HCL AppScan vs Kiuwan comparison

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HCL AppScan

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 8, 2024

HCL AppScan and Kiuwan compete in the application security category. Users indicate Kiuwan may have the upper hand due to its advanced features despite higher pricing.

Features: HCL AppScan offers extensive security testing capabilities, competitive pricing, and comprehensive support. Kiuwan provides advanced analysis features across coding languages, easy integration with workflows, and a robust feature set.

Room for Improvement: HCL AppScan could improve its integration options, loading speeds, and customization capabilities. Kiuwan needs better customization, enhanced reporting functionalities, and broader integration options.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: HCL AppScan is noted for straightforward deployment, valuable support during setup, and reliable customer service. Kiuwan presents a more complex deployment but offers responsive service and thorough technical guidance.

Pricing and ROI: HCL AppScan is praised for cost-effectiveness and strong ROI, balancing cost with functional depth. Kiuwan, despite being more costly, provides strong ROI with its advanced features and long-term value satisfaction.

To learn more, read our detailed HCL AppScan vs. Kiuwan Report (Updated: April 2026).

HCL AppScan vs. Kiuwan

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Helped 892,383 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

HCL AppScan

Ranking in Application Security Tools

19th

Ranking in Static Application Security Testing (SAST)

17th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

5.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) (6th)

Kiuwan

Ranking in Application Security Tools

30th

Ranking in Static Application Security Testing (SAST)

26th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2026, in the Application Security Tools category, the mindshare of HCL AppScan is 2.2%, down from 2.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Kiuwan is 1.2%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Security Tools Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
HCL AppScan	2.2%
Kiuwan	1.2%
Other	96.6%

Application Security Tools

Featured Reviews

Ravi Khanchandani

Founder Director at Techsa Services

Has improved identification of encryption and authentication issues across cloud and on-prem applications

During the learning curve of onboarding HCL AppScan, we learned that HCL has altered the portfolio and now offers HCL AppScan 360, which has a much better look and feel with an improved user interface. However, there is one feature called SCA, which stands for Software Composition Analysis, that could be improved. When I'm doing an application scan, HCL AppScan has the ability to generate information about what components are in use. For example, if I'm scanning a web application, it shows me the various components being used. It tells me whether I have Java libraries, .NET frameworks, or other log management libraries such as Log4j, and what versions of those specific components are present. I would like to see more detailed reports from the tool. Currently, you can find out the components belonging to a specific software, but if detailed reporting became available, you would be in a better position to identify vulnerabilities. For instance, I could identify that I had the Log4j vulnerability and know that I need to fix my application accordingly. If they add the features I'm describing, I would consider giving them a higher rating. However, I've only been experienced with the product for three months.

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Mustufa Bhavnagarwala

CyberRisk Solution Advisor at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees

Though a stable tool, the UI needs improvement

Kiuwan can improve its UI a little more. The user experience can be made better. Kiuwan offers a user interface that is similar to the one offered by Windows 7 or Windows 98, which I saw when I ran the tool and tried to scan the repository to find the security issues. The product's UI has certain shortcomings, where improvements are required.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"AppScan is within the top three or four static analyzers."

"It was easy to set up."

"It is an application for security assessment or scanning for static environments, and with all customers, it is performing well."

"It has certainly helped us find vulnerabilities in our software, so this is priceless in the end."

"This solution saves us time due to the low number of false positives detected."

"The solution offers services in a few specific development languages."

"With AppScan, we are now deploying less defects to production."

"For its first initial release, the integration was pretty good."

More HCL AppScan pros

"I've tried many open source applications and the remediation or correction actions that were provided by Kiuwan were very good in comparison."

"For the moment, this is a solution that I could recommend."

"We use Kiuwan to locate the source of application vulnerabilities."

"Lifecycle features, because they permit us to show non-technical people the risk and costs hidden into the code due to bad programming practices."

"We have had an improvement of 20% in our time to market and it significantly improved the quality of our code."

"We switched because Kiuwan covers the entire SDLC; provides direct information to act upon, for the developer, architects, QA, CIO and CISO, in a few seconds; automatically, fully integrated in any CI/CD setup."

"Customer service is excellent."

"I like that I can scan the code without sending it to the Kiuwan cloud. I can do it locally on my device. When the local analyzer finishes, the results display on the dashboard in the cloud. It's essential for security purposes to be able to scan my code locally."

More Kiuwan pros

Cons

"The tool should improve its output. Scanning is not a challenge anymore since there are many such tools available in the market. The product needs to focus on how its output is being used by end users. It should be also more user-friendly. One of the major challenges is in the tool's integration with applications that need to be scanned. Sometimes, the scanning is not proper."

"There are so many lines of code with so many different categories that I am likely to get lost. "

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

"HCL AppScan needs to improve security."

"IBM Security AppScan needs to add performance optimization for quickly scanning the target web applications."

"A desktop version should be added."

"The solution's scalability can be a matter of concern because one license runs on one machine only."

"I would like to see the roadmap for this product. We are still waiting to see it as we have only so many resources."

More HCL AppScan cons

"The pricing and licensing models are poor."

"We faced a lot of problems with the initial setup and support gave us difficulties around the installation."

"The integration process could be improved. It'll also help if it could generate reports automatically, but I'm not sure about the effectiveness of the reports because in our last project, we still found some key issues that weren't captured by the Kiuwan report."

"Improvement could be made with the integration of the programming tools."

"The next release should include more flexibility in the reporting."

"Different languages, such Spanish, Portuguese, and so on."

"DIfferent languages, such Spanish, Portuguese, and so on."

"The product's UI has certain shortcomings, where improvements are required."

More Kiuwan cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The tool was expensive."

"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."

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

"The solution is cheap."

"The product has premium pricing and could be more competitive."

"The solution is moderately priced."

"Our clients are willing to pay the extra money. It is expensive."

"With the features, that they offer, and the support, they offer, AppScan pricing is on a higher level."

More HCL AppScan pricing and cost advice

"This solution is cheaper than other tools."

"Check with your account manager."

"Nothing special. It's a very fair model."

"It follows a subscription model. I think the price is somewhere in the middle."

"Kiuwan is an open-source solution and free to use."

"I recommend contacting a sales person who will create the best plan payment plan for you, as we did."

"The price of Kiuwan is lower than that of other tools on the market."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

11%

Computer Software Company

10%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

University

11%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	14
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	31

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	16
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	6

Questions from the Community

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?

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What is your primary use case for HCL AppScan?

I'm currently working with BigFix and HCL AppScan. At least three people in my company are using HCL AppScan. Since we are a reseller, we run it in both lab environments and live production applica...

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Comparisons

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Compared 8% of the time

SonarQube vs HCL AppScan

Compared 7% of the time

Checkmarx One vs HCL AppScan

Compared 7% of the time

PortSwigger Burp Suite Professional vs HCL AppScan

Compared 7% of the time

Acunetix vs HCL AppScan

Compared 6% of the time

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SonarQube vs Kiuwan

Compared 21% of the time

Veracode vs Kiuwan

Compared 11% of the time

GitHub vs Kiuwan

Compared 7% of the time

Checkmarx One vs Kiuwan

Compared 7% of the time

Sonatype Lifecycle vs Kiuwan

Compared 3% of the time

More Kiuwan Competitors

Product Reports

HCL AppScan

Download HCL AppScan product report

Download Kiuwan product report

Also Known As

IBM Security AppScan, Rational AppScan, AppScan

No data available

Overview

HCL AppScan offers quick vulnerability detection with effective SDLC integration and is known for its user-friendly interface and seamless security integration.

HCL AppScan provides dynamic and static scanning to identify vulnerabilities like XSS and SQL injection. It integrates well into CI/CD pipelines, supports multiple languages, and offers web and dynamic scanning, helping businesses ensure security across development lifecycles. Users benefit from API coverage, Postman integration, and its ability to function in cloud and on-premise environments, facilitating a shift from DevOps to DevSecOps practices.

What features define HCL AppScan?

User-friendly interface: Simplifies navigation and usage.
Vulnerability detection: Quickly identifies issues like XSS and SQL injection.
Integration with SDLC: Seamlessly blends with development processes.
Dynamic scanning: Offers comprehensive security evaluations.
Multiple language support: Supports diverse programming environments.

What benefits should users consider?

Scalability: Adapts to growing needs and projects.
Low false-positive rates: Delivers accurate and reliable results.
Detailed reporting: Provides comprehensive vulnerability insights.
Effective integration: Enhances CI/CD pipeline security.

HCL AppScan is leveraged in sectors requiring rigorous security checks, such as finance and healthcare, where it conducts comprehensive scans and offers insights into potential vulnerabilities. Its robust scanning capabilities aid companies in maintaining compliance and security standards.

HCLSoftware

Kiuwan offers comprehensive security and vulnerability testing capabilities, focusing on code analysis, fast scanning, and detailed risk assessments. Supporting many technologies, it integrates well into development workflows to ensure code compliance and enhance code quality.

Known for its application portfolio governance, Kiuwan provides fast scanning and reporting features, alongside an intuitive interface. It supports languages from COBOL to JavaScript, offering modular capabilities and security integration for continuous deployment. Developers can perform efficient local or cloud-based scans, benefiting from action plans for better code correction. Integration with tools like Jenkins facilitates quick processing and detailed risk assessments, while challenges remain in language support expansion and smoother integration with Azure DevOps and popular IDEs. Enhanced frameworks and mobile development testing would amplify its utility, with users seeking improved navigation, report downloading, and technical support.

What are the most important features of Kiuwan?

Fast Scanning: Provides quick scans for immediate insights.
Reporting: Robust features for generating detailed reports.
Intuitive UI: Easy-to-navigate interface.
Technology Coverage: Supports a range of languages from COBOL to JS.
Tool Integration: Seamlessly integrates with Jenkins for CI/CD processes.
Modularity: Allows specific models for targeted analysis.

What benefits or ROI should users look for in Kiuwan reviews?

Enhanced Code Security: Identifies vulnerabilities swiftly and efficiently.
Continuous Integration: Facilitates ongoing security assessments.
Improved Code Compliance: Helps maintain adherence to coding standards.
Actionable Insights: Provides risk assessments with actionable recommendations.

In industries focused on software development, Kiuwan is integral for security and vulnerability assessments. It's embedded into workflows to analyze, detect and correct vulnerabilities, addressing threats like SQL injection and adhering to OWASP Top 10. The tool supports secure coding practices and performance evaluation, aiding organizations in maintaining rigorous security standards.

Sample Customers

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

DHL, BNP Paribas, Zurich, AXA, Ernst & Young, KFC, Santander, Latam, Ferrovial

HCL AppScan vs. Kiuwan