solutions in software security, each offering unique strengths. Contrast Security Assess has an edge with specialized detection capabilities, while Mend.io stands out for its comprehensive features and user-friendly integration.

Features: Contrast Security Assess delivers in-depth security insights with real-time vulnerability detection, offers notable support options, and excels in niche detection capabilities. Mend.io integrates seamlessly with various development tools, handles complex workflows efficiently, and provides a robust feature set catering to specific user needs.

Room for Improvement: Contrast Security Assess could enhance its reporting functionalities, refine intuitive reporting, and expand its feature set beyond niche applications. Mend.io users seek faster software updates, improved integration capabilities, and enhanced detail in support documentation.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Contrast Security Assess is valued for a straightforward deployment process and attentive customer service, offering personalized support during transitions. Mend.io provides a quick setup with ample support, though it may occasionally lack the desired level of detail.

Pricing and ROI: Contrast Security Assess clients view it as cost-effective with substantial long-term ROI, appreciating favorable setup costs. Mend.io, though noted for higher initial costs, is recognized for delivering significant ROI through its comprehensive features, affirming its value over time.

To learn more, read our detailed Contrast Security Assess vs. Mend.io Report (Updated: April 2026).

Contrast Security Assess vs. Mend.io

Download the complete report

Helped 891,869 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

Contrast Security Assess

Ranking in Application Security Tools

31st

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Static Application Security Testing (SAST) (27th)

Mend.io

Ranking in Application Security Tools

17th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Software Composition Analysis (SCA) (7th), Static Code Analysis (6th), Software Supply Chain Security (4th)

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2026, in the Application Security Tools category, the mindshare of Contrast Security Assess is 1.5%, up from 0.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Mend.io is 2.5%, down from 3.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Security Tools Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Mend.io	2.5%
Contrast Security Assess	1.5%
Other	96.0%

Application Security Tools

Featured Reviews

ToddMcAlister

Lead Application and Data Security Engineer at a insurance company with 5,001-10,000 employees

It has an excellent API interface to pull APIs.

Assess has brought our development time down because it helps create code the first time. Instead of going through the Jenkins process to build an application, they can see right off the bat that if there are errors in the code and fix them before it even goes to build.

Read full review

meetharoon

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

Centralized security monitoring has reduced false positives and improves dependency governance

The only area for improvement I would say is that the false positives are nearly zero; everything is mostly like 99 to 99.99% or we can say 100% accurate. There were a few areas for improvement just from the last time I saw; I think the user experience had a little problem. We wanted to have certain reports based on our kind of scenario, but the tool did not allow us to create custom reports. We had asked for some facility and some ability for us to create some custom reports. That would be awesome if they allow us to create custom reports the way we wanted. There is one small area which I don't know whether we should call a tool limitation or a wish list; if I use a library and I don't use all the capabilities of the library but only a portion of it and that portion is not vulnerable, but there is a component which is outdated, that is a problem, even though I don't use that component. Mend.io will discover there is a problem in the whole library; that is correct. That's a valid discovery, but in my case, for example, if I don't use that particular portion, then it actually is not making sense for me, but that's not a limitation of Mend.io; I think that's a general problem with any tool in the market because no tool in the market will actually know what portion of the code I'm actually using from that particular library if it is vulnerable or not.

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

"Assess has an excellent API interface to pull APIs."

"The solution is very accurate in identifying vulnerabilities. In cases where we are performing application assessment using Contrast Assess, and also using legacy application security testing tools, Contrast successfully identifies the same vulnerabilities that the other tools have identified but it also identifies significantly more. In addition, it has visibility into application components that other testing methodologies are unaware of."

"Assess has brought our development time down because it helps create code the first time."

"It is a stable solution...Contrast Security Assess is one of the first players in this market, so they have experience and customers, especially abroad. Overall, it's a good product."

"No other tool does the runtime scanning like Contrast does. Other static analysis tools do static scanning, but Contrast is runtime analysis, when the routes are exercised. That's when the scan happens. This is a tool that has a very unique capability compared to other tools. That's what I like most about Contrast, that it's runtime."

"The accuracy of the solution in identifying vulnerabilities is better than any other product we've used, far and away. In our internal comparisons among different tools, Contrast consistently finds more impactful vulnerabilities, and also identifies vulnerabilities that are nearly guaranteed to be there, meaning that the chance of false positives is very low."

"By far, the thing that was able to provide value was the immediate response while testing ahead of release, in real-time."

"From a percentage perspective, somewhere around 90 percent of the time we used to spend has been given back to our team, because the false positive rate with Contrast is less than 5 percent."

More Contrast Security Assess pros

"We can take some measures to improve things, replace a library, or update a library which was too old or showed severe bugs."

"WhiteSource allowed us to minimize our exposure to open-source vulnerabilities with ease."

"With the fix suggestions feature, not only do you get the specific trace back to where the vulnerability is within your code, but you also get fix suggestions."

"I am the organizational deployment administrator for this tool, and I, along with other users in our company, especially the security team, appreciate the solution for several reasons. The UI is excellent, and scanning for security threats fits well into our workflow."

"We use this solution for scanning NodeJS and Maven projects during the CI/CD processes, running hundreds of scans per day on any project that passes the release build, so every release build runs the WhiteSource scan before deployment to production clusters, which ensures that we are covered in terms of licenses for open source dependencies."

"We set the solution up and enabled it and we had everything running pretty quickly."

"I would recommend using WhiteSource."

"We’ve seen a terrific ROI."

More Mend.io pros

Cons

"My primary hurdle is that it doesn't support all of the technologies that we use."

"Their level of support and troubleshooting for the product is limited because of how they handle troubleshooting. It's done through a log file that's very cumbersome to work with."

"Contrast Security Assess covers a wide range of applications like .NET Framework, Java, PSP, Node.js, etc. But there are some like Ubuntu and the .NET Core which are not covered. They have it in their roadmap to have these agents. If they have that, we will have complete coverage."

"Personalization of the board and how to make it appealing to an organization is something that could be done on their end. The reports could be adaptable to the customer's preferences."

"I would like to see them come up with more scanning rules."

"I think there was activity underway to support the centralized configuration control. There are ways to do it, but I think they were productizing more of that."

"Regarding the solution's OSS feature, the one drawback that we do have is that it does not have client-side support."

More Contrast Security Assess cons

"At times, the latency of getting items out of the findings after they're remediated is higher than it should be."

"They're working on a UI refresh. That's probably been one of the pain points for us as it feels like a really old application."

"The initial setup was of an intermediate complexity; it was neither complex nor straightforward and could have been easier."

"I rated the solution an eight out of ten because WhiteSource hasn't built in a couple of features that we would have loved to use and they say they're on their roadmap."

"Mend supports most of the common package managers, but it doesn't support some that we use. I would appreciate it if they can quickly make these changes to add new package managers when necessary."

"I would like to have an additional compliance pack. Currently, it does not have anything for the CIS framework or the NIST framework. If we directly run a scan, and it is under the CIS framework, we can directly tell the auditor that this product is now CIS compliant."

"The dashboard UI and UX are problematic."

"Needs better ACL and more role definitions. This product could be used by large organisations and it definitely needs a better role/action model."

More Mend.io cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The good news is that the agent itself comes in two different forms: the unlicensed form and the licensed form. Unlicensed gives use of that software composition analysis for free. Thereafter, if you apply a license to that same agent, that's when the instrumentation takes hold. So one of my suggestions is to do what we're doing: Deploy the agent to as many applications as possible, with just the SCA feature turned on with no license applied, and then you can be more choosy and pick which teams will get the license applied."

"You only get one license for an application. Ours are very big, monolithic applications with millions of lines of code. We were able to apply one license to one monolithic application, which is great. We are happy with the licensing. Pricing-wise, they are industry-standard, which is fine."

"The solution is expensive."

"The product's pricing is low. I would rate it a two out of ten."

"For what it offers, it's a very reasonable cost. The way that it is priced is extremely straightforward. It works on the number of applications that you use, and you license a server. It is something that is extremely fair, because it doesn't take into consideration the number of requests, etc. It is only priced based on the number of onboarded applications. It suits our model as well, because we have huge traffic. Our number of applications is not that large, so the pricing works great for us."

"It's a tiered licensing model. The more you buy, as you cross certain quantity thresholds, the pricing changes. If you have a smaller environment, your licensing costs are going to be different than a larger environment... The licensing is primarily per application. An application can be as many agents as you need. If you've got 10 development servers and 20 production servers and 50 QA servers, all of those agents can be reporting as a single application that utilizes one license."

"I like the per-application licensing model... We just license the app and we look at different vulnerabilities on that app and we remediate within the app. It's simpler."

"Over the last two years, they have tried to add more and more features to their license packages, but the price is a little bit high, comparatively."

"Mend is costly but not overly expensive. The license was quite expensive this year, but we managed to negotiate the price down to the same as last year. At the same time, it's a good value. We're getting what we're paying for and still not using all the features. We could probably get more out of the tool and make it more valuable. At the moment, we don't have the capacity to do that."

"When comparing the price of WhiteSource to the competition it is priced well. The cost for 50 users is approximately $18,000 annually."

"WhiteSource is much more affordable than Veracode."

"We always negotiate for the best price possible, and as far as I know, Mend has done an excellent job with their pricing. Our management is happy with the pricing, which has led to renewals."

"Its pricing model is per developer. It depends on the number of developers in the company. The license is for a minimum of 20 developers. So, even if you are a small startup with less than 10 developers, you have to buy a license for 20 developers on a yearly subscription, which makes it quite expensive for startup customers. I provide consultation to startup accelerators. They're small at the beginning, and only once they grow to 20 developers, they can afford this tool. As a result, WhiteSource is missing this target audience. Their licensing is not flexible."

"Pricing and licensing are comparable to other tools. When we started, it was less than our existing solution. I can't go into specifics, but it isn't cheap."

"Pricing is competitive."

More Mend.io pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Application Security Tools solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

891,869 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

17%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

Financial Services Firm

14%

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	2
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	6

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	10
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	20

Questions from the Community

Ask a question

Earn 20 points

How does WhiteSource compare with SonarQube?

Red Hat Ceph does well in simplifying storage integration by replacing the need for numerous storage solutions. This solution allows for multiple copies of replicated and coded pools to be kept, ea...

See all answers

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...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Mend.io?

Mend.io SCA offers a competitive pricing structure that is relatively affordable compared to similar solutions in the market. This makes it an attractive option for organizations looking to enhance...

See all answers

Comparisons

SonarQube vs Contrast Security Assess

Compared 6% of the time

Veracode vs Contrast Security Assess

Compared 5% of the time

FortiDevSec vs Contrast Security Assess

Compared 4% of the time

Digital.ai Application Security vs Contrast Security Assess

Compared 4% of the time

Data Theorem API Secure vs Contrast Security Assess

Compared 3% of the time

More Contrast Security Assess Competitors

SonarQube vs Mend.io

Compared 9% of the time

Black Duck SCA vs Mend.io

Compared 7% of the time

Veracode vs Mend.io

Compared 5% of the time

JFrog Xray vs Mend.io

Compared 5% of the time

Snyk vs Mend.io

Compared 5% of the time

More Mend.io Competitors

Product Reports

Contrast Security Assess

Download Contrast Security Assess product report

Download Mend.io product report

Also Known As

Contrast Assess

WhiteSource, Mend SCA, Mend.io Supply Chain Defender, Mend SAST

Overview

Contrast Security Assess is an IAST platform known for accurate vulnerability detection. It integrates into development workflows, offering real-time insights into security issues with minimal false positives, supporting legacy applications and enhancing code security visibility.

Designed to integrate seamlessly into DevOps workflows, Contrast Security Assess automates real-time vulnerability detection and reduces false positives through its powerful IAST features. By continuously monitoring vulnerabilities, it provides a robust option for securing legacy applications and identifying vulnerabilities without lengthy scans. This cloud-hosted platform supports numerous programming languages, making it versatile for security testing across enterprise environments. Users benefit from detailed reports that pinpoint exact code locations requiring remediation, enhancing speed and efficiency in addressing security concerns.

What are the key features of Contrast Security Assess?

IAST Technology: Delivers accurate vulnerability detection with reduced false positives.
Seamless Integration: Integrates into development processes, supporting real-time vulnerability detection.
Open Source Security: Analyzes third-party libraries for vulnerabilities.
Continuous Monitoring: Provides valuable insights with real-time security feedback for developers.
API Interface: Enhances operational efficiency and streamlining with minimal false positives.

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Enhanced Security Visibility: Offers comprehensive insights across application environments.
Speed and Efficiency: Quick identification and remediation of vulnerabilities accelerate development.
Operational Streamlining: Seamless integration into DevOps workflows improves productivity.
Legacy Application Support: Effective for securing existing applications with ongoing monitoring.

Companies in industries requiring high levels of application security, such as finance and healthcare, implement Contrast Security Assess for its ability to enhance visibility and detect vulnerabilities early in the development lifecycle. Its seamless integration with DevOps processes makes it ideal for environments that prioritize agility while maintaining stringent security standards.

Contrast Security

Mend.io integrates seamlessly into development environments, providing open-source dependency scanning, CVE detection, and license management to enhance security and efficiency during code development.

Mend.io delivers comprehensive open-source vulnerability detection and remediation, seamlessly integrating with CI/CD workflows. It equips organizations with tools for software composition analysis and license risk detection, efficiently identifying vulnerabilities and managing policies. Mend.io supports a wide array of programming languages and deployment environments while integrating with developer tools like GitHub, Jenkins, and Azure DevOps to enhance security feedback and decision-making. Its ease of use and rapid setup boost efficiency in managing open-source dependencies and reducing vulnerabilities.

What are Mend.io's Key Features?

Open-source dependency scanning: Efficiently scans and identifies vulnerabilities in third-party libraries.
CVE detection: Detects and alerts on potential security risks with granularity.
License management: Manages open-source licenses to ensure compliance and reduce legal risks.
Integration: Works seamlessly with Visual Studio, Azure DevOps, and more.
Fix suggestions: Provides actionable solutions to identified vulnerabilities.
Automated policy management: Enhances security by automating policy adherence.

What Advantages Should be Considered in User Feedback?

Development efficiency: Streamlines workflows to improve code security and quality.
Rapid setup: Minimal time investment required, allowing immediate integration into existing processes.
Extensive language support: Accommodates multiple programming environments, enhancing flexibility.
Robust integration options: Compatible with top development tools, bolstering productivity.

Mend.io empowers industries such as finance, healthcare, and e-commerce by integrating robust open-source security measures within their development cycles, enhancing their ability to address vulnerabilities swiftly and maintain compliance amidst rigorous regulatory standards.

Sample Customers

Williams-Sonoma, Autodesk, HUAWEI, Chromeriver, RingCentral, Demandware.

Microsoft, Autodesk, NCR, Target, IBM, vodafone, Siemens, GE digital, KPMG, LivePerson, Jack Henry and Associates

Contrast Security Assess vs. Mend.io