HCL AppScan vs Semgrep comparison

HCLSoftware and Semgrep are both solutions in the Static Application Security Testing (SAST) category. HCLSoftware is ranked #17 with an average rating of 8.3, while Semgrep is ranked #18 with an average rating of 8.0. HCLSoftware holds a 2.3% mindshare in SAST, compared to Semgrep’s 2.8% mindshare. Additionally, 84% of HCLSoftware users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Semgrep users who would recommend it.

HCL AppScan

Read 44 HCL AppScan reviews

4,387 Views
3,334 Comparison Views

84% willing to recommend

Semgrep

Read 2 Semgrep reviews

2,842 Views
2,188 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

HCL AppScan

Semgrep

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between HCL AppScan and Semgrep based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Static Application Security Testing (SAST) solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed HCL AppScan vs. Semgrep Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

HCL AppScan vs. Semgrep

December 2025

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Helped 881,082 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 Static Application Security Testing (SAST)

17th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

5.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Security Tools (20th), Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) (4th)

Semgrep

Ranking in Static Application Security Testing (SAST)

18th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Supply Chain Management Software (3rd), Software Composition Analysis (SCA) (11th), Static Code Analysis (7th)

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Static Application Security Testing (SAST) category, the mindshare of HCL AppScan is 2.3%, down from 2.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Semgrep is 2.8%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Static Application Security Testing (SAST) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
HCL AppScan	2.3%
Semgrep	2.8%
Other	94.9%

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.

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Manjunath Maneppagol

Cloud & Application Security at Sixt SE

Context-aware code analysis has reduced noise and now improves developer experience with actionable security findings

I have consistently observed that their scan time is an issue for mono repos. Sometimes with their AI-based scanning, when you triage that scan, the scan never completes or finishes(, which makes it difficult. Another consistent issue is that whenever you have a new repo to onboard to the platform, the tool ideally should detect the master branch by default. However, sometimes the tool fails to identify it and will never scan it unless manually somebody looks into it and fixes the issue. Although their support team is really good, this issue was present six or eight months ago during the POC and is still present now. If it is affecting multiple customers, it should be prioritized and fixed. I would say that their integration aspects could have been improved. I see a lot of different security solutions that provide flexibility to the security teams based on Jira project, team divisions, Slack, and all those can be very much easily customized. Semgrep needs to work on the enhancement of their notification capabilities. Currently, they are working on identifying business logic vulnerabilities or privilege escalation vulnerabilities by looking at the code, and they should continue to focus on and improve this effort. Regarding stability, whenever you have a mono-repo which is a very large repository, the scan never finishes or the scan never kicks in. At that time, you have to reach out to the support team and ask them to expand the resources in the back end to fix it. This is an issue I keep seeing often on that platform.

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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

"We use it as a security testing application."

"Technical support is helpful."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is Postman."

"We leverage it as a quality check against code."

"It's generally a very user-friendly tool. Anyone can easily learn how to scan"

"This is a stable solution."

"The product is useful, particularly in its sensitivity and scanning capabilities."

"The most valuable feature of HCL AppScan is scanning QR codes."

More HCL AppScan pros

"The most valuable feature is the ability to write our custom rules."

"Compared to other competitors in the market, the AI-backed capability is the biggest strength of Semgrep."

Cons

"The databases for HCL are small and have room for improvement."

"Visibility is an issue for us. Our partners do not know we have integrations with some of IBM products."

"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."

"Sometimes it doesn't work so well."

"IBM Security AppScan Source is rather hard to use."

"We would like to see a check in the specific vulnerabilities in mobile applications or rooted devices, such as jailbreaking devices."

"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."

"One thing which I think can be improved is the CI/CD Integration"

More HCL AppScan cons

"There should be more information on how to acquire the system, catering to beginners in application security, to make it more user-friendly."

"I have consistently observed that their scan time is an issue; sometimes with their AI-based scanning, when you triage that scan, the scan never completes or finishes, which makes it difficult."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

"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."

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

"HCL AppScan is expensive."

"AppScan is a little bit expensive. IBM needs to work a little bit on the pricing model, decreasing the license cost."

"The product is moderately priced, though it's an investment due to extensive code analysis needs."

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

"The price is very expensive."

More HCL AppScan pricing and cost advice

Information not available

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Government

11%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

17%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Computer Software Company

10%

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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

No data available

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.

See all answers

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 needs improvement with Semgrep?

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Semgrep?

I have been working with Semgrep for almost a year, approximately six to eight months on and off. In my current organization, I have a strong experience for SAST solution POCs, and I have conducted...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Semgrep?

You should primarily focus on what your use case is and why you are moving out. If you are moving out just from the perspective of cost, I do not think Semgrep is the best solution for you. However...

See all answers

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

HCL AppScan

January 2026

Download HCL AppScan product report

Buyer's Guide

Static Application Security Testing (SAST)

January 2026

Download Semgrep product report

Also Known As

IBM Security AppScan, Rational AppScan, AppScan

Semgrep Code, Semgrep Supply Chain, Semgrep AppSec Platform

Overview

IBM Security AppScan enhances web application security and mobile application security, improves application security program management and strengthens regulatory compliance. By scanning your web and mobile applications prior to deployment, AppScan enables you to identify security vulnerabilities and generate reports and fix recommendations.

HCLSoftware

Semgrep is an advanced static analysis tool designed to identify vulnerabilities and enforce coding standards, catering primarily to professionals with a focus on enhancing code security and quality.

Engineered for software development environments, Semgrep delivers efficient security feedback with minimal setup. By offering a rich collection of rule sets, it allows customization and integration into CI/CD pipelines, supporting continuous code examination. Semgrep not only uncovers hidden flaws but also enforces best practices, making it a valuable asset for development teams seeking to build secure and reliable software.

What are the most important features of Semgrep?

Customizable Rules: Allows users to define specific rules to match unique coding requirements.
Open Rule Repository: Provides access to a vast array of pre-defined rules covering common security issues.
CI/CD Integration: Seamlessly integrates into development workflows, providing immediate feedback.
Multi-language Support: Detects issues across different programming languages, enhancing its usability.

What benefits or ROI should users consider?

Enhanced Security Posture: Elevates the security standards of codebases.
Time Efficiency: Reduces time spent on manual code reviews.
Adaptability: Easily adapts to evolving coding standards and practices.
Cost-effectiveness: Minimizes the need for external security audits.

In industry applications, Semgrep is a popular choice for sectors such as finance and healthcare, where code integrity and security are paramount. Its integration capabilities allow for effective oversight of compliance and secure coding standards without disrupting existing workflows. This adaptability ensures it meets sector-specific requirements, making it a trusted tool in fields where data privacy and protection are critical.

Semgrep

Sample Customers

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

Policygenius, Tide, Lyft, Thinkific, FloQast, Vanta, and Fareportal

Buyer's Guide

HCL AppScan vs. Semgrep

December 2025

Free Report: HCL AppScan vs. Semgrep

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