HCL AppScan vs OWASP Zap comparison

Why PeerSpot?

HCLSoftware and OWASP are both solutions in the Static Application Security Testing (SAST) category. HCLSoftware is ranked #20 with an average rating of 7.0, while OWASP is ranked #12 with an average rating of 8.0. HCLSoftware holds a 2.9% mindshare in SAST, compared to OWASP’s 2.5% mindshare. Additionally, 84% of HCLSoftware users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 88% of OWASP users who would recommend it.

HCL AppScan

Read 44 HCL AppScan reviews

9,624 Views
6,737 Comparison Views

84% willing to recommend

OWASP Zap

Read 41 OWASP Zap reviews

9,843 Views
9,252 Comparison Views

88% willing to recommend

HCL AppScan

OWASP Zap

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 3, 2026

HCL AppScan and OWASP Zap compete in the web application security testing category. Though HCL AppScan offers advanced features and integrates well with development lifecycles, OWASP Zap stands out for its cost-effectiveness and flexibility.

Features: HCL AppScan features advanced scanning capabilities, integration into the software development lifecycle, and detects vulnerabilities like XSS and SQL injections with precision. It provides industry-specific templates and robust security-focused findings. OWASP Zap, an open-source tool, is widely accessible and known for its powerful spidering and user-friendly interface, ideal for beginners. It provides flexibility and community-driven enhancements.

Room for Improvement: HCL AppScan could reduce false positives, improve usability, and enhance customer support. Better container integration and central management for its static and dynamic scanning are also needed. OWASP Zap should focus on improving automation accuracy, enhancing reporting, and supporting diverse environments like mobile testing. Users suggest more robust updates and better documentation.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: HCL AppScan offers deployment flexibility, being available on public cloud, hybrid cloud, and on-premises. However, users often wish for more responsive technical support. OWASP Zap is primarily on-premises but available on public cloud through community setups. Its open-source nature means relying on community forums for support, which can delay quick resolutions.

Pricing and ROI: HCL AppScan is expensive but valued for its detailed reports and integration features, providing a strong long-term ROI by reducing vulnerabilities and costs. OWASP Zap's main advantage is being a free, open-source solution, making it popular among small to medium businesses and startups, offering extensive features without financial barriers.

To learn more, read our detailed HCL AppScan vs. OWASP Zap Report (Updated: November 2026).

Buyer's Guide

HCL AppScan vs. OWASP Zap

November 2026

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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 Static Application Security Testing (SAST)

20th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

5.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Security Tools (24th), Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) (7th)

OWASP Zap

Ranking in Static Application Security Testing (SAST)

12th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Static Application Security Testing (SAST) category, the mindshare of HCL AppScan is 2.9%, up from 2.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of OWASP Zap is 2.5%, down from 4.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Static Application Security Testing (SAST) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
OWASP Zap	2.5%
HCL AppScan	2.9%
Other	94.6%

Static Application Security Testing (SAST)

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.

Read full review

Amit Beniwal

Project Manager at Al Hassan LLC

Simplifies vulnerability discovery and has high quality support

There are areas for improvement with OWASP Zap, particularly in the alignment of vulnerabilities concerning CVSS scores. Sometimes, a vulnerability initially categorized as high severity may be reduced to medium or low over time after security patches are applied. This alignment with the present severity score and CVSS score could be improved.

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

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

"It highlights, with several grades of severity, the types of vulnerabilities, so we can focus on the most severe security vulnerabilities in the code."

"SAST is the only feature that works using the on-prem version."

"We use it as a security testing application."

"Compared to other tools only AppScan supports special language."

"It is a stable solution...It is a scalable solution...The initial setup or installation of HCL AppScan is easy."

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

"This is a stable solution."

More HCL AppScan pros

"The application scanning feature is the most valuable feature."

"The valuable features are that it's very simple to use and the user interface is very good, particularly for beginners so they can start the application easily."

"This solution has improved my organization because it has made us feel safer doing frequent deployments for web applications. If we have something really big, we might get some professional company in to help us but if we're releasing small products, we will check it ourselves with Zap. It makes it easier and safer."

"The solution enables a person to add the certificate and check the queries, to see if there are any that are undefined, so a person can have a list of the types of queries and can trace them."

"The solution is very easy to use, the initial setup is straightforward, it is free due to the fact that it is open-source, the stability is very good, and the product has a strong community surrounding it to help with issues and troubleshooting."

"One valuable feature of OWASP Zap is that it is simple to use."

"It can be used effectively for internal auditing."

"The ZAP scan and code crawler are valuable features."

More OWASP Zap pros

Cons

"I think it's a little bit complex, and that's quite a common issue with most of the IBM products."

"The performance could be better. Sometimes it doesn't work so well."

"Better detection of DOM-based XSS Better remediation guidance using code examples and contexts"

"They could incorporate AI to enhance vulnerability detection and improve the product's reporting capabilities."

"Improving usability could enhance the overall experience with AppScan. It would be beneficial to make the solution more user-friendly, ensuring that everyone can easily navigate and utilize its features."

"Scans become slow on large websites."

"They have to improve support."

"They could add a software component analysis tool."

More HCL AppScan cons

"The documentation is lacking and out-of-date, it really needs more love."

"Zap could improve by providing better reports for security and recommendations for the vulnerabilities."

"Too many false positives; test reports could be improved."

"There are too many false positives."

"Reporting format has no output, is cluttered and very long."

"I would recommend this product to people although I think it is very difficult to deploy and we also have issues with maintenance."

"I would like to see a version of “repeater” within OWASP ZAP, a tool capable of sending from one to 1000 of the same requests, but with preselected modified fields, changing from a predetermined word list, or manually created."

"The work that it does in the limited scope is good, but the scope is very limited in terms of the scanning features. The number of things it tests or finds is limited. They need to make it a more of a mainstream tool that people can use, and they can even think about having it on a proprietary basis. They need to increase the coverage of the scan and the results that it finds. That has always been Zap's limitation. Zap is a very good tool for a beginner, but once you start moving up the ladder where you want further details and you want your scan to show more in-depth results, Zap falls short because its coverage falls short. It does not have the capacity to do more."

More OWASP Zap cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is very expensive."

"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."

"HCL AppScan is 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."

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

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

"The solution is moderately priced."

"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."

More HCL AppScan pricing and cost advice

"It's free. It's good for us because we don't know what the extent of our use will be yet. It's good to start with something free and easy to use."

"The tool is open source."

"As Zap is free and open-source, with tons of features similar to those of commercial solutions, I would definitely recommend trying it out."

"This solution is open source and free."

"OWASP ZAP is a free tool provided by OWASP’s engineers and experts. There is an option to donate."

"The tool is open-source."

"It is highly recommended as it is an open source tool."

"This is an open-source solution and can be used free of charge."

More OWASP Zap pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Outsourcing Company

Construction Company

University

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software 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	11
Midsize Enterprise	11
Large Enterprise	22

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...

See all answers

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...

See all answers

Is OWASP Zap better than PortSwigger Burp Suite Pro?

OWASP Zap and PortSwigger Burp Suite Pro have many similar features. OWASP Zap has web application scanning available with basic security vulnerabilities while Burp Suite Pro has it available with ...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for OWASP Zap?

OWASP might be cost-effective, however, people prefer to use the free edition available as open source.

See all answers

What needs improvement with OWASP Zap?

The improvement that has to be done for APIs focuses on manual activities where the feature exists, but it is not at the same level as what Burp Suite does with intercepting and tools such as Postm...

See all answers

Comparisons

Veracode vs HCL AppScan

Compared 7% of the time

Checkmarx One vs HCL AppScan

Compared 7% of the time

SonarQube vs HCL AppScan

Compared 5% of the time

PortSwigger Burp Suite Professional vs HCL AppScan

Compared 5% of the time

Qualys Web Application Scanning vs HCL AppScan

Compared 2% of the time

More HCL AppScan Competitors

PortSwigger Burp Suite Professional vs OWASP Zap

Compared 11% of the time

Invicti Web + API vs OWASP Zap

Compared 9% of the time

Veracode vs OWASP Zap

Compared 6% of the time

Qualys Web Application Scanning vs OWASP Zap

Compared 6% of the time

Ixia BreakingPoint vs OWASP Zap

Compared 3% of the time

More OWASP Zap Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

HCL AppScan

October 2026

Download HCL AppScan product report

Buyer's Guide

OWASP Zap

October 2026

Download OWASP Zap 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

OWASP Zap is a free and open-source web application security scanner.

The solution helps developers identify vulnerabilities in their web applications by actively scanning for common security issues.

With its user-friendly interface and powerful features, Zap is a popular choice among developers for ensuring the security of their web applications.

OWASP

Sample Customers

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

1. Google 2. Microsoft 3. IBM 4. Amazon 5. Facebook 6. Twitter 7. LinkedIn 8. Netflix 9. Adobe 10. PayPal 11. Salesforce 12. Cisco 13. Oracle 14. Intel 15. HP 16. Dell 17. VMware 18. Symantec 19. McAfee 20. Citrix 21. Red Hat 22. Juniper Networks 23. SAP 24. Accenture 25. Deloitte 26. Ernst & Young 27. PwC 28. KPMG 29. Capgemini 30. Infosys 31. Wipro 32. TCS

Buyer's Guide

HCL AppScan vs. OWASP Zap

November 2026

Free Report: HCL AppScan vs. OWASP Zap

Find out what your peers are saying about HCL AppScan vs. OWASP Zap and other solutions. Updated: November 2026.

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