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Fortify WebInspect vs HCL AppScan comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 13, 2024

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 WebInspect
Ranking in Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST)
2nd
Average Rating
7.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
21
Ranking in other categories
DevSecOps (7th)
HCL AppScan
Ranking in Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST)
1st
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
43
Ranking in other categories
Application Security Tools (14th), Static Application Security Testing (SAST) (10th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) category, the mindshare of Fortify WebInspect is 22.6%, down from 31.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of HCL AppScan is 15.3%, down from 26.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST)
 

Featured Reviews

Navin N - PeerSpot reviewer
Effective scanning of diverse file extensions with fast reporting and issue resolution
We develop software packages for clients, and these clients are mostly in the BFSI sector. The packages need to be scanned, and we engage Fortify WebInspect for this.  Customers typically perform their own application pen tests, but in some cases, we have engagements where customers want us to scan…
Rishi Anupam - PeerSpot reviewer
A stable and scalable scanning solution with good reporting feature
The solution is used for the vulnerabilities scan on the network side The reporting part is the most valuable feature. The penetration testing feature should be included. I have been using the solution for four years. It is a stable solution. I rate it seven out of ten. It is a scalable…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Guided Scan option allows us to easily scan and share reports."
"The accuracy of its scans is great."
"The most valuable feature is the static analysis."
"Fortify WebInspect is a scalable solution, it is good for a lot of applications."
"Technical support has been good."
"The solution is easy to use."
"The user interface is ok and it is very simple to use."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is the ability to make our customers more secure."
"Usually when we deploy the application, there is a process for ethical hacking. The main benefit is that, the ethical hacking is almost clean, every time. So it's less cost, less effort, less time to production."
"The HCL AppScan turnaround time for Burp Suite or any new feature request is pretty good, and that is why we are sticking with the HCL."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is Postman."
"It's generally a very user-friendly tool. Anyone can easily learn how to scan"
"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."
"It is a stable solution...It is a scalable solution...The initial setup or installation of HCL AppScan is easy."
"We are now deploying less defects to production."
"The product is useful, particularly in its sensitivity and scanning capabilities."
 

Cons

"I want to enhance automation. Currently, Fortify WebInspect can scan and find vulnerabilities, but users with specific skills need to interpret the results and understand how to address them."
"The installation could be a bit easier. Usually it's simple to use, but the installation is painful and a bit laborious and complex."
"It requires improvement in terms of scanning. The application scan heavily utilizes the resources of an on-premise server. 32 GB RAM is very high for an enterprise web application."
"It took us between eight and ten hours to scan an entire site, which is somewhat slow and something that I think can be improved."
"I would like WebInspect's scanning capability to be quicker."
"We have often encountered scanning errors."
"Creating reports is very slow and it is something that should be improved."
"The main area for improvement in Fortify WebInspect is the price, as it is too high compared to the market rate."
"AppScan is too complicated and should be made more user-friendly."
"They could incorporate AI to enhance vulnerability detection and improve the product's reporting capabilities."
"HCL AppScan needs to improve security."
"AppScan needs to improve its handling of false positives."
"They should have a better UI for dashboards."
"The dashboard, for AppScan or the Fortified fast tool, which we use needs to be improved."
"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."
"A desktop version should be added."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It’s a fair price for the solution."
"The pricing is not clear and while it is not high, it is difficult to understand."
"Our licensing is such that you can only run one scan at a time, which is inconvenient."
"This solution is very expensive."
"Its price is almost similar to the price of AppScan. Both of them are very costly. Its price could be reduced because it can be very costly for unlimited IT scans, etc. I'm not sure, but it can go up to $40,000 to $50,000 or more than that."
"The price is okay."
"Fortify WebInspect is a very expensive product."
"The product is moderately priced, though it's an investment due to extensive code analysis needs."
"AppScan is a little bit expensive. IBM needs to work a little bit on the pricing model, decreasing the license cost."
"The tool was expensive."
"I would rate the product's pricing a nine out of ten. The product's pricing is expensive compared to the features that they offer."
"The price of HCL AppScan is okay, in my opinion. You just buy HCL AppScan and don't pay anything anymore, meaning it is just a one-time purchase."
"Our clients are willing to pay the extra money. It is expensive."
"The product has premium pricing and could be more competitive."
"The solution is moderately priced."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
17%
Computer Software Company
14%
Government
14%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Computer Software Company
18%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Government
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Fortify WebInspect?
The solution's technical support was very helpful.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortify WebInspect?
Fortify WebInspect can be a bit expensive. However, considering its stability and reliability in meeting current standards, the cost is justified. Still, making the cost more affordable for multipl...
What needs improvement with Fortify WebInspect?
I would like WebInspect's scanning capability to be quicker. Specifically, being able to scan a particular flow or part of an application more rapidly would be beneficial. Additionally, the cost of...
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.
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...
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...
 

Also Known As

Micro Focus WebInspect, WebInspect
IBM Security AppScan, Rational AppScan, AppScan
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Aaron's
Essex Technology Group Inc., Cisco, West Virginia University, APIS IT
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortify WebInspect vs. HCL AppScan and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
849,686 professionals have used our research since 2012.