Fortify Application Defender vs Klocwork comparison

Why PeerSpot?

OpenText and Perforce are both solutions in the Application Security Tools category. OpenText is ranked #33, while Perforce is ranked #21 with an average rating of 7.8. OpenText holds a 1.5% mindshare in AS, compared to Perforce’s 1.4% mindshare. Additionally, 81% of OpenText users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of Perforce users who would recommend it.

Fortify Application Defender

Read 11 Fortify Application Defender reviews

3,350 Views
2,848 Comparison Views

81% willing to recommend

Klocwork

Read 25 Klocwork reviews

6,278 Views
3,453 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

Fortify Application Defender

Klocwork

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 8, 2024

Klocwork and Fortify Application Defender are both prominent choices in the software security analysis domain. Klocwork is favored in terms of deployment and customer service, whereas Fortify Application Defender offers superior features and functionality, despite its higher cost.

Features: Klocwork offers advanced code analysis, integrates seamlessly with developer workflows, and supports incremental analysis, making it developer-friendly. Fortify Application Defender provides dynamic application security and a broader range of vulnerability coverage and is favored for its comprehensive threat detection capabilities.

Room for Improvement: Klocwork requires enhancements in reporting capabilities, interface responsiveness, and support for a wider range of languages. Fortify Application Defender could benefit from improved documentation, simplified setup processes, and a more intuitive user interface to assist newcomers.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Klocwork is known for its straightforward deployment process and responsive customer service, ensuring a smooth user experience. Fortify Application Defender presents a steeper deployment learning curve, but once users overcome this, they experience reliable performance; its customer support, though adequate, is not as accessible as Klocwork's.

Pricing and ROI: Klocwork offers more accessible pricing with quicker return on investment, attracting budget-conscious buyers. Fortify Application Defender's higher cost is offset by extensive features, which many users find justify the expense over time, delivering long-term value.

To learn more, read our detailed Fortify Application Defender vs. Klocwork Report (Updated: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Fortify Application Defender vs. Klocwork

September 2026

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Helped 912,818 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

Fortify Application Defender

Ranking in Application Security Tools

33rd

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Klocwork

Ranking in Application Security Tools

21st

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Static Application Security Testing (SAST) (14th), Static Code Analysis (3rd)

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2026, in the Application Security Tools category, the mindshare of Fortify Application Defender is 1.5%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Klocwork is 1.4%, up from 1.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Security Tools Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Klocwork	1.4%
Fortify Application Defender	1.5%
Other	97.1%

Application Security Tools

Featured Reviews

VinothSivam

CTO at Abcl

Useful for fast code review in devOps pipelines

I rate the tool's scalability a seven out of ten. However, I'm concerned about how it handles an increasing number of lines of code. As the complexity grows, so does the time it takes for the tool to review everything. I want more clarity on how Fortify Application Defender handles multiple threats. We have numerous endpoints, but the tool runs in our pipeline, meaning it operates in the cloud. All our code is configured there, and the tool runs integration testing, unit testing, user testing, and final production code tests. It's a day-to-day experience. It's utilized almost every day as part of our pipeline runs. Each team responsible for integration testing, human testing, user access testing, and preproduction testing runs it whenever they take a build.

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Krishna M Gopalakrishnan

Manager, Quality, Functional Safety, Cybersecurity Embedded Processing at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees

Experience with compliance improvements and efficiency boosts but static analysis engine shows a need for enhancement

One area for improvement is that when customers use different static analysis tools, they report more issues compared to Klocwork. The static analysis engine of Klocwork has areas that need improvement. Customers using different static analysis tools report more issues than with Klocwork, indicating that Klocwork's engine is not as superior. Klocwork should be able to analyze large codebases efficiently, supporting a desktop version for periodic small delta changes before pushing to the server.

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

"Its ability to find security defects is valuable."

"Fortify Application Defender has a few drawbacks, it has its own pros and cons, but it's a good tool to use in any industry."

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

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

"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."

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

"This is a great tool and the kind of support it provides is very helpful."

"It is one of those things that once you see it in action, it is pretty impressive."

More Fortify Application Defender pros

"One can increase the number of vendors, so the solution is scalable."

"There's a feature in Klocwork called 'on-the-fly analysis', which helps developers to find and fix the defects at the time of development itself."

"I really like Klocwork's server client build because it allows collaboration between the team members."

"Unlike other static code analysis tools, Klocwork integrates seamlessly into desktop IDEs, build systems, continuous integration tools, and any team's natural workflow."

"The customer support team is very responsive, proactive, and engages in conversations to ensure our needs are met."

"Klocwork has caught up to Fortify and surpassed them; they have a higher detection and false positive rate than Fortify does."

"Overall I find Klocwork's features superior for our needs."

"Klocwork is a good product, but keep in mind that before building the code you have to get a report."

More Klocwork pros

Cons

"I encountered many false positives for Python applications."

"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."

"The false positive rate should be lower."

"The workbench is a little bit complex when you first start using it."

"Support for older compilers/IDEs is lacking."

"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."

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

"The solution is quite expensive."

More Fortify Application Defender cons

"Customers using different static analysis tools report more issues than with Klocwork, indicating that Klocwork's engine is not as superior."

"There are many things that can be improved. The code used between projects is one of the very painful points in Klocwork."

"Now the only issue we have is that whenever we need to get the code we have to build it first. Then we can get the report."

"Under NIST cybersecurity standards, we must address vulnerabilities within a specified time after discovering them. When we try to propagate those updates and fixes through the system, it would be nice if the clients could reconnect to the existing server or have the server dynamically updated in some way. I know that isn't easy, but maybe processes could be enhanced to make that more streamlined from a DevOps perspective."

"Support for AUTOSAR C++14 by adding a new taxonomy that you can use to ensure compliance with the AUTOSAR C++14 Standard, release 18-03."

"Klocwork has to improve its features to stay ahead of other free solutions."

"Modern languages, such as Angular and .NET, should be included as a part of Klocwork."

"There are some false warnings found which eventually are not considered for a fix after the team reviewed the source code."

More Klocwork cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

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

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

"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."

"Fortify Application Defender is very expensive."

"Licensing fees are paid annually, but they also have a perpetual license."

"This solution offers competitive pricing."

"Klocwork should not to be quite so heavy handed on the licensing for very specific programs."

"When it comes to licensing, the solution has two packages, one for a fixed and the other for a floating server, with the former being more cost effective than the latter."

"There are other solutions on the market such as Microsoft Visual Studio. They have been adding more static code analysis features that come for free. It is getting better all the time. That is one of the possibilities is that we've been considering that we may stop using the Klocwork because it doesn't give us any added value."

"The pricing for Klocwork is very competitive if you compare it from apple to apple. It has competitive pricing regarding the licensing model and the per-license cost. Klocwork isn't a high-end investment for anyone deploying it; even SMBs can afford it. The Klocwork cost per user would depend on the license type, so I'm unable to mention a ballpark figure because it would depend on the type of installation and how the deployment will be, and the nodes to give an accurate calculation or figure. The total price depends on the package, so my company could never publish pricing for Klocwork on the website. My team first collects information from potential clients on the deployment scenario, project environment, etc., before suggesting a package for Klocwork. My rating for Klocwork in terms of pricing is a five because of its flexible license models. There's a license model for every type of organization, whether small, midsize, or enterprise, so it's a five out of five for me."

"The limitation that we have is that Klocwork is licensed to certain programs, and if you want to license them to other programs, you have to pay more money."

"Klocwork is still tight on their licensing. If Klocwork would loosen up on the licensing, and where the license could be used, and how many different programs could be run on it, then we have several development programs that I would love to be able to use it for going forward."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

16%

Construction Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

20%

Construction Company

Outsourcing Company

Transportation Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	12
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	13

Questions from the Community

Ask a question

Earn 20 points

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Klocwork?

Klocwork's pricing seems attractive, as it uses a per-user license model that does not have a lot of overhead.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Klocwork?

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What is your primary use case for Klocwork?

I work on tools such as Klocwork, LDRA, as well as Jira and Confluence, focusing more on the software quality assurance aspect. We use Klocwork for coding and aggregate checks. We use it for static...

See all answers

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Application Security Tools

September 2026

Download Fortify Application Defender product report

Buyer's Guide

Klocwork

September 2026

Download Klocwork product report

Also Known As

HPE Fortify Application Defender, Micro Focus Fortify Application Defender

No data available

Overview

Fortify Application Defender offers strong protection by identifying and resolving security defects using machine learning and real-time remediation. Its user-friendly interface simplifies integration in CI/CD workflows and supports security scanning across operating systems and compilers.

Fortify Application Defender is a comprehensive tool for static code analysis and security scanning. It integrates machine learning algorithms to identify vulnerabilities quickly and offers real-time remediation solutions. Its seamless integration with WebInspect allows for tailored rule sets that significantly improve defense against application-specific threats. The tool's efficiency in static and software composition analysis provides actionable repair insights. As part of a DevOps pipeline, it aids in maintaining code quality, helping organizations protect sensitive information within their applications. Additionally, it supports multiple operating systems and environments, allowing users to scan for vulnerabilities in both code and libraries effectively.

What are the key features of Fortify Application Defender?

Security Defect Identification: Uses advanced algorithms to detect security flaws.
Real-time Remediation: Provides immediate solutions for vulnerabilities.
WebInspect Integration: Customizable rule sets enhance protection.
Actionable Insights: Delivers clear repair strategies.
User-friendly Configuration: Easy set-up in CI/CD pipelines.

What benefits should users consider when evaluating Fortify Application Defender?

Scalable Integration: Works with multiple operating systems and compilers.
Improved Code Quality: Prevents exposure of sensitive data.
Efficient Scanning: Reduces time to identify threats.
Customizable Rules: Enhances security measures specific to applications.

Fortify Application Defender is commonly used in industries like banking and finance to secure applications by inspecting source code for vulnerabilities. Companies can integrate it seamlessly into their DevOps pipelines, ensuring that their applications are protected against cyberattacks while maintaining high code quality. They can thereby avoid common risks such as IP and password exposure by leveraging static code analysis and other integrated technologies available within this tool.

OpenText

Klocwork offers advanced static code analysis with integration capabilities for enhanced development efficiency, supporting various development environments and providing clear defect reports. It streamlines software development by reducing defects and improving code quality.

Klocwork integrates seamlessly into CI/CD pipelines, providing real-time and incremental analysis to identify and rectify code defects quickly. It supports multiple integrated development environments (IDEs) and minimizes false positives in its analysis. While primarily supporting C/C++, Java, and C#, there is a need to expand language support and enhance its static analysis engine. The tool assists in adhering to industry standards with features like automated code parsing and MISRA compliance checks. Ease of setup and collaboration capabilities further promotes efficiency, although the dashboard could benefit from user-friendly updates and better integration with Agile tools.

What are the primary features of Klocwork?

Static Code Analysis: Identifies vulnerabilities and defects in code with reduced false positives.
CI/CD Integration: Seamlessly embeds into continuous integration and delivery pipelines for efficient testing.
Customizable Checkers: Allows users to tailor checkers according to specific project needs.
On-the-fly Analysis: Provides incremental analysis to detect issues during coding, reducing development time.
IDE Support: Functions across multiple IDEs, enhancing developer workflow and productivity.

What benefits should users expect from Klocwork?

Reduced Development Time: By detecting issues early, faster development cycles are achieved.
Improved Code Quality: Helps in maintaining high code standards and adherence to compliance checks.
Efficient Collaboration: Streamlines team collaboration with easy integration and analysis reports.
Enhanced Maintainability: Through automation and efficient detection of memory-related and security issues.

Klocwork is extensively implemented in industries that prioritize software quality and security standards, particularly in environments focused on C/C++ development on Linux systems. Its capabilities in automated code parsing, traffic analysis, and support for DevOps integration make it invaluable for industries requiring strict MISRA compliance and internal standards adherence. By aiding refactoring and detecting memory-related vulnerabilities, Klocwork contributes to the maintainability and security standards in these sectors.

Perforce

Sample Customers

ServiceMaster, Saltworks, SAP

ACCESS Co Ltd, Risk-AI, Winbond Electronics, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Research Institute, University of Southern California, Alebra Technologies, SIMULIA, Risk Management Solutions, Brigham Young University, SRD, HRL

Buyer's Guide

Fortify Application Defender vs. Klocwork

September 2026

Free Report: Fortify Application Defender vs. Klocwork

Find out what your peers are saying about Fortify Application Defender vs. Klocwork and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.

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