HCL AppScan vs Kiuwan comparison

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HCL AppScan

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 3, 2026

HCL AppScan and Kiuwan compete in the security and code quality enhancement category. HCL AppScan seems to have the upper hand in scalability and stability, while Kiuwan offers a more cost-effective solution with a strong continuous integration process.

Features: HCL AppScan provides effective scanning during code construction with excellent scalability and stability, specializing in detecting reflected XSS vulnerabilities. Kiuwan offers impressive speed and modularity, enhancing both vulnerability scanning and code quality. It has a strong continuous integration process that ensures seamless security in software development.

Room for Improvement: HCL AppScan could improve its false positives rate, enhance usability, and expand service integration and language support. Users note a need for a better UI and database expansion. Kiuwan faces challenges with limited language support and issues like report downloading difficulties; improving dependency scanning and defining clearer rules are suggested enhancements.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: HCL AppScan offers high adaptability across various deployment environments with mixed reviews on technical support, especially after its transition from IBM. Kiuwan provides diverse deployment options including hybrid cloud environments, receiving slightly better feedback on support quality. Both are available in public cloud and on-premises formats.

Pricing and ROI: HCL AppScan is considered expensive with a challenging pricing model, but effective in reducing vulnerabilities, providing significant ROI over time. Kiuwan's more affordable subscription model based on code lines appeals to those prioritizing cost-effectiveness. Despite its higher cost, AppScan users highlight its better ROI through improved security efficiency.

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

HCL AppScan vs. Kiuwan

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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

HCL AppScan

Ranking in Application Security Tools

23rd

Ranking in Static Application Security Testing (SAST)

18th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

5.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) (7th)

Kiuwan

Ranking in Application Security Tools

33rd

Ranking in Static Application Security Testing (SAST)

28th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Application Security Tools category, the mindshare of HCL AppScan is 2.3%, down from 2.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Kiuwan is 1.1%, down from 1.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Security Tools Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
HCL AppScan	2.3%
Kiuwan	1.1%
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

"The solution is easy to use."

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

"Scalability, and it's a very powerful tool."

"The static scans are good, and the SaaS as well."

"I prefer Appscan, as it much more user friendly, and it detects cross-site scripting and SQL injection issues much better than other tools in the market."

"The security and the dashboard are the most valuable features."

"From the point of view of quality, very excellent quality, it's above all the tools that I have worked with."

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

More HCL AppScan pros

"We are using this solution to increase the quality of our software and to test the vulnerabilities in our tools before the customers find them."

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

"The solution has a continuous integration process."

"The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that it is quick when processing and giving an output or generating a report."

"I find it immensely helpful because it's not just about generating code; it's about ensuring efficiency in the execution."

"We have been using this solution for one and a half years."

"With Kiuwan, we were able to help our clients get a better visibility of their development activities and to mitigate risks."

"I've found the reporting features the most helpful."

More Kiuwan pros

Cons

"The product has some technical limitations."

"The penetration testing feature should be included."

"Unfortunately, there is a big discussion if it is very expensive to use it or not, and there are competitors."

"AppScan needs to improve its handling of false positives."

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

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

"Currently, we are satisfied with AppScan but I am sure there are better alternatives available because this is a very old product."

"If HCL AppScan is able to alert the clients over email once the scan is complete, it would be great. Right now, HCL AppScan doesn't let me know if the scanning part is finished or not, because of which I have to come back and check mostly."

More HCL AppScan cons

"Kiuwan's support has room for improvement. You can only open a ticket is through email, and the support team is outside of our country. They should have a support number or chat."

"In Kiuwan there are sometimes duplicates found in the dependency scan under the "insights" tab. It's unclear to me why these duplicates are appearing, and it would be helpful if the application teams could investigate further."

"It could improve its scalability abilities."

"The development-to-delivery phase."

"I would like to see additional languages supported."

"More languages and frameworks would enhance this tool."

"I would like to see better integration with Azure DevOps in the next release of this solution."

"The solution seems to give us a lot of false positives. This could be improved quite a bit."

More Kiuwan cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

"The price is very 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 moderately priced."

"The tool was expensive."

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

"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."

More HCL AppScan pricing and cost advice

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

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

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

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

"This solution is cheaper than other tools."

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

"Check with your account manager."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Construction Company

12%

University

10%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

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 needs improvement with HCL AppScan?

See all answers

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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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HCL AppScan?

AppScan is considered more cost-effective than Veracode, although I have not updated the exact pricing details. Companies often choose based on budget constraints, with Veracode being on the higher...

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Compared 5% of the time

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SonarQube vs Kiuwan

Compared 19% of the time

Veracode vs Kiuwan

Compared 13% of the time

GitHub vs Kiuwan

Compared 7% of the time

Checkmarx One vs Kiuwan

Compared 6% of the time

Qualys Web Application Scanning vs Kiuwan

Compared 3% of the time

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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